# smoker box for the OldSmokey



## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

smoker box for the OldSmokey

since i got started in cooking SousVide i have started to cold smoke my meat before i put it into the bag and into the SousVide bath.
the easist setup i had was to put my AMNPS - A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray in the emmiter pan of my CharBroil RED gas grill. 
I knew that my setup wasn't very "cold" smoking and i was worried about bacteria growth with the chamber temps in the low 100s.










i decided to do a temperature test to see what the true temps were, and if ice would help hold the temps down in the smoking chamber.
using my Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer, i stuck the food probe into a potato
and i added a bag of ice cubes to help hold down the cabinet temp
i like to burn both ends of my AMNPSmoker tray at the same time to increase the smoke
but it also increases the temperature










this is my outdoor thermometer that i use for the ambient temp










this is the 2 hour test in the CB RED
even with the bag of ice (which still hadn't completely melted at 2hrs)
the cabinet temp got up to 129Â° with the AMNPSmoker in the same cabinet
which bothered me with a 2 hour cold smoke


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

i starting looking at other message boards for ideas for an external smoker box.
the one that caught my eye was using a metal mailbox and running metal duct pipe to the side of a smoker box.
as you all know, i love to cook on my OldSmokey more than any other cooker i have.
i decided to build a smoker box for the OS
i use aluminum pans in a bunch of different ways cooking in the OS so i got the idea to use two metal pans face to face (just like the OldSmokey








and clip it together with bulldog clips.
the 22"OldSmokey comes with two vents in the bottom and two in the lid (the smaller units only have one top & bottom)
when you buy a 22"OS the two bottom vents are both controlled with one long damper that pivots over both holes.
i wanted to be able to adjust the two bottom vents separately, so when I was first putting it together i put two of the shorter top vent dampers on the bottom.
the vent holes are around 1.5/8" in diameter. i wanted to use one of the bottom vent holes without modifying the bottom of the OS, 
so i had to work with the 1.5/8" hole
the flange pipes are for a "P" trap on a sink drain $3 each
the aluminum flex pipe is for a carburetor pre-heater $7 at the auto parts store
the aluminum pans are $1 each at the grocery store








and hose clamps
i poked intake holes around the bottom of the bottom pan with an icepic/awl
and used a box cutter to carefully cut out the hole in the lid for the bottom flange pipe


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

now for a cold smoke temperature test
the way i have been using my AMNPSmoker tray is to load the trough about 3/4 full with pellets
then i sprinkle small hickory chips on the pellets
i use the aluminum balls to keep the load tight in the trough
what you see in the pic is about a 2 hour burn
this was the first time i had one of the troughs go out, not burn
i'm pretty good at torching the ends at the beginning until they flame on their own
then let the flame go out on it's own and the trough is lit
i'll do another test to see if both troughs burn
i may add more intake holes in the bottom pan? after the next test
i added some ceramic tiles under the tray to protect the aluminum pan from the propane torch when i light the tray










even though it was only one trough burning it made one heck of a smoke bomb in the OldSmokey
this makes an incredible smoker


















what was incredible was how the exterior temp of both the OldSmokey &the smoker box stayed even with the ambient temperature.










i added an aluminum pan of ice cubes in the bottom. they were only half melted at 2 hours










notice on the test how low the ice cubes kept the temp in the cabinet, 8Â° below the ambient temp
and at 2 hours the cabinet temp in the OldSmokey was 38Â° below the cabinet temp in the CB RED
and the potato ended up 18Â° below the potato from the CB RED










what is GREAT about this setup is, i can add smoke to any cook in the OldSmokey








single sided indirect cooks in the 200Â°s
double sided indirect roasting for birds in the 300Â°s
direct over the coals at 8"
screaming grilling on the GrillGrates at 4Â½"


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)




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## stdreb27 (Aug 15, 2011)

Morbid curiosity but you're using a laser thermometer right?

Doesn't the smoke really mess with your temperature readings?


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

stdreb27 said:


> Morbid curiosity but you're using a laser thermometer right?
> 
> *Doesn't the smoke really mess with your temperature readings?*


there wasn't any smoke when I was using the infrared laser thermometer
but next time I've got the smoker running a cook i'll play with the infrared and see if there is an effect


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

just found this thread while doing a search for thermometers
want to do a prime rib or standing rib on the pit and figgerd it best if I get a decent thermometer first...
anyway CaptJack love the ingenuity w/the smoke box..
but not sure about cold-smoking in aug...
we usualy do it this time of yr only when temps are way down.


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## glenbo (Apr 9, 2010)

Do you have any concerns about using an automotive product to smoke food?


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Genius!

Both Rube Goldberg and I, tip our hats to you CaptJack!


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

glenbo said:


> Do you have any concerns about using an automotive product to smoke food?


 it's just simply a corrugated aluminum hose


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## smokinguntoo (Mar 28, 2012)

Clever use of the ancillary products to make the OS smoker. Interesting that the BBQ temp actually fell from the initial on the OS.

So from there, the meat goes into a plastic bag for the high (relatively speaking) temp Sous Vide water bath? Do you use a vacuum device for the bag or just burp it in the water bath? We have the plunger type vacuum device and I understand that is sufficient. Would you mind a little refresher here about that process?

SG2


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

smokinguntoo said:


> Clever use of the ancillary products to make the OS smoker. Interesting that the BBQ temp actually fell from the initial on the OS.
> 
> So from there, the meat goes into a plastic bag for the high (relatively speaking) temp Sous Vide water bath? Do you use a vacuum device for the bag or just burp it in the water bath? We have the plunger type vacuum device and I understand that is sufficient. Would you mind a little refresher here about that process?
> 
> SG2


 I have a FoodSaver vacuum bagger
a 17qt Roaster
and a Dorkfood SousVide controller


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## smokinguntoo (Mar 28, 2012)

What is the desired water temp - 150F?

SG2


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

smokinguntoo said:


> What is the desired water temp - 150F?
> 
> SG2


most of the beef I do is at 135Â°


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