In this article, we will discuss all the compulsory steps that should be taken in order to build an offset smoker of your choice. Keep reading this article to know how you can manufacture DIY Offset Smoker.
Introduction to an Offset Smoker:
It is a barbeque smoker that has a cooking chamber either horizontal or in some cases, it is vertical. The main thing that differentiates the offset smokers from all other smokers is the firebox which is present on one side of the smoker. The offset smokers are specially designed to provide both types of cooking styles that is slow cooking as well as high-flame cooking. The food cooked on slow flame is perfectly cooked and turns out more delish than the other way. So, this is why customers prefer an offset smoker rather than a regular barbeque smoker.
Why do we need to DIY an Offset Smoker?
As we all know that there are so many different types of offset smokers out there in the market. So, it becomes difficult for a person to decide the best one according to his or her own choices. In this situation, an idea comes to your mind why not make a DIY Offset Smoker that fulfills all your needs.
What is a DIY Offset Smoker?
DIY is the abbreviation of “Do It Yourself”. It commonly refers to the creative work that you do at home with raw material without any professional assistance. So, a DIY Offset Smoker is the one that you will manufacture at your home by buying all the necessary items from the market.
Advantages of making a DIY Offset Smoker:
There are many advantages if you build an offset smoker at home by yourself. Some of these are listed below:
- This DIY offset smoker will have all the required features of your choice.
- You can select the heat source and fuel type according to your likeliness and affordability.
- Airflow and insulation can be managed according to your choices.
- You can build a large or small offset smoker according to your needs as a family.
- Manufacturing material and thickness can be decided by you.
Guide for building a DIY Offset Smoker:
All the necessary steps for building a DIY Offset Smoker are elaborated here. Please keep reading!
Gathering the Equipment:
The first and foremost step is to gather all the equipment that we will need while buying an offset smoker of our choice. The list is given below:
- Smoker grates
- MIG welder
- Two barrels
- Steel tubing
- Chop saw
- Aviation tin snips
All these things can be bought online by a reliable multinational trading company; Amazon.
Believe in Yourself:
After ordering these entire things online, wait three to four days for them to arrive and in this duration start believing in yourself that you can build your own DIY Offset Smoker. It looks like a complicated procedure but it is not. All you have to do is manufacture a basic cooking device that can cook continuously for several hours with a steady flow of heat.
Core sections of Offset Smoker:
There are two main core sections of the offset smoker and these are:
- Cooking chamber
- Fire box
Cooking chamber: It is the primary surface for cooking all your food.
Fire box: this element will have an offset attached to one of its sides for producing all the heat required for cooking.
Both of the core elements that are the cooking chamber and the fire box should have an efficient connection between them in order to produce a steady amount of heat in the cooking chamber. Also, you have to place a few vents in between to ensure that the heat is not way too much as it may cause burning without proper airflow.
Barrel Offset Smoker:
You can choose whatever shape you like for your offset smoker. But in this article, I will tell you have to build a barrel like offset smoker as this shape has many advantages and is the most common one. This shape is also easy to make so if you are a beginner, you should definitely go with this.
In the first step, it is mentioned that you have to buy two barrels. Now that the barrels are here, all the main construction will be done around them. For building an average sized offset smoker, you will need two barrels of 33 gallon storage capacity. Now, start welding the barrels together by using your MIG Welder. This device is so good at its thickness that the end results will be cleaner and neater.
Build a Frame for your DIY Offset Smoker:
As you are building an offset smoker yourself then you should definitely build the frame according to your height. It will give you much handy access to all the tools, utensils, and especially the food. To do this, design the frame in such a way that the cooking chamber will be at your waist height. You will not have to bend over or overreach in this way.
The material of the frame can also be different and up to your choice. You can use wood too but I will prefer steel as it is a much stronger material and does not catch fire at all. Thickness of the steel can also be your choice but you should go for 1-inch square steel.
By using the chop saw, align the frame with your required specifications. The dimensions will be in accordance with the size of your barrels. You can also use fasteners to make sure that the barrel can easily be set on the frame and it should be tight enough to not move a bit from the setting place.
Cutting of the Barrels:
You will need to build a door in the main chamber and a fire box space in the other one. This will require steadiness, a bit of technique, and lots of cutting and welding. While building the door, try to make it large and with round corners as it will be easy to use ad the risk of cutting will be much reduced too. Also, cut the door in the smaller barrel for the fire box. Try to cut as smoothly as you can to avoid leaking the smoke.
Welding:
Align the two barrels in such a way that they make an offset design along with the top section of the barrel attached to the bottom side of the large chamber. We need to make a passage between the two barrels for allowing a proper heat flow and the vents will also work efficiently in this way. They should be sturdy enough to stand together so welding should be done precisely.
Cutting of the Vents:
Vents are very necessary for proper airflow and with their help; the risk of burning the food is reduced to a minimal level. We have built a passage between two barrels but we will also need holes on both sides of the offset smokers that will be used as vents.
The size should be good enough for the air to flow in and out of the offset smoker easily and continuously while you are cooking. On the firebox entrance, cut a circular hole that will be used to add fuel or the heat source. The cooking chamber should also have a hole for exhausting purposes.
Attachments of the Exhaust Damper:
First of all, you will need an exhaust pipe of three feet almost. Attach it to the offset smoker mod, it will allow you to control how much heat or air comes to the inside of the smoker. It can be fixed according to the weather. Some people increase the flow in the winter when it becomes hard to barbeque while cooping the cold environment the outside. You can just fix it according to your summer needs and use an insulation blanket in the winter instead. Insulation blankets are readily available in the market.
The insulation blanket is specially made for offset smokers to aid the cooking process in winters. It works wonders even if the outside temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or even below this temperature range. It will keep the internal environment perfect for smoking, grilling, roasting, barbeque, or whatever the purpose you are using it for by trapping all the heat inside. An insulation blanket can maintain a temperature range of as high as 250 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has vents that can easily be opened if needed.
Grates of the Grill:
The best type of grates are those that are enameled with porcelain but you can also use cast iron ones. You will need some hangers to hold and weld the grates into your cooking chamber.
Portability of the Offset Smoker:
Make sure to attach legs along with wheels to make your offset smoker portable. You may not have to move it on the road and you might be opting for a fixed fixture but in my opinion, do attach the wheels. You can easily move it from the garage to the patio and back to the garage. You can change the location and move it to a safer place in case of a harsh environment.
FAQs:
Conclusion:
Building a DIY Offset Smoker is not as difficult as it seems but the key points are to build vents, air flow should be good, the cooking chamber should be at your waist height and well managed level and flow of the smoke.
Apart from this if you are interested to know about How To Use And Set Up Offset Smokers then visited our Blog category.
