Unfamiliar with my new Charcoal Smoker (now with Pics)

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titus0327

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 22, 2009
58
17
North Tonawanda, NY
Help!!!

Ive inherited this smoker from a friend of a friend, and Im not sure how its designed to smoke meats.  To me, its either missing a part or a charcoal grill was given to me under the premise of it being a smoker.

Its cast iron.  It looks like a hibachi with legs on it.  It has 4 legs coming from the bottom.  And atop the legs is a semi-round cast iron box.  This cast iron box has a chimney, with a damper on it. 

0302b2cd_Smoker1.jpg


There is also a door on the front of it that lifts up. 

671cd28f_Smoker2.jpg


Then there is a door on the side that opens up that provides access to the bottom of the "smoker," presumably to add more charcoal or wood chips without having to open the top and let all of the heat escape.  The side door also has a damper on it. 

a7d0e8ae_Smoker3.jpg


c62adca2_Smoker4.jpg


Everything Im describing sounds like a smoker to me, but the part that confuses me is that I dont see how it could possibly provide indirect heat.  Above the bottom of the smoker is a grill grate.  This grate sits halfway up the smoker.  In other words there is nothing separating the meat from the coals except a grill grate.  Wont this burn the bottom of the meat, or at the least force me to rotate quite often, therefore extending the cooking time greatly because of the constant opening of the top?  Isnt the point of smoking low and slow being able to cook with indirect heat?

Any help and guidance is appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris
 
Last edited:
Sounds like a smoker and that the heat diffuser is missing.

I'm in the middle of building a mini-WSM using a Weber Smokey Joe Silver and a tamale steamer pot. It will have coals directly beneath the meat (as does a WSM, I think) but I will use a terra cotta flower pot saucer to diffuse the heat and catch drippings. Others used pie tins of different sorts.

hth
 
Its not a smoker its a grill. That thing is sweet . Im sure you can kick the coals to one side and add a water pan for some BBQing but would be hard to smoke slow smoke anything of size.  i wonder how old it is or who makes it. Does it say?
 
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