Hot smoker cooker ( my nick name as an apprentice top cat ) hence top cats garage art

I hope I can contribute something for everyone on this forum you will probably gather I’m a serious tinkerer ? I built a cold smoker out of an oak barrel several years ago to do my trout (keen fisherman ) but I wanted a hot smoker /cooker / barbecue ...I came across on a usa website with a drum smoker ..and decided to go one better I sourced a stainless drum some stainless tube stainless valve from an old milking parlour couple of wheels and off I set first making cardboard templates where necessary all tig welded ..hinge was a bit of fun but it works a treat I used a log burner 10mm seal to make the lid air tight ..those toggle clamps are available easily .i had more difficulty finding stainless toggles ...photos are I hope self explanatory..I can now hang ribs to cook ...cook a brisket for 10 hours (on one fill of charcoal ) you can add soaked wood to help the flavour ) and control the temp to 2 or 3 degrees using the air vent on the rear and the valve up front and the chimney cap ..I did a helical top to the charcoal fire basket and it twirls the heat a treat ..not in picture is digital thermometer I have installed that tells me i doors how the temp of meat is and oven temp ..hope this gives some of you food for thought to do something similar in a more basic way its not necessary to do what I’ve done Here i just enjoy the challenge ..Paul
 

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Very smart! The envy is strong with this one. Attention to detail is excellent - the bottle opener on there is genius!

Given this is A2oc - here's a challenge for a feasibility study : make an Eco-smoker weighing half as much and costing at least double what it should by making it from Aluminium instead? ;)
 
Very smart! The envy is strong with this one. Attention to detail is excellent - the bottle opener on there is genius!

Given this is A2oc - here's a challenge for a feasibility study : make an Eco-smoker weighing half as much and costing at least double what it should by making it from Aluminium instead? ;)
You really would need to get Audi involved to do it justice :)
 
My mate was disappointed I hadn’t put an engine under it to save having to drag it around on those wheels ? a little 3 pot maybe !
 
Cold smoker picks ..if you remember the ship that ran aground in Devon off branscome bay well this is one of the barrels that got washed ashore ...well to cut long story short my mates boy rolled it a long ways back to his pick up ..a while later he got short of beer money and I gave him £50 cash ..?..I had it for a while before deciding to make a cold smoker ..I found a really old temp gauge I think it looks a bit like something out of jules vernes ?. the smoke generator sits at the bottom in the tray it smokes up to 12 hours ..temp 15 to 20 degrees..I prep fish cure for 8 to 10 hours in a mixture of brown sugar and two different salts ...air dry for 1 hr ..refrigerate over night and smoke 8 to 10 hours ..using Adler wood ..or cherry ..I tried oak and beech and few others ..if anyone wants more detail quite happy to help ..it’s lovely smoking your own ?
 

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Well it keeps the flies off I suppose ? .... ? unless of course it’s where he air drys the fish after the curing process but before smoking ?? I do this until fish feels firm on the surface ..then I smoke fir 10 hours depending on thickness of fillets ..?
 
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Just kidding lol this is his smoker
It’s amazing you don’t need high tech kit to smoke you can do it in a cardboard box if your cold smoking just lengthen your pipe to cool the smoke ..hot smoking much easier as your cooking the fish on higher temp on racks above the fire box ..it’s all lovely ?...
 
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