www.sausagemaking.org

I've managed to get hold of a used oak whiskey barrel, and I wondered if anyone had any good ideas as to how to convert it into a smoker, mainly the smoke generation side of things. Any advise more than welcome.

I use the Bradley smoker - an ideal piece of kit. I can think of no better arrangement than but just the smoke generator, a largish cardboard box and a length of metal ducting tube. The only drawback with the Bradley smokers is that you are tied in to using their proprietry briquettes.

A cheaper, homemade alternative using real fire and real wood chippings/dust is also possible, again ducting the smoke via some aluminium ducting tube, available from B&Q for around a fiver.

Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking more along the lines of the second option: I can get woodchips by the bag in return for the ocassional diner for a tree surgeon I know, and every pound I save is a brace of pheasant, four rabbits, or 250g of smoked bacon.

If anyone has any links to websites covering this I'd appreciate it. I'll post some photos and a How-To when it's up and running.

BTW, it's a Laphroaig barrel, and it smells so good I could sleep in it .

Hi Wohoki

Where the """""" did you get a Laphroaig barrel from, got any more?

Just the name sends shivers to my taste buds..............

Cheers WW

Hi Wohoki, try this site...

http://www.askthemeatman.com/pdf%20files/homesmoker.pdf

The pdf file details plans for a cold smoker with a metal drum, but the wooden barrel shouldn't cause any real problems. The actual smoking barrel has to be higher than the smoke-generator which could be brick/stone built or an old dustbin and the smoke led into the smoking chamber with metal ducting (I've said this in other threads...B&Q around a fiver)

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

WW, I'll let you know the place I got mine when I've actually collected it , as the van's off the road for a week or so, but they have got a couple more (fifty quid, and they'll cut the top off for free.)

Hobbitfeet, I'll take a few pictures and post a proper DIY thing as and when. Thanks for the link.

Wohoki

Many thanks - I have been looking for a good barrel for ages, especially and old whisky, brandy or port barrel.

Cheers.......WW

Is that to go with your stomach (or is it your manly chest?)

Manly chest of course

While we were checking out the one I've bought, my wife walked over and started talking to the barrel. I did point out to her that the barrel didn't have a beard so she should have been able to tell the difference, but she still thought that it was sexier than I am.

So be careful who you introduce to your smoker.

WW. There are a couple of people on eBay selling whiskey barrels for about the same as I paid, but you will have to collect. I'll PM you a link if you like.

I have been smoking food for years, first up a huge fireplace and now with a US unit but always had problems keeping the temperature at the right and even level. The unit I have just states "warm" "ideal" " hot". I have not been ill yet but lots of locals want me to smoke their food and I do not want to have problems etc.
While smoking, does anyone know what the right temp should be for say a chicken and does anyone have a method of keeping it stable for a long time (8 hours) I do not want a "bradley" smoker as I have lots of oak/beech chipings although presumably the bradley would keep an even temp.

What kind of smoker do you have?

its a "meko" purchased in Canada, it has a bottom bowl for the charcoal, a bowl above then the racks for the food. my problem is that to smoke a chicken I need the heat to avoid the health problems but as soon as i throw chippings on the heat the temp goes down. I have avoided any problems so far by heating the chicken to temp in the aga first but want to avoid this in future. someone in the village wants chickens as they do them in Germany, ie in the smoker for about 24 hours and coming out black, this si what I want to achive. I wondered about putting the chippings in the upper bowl.

Find out what they do in Germany. Perhaps if you brined the chicken first, it would avoid any of the health issues you are concerned about.