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sheetmetaldan

sheetmetaldan

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 11, 2012
11
10
Acushnet Massachusetts
Hello everyone my name is Dan and i`m from Massachusetts. I just discovered this site and thought I would say hello. This pic is my homemade smoker I made and I am smoking a 5 lb chicken in it right now I am using charcoal and wet apple chips. This is the first time I have ever tried smoking ''meat that is" so I have no clue how it will turn out!

A few specs about my smoker it is 12" stainless steel with removable end caps and racks for easy cleaning, the bottom chamber has a 6" opening at the top to add charcoal, wood chips/chunks and help regulate air. I made it out of leftover ductwork from the jobsite I was on, it was never attached to any machinery so there is no worry about any hazardous chemicals in the pipe. I was looking at a pile of fittings and pipe at work one day and told my foreman there is a smoker in here I just have to find it and this is what I came up with! Let me know what you think of it I appreciate any feedback on it. I hope to learn more a lot more about smoking and not gain too much weight in the process!

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Hi, my  name is Dan I just found this forum and thought I would introduce myself. I am smoking a 5 lb chicken right now in the pic above with a homemade smoker I recently made. This is also my first attempt at smoking. I used a combination of wood/charcoal with wet applechips for flavor. Hopefully my chicken doesn`t taste like I smoked it with a snow tire when i`m done! My smoker was made with leftover 12" stainless steel pipe from work. The sides and racks are removable for easy cleaning. The firebox has an extra tee pointing up which I use to add wood chips or chunks quickly and also helps adjust airflow.

I was looking at a pile of pipe and fittings at work one day and I told my foreman there is a smoker in here I just have to find it! This is the result of my efforts. So please let me know what you think of my smoker I would appreciate any feedback on it and would be happy to answer questions anyone may have!
 
Pretty cool looking contraption you've made there, welcome to SMF.
 
Hello Dan and 
welcome1.gif
to SMF - all I can say is WOW what a smoker you built. Very nice 
 
Well we had chicken last night lets just say I got plenty of room for improvement! It took me over 6 hours to cook a 5lb chicken does that sound right? I thought it took too long to cook. The meat was very moist and tender on the inside and had a smoky flavor, but the skin did not get crispy sort of had a rubbery texture. I also wasnt sure if it was cooked through it seemed a little undercooked and I don`t have a meat thermometer to check doneness. I also was having trouble maintaining a steady temp so I put it back in for another hour directly over where the heat/fire enter the top chamber (bad idea) instead of putting it further inside away from direct heat this really blackened the outside and made it look burnt. I may skip the charcoal next time I don`t think it did me any favors. Is charcoal even used for smoking? I only used it hoping it would give me a consistent temperature. Getting more hot embers established before cooking hopefully will help me maintain a more steady temp. I was a little impatient and started cooking before the fire and heat were ready. All in all I guess it was a success since I didn`t have to end up ordering a pizza to feed my family! I will post a few more pics of my smoker when I get a chance. Thanks everyone for the welcome!
 
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Nice smoker. Pretty crazy looking. But really cool. I love stainless. If you smoke the chicken around 300-325 you will get a crispier skin.And it will cook quicker too. Low and slow don't work on skin real well. Makes the chicken tastes great though. Or when it's done hit it on the hot grill to crisp up the skin. Check your thermometer in boiling water. 6 hours seems long for a 5 lb chicken.
 
welcome1.gif
 to SMF . You have come to the right place for smoking info. This site is loaded with great info just use the search bar at top of page to find what you are looking for. If you can't locate the answer just ask folks here are willing to share there knowledge. 

I must say that is 1 cool looking smoker you got there. 
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Thanks again everyone for the greetings and all the positve comments on my smoker, when I get a chance I will take some more pictures of it to show better detail. I want to use it again "SOON"!!! What should I try next? I`m thinking maybe a pork shoulder to make my pulled pork sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce. Always did that in the oven so I hope this takes it to the next level!

When I do get some more pics of my smoker to post should I add them to this thread or is there a better section to make a new post in? Thanks!
 
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