I was searching this site for different ways of building a cold smoker, and wanted something safer than a cardboard box. I may not have looked hard enough, but I didn't find anything, so I wandered the aisles at Lowes and found what I think is a good alternative to the $100 Bradley version.
Materials List:
- standard size metal mailbox ($10)
- 4" diameter aluminum dryer hose ($10)
- two 4" couplers ($2 each)
- small tube of 100% silicone caulk
- aluminum foil bread pan (5 pound size) with sides bent up
It is pretty self-explanatory how I built this based on the pictures. The most precise thing is to get the 4 1/4" hole in the right spot for the smoke generator to align perfectly. To do this, I butted the smoke generator up to the back of the mailbox on a flat surface, and with a sharpie, drew where the top of the burner plate hit. Then I cut out a 4 1/4" circle as a template and placed it precisely so the burner is in the center of the circle and traced around it with the sharpie. If you don't want sharp edges on the outside, cut the hole smaller than the drawn circle and then cut fins to the edges of the circle and bend them in (wearing gloves). The silicone I primarily used just for sealing the space next to the outlet coupler, and along the folded back metal fins on the inside to keep from getting cut and stuck each time I reach into the box.
After letting the silicone cure completely overnight, I gave it a trial run and it works awesome! The box does get hot, especially directly above the burner, but in my opinion, it's a lot safer than using a cardboard box.
There you have it...a redneck cold smoker.
