How to Design BBQ Smokers
Smoking is a form of slow cooking and is an excellent way of preparing meats such as beef and pork. BBQ smokers can be constructed from a variety of materials, such as steel drums, metal trash cans, and clay pots.
- Choose a material and container to begin your BBQ smoker design. Several fire-proof materials can be used to make BBQ smokers, with the most common choices being metal and clay. You will then need to select a container to serve as the structure of your smoker; trash cans and steel drums work well for metal smokers, while large pots are good for clay smokers.
- Secure a heat source. There are two common choices for heat sources in homemade BBQ smokers; they are charcoal baskets and hot plates. Hot plates require access to electricity, but are easier to use than charcoal, while charcoal is a more traditional and cost-effective method.
- Allow for ventilation in your BBQ smoker. Ventilation is necessary to allow air to pass through the smoker and to let some of the smoke to escape. Ventilating a metal smoker is very simple, just drill a few holes in the top and bottom. Clay smokers can be more difficult, and it is best to simply find a pot that is already ventilated.
- Place the grill rack into the smoker. Every smoker requires at least one cooking surface. You can drill holes in the sides of smokers, which can be then be used to install a grilling rack with metal rods or fasteners.