Wooden Smoker- Kansas City

[nickMcI]

Hello all, I'm new to the site and new to smoking. I live in Kansas City and love BBQ. I love all regions and think each region has it's special ah ha to add to smoking. I got a crazy idea three years ago after reading some posts on this site to build a wooden smoker. I didn't know much about hot smoking or cold smoking at that point. I ditched the idea shortly after conceiving it, but picked it up again this year and ran with it.

I read so much from all the people that have shared their knowledge, but I've never shared anything that I've built. I was urged, by others to share my experience.

I'm still working on this smoker. It is my first build, and it is still developing. It is essentially a vertical cabinet smoker. I started off with an obsession to make a wooden box hot smoker that is capable of cold smoking. It is run off of two gas burners with with a 10" cast iron skillet 6" above with wood chunks.

It is capable of 550 degrees and cooks pizza at 450 just fine. Once the box is preheated with the gas to 300 degrees for about an hour, I can shut the gas off and run it off of wood chunks. It will maintain 225 to 250 for as long as I feed the chunks in. I augment the temperature with gas for control.

I've cooked eight pork butts at once twice. It has produced a blue smoke the whole time. I've used hickory, apple, cherry and mullbery. I love the ribs it produces.

I've recently started cold smoking by putting wood chips in the skillet and lighting just a small spot. The chips last for about 3-4 hours.

[Chromeski]

Nice build. Looks great

[Big T]

Welcome aboard! That's a sweet build for sure. What did you use to line the inside of the fire box and cook chamber ?

[nickMcI]

The firebox is fire brick. The cook chamber is Hardie Board. Did some research and it's not supposed to off gas until much higher Temps when all food would be ruined anyway.

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[mp4]

Awesomeness!

[Pete Mazz]

Welcome

[towtruck]

That is nice. I have a back yard space that I laid out to build in my bbq's under the awning years ago and never finished it. If I could steal your whole thing and set it in my yard it would be ideal. Now you have my wheels turning again.