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I improved my smoke house

Started by Tunacious, June 29, 2017, 07:05:55 PM

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Tunacious

About 20 years ago I was in a guys back yard and spotted the below solid aluminum box.

I had been on the hunt for the perfect smoke house.

I asked the guy what the box was for.  He told me he had brought it home from the railroad company he worked for and tried to make it into a smoke house but that it didn't get hot enough. 

I opened the door seen a stainless steel dish in the bottom with some briquette ashes and a metal close hanger hanging from the top of the box where he had hung a turkey he was attempting to smoke.

The guy asked me if I wanted it.

I had it loaded in my truck almost before he could finish asking me if I wanted it.

I took it home and built some internal shelving and put a propane burner in the bottom of the box.

After a lot of experimenting I settled on using a pot with holes drilled in the lid.  I filled the pot full of wood pellets.

The pot full of pellets would smoke for about 4 hours.

I kept it that way for a couple of years.

It worked great as a smoke house.  It would get up to about 250 degrees.

Then I was at a guys house who was hosting a bow shoot.  I watched him smoke and cook chicken quarters on a large Trager BBQ that was mounted to a trailer.

I realized his BBQ wasn't all that different from mine but that his got hotter.

I came home and added a second burner.

It still made a great smoke house but now it would get up to 350 degrees.

Over the years I cooked for a lot of large groups including several weddings.

I cooked mostly chicken quarters, ribs, and fish.

One time I cooked 20 pizzas.  10 at a time.

At 350 degrees it got hot enough but was always on the verge of I wish it got hotter.

When I would put 100 chicken quarters along with 100 baked potatoes in the bbq it would take a long time for things to get hot enough for the bbq to get up to 350 degrees.

I like to cook slow but it would be nicer if it got hotter.

A couple of weeks ago I completely dismantled the bbq and started from scratch.

I converted the propane burners from low pressure burners to high pressure burners.

I added a burner for a total of 3 burners now.

I had to add some ventilation to the bottom because the burners was burning up the oxygen causing the burners to start to go out.

I ordered new stainless steel racks.  The racks used to be racks for cooling donuts on.

Like before at the bottom of the racks is a aluminum cookie sheet to disperse the heat coming up from the burners and to catch the drippings from the racks.

This thing will hold a lot of food and smoke a lot of fish or jerky.

I just got everything put together and finally got the proper adjustments on the propane.

The propane is the hardest part.

You have to have the proper amount of propane going to the burners.

After getting it all together it now gets up to 500 degrees.

This thing was always cool but now it is even cooler.  I keep telling my kids they are going to be fighting over it when Im gone but they so far haven't seen how cool it is yet.  I know they will though.

The first photo is what happens when you accidentally leave your Maui Jim prescription sun glasses in the bbq when your testing it to see how hot it gets.

Next week I am cooking for 150 people at a retirement party.  Ill post some photos from the event.














BruceL2_Fish

Totally awesome.  That thing is too cool.  I want one. 
2012 Sea Ranger 19 (M. LaDeane)
Suzuki 115 Four Stroke
Honda 9.9 Kicker

Tunacious

I also added a much larger propane tank so it don't freeze up.

Hydroman

How many side lines do you have?

You are really gifted, being able to excel at all of them, I'm jealous.

Jim
17 Sea Chaser (sold)
21 Skip Tower (sold)
27 Thunder Jet OS (sold)
22 Thunder Jet OS

croaker stroker

Nice!  You should have been an inventor.  :arms:

Back in the mid-sixties, guys in the Sportsman club I belonged to would make smokers out of old refrigerators.

I have a Bradley smoker. Something that makes this smoker different than my old Little Chief is a metal bowl with water.

I guess you could experiment with one of the burners for water/steam ??
1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Markshoreline

Tunacious you never cease to amaze me!!
2002 Sea Ranger HT 21, Yamaha 150, Yamaha 9.9

Tunacious

Quote from: Hydroman on June 29, 2017, 08:53:50 PM
How many side lines do you have?

You are really gifted, being able to excel at all of them, I'm jealous.

Jim

Talking about my sidelines I think your referring to catering??

I like to cook and have considered doing some catering but I have never charged to cook at an event.

Just family and friends.

I am a photographer on the side though and have photographed several weddings and other events.

During the weddings I am always keeping an eye on the caterer, especially if they are smoking something.

I photographed a wedding last weekend and learned a new way to make potatoes in the bbq with tri tip.

Tunacious

For the last two days I've been preparing to cook at one of my best friends retirement party.

Today I'll be using my new and improved smoke house to prepare 150 baked potatoes and 24 Tri Tips.

I'll post photos

This event is in The Dalles.

Expected weather is 95 degrees and wind.

Kimbrey

I month ago I bought a new pair of Maui Jim's prescription sunglasses replacing a pair I had lost......Ouch!!!  That was a painful purchase.  I'm sure you said shucks when you did that
2005 Sea Legend --Sold--replaced with 26' Duckworth—Sold—replaced with 28' Farallon Walkaround

Tunacious

"Shucks"
That's exactly what I said.
Yesterday I replaced them.
Got a pair st Cabellas on sale for 50 percent off.
Paid $12 for a pair of sunglasses made by Ugly Stix

croaker stroker



Veretans can get a big discount on Sunglasses, prescription or non-prescription.  At www.oakleysi.com.

1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Tunacious

150 potatoes
75 lbs of Tri Tip. (28 Tri Tip pieces)
We're going to eat at 6:30 pm


Chief of the Boat


Cannon

Looks like a great setup! I have a similar setup, with one exception, the smoke pot sits over a burner, with a water reservoir above that. The reservoir once heated helps to maintain a constant temperature.
Remember, the ark was built by amateurs; while the Titanic was built by professionals.