Well, let me tell you, I seen a thing or two in my time, but this here small brick smoker, that’s somethin’ else. It ain’t fancy, but it gets the job done. You can make one yourself, you know. It ain’t that hard, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
First off, you gotta get some bricks. Now, I ain’t talkin’ about them fancy red ones. Just regular old bricks will do. Fire bricks is best, though. Them others, they just fall apart when it gets hot. You need ’bout, oh, I don’t know, a hundred or so? Depends on how big you want this thing.
You can use them cinder blocks too, I reckon. Just stack ’em up, no need for all that fancy cementin’ and whatnot. Easier that way, I always say. Simpler the better, you know? My grandpa always said, “Keep it simple, stupid!” And he was right about most things, ‘cept for that time he tried to teach a pig to dance.
- Get yourself some bricks, fire bricks if you can.
- Figure out how big you want your smoker.
- Stack them bricks up.
- Get something for the smoke to come out of.
- Put your meat in there and wait.
Now, you gotta figure out how big to make this thing. If you got one of them grill sets, you know, the kind you put your meat on, use that as a guide. ‘Bout 700mm by 400mm, that’s a good size. Ten layers of bricks high, that’ll do ya. This is how to build a brick smoker. This smoker is good enough, can hold a lot of meat. Lots of ribs, maybe 50, 75 pounds. A big batch!
Once you got your bricks all stacked up, you need a place for the smoke to come out. You can use an old pipe or somethin’. Just make sure it ain’t too close to the fire, or your meat will cook too fast. Now you wanna think about, you put them bricks together, you need a metal thing in there. A pan, you put them wood chips in. Make smoke that way. You could also put a terracotta pot in there, then another one upside down on top. That is a hot smoker. That smoker works real good.
Speakin’ of fire, that’s the next thing. You need somethin’ to hold the fire, down at the bottom of your smoker. An old metal bucket or a big ol’ tin can will work. Some folks use charcoal, others use wood. I like wood myself. Gives the meat a good flavor. Hickory, applewood, that’s the good stuff. But just don’t use that there treated wood. Nasty stuff, that is. If you use a metal smoker, your heat will be a little different. You use them bricks, that brick will heat up, real slow. But then, your smoker will stay warm, and you won’t need much wood or coal to keep it goin’. That’s real good, you don’t want to waste fuel.
And you need a door, of course. Can’t just leave it open, or all the heat will get out. An old piece of metal will do, or you can get fancy and make a wooden door. Just make sure it fits tight. We need a good small brick smoker.
Once you got your smoker all built, it’s time to get cookin’. Put your meat on the grill, close the door, and let it smoke. How long you gotta cook it depends on what you’re cookin’. Ribs take a few hours, a whole hog might take all day. Just gotta keep an eye on it, make sure the fire don’t go out.
Now, some folks like to build them a fancy smokehouse. You know, them big wooden sheds with all the bells and whistles. That’s fine and dandy, I guess. But this here small brick smoker will do just fine. It’s simple, it’s cheap, and it makes some mighty fine eatin’. There’s also another one I saw, made from cedar, I think it was. That’s a real beauty.
And don’t you worry ’bout it bein’ perfect. Ain’t nothin’ in this world perfect, ‘cept maybe my grandma’s apple pie. But that’s a story for another time. Just build it the best you can, and it’ll be good enough. It ain’t rocket science, you know. Just stackin’ bricks and makin’ fire. Even a city slicker could do it, I reckon.
So there you have it. How to build a small brick smoker. It ain’t hard, it ain’t expensive, and it makes some of the best darn barbecue you ever tasted. Now go on and get yourself some bricks, and get to buildin’. You’ll be glad you did.
