Campfire smoker?

Marwendholt · Mar 11, 2013

I'm going camping with some friends in two weeks to a very remote campground that is a bit of a haul from my house, and I want to smoke either a brisket or a butt but don't want to drag my smoker along.

So I have came up with an idea to make a disposable smoker out of aluminum pans and a rack that I can hand over the fire on my tripod using my grate to hold it. I would put some holes on the bottom pan to let smoke in, possibly put a small pan on the bottom upside down to diffuse the heat(see terrible drawing below), with the meat in on a rack above the upside down pan maybe a small water pan too.

Any thoughts as to whether this will work? Suggestions? Do ? have too much time on my hands?

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Wampus · Mar 11, 2013

I'm not seeing great success with this idea. I'm thinking the smoke won't enter the pans as well as you're thinking it will.

If you have a tripod and a grate to hang from it....you could just work with that...treat it as a Santa Maria style cooker? You'll get the smoke and the heat....just a thought.

Do you have a Weber Kettle grill you could take?

code3rrt · Mar 11, 2013

To be honest, I really couldn't say from the drawing, but if you have 2 weeks, try a test run with a few country style ribs or a small butt and tweak it from there.

It would be a great treat for your friends if it works. Let us know how it turns out, and don't forget the pics!

Good luck,

KC

Callahan-que · Mar 11, 2013

Let us know how it works out for you. The wife and I camp a lot and different ways of cooking are the most fun part. I have taken my WSM with me on occasion as well as my Master Touch.

Marwendholt · Mar 11, 2013

I don't have a webber kettle. I don't like using charcoal, I'm either wood or propane.

aawa · Mar 11, 2013

Have you thought about possibly making a mini wsm? It is cheap to build, lightweight and portable and you could always use wood coals to smoke whatever you decide in the mini. I have used wood coals from my fireplace this weekend in my mini with great success.

jestridge · Mar 11, 2013

Maybe something similar to this

Marwendholt · Mar 11, 2013

I want to go as cheap as possible, so I don't really want build a mini WSM.

Marwendholt · Mar 11, 2013

jestridge said:
Maybe something similar to this

I already have a tripod with a grate, im just looking to build a little smoker i can hang over the fire on the grate.

Bludawg · Mar 11, 2013

Since you have a Tripod ( that's what the wimen call me) I would dig a shallow fire pit maybe a foot deep and build a fire in it keep feeding it until it is full to the top with coals set your tripod over the pit your gonna need a hook (PBC Style) hang the brisket over the coals and wrap a cheap blue tarp around the tri pod leave about 6" clearance between the ground and the tarp for drafting and you can add wood chunks under the tarp.
This style of cooking is an ancient one used by igenius peoples all over the word. I have cooked venison & antelope this way on several occasions.

qnbiker · Mar 11, 2013

Not exactly a smoker, but we cook briskets & butts in a dutch oven when camping. Use your tripod and hang it over the campfire.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Mar 11, 2013

A brisket is not easy to cook under the best of circumstances. Looks to me like you are making things difficult for yourself.

ButtBurner · Mar 11, 2013

HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
A brisket is not easy to cook under the best of circumstances. Looks to me like you are making things difficult for yourself.

I agree

I would shoot for a pork butt. Hard to mess those up

Beef · Mar 11, 2013

whatever you do, use hardwood, and not pine firewood that is common in campgrounds..

Hoss · Mar 11, 2013

Just a thought.Precook whatever you want,cooler or freeze and warm it up using the campfire.:twitch: Your guests will thank you.:mod:Hey it beats potted meat and crackers.Good luck.

Muscrat · Mar 11, 2013

I would cook it Mexican style!

In the ground.

Dig a hole about 18" deep and 3' in diameter. Fill the hole with wood. Once it's down to coals lay a sheet of sheet metal on top of and that has some bullet holes on it. Wrap the brisket in a wet burlap sat and set it on the metal. Then cover the whole with more metal and seal the edges with dirt. Shoot 3 holes in the top sheet and wait 8 hrs. Dig it up and you ready to eat one you let it rest a bit.

VoodoChild · Mar 12, 2013

Perfect time to buy a Jumbo Joe !

Marwendholt · Mar 12, 2013

Beef said:
whatever you do, use hardwood, and not pine firewood that is common in campgrounds..

We don't use pine for anything. We have about 30 truck loads of oak, cherry, and hickory for heating the house, the shop, camping, and smoker fuel.

Ill add some background info, I have been camping my whole life, and I have cooked almost every way possible over a campfire. I don't like to buy things that I don't really need so I thought I would try to make a smoker out of some things I already have that could easily be put into my chuck box.

popeye · Mar 12, 2013

Bludawg said:
Since you have a Tripod ( that's what the wimen call me) I would dig a shallow fire pit maybe a foot deep and build a fire in it keep feeding it until it is full to the top with coals set your tripod over the pit your gonna need a hook (PBC Style) hang the brisket over the coals and wrap a cheap blue tarp around the tri pod leave about 6" clearance between the ground and the tarp for drafting and you can add wood chunks under the tarp.
This style of cooking is an ancient one used by igenius peoples all over the word. I have cooked venison & antelope this way on several occasions.

i agree with bludawg. But invest in a good cast iron duch oven . Then when you are done you can make chilli. ... Works for me

Marwendholt · Mar 12, 2013

popeye said:
i agree with bludawg. But invest in a good cast iron duch oven . Then when you are done you can make chilli. ... Works for me

I already have 2, but that's not really smoking.

Campfire smoker?

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