How To Build Your Own BBQ Smoker Grill

No one can deny that the taste of smoked meats and other foods is absolutely divine. It is the perfect marriage of low fat and flavor; however these types of foods can seem to be far out of reach for some to try at home because of the cost of Buying the smoker itself.

That is the reason why many people are choosing purchase their smoked meats at a local restaurants or delis.

However, a well-built homemade smoker cooker can be just as efficient as a fancy and expensive one, so more and more people are learning how to build a smoker for themselves.

There are several different methods in which you can do this, so we will be looking at a couple of different ones.

Building a Home Smoker with a Trash Can – Gathering Supplies

Building your own smoker with a trash can is fairly simple and should be done with a new metallic one weighing around fifteen pounds. You don’t want to use a can that is lighter than this, as it will not give you the right balance.

Other supplies you’ll need are:

An electric heater
knife or scissors
wood chips
a metal box
Thermometer
a round grill grate

Preparing the Trash Can

First cut a hole in the trash can using a knife to cut a small hole around the diameter of a soda can. You will need to concentrate on this step, since as soon as the knife hits the can, it can get a bit slippery. You can also use scissors as an alternative for this step, and they could be much safer than the knife. It will, however, require a lot more strength to make the opening using this method.

Next use an electric heater and place it inside the trash can at the very bottom. You do not want to permanently attach it with glue or anything else, as you will need to remove it each time you wash the smoker. Remember to use a smaller heater, one that matches the size of the bottom of the can. After this, you can use the hole that you made previously to put the cable of the electric heater through and connect it.

The next step in how to make a smoker with a garbage can is putting a solid metal box on top of the heater, which should weigh around five pounds. It shouldn’t be heavier than this, as it could damage the heater, and it needs to be metal since a surface that is wooden would be burnt with all of the heat. Some commercial heaters use stone, but this is too heavy for this kind of project.

Putting it All Together

Use pine bark or wood chips to fill up the box. You will get a different flavor with pine bark and an aroma which is exquisite added to the meat. You can find them easily in your local supermarket or other store which sells bbq supplies.

If you do not already have one, find a grid from a standard, round grill to place on top of the open trash can. Make sure that it fits well and matches the diameter of your trash can. Typical ones should be just fine for this. Then you can make a small hole in the cover of the trash can to match the size of the thermometer with scissors or a knife again. Ensure that you can insert the thermometer so you can easily take temperature readings, and remember that meat cooks at around 144 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Build a BBQ Smoker Using Bricks – Materials Needed

If you have a larger yard, you can make built in barbeque grills with some bricks and some other landscaping materials. This is a simple way of making them, and doesn’t even have to be built so its permanent, meaning you can take it down at the end of the season and fill in the hole.

Things you will need to gather up so that you can build your smoker include:

a shovel
stakes
spray paint
crushed rocks
sand
a tamping tool
plywood
retaining wall bricks
An expanded steel grate.

Starting Out

First thing in how to build a BBQ smoker with bricks is to measure out a circular area in our yard that measures five feet in diameter. You can mark out the area with spray paint or by putting stakes into the ground, and then use the markings to dig the hole for your cooker which is one foot deep. Then take the tamping tool and smooth down the soil, making sure to pack it tightly.

Once this is done, you can fill in the hole with about four inches of the crushed rocks. Doing so will provide drainage and air flow. Take the sand and pour about three inches of it over the crushed rock.

Take the retaining wall bricks and lay them out around the perimeter of the hole so build a wall which will be circular. It should be about three to four bricks high. The bricks should be laid down so that the seams are staggered, creating stability which is important since there will be no mortar used. You should leave about a half inch of space between each of the bricks on the last layer so there is air circulation.

Adding the Finishing Touches

For the grating, take an expanded steel grate and cut it to make a circle which is five feet in diameter. To do this you can use a cutting torch, bolt cutters or a saw with a metal-cutting blade. Then put the steel grate over the wall of bricks, which will serve as your grill.

Then stack two to three more rows of bricks on top of the mesh to finish out the wall. You can put a piece of plywood over the top of the smoker when you are cooking to keep the smoke in.

The above are just two ways of how to build a smoker for yourself, as there are several other ways to do it. No matter which way you choose, you can definitely make your own at home to avoid the high cost of buying a pre-made one at your home improvement or other local store.