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Post by chas on Apr 12, 2015 18:03:09 GMT
Nice link to hotsmoked.co.uk, Dave.Thanks for that.
Chas
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Post by bigdavenorcott on Apr 12, 2015 18:26:50 GMT
No problem! Was the best price I found anywhere - I got one of the cardboard ecosmokers and more wood dust than I'll get through for years =D
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Post by cobblerdave on May 30, 2015 10:04:34 GMT
G'day Sometimes I just can't help myself  I built this mini copy/ hybrid WSM weber smokie mountain smoker. It's still in the development stage really but thus far cooked a batch of chicken wings. A smoked pickled pork into a ham. A pork butt and a roasted chicken. All were eatable. Like I said it's still not perfect. But it's a lot of fun and not to expensive and I get to eat the experiments. Only problem is that I have a friend who is taken with this mini cooker and would like me me to build a mini charcoal pizza oven out of one of these things. I'm tempted to start experimenting again but for the moment the wheathers cool and mild and I'm more interested in flashing up the "big Girl" the wood fired oven. I much prefer a bit of proper fire |
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Post by seanp on May 30, 2015 17:21:28 GMT
I've been smoking meats (American style BBQ) for a few decades and I had the thought of combining a WFO smoker for about 2 minutes. I then came to my senses and realized sometimes you need a hammer and sometimes you need a screwdriver and a combination of the two wouldn't be good for either.
I have yet to come across a smoker that is not black. smoke is unburnt particulate matter and as such leaves a residue on anything it comes in contact with including brick. And to get that smoke on the meat you need a lot of smoke in the chamber. Not to mention all that grease coming off a pork shoulder and somehow getting worked into the brick floor....would drive me crazy!
But if anyone wants some tips on smoking in a Webber kettle grill let me know.
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Post by chas on May 30, 2015 18:25:45 GMT
Dave, neat looking smoker, you'll have to take me through its workings - when I clicked on the pic to get a bigger image so as to understand it more, a) it wasn't much bigger and b) I got distracted by the girls. Over here there's been a surge of woodburners carved from old gas bottles for yurts, shepherds huts, that sort of thing, like this:  With one of the tall bottles, I reckon you could cut a door in low to make a firebox and another higher up to give access to a solid shelf to heap the dust on, and a rack above that to put grub on. With your knowledge, refinements like a fat-collector, vents etc should be easy. Just be sure the bottle's empty before taking the angle grinder to it... Chas |
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Post by seanp on May 30, 2015 21:30:20 GMT
With one of the tall bottles, I reckon you could cut a door in low to make a firebox and another higher up to give access to a solid shelf to heap the dust on, and a rack above that to put grub on. With your knowledge, refinements like a fat-collector, vents etc should be easy. Just be sure the bottle's empty before taking the angle grinder to it... Chas Chas, google UDS (ugly drum smoker). everything you said above but made from a 55-gallon drum that you can find on gumtree or freecycle. have a few friends that made them in the states and they work pretty well. Sean |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 9:09:06 GMT
I've been smoking meats (American style BBQ) for a few decades and I had the thought of combining a WFO smoker for about 2 minutes. I then came to my senses and realized sometimes you need a hammer and sometimes you need a screwdriver and a combination of the two wouldn't be good for either. I have yet to come across a smoker that is not black. smoke is unburnt particulate matter and as such leaves a residue on anything it comes in contact with including brick. And to get that smoke on the meat you need a lot of smoke in the chamber. Not to mention all that grease coming off a pork shoulder and somehow getting worked into the brick floor....would drive me crazy! But if anyone wants some tips on smoking in a Webber kettle grill let me know. G'day Yep totally agree. I've got some 4 cooks in now and it's pretty black inside the little smoker. The WFO fully fired burns the walls clean as a whistle no smoke smell at all. Still does a great low and slow lamb shoulder after a day or so of cooling. So it's not smoked I can live with that. Been a decade or so since I cooked on a weber kettle. By removing the baffle at the bottom and cooking high off the bare coals I'm getting much the same results as I did with the kettle. A sort of mini Ugly drum smoker effect as the dripping burn to smoke on the coals. Can't say I'm to taken with the sugar or salt content of the U.S. style rubs and sauces. Just not used to the taste either. But in the end it's what you find you like, and I'm never afraid of giving things s go. Regards dave |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 9:24:31 GMT
G'day chas tvwbb.com/forum.phpHope that's a link to The Virtual Weber Bullet Bulletin Board a US site where I found how to build this thing. It's based on a weber smoke joe you add a middle section made from a large pot then use the smokie joe lid on top. Of course I use local ingredients. The smokie joes a $100 local dollars so I brought 2 of the locally attainable ones for $20 for the two. It gave me 2 racks and the peace of mind if I should wreak something  The base 14.5 inch full of coals and ready for a "minion burn" for 4 to 6 hrs |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 9:32:36 GMT
G'day again on the I phone so only 1 pic per post bare with me  The pot in my case 16 inches not 14.5 so a little adjustments are in order. The pot lids turned upside down and riveted to the bottom of the pot. This gives a good seal and the pot is rock solid on the base. Cut out the base leaving a little lip for strenght and the pot is now part of the cooker. The lids far to small and by bending a couple of lengths of 3 mm Aluminium stock and riveting to the top I gain a lip to get the lid to seal. |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 9:38:03 GMT
Gday  Racks. Again 14.5 inch in a 16 inch pot. Some stainless bolts and washers and there done. One just above the deflector and one under the upper part of the pot means enough room for two reasonable size roasts |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 10:06:34 GMT
G'day Now the bit that makes it low and slow, the deflector, and the heat sink.  The defector is a 13 inch stainless cake tin held up of the bottom with 1 inch bolts. It's stops the direct heat from the fire and directs it up the side. The weber Smokie Mountain cookers have a water bowl to defect the heat and act as a moderator to the heat so there's not big spikes in temp. Cause there's no door to use to add water over a long cook in its place a 12 inch pot plant base. Both the deflector and heat sink are covered with foil to protect them from drips from the food and make it easier to keep clean. And that's it in its basic form. Like I said its not my idea but I'm smart enough to recognise a good one. Weber didn't make a 14.5 WSM only an 18 and 22 inch till 2014 when they reindroduced this size again. Probable due to the amount of home mades. They are easy to use once you understand them. The minion method to start them. 12 lite heat beads in the middle of a full load Of beads or charcoal. Assemble. Then as the temp rises you close down the air inputs in the base leaving the top exhust open. It's then possible to catch the temp rise and keep it at 225 f for 6 hours without a refuel. I've found 6 hours to be quite enough to turn any meat into butter anyway. Anyway I'll probably pack this up till summer again. It's a lot of fun but the WFO is more fun cause it's got real flames to play with. regards dave |
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Post by chas on May 31, 2015 10:11:16 GMT
Great tutorial Dave - and I guess if you wanted to get smokiness beyond fat drips you could introduce a tray of dust above the heat and below the water somehow...
Chas
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 10:13:42 GMT
Gday
Woops nearly forgot.
You can use this as a mini ugly drum smoker as well. Remove the defector plate. A load of fully lite charcoal and the foods far off the charcoal. The drips from the cooking food drop and smoke off the hot charcoal and flavour the food. A higher temp cook and realy good way to cook chicken.!
Regards dave
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 10:25:37 GMT
Great tutorial Dave - and I guess if you wanted to get smokiness beyond fat drips you could introduce a tray of dust above the heat and below the water somehow... Chas Gday dont think I'll try. Though I do still like the Tuscan grill. The plus is you have the heat kicking back from the walls as well. You can't do that in a webber kettle unless you were prepared to burn your wood to coals then load the webber. Coals from a wood fire and those from charcoal are diferent. Both good but diferent. regards dave |
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Post by cobblerdave on May 31, 2015 11:39:39 GMT
Great tutorial Dave - and I guess if you wanted to get smokiness beyond fat drips you could introduce a tray of dust above the heat and below the water somehow... Chas G'day The smoke in the mini smokie is easy. You use chunks of wood ( 3 inch x 1/2 inchish ) and you put them through the un lite beads. As they catch over the time the wood smolders and provide smoke over the whole cook. Simple and effective. And small trimmings from a long dead bottle brush destined as kindling are perfect. Regards dave |
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