Home made smoke tube

[bill ace 350]

Picked up a disposable aluminum grill top for $1.25 at one of those dollar stores. rolled it and wired it together, filled it with small chips. Seems to work very nicely. Haven't tried it on an actual smoke yet though. Picture & video.

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• bill ace 350
• May 17, 2014

Video:

 

[mdboatbum]

Thank you for answering a question for me. I was wondering if chips would work in my tube smoker. I've mixed them in with pellets before, but haven't tried them on their own.

 

[bill ace 350]

Glad it was useful. I lit the bottom with a propane torch, let the chips catch and blew it out. Nice, steady smoke. The price was right too!

 

[mdboatbum]

Yeah I made on out of a mesh gutter guard. Thing works like a champ!

 

[smokeburns]

That's awesome. Ironically I bought that grill mesh at publix so I could smoke cheese for the first time. Was looking at making one from a can. But I like your idea better. Reminds me of the "a maze in tube" I think I'll try out your idea for this Saturday to serve at this Memorial Day weekend party.

 

[bill ace 350]

How did it work?

 

[dr k]

I kept melting my aluminum mesh/screen tube smoke generator with the torch lighting the pellets.

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• dr k
• Jun 18, 2014

This one burned 4 hours then I went to the one below

This one is a small splatter guard, ashtray and heavy duty grill foil.  Just layers of folded foil around the edge and ashtray (one long strip.)  It would burn for 6 hours but put it out after 4hrs. before it got to the out of shape area at the end.

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• dr k
• Jun 18, 2014

The coals aren't lit just moved out of the way.  I didn't spend the time to center the ashtray very well.  I've only used mine for cold smoking cheese, eggs and Canadian bacon.  I would like a steel tube smoke generator for hot smokes and have seen perforated steel in 24"X24" sheets at the box stores for $35.

 

[smokeburns]

Worked great! Also ended up doing some almonds and even smoking some Himalayan sea salt oo.

 

[bill ace 350]

Awesome that it worked out for you. Temperatures cooling off these days, so it won't be long before I use mine on some cheese.

 

[blue hill]

Here's what I cobbled together. I had a piece of 1/8" mesh SS screen. The ends are 1 1/2" copper. One end is a cap and the other just pipe and I beveled down the end a little. I have since removed the hose clamp as it wasn't necessary. I get 4 hours and a bit with Traeger pellets.

image.jpg

• blue hill
• Jan 12, 2015

 

[dkganz]

I was eyeballing this on Amazon:
LA Choppers Perforated Stainless Baffle Tubing - 2in, Material: Stainless Steel LA-1220-24

 

[blue hill]

That would totally work! 24"length gives you enough for two.

 

[dkganz]

It comes in different diameters too.

 

[dr k]

Here's what I cobbled together. I had a piece of 1/8" mesh SS screen. The ends are 1 1/2" copper. One end is a cap and the other just pipe and I beveled down the end a little. I have since removed the hose clamp as it wasn't necessary. I get 4 hours and a bit with Traeger pellets.

image.jpg

• blue hill
• Jan 12, 2015

The hose clamp is what I should have used since I didn't have fittings for the ends.  I got lucky and was a winner in the A-Maze-N products contest and got the 12" tube smoker, so I haven't been using my homemade cold smokers since.  There was a great deal on Traeger 20lb. bags for $14, so I bought a bag of pecan.  I called Traeger because I wanted to know what percentage of the flavor on the bag was in each pellet.  They are just like BBQ'ers Delight 2/3rds white Oak or Alder for heat and 1/3 is the wood on the bag (fuel and flavor.)  The 1lb. bags of BBQ'ers Delight is 100% the flavor on the bag.  I have several of these in pecan so I'm filling my tube smoker 1/3rd. BBQ'ers Delight and 1/3rd.  with the Traeger pellets for more pecan flavor.  Then just shake it up to mix.  The Traeger pellets are good by itself.  I just have to keep a closer eye on the temp. when cold smoking cheese.

-Kurt

 

[blue hill]

I found out after I bought them that they weren't 100%. Didn't much matter anyway, because they were the only Apple pellets I could find when I went looking. My neighbour has an apple tree in his yard that died last season. I think I'll offer to take it away for him so I can try the real deal. The Amazen smokers I'm sure will always be the best, but I'm a tightwad tinkerer who loves a challenge, especially if I have the material laying about.