I'm Smokin'
After 6 years of talking about building a smoker, I finally did today. Some people might choose to buy a smoker off the internet but as any purist will tell you, in order to be a champion BBQer you have to build your own. 
So I took an incinerator bin thing which had holes in it, and I filled the holes with bolts and rivets leaving a few open at the bottom for ventilation. The smoker then started looking like Sputnik. In the bottom of Sputnik I placed an old roasting tin to take the charcoal. Then there were some long bolts in the middle of it to take the water holding tin. Next cut some steel bits of metal and add these above the water tray and this will take the grill. Badda bing, one awesome smoker, called Sputnik.
That's it really, I'm not exactly sure why it's taken me 6 years to do this. Probably has something to do with the fact we're going to win the BBBQ cometition in May 2010 and I need to practice, and Charlie is getting a march on me with his buckaroo smoker
Comments
Cleaning Sputnik
Hello Guys,
I have no idea about Hot Smoking but have been spurred on by your blog and
I have just made one of these "incinerator smokers" and tried to smoke some meat today. Shoud the inside be sticky brown after 3 hours smoking ? The sticky residue washes off with hot soapy water but is this right or necessary ?
Thanks
Cleaning is for girls
Hello Monkey, and welcome to the world of smoking.
Would love to see a photo of your smoker at some point but in answer to your question you dont need to clean the inside of the smoker at all, I dont, the residue that builds up is probably adding to the taste of the food, i think, plus its a hassle. As long as whatever you are cooking doesnt touch the sides then i reckon its fine. Ive never cleaned the inside of my smoker, and when i visited a walk in smoker in Kent the inside of it was all crusted and smokey with resin as it had been for 20 years, definitely adds to the flavour, so i'd leave it and have another beer instead.
MANT
Cleaning is for Girls
Thanks for the advice Mant. Old and Crusty feels good to me! Since my first hot smoking experience (which was brilliant - 3 hour turkey joint left over from xmas) I have adapted the sputnik to do cold smoking. Would like some comment on the adaptation, but I dont know how to post a photo ! (any help would be appreciated).
Have collected some razor clams today at low spring tide and some seaweed to smoke them with !?! could work you never know..... Thanks
Sputnik
I like the Sputnik style smoker, kind of like a mini UDS, very cool.
Circular Grill Belongs to Charlie
Note to all, the attractive circular grill feature is MINE, and was stolen from my Buckaroo Barbecue; thus belying MANT's claim to be making it "all from scratch".
Whinge bag
Well I just bought 2 grills like yours, so you can have your sub-standard one back.