design for small smoker

[BrokenBiker]

looking to make a (eventually 2 at least) small smoker for rabbit skins. one will be given to a mate as a birthday gift as he has a lurcher and has a few skins left over every weekend.

anyway, i have at my disposal, a few 15kg gas bottles (may be 19kg, makes no odds), a small mig and a bucket full of gassless wire. i can salvage other material from work if needed but want these to be cheap and quick, not making a profit off them but want them to look decent and be functional.

so, anyone made one, got any ideas or any designs etc?

 

[Parm]

There are some great designs on the net and I've been researching as I'm planning to make one soon. The one that floats my boat is an offset smoker. It's basically a drum of some sort on its side with a fire box attached at on end and a chimney at the opposite side of drum. Of course there are variations to make it more complex and provide more control.

I'd be interested to see what people can come up with

 

[Shedendman]

few ideas here
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=...EO5eU#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=smoker+from+gas+bottle

 

[BrokenBiker]

There are some great designs on the net and I've been researching as I'm planning to make one soon. The one that floats my boat is an offset smoker. It's basically a drum of some sort on its side with a fire box attached at on end and a chimney at the opposite side of drum. Of course there are variations to make it more complex and provide more control.

I'd be interested to see what people can come up with

i have seen one of those, it had 3 chambers inside, burner on the end, meat in the middle and then empty the other end, butterfly valves to control how much smoke goes in from the burner and how quickly the smoke can escape to the clean chamber at the end with the chimney on

few ideas here
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=900&q=wood smoker&oq=wood smoker&gs_l=img.3..0l6j0i5l4.8404.12760.0.13222.11.10.0.1.1.0.157.734.8j2.10.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.60.img..0.11.734._f8YiGEO5eU#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=smoker from gas bottle

think i have seen the one i am going to make. will cut the bottle around the halfway mark, weld in some mesh, have a removable ash tray below with holes cut in the underneath of the bottle to allow air flow into the burning area. in the top of the bottle i am going to weld some bars across to drape the skins over, close to the top and will have a butterfly valve in the chimney to control how much smoke builds up and to be able to shut it off. may replace the holes in the bottom with a butterfly on an inlet pipe. will see what materials i can get hold of

 

[Kent]

I just don't get why you might need to smoke a rabbit skin, I just chuck them in the bin or simply air dry them for training gundogs. Remember you can hot smoke things or cold smoke them and this effects the way you build your smoker, are you wanting to eat these skins though?

 

[pedrobedro]

It made me think of this. Smoking is to softem them after tanning isn't it ?

 

[Gareth0123]

Cold smoking food is one my hobbies and passions. Virtually any container will do as a smoke chamber, and for making the smoke, by preference it is the ProQ I use.

It is by far the best cold smoke generator I have used; They are reliable, economical and simple to use. They generate a small and inoffensive amount of smoke that gets the job done, and will not annoy the neighbours, but they are now silly money to buy for what they actually are. I've had mine almost 5 years and paid £19.99 plus P&P. I have used it approximately 50 times, but the mesh has burnt away in sections. However, this is a welding forum, so off you go lads!

A link to some of my cold smoking experiences; http://overthegate.myfreeforum.org/about29746

 

[BrokenBiker]

they are smoked after being salted and worked a few times. I have used air dried ones and they are worthless after a few dips in the river, or get muddy. once they have been salted and smoked they can be sewn into pouches, filled with safe fillings then tied up, when they get dirty they can be put in the wash in with the laundry and used again. I have 2 done this way and they are still like brand new. smoking helps soften the skin up, kills of bacteria and thickens the hide up a bit, makes the skin side softer and stops the fur falling out. also makes it a lot easier to sew up without tearing it

 

[Parm]

Cold smoking food is one my hobbies and passions. Virtually any container will do as a smoke chamber, and for making the smoke, by preference it is the ProQ I use.

It is by far the best cold smoke generator I have used; They are reliable, economical and simple to use. They generate a small and inoffensive amount of smoke that gets the job done, and will not annoy the neighbours, but they are now silly money to buy for what they actually are. I've had mine almost 5 years and paid £19.99 plus P&P. I have used it approximately 50 times, but the mesh has burnt away in sections. However, this is a welding forum, so off you go lads!

A link to some of my cold smoking experiences; http://overthegate.myfreeforum.org/about29746

Mate, ive just seen your stuff on cold smoking. Absolutely awesome. Im now going to build a ProQ and get the chop saw out to make some wood chips. Might even use the electric plane on soem off cuts of oak ive got kicking about !!!! Have you ever tried to cold smoke a ham usign this method?

 

[Monkey Harris]

i have got some smoked chedder,
from aldi its very nice ...

 

[Gareth0123]

Yes, I have cold smoked Hams; whole, joints and sections.

I have also smoked Gammons, Pork bellies, Lamb, Beef and Venison joints, Ducks, Chickens, Guinea fowl, Quail, Pheasant, and Partridge, but the Goose and Turkeys were too big for my smoker, so I jointed them and smoked them in manageable pieces.

I have also smoked, Burgers, Sausages and Black Puddings... even Pepperami... you know the one..."It's a bit of an Animal."

I have even cracked how to cold smoke honey for my Mead making and home-brewing escapades by using a chocolate fountain placed into the smoker: http://s105.photobucket.com/user/Gareth_Lewis/media/Mead Making/SmokedHoneyMead007.mp4.html

 

[Parm]

Yes, I have cold smoked Hams; whole, joints and sections.

I have also smoked Gammons, Pork bellies, Lamb, Beef and Venison joints, Ducks, Chickens, Guinea fowl, Quail, Pheasant, and partridge, but the Goose and Turkeys were too big for the smoker, so I jointed them and smoked them in manageable pieces.

I have also smoked, Burgers, Sausages and black puddings... even Pepperami... you know the one...it's a bit of an Animal.

I have even cracked how to cold smoke honey for my Mead making and home-brewing escapades by using a chocolate fountain placed into the smoker: http://s105.photobucket.com/user/Gareth_Lewis/media/Mead Making/SmokedHoneyMead007.mp4.html

You sound like a man after my own heart. Ive a genuine tandoor oven which will double up as food smoker with the simple introduction of the ProQ.

Also probably shouldnt say anythign about my home made distillation equipment !!

 

[Gareth0123]

Sometimes my home-made Ginger Beer, (Alcoholic) Dandelion & Burdock, Lemon & Ginger wine, Mead and home pressed Cider & Perry have to be pasteurised at very high temperatures.

 

[octo0072000]

have a look on here

http://www.instructables.com/howto/cold+smoker/

 

[Maker]

Also probably shouldnt say anythign about my home made distillation equipment !!

You can tell us about it, just don't tell us you use it.

 

[Parm]

You can tell us about it, just don't tell us you use it.

For those that are interested, it's a full blown reflux distillation column fitted to a SS beer keg. Produces spirit up to 88% alcohol by volume, so I've been told.

 

[eSCHEn]

For those that are interested, it's a full blown reflux distillation column fitted to a SS beer keg. Produces spirit up to 88% alcohol by volume, so I've been told.

Cornelius?

 

[magnet]

This is the one i shamelessly copied................worked a treat

 

[BrokenBiker]

that's a good little unit

one question that it has raised though, if I smoke the skins in the same vessel that the wood is burning in, is it hot or cold smoking? I would have thought hot, but he says to hot smoke you have to connect it to a BBQ

 

[sparkysy]

Same vessel is hot smoke usually I've made them in the past out of 47k bottles gives you room for manoeuvring and as mentioned they produce some fantastic results