How Long Can You Smoke With a Smokey Joe Mini Smoker

Convert your Weber Smokey Joe into a smoker or mini WSM for about 30 bucks

(notation: this article originally published Oct of 2010 on Meatninja.com. The Meatninja is now blogging for WKC and his site is no longer online)

This Smokey Joe Smoker was made with a 1979 Weber Smokey Joe

Mini WSM –  in all its glory

I've long been into grilling with the occasional venture in smoking and barbecuing. Merely over the summer, I had a couple really fun experiences smoking baby back ribs on my 22″ Weber Kettle. The process took a long time, and I learned that keeping the temps low enough for true bbq tin exist challenging with a kettle grill.

I did my enquiry and quickly determined that the all-time smoker (for me) is the Weber Smokey Mountain (or WSM). There'south a problem though, WSMs are $400. A tad pricey.

Effectually the aforementioned time, I rescued a Weber Smokey Joe from the neighbors trash. Information technology's a fiddling 14.5″ grill. I wasn't really sure what I was going to exercise with it, merely it was too cute to let it go to a landfill.

And then I saw that a few professional person and uber-enthusiasts who were building a mini smoker using a Smokey Joe and a $20 tamale steamer from wal-mart. Become this, people have won actual competitions with these fiddling smokers. (Yeah, I actually read upwardly and follow the bbq excursion now)

That settled information technology, I had to build this mini WSMsmoker, a tamale pot smoker to exist exact. I did the inquiry and establish the steamer pot I needed. Information technology's a 32qt Tamale Steamer found at walmart. I detest walmart with a passion, only I braved information technology on the twenty-four hours subsequently Christmas no less. Make sure you bank check online to see if your local store carries it – I didn't and had to go to TWO F'in walmarts before I plant it.

I cut the lesser out, drilled some holes, added some bolts and a thermometer. Tada!

I did my first fume on information technology two weeks ago. Two modest pork butts. I didn't melt them long enough, they were a TINY fleck dry – but they tasted AMAZING.

Enough chatter. On with the Instructions.

How to build a mini WSM / Smokey Joe Smoker (or Smoker Joe)

Hither'due south how I cut the bottom out of the tamale pot for the Mini WSM

What y'all'll need:
one. Weber Smokey Joe Silver The argent model will work best, because the Gilt model has sidevents (suck). You can purchase this new for $30. It's a pretty amazing grill on its own, and y'all can still use it as a grill when you lot're all done. You can too find Smokey Joes on craigslist for $x-$15 bucks. Some argue that the Gold model doesn't get clogged with ash like the silver. I have even so to encounter this issue. There'southward some VERY unproblematic hacks to forestall it equally well.
2.
iii. A 12″ terra cotta (clay) saucer. I found mine at home depot in the garden department for $5.
4. An additional xiv″ cooking grate (assuming you want your smoker to accept 2 grates). $8
v. Some little nuts and bolts. I think the ones i used were 3/4″, size 8. They were 97 cents at walmart. These are for the standoffs to hold the top charcoal grate. $1.50 (buy the matching washers)
half-dozen. Thermometer(optional). I found mine at lowes for $vii. It sucked, so i replaced it.

A printable instruction sail with cut-out diagrams and associates instructions

Step 1
Using a jigsaw with a metal cutting bract, cut the two really wide U shaped cuts. Don't fold them even so, it'll be easier later on you make the other cuts. I learned the hard way. A dremel volition work likewise, just will be more tedious. I borrowed a jigsaw from my crawly neighbor, Ron.
Pace 2
With the aforementioned jigsaw, cut out the two batwing-similar shapes. It'due south ok if you don't follow my design – just make sure you cutting out plenty for the smoke to go through, but leave enough to support the weight of the dirt saucer, a charcoal grate, and a 14lb hunk of meat. The footling strap of metal I left in the middle is for support. Some builders simply drilled several holes throughout the entire bottom; However, I'm not convinced that such a design would allow ample smoke/air menstruation.
Pace 3
CAREFULLY fold in the flaps yous cut in stride 1. The edge of the metal can be really sharp. Wear gloves, employ pliers. I placed a burn brick downwards there and folded the flaps upward and around the brick. So I unfolded one to take the brick out. If you lot have a meliorate method, please share.
Footstep 4
Measure a distance from the top where you want your top grate. I put mine right at the bottom of the rivets for the handle. I was clueless, simply it seems perfect now. Drill 4 holes all at the aforementioned altitude from the top and put in 4 bolts. I used washers to assist get a nice tight seal.

I painted mine black using a glossy engine enamel, found at your local car parts shop.

To assemble, wrap your clay saucer in foil for easier cleanup. Put this in the bottom of your pot. It should sit on those flaps and in that location should be plenty of ventilation for the fume. This dirt saucer will be a heatsink to blot the straight heat, allowing your foods to cook via indirect heat and smoke.
Your lower cooking grate sits straight on elevation of the dirt saucer. Your elevation cooking grate sits on the 4 bolts yous put in.

Accept the hat off your smokey joe. Your steamer should sit perfectly into the grill, and the grill lid should fit perfectly on top of the steamer pot. Similar a match made in sky.

—
Update: December 9, 2011.
I got several emails over the last year regarding how to use this little smoker.

Hither'southward the simplest method. Fill up the bottom bowl with charcoal and a few chunks of smokewood. I ordinarily use 3 chunks of apple tree and 1 chunk of hickory for pork butts. Remove 8 coals from the bowl and light them with whatever method you have. I use a charcoal chimney and a paper towel drizzled with vegetable oil. Once those eight coals are fully ignited, add them to the bowl of unlit charcoal and assemble the smoker (add together the middle section and lid).

Don't add the meat even so! Expect for the smoke to lighten upwards. You want a sparse, wispy, low-cal bluish smoke. If your fume smells like burning charcoal, information technology'southward too early. Less is more.

After calculation your meat, try to continue the temps effectually 250ish. If the temperature goes by 300, close the bottom vent a little scrap. If your temp goes below 200, open the bottom vent more. Try to keep the superlative vent 100% open up the entire time.
With pork butt (pulled pork), you can actually allow the temps become up higher without major issues. Don't stress about it.

If your temps are low and not coming upward with open vents, you may need to stir the coals a chip. Remove the mid department while leaving the meat inside and the lid on and give the coals a quick stir with some tongs or other metal probing device. If you lot're doing a long fume, you might have to add some fresh unlit charcoal besides.

Adept luck!

fraiseuncess.blogspot.com

Source: http://weberkettleclub.com/blog/2015/04/18/mini-wsm-plans-smokey-joe-smoker/

Share this post