Smoker Shed Ideas

[tallbm]

I'm looking for some Smoker Shed ideas so if you use a shed or know of working shed setups or ideas please chime in.

I am about to be in a situation where I have a smoker (an electric one) that will need to be housed inside something waterproof for smokes on my back porch.

The back porch has a concrete floor but no walls and no patio roof cover to stop the rain.
I would elevate the smoker so no water would run under or against it and I can keep the cords protected from the ran and elevate them as well with no problem.

I'm thinking something like 6x4x5.75 foot shedwould be perfect. I would silicon it up well to avoid leaks. It even has air vents at the top that the smoke could escape from while keeping rain out! What are your thoughts?

 

[SonnyE]

If you were doing a smoke, and it was raining (or started during your session) could you work with your smoker inside a shed like that?
I think if I was going to look into this solution (I live in a very dry climate), I'd look at keeping myself and my food dry.

I BBQ'd a bunch of chicken at my Father-In-Laws in Tennessee and a dag-gone thunder boomer came through. About the time I was pulling that load of chicken out in the little patio, the river began pouring off the house roof.
We about drowned running 20 feet across the yard, and Mom had to salvage the pan of BBQ chicken in the oven to dry it off. While Dad and I dried off and changed clothes.

So if you occasionally, might have to, be working in a waterfall, you might like a shed big enough to hide in while still being able to breath.
I have a "garden shed" that is 3' x 8' long. If I got all the accumulated junk out of it, I could conceivably put my MES to one side and be able to get inside out of the weather, for an example.
Keep your electric high and dry. (Cord?) And your smoker up on a brick or two. And good ventilation for the shed, or better yet a smoke stack.
Just add a cold beer and meat.

PS: I like swinging doors, not sliding/rolling doors. YMMV.
But most sliding/rolling shed doors I've seen gum up in short time.

 

[tropics]

I have been using an 8x10 tin shed for years in the winter.
Richie

 

[SonnyE]

I have been using an 8x10 tin shed for years in the winter.
Richie
View attachment 365873

HAH! Sinker molds!
Now that's what I'm talkin about!

Sorry. I just got a little excited... :oops:o_O:D

 

[tallbm]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

My main concern is doing an overnight smoke or one where a storm rolls through for an hour or 2. I'm just looking to protect the smoker. I run my unit with a HeaterMeter so If I needed to hold food for an extended amount of time to wait out the rain I could use my phone or laptop to turn down the smoker temp to like 100-150F and monitor IT of the meat to ensure it doesn't drop below 165F. I could easily out wait a storm for hours that way and not get drenched... if needed.

I would like to think I could dodge any downpours right when the food needs to come off like with chicken BUT I agree that the best plan would be to have a shed large enough to accommodate the smoker and me working inside the shed to get the food out without being drenched.
I will definitely need to pull exact measurements and definitely need to go see some of these options in person to make the best decision. What I liked about the particular one I showed is that it has vents at the top what would let the smoke out. I have 3 sizes to choose from if I need more room... assuming my back patio space can accommodate the larger size with out me turning my entire back patio into a shed lol. I also agree with the swinging doors but I will need to do some more hunting around to see what my options are :)

 

[GaryHibbert]

My only concern with using a shed like that (and I'm NOT speaking from experience, just thinking) would be the amount of smoke that would build up inside the shed. Sure, a lot of smoke will go out through the top vents, but would enough???
I think I would be more likely to go for a 3 sided, covered shed with the opening facing away from the prevailing winds--here storms and wind come out of the west and northwest 99% of the time. For the other 1% of storms coming from any other direction, it's fairly easy to put up a wind block on the opening. By using a 3 sided shed, you will also avoid a heavy buildup of smoke residue on the outside of the smoker and anything else stored in the shed.
Now, my deck is roofed and faces south, and my smoker is pretty well protected by the roof and house, so this is just me thinking.
Gary

 

[SonnyE]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

My main concern is doing an overnight smoke or one where a storm rolls through for an hour or 2. I'm just looking to protect the smoker. I run my unit with a HeaterMeter so If I needed to hold food for an extended amount of time to wait out the rain I could use my phone or laptop to turn down the smoker temp to like 100-150F and monitor IT of the meat to ensure it doesn't drop below 165F. I could easily out wait a storm for hours that way and not get drenched... if needed.

I would like to think I could dodge any downpours right when the food needs to come off like with chicken BUT I agree that the best plan would be to have a shed large enough to accommodate the smoker and me working inside the shed to get the food out without being drenched.
I will definitely need to pull exact measurements and definitely need to go see some of these options in person to make the best decision. What I liked about the particular one I showed is that it has vents at the top what would let the smoke out. I have 3 sizes to choose from if I need more room... assuming my back patio space can accommodate the larger size with out me turning my entire back patio into a shed lol. I also agree with the swinging doors but I will need to do some more hunting around to see what my options are :)

Don't forget your other venting options, like a stack, or adding a roof vent, wall fan.
Lots of ways to skin a cat...
But visiting Home Depot or Lowe's or what-have-you, and bumping your head in a few sheds could probably...
Shed some light.
A friend on an Astronomy Forum posted about a shed with an openable roof. So thinking about that, I found this for your idea tank. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-6-ft-6-in-x-5-ft-Slide-Lid-Resin-Shed-1800005/203137956
You could crack it open, or open it wide up, or slam it shut if the rains come.
Check out the video on it.

(I would still use my 3" smoke stack. But probably leave it attached to my smoker, since I'd no longer need to cover it.)

 

[tallbm]

Don't forget your other venting options, like a stack, or adding a roof vent, wall fan.
Lots of ways to skin a cat...
But visiting Home Depot or Lowe's or what-have-you, and bumping your head in a few sheds could probably...
Shed some light.
A friend on an Astronomy Forum posted about a shed with an openable roof. So thinking about that, I found this for your idea tank. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-6-ft-6-in-x-5-ft-Slide-Lid-Resin-Shed-1800005/203137956
You could crack it open, or open it wide up, or slam it shut if the rains come.
Check out the video on it.

(I would still use my 3" smoke stack. But probably leave it attached to my smoker, since I'd no longer need to cover it.)

Thanks for presenting the option!
I definitely have some looking around to do.
I even saw options used for trash can storage where the lid lifted up and back as well as a swing out door. I just didn't know how well those would keep rain out when the smoker is sitting there not being used. A shed of some kind would do it all... now to find the best fit without breaking the bank or burning down the county :)

 

[SonnyE]

or burning down the county :)

LOL!
Umm, no that wouldn't be thin blue smoke.... :D

 

[mike243]

Best thing I ever done was build a carport with the south and west sides covered,use it as a patio year round unless snow is in the forecast.Wish I had made it bigger than 18'x26'

 

[tallbm]

I think this shed idea is going to work out well. I just now need to find one that will fit the bill and not break the bank :)

 

[tallbm]

Well I pulled the trigger on cosmetic dinged garbage bin storage shed:

I don't like the idea of it being "resin" (plastic) and the floor being there but I'm sure I can work around all of that. The size seems to be good in theory and according to MES40 measurements.

My hope is that it will keep rain off the MES and homemade HeaterMeter PID controller and other attached electronics when not in use.
I can crack the roof open some when smoking and rain may occur (like overnight).
I can completely open it when normally smoking and no fear or rain (quick smokes, TX summers with many consecutive 100F+ days of weather... so no rain lol).

I'll report back on its functional ability once I get it, set it up, and do a few smokes,... Oh and if/when it rains as well :)

Wish me luck!

 

[HalfSmoked]

I have a 6 x 5 rubber maid with all my cooking items in it ( crab steamer, turkey frier, 55 gal barrel smoker and other items for cooking) yup it's smokey and nasty inside but doesn't hurt anything because its just the smoke shack. But it was very in expensive.

Warren

 

[tallbm]

I have a 6 x 5 rubber maid with all my cooking items in it ( crab steamer, turkey frier, 55 gal barrel smoker and other items for cooking) yup it's smokey and nasty inside but doesn't hurt anything because its just the smoke shack. But it was very in expensive.

Warren

Thanks for the input Warren! I have my shed in the box sitting on my back porch. Maybe sometime this week I'll get the building it. There are many other things higher on the priority list though :(

 

[tallbm]

So I FINALLY got around to assembling the shed and such, I've been swamped with tons of other todo items and I have have a broken dishwasher so I have put all cooking on hold until it gets repaired (hopefully Monday).

I really think this is going to be perfect!!! The patio "roof" you see in the images is not a roof, it is a sunshade and the thing is made out of like 3mm sheet metal so no installing any kind of panels on top of it to stop rain AND it is perfectly level so rain wouldn't run unless I added a slop on top of that already super thin metal. The shed gives me what I need and avoids all of that hassle!

Oh and yeah the HeaterMeter PID controller inside my custom controller box works when everything is completely closed as well as opened!

Here it is, in all its glory with my MES40 inside!!!