My Teardrop Smoker--COOL!!!

[Ira]

I have two of these ovens, and I "converted" one to a smoker. By the way, Wally World has these on clearance for REAL cheap now. I think 30 and change.

Yesterday was the big test:




The conversion was simply installing a vent on the top and drilling some holes:



Two standard racks of beef ribs (cut in half) and I used a dry rub. Mesquite chips are in box. (Box has a top but it's not shown in photo. I was drunk and forget to put it there.)

Box goes in, door gets closed, fire gets turned on, and I open yet another beer.



Hooray! A lot of smoke! Over the course of 4 hours, I refilled the chip box 2, 3 more times. Kept her at 200, 250--and no problem at all getting her a lot higher if I needed to.


Din-din! Came out EXCELLENT!


Made a bit of a mess though, so next time, I'm gonna use pans.

[Outlaw]

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

[Ira]

There's an old expression that "self-praise stinks," but these REALLY came out great. Just as good as in my full-size smoker.

MEAT!!!

[Mary K]

Hey!!! Great Idea Ira!!!

Gosh that looks Yummy!!

Did you make that box for the wood chips? How many bottles of propane did you go through in that 4 hours?

I thought you had to have some water inside the smoker to help keep the meat from drying out. Course I don't know crap about smoking meat....

Thanks for sharing that with us.

Mk

[GregB]

Ira, you are a Smokin' Stud. Way to go to find a great way to BBQ while out camping!

GB

[apratt]

Ira you really got me droooling to get myself a brinkman oven ( my colman folding oven I am about ready to chuck it!), but our Wally world don't have them oven.

[Ira]

Mary, there's no general consensus on the water thing--50% of the guys do it, the other 50% doesn't.

It also depends on what you're smoking, how big it is, and whether you foil or not.

When I smoke a pork shoulder (called arm picnic), I smoke it over a huge pan of Cola. For beef ribs, just not necessary. A lot of fat, which keeps it moist.

And yeah--I bought that box. A standard item.

[Ira]

Ira you really got me droooling to get myself a brinkman oven ( my colman folding oven I am about ready to chuck it!), but our Wally world don't have them oven.

They might be on clearance online too. Someone at my barbecue site thinks that WM isn't going to be carrying any more Brinkmann items at all.

But I could have shoved another 2 racks in there without a problem, so THAT'S real cool about this little oven. A lot of space.

[Steve Frederick]

MMMMM Looks good!
Two questions. Where did you get a vent..Make it?
Did the propane in one of those 1-pounders make it through the whole smokin' time?

[Ira]

MMMMM Looks good!
Two questions. Where did you get a vent..Make it?
Did the propane in one of those 1-pounders make it through the whole smokin' time?

Someone on the barbecue site that I go to had an extra one and sent it to me. (Yeah, I'm a pain in the ass and a shmuck on TWO websites.)

www.barbecuenews.com

It's real easy for a normal person to make one, but not me. This ain't rocket science, but I wasn't about to spend an afternnon and lose a finger trying to cut that stupid little thing. Funny thing is, I had a HELL of a time finding any of these things for sale on the internet to begin with and was not successful--even through major manufacturers as a replacement part.

We're literally talking about a $4.99 part, and my guess is that if you own let's say an expensive Lang or Weber and you need a new vent...that they would send it to you for FREE. (Remember--if you own their smoker or grill, their vent holes have to line up with the exisiting holes on the unit.)

But here's the thing:

All you really have to do is drill the holes and and just leave it like that, and adjust your temps by controlling your gas flow. Or throw some ROCKS on there to cover the holes.

But heck, with this little oven, smoke escapes around the door edges anyway, so you probably don't even NEED a vent.

And yeah--with the oven set at medium, it wanted to go to 300, even with all of that meat in there. So from time to time, I had to adjust propane flow to even LESS.

So one bottle went 4 hours--and I don't even think it was 100% full.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

MEAT!!!

That's a good word Ira...
That is one cute little smoker yaa got there...
Hey... I did up some meat this past weekend myself...

That's a 23 lb. Prime Rib I did at the 14th Dam Gathering this past Friday night... Fed just about 50 people and YES... cooked in a dutch oven.

I know I've been tryin' my best to crack your nut on these dutch ovens... Came close when you were bed ridden and had the flu, but you recovered from that.

Tell Yaa What...
I'll buy one of those little cuties and you get yourself a Lodge 12" CO...
Do that and I'll call it a truce.

[Ira]

23 POUNDS!?

How much did THAT run you!?

[Loader]

Great idea Ira. Having a portable smoker would really come in handy. Not only camping, but tailgating as well.

[Ira]

MEAT!!!

That's a good word Ira...
That is one cute little smoker yaa got there...
Hey... I did up some meat this past weekend myself...

That's a 23 lb. Prime Rib I did at the 14th Dam Gathering this past Friday night... Fed just about 50 people and YES... cooked in a dutch oven.

I know I've been tryin' my best to crack your nut on these dutch ovens... Came close when you were bed ridden and had the flu, but you recovered from that.

Tell Yaa What...
I'll buy one of those little cuties and you get yourself a Lodge 12" CO...
Do that and I'll call it a truce.

Hey--you know Forrest--is that his name?--aka Florida Farmer on www.barbecuenews.com?

I almost fell off my chair when he told me he knows you and reads all of your posts on that DO site.

He said you're a LEGEND in the DO community, which I knew anyway, but talk about a small world.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Ira,
I too just about fell outta my seat when he told me he knew you.
I just figured it was because you were famous, that's why I posted this thread... http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=15762

I corrected him and let him know that I'm just an enthusiastic novice...

BTW- Might be kinda hard for me to hold up my end of the deal, if you should accept. I looked all over this town for one of those little units yesterday to no avail. Do you know where to get 'em online???