My crack at a Smokey Joe Smoker - part 2

Today we are going to make something to block the ash from covering the bottom vents.  This is just a strip of aluminum of 1" wide cut from the cookie sheet.


Then a temperature gauge was fitted.  I did not want to put the gauge directly on the hood as the probe would hit the meat.  Thus limiting the size of the food I could smoke.  So going through the home improvement store in the plumbing section I found a copper pipe hanger.  It is a drip bell.  The hanger was drilled out and the gauge fit nicely.


A step drill bit was used to drill a hole in the lid. Masking tape was used to minimize chipping in the porcelain finish.


Then four more holes were drilled to hold the gauge.


And painted with BBQ black spray paint on the outside only.


This is the view from inside the lid.


Next I will show you what it can smoke.

Side dish - Refrigerator pickle recipes

This is a dual post it also on my SW Florida Home Garden blog.  Here are a couple of my refrigerator pickle recipes:

Lazy Jalapeno Pickles

Cucumbers
Jalapenos
Garlic
kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spice
hot tap water
pint (16 oz) sized mason jars (Ball mason or similar)

1.    Cut cucumbers into chip.
2.    Slice up garlic about 1 large per jar.
3.    Fill with cucumber wedges make it packed.
4.    Put 1/8" slices of jalapeno into jar.  I used 2 large per 3 jars.
6.    Add 1 tsp kosher salt to each jar
7.    Add 1 tsp pickling spice to each jar
8.    Fill each jar 1/2 way with white vinegar.
9.    Fill the rest of the jar to the collar with hot tap water.
10.  Put lid on and put in fridge for a couple weeks at least.

Garlic Dill fridge pickles

Cucumbers
kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spice
garlic
hot tap water
pint (16 oz) sized mason jars (Ball mason or simular)

1.    Cut cucumbers to 1/4 slices enough to fill the amount of mason jars you want.
2.    Add one and a half cloves of garlic sliced to each jar
3.    Fill with cucumber slices 1/2 way
4.    Add dill, I used alot
5.    Add cucumbers to collar of jar, if not enough use some carrots or cauliflower.
6.    Add 1 tsp kosher salt to each jar
7.    Add 1 pinch pickling spice to each jar
8.    Fill each jar 1/2 way with white vinegar.
9.    Fill the rest of the jar to the collar with hot tap water.
10.  Put lid on and put in fridge for a couple weeks at least.

My crack at a Smokey Joe Smoker - part 1

So a few years ago my friend sent me a link to a website called the The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board.  On the site was a smoker made from a Weber Smokey Joe made by a someone named D.L. Whitehead.  This looked like a neat idea so I replicated it with a few improvements.  First I made it from a single piece of aluminum, a cookie sheet to be exact.  Then a template was made.  I used the charcoal grate to draw the circle then made a the rest as pictured below.


Then it was cut out and bent.


Holes were grilled in the charcoal area to pass heat.  A couple holes were drilled in the bottom so that it could be attached to the charcoal grate.


Next I had to cut the grate out.  I used a pair of bolt cutters as it is what I had convenient.  A Dremel tool, angle grinder or hacksaw would have worked as well.


Here it is assembled all nice and clean.  Next time I will show the lid thermometer.