9 DIY Smoker Plans for Building Your Own Smoker: A Beginners Guide

Building a smoker at home might be looking like a difficult task for a person, but we will tell you how to do it in the quickest and easiest ways with this article.

These are the things which you can easily DIY without any problem, and you will surely be satisfied by just doing it yourself. 

It will surely be fun as we’ll be letting you know all the possible ways by which you can build your smoker and cook food with perfect satisfaction as it will be cooked in the smoker you built by yourself. 

You will first be needed to decide which smoker is suitable for you and which one you will be going to build. If you really want to learn how to build a smoker, you will have to read this article.

This completely depends upon your choice and taste as you will be provided with a variety of choices from which you will be needed to decide. 

We’ll provide you with each piece of information, whether it is about the material or the tools you will be needed to use.

This process will be carried away with proper steps so you can easily apply them without any problems or difficulties. So without wasting any time, let’s get you started:

Smoker Plans to Build Your Own Smoker:

Smoker Plans to Build Your Own Smoker1

Building a Smoker from a Propane Tank:

This is very easy, and one can easily build this DIY smoker, which will easily be built by propane can that does not have any other use.

You can easily use an expired propane can, which will be turned into a smoker by simple steps. 

One will be needed to add water to the propane can of yours through the valve and make sure that you do not fill it with the water.

This tank will be needed to fill at that level so that it can prevent any propane or prevent its ignition while you are doing the work of drilling. 

Then you will have to drill a hole that should be at the bottom of the propane and again fill it with water so that the remaining propane will easily be drained out.

You are then needed to use the angle grinder, which will help you cut the top with the valve present with it off the tank. 

Then simply draw two doors so that one will be dedicated to the firebox and the other one will be used for the shelf on which meat will be kept.

You will then be needed to weld the hinges on the can so that you can again use the cutout doors and attach them to the propane can. 

You will then be required to cut a valve that should be present on the front side of the tank, and the propane’s valve can have to be replaced by a steel pipe chimney. 

The grates required to be used should always be made by the expanded mesh with ease, and then you will only be needed to cut a hole that easily fits a temperature gauge. 

Almost all smokers mostly use round plates and large water bowls, which will prevent the meat from moderate internal temperature. 

Basic Materials Needed:

  • You will need a propane tank.
  • It will require a steel pipe.
  • You will need hinges.
  • You will need heat resistant handles. 
  • It will also require a temperature gauge.
  • You will also be needed with expanded metal mesh.

Tools Needed:

  • You will need a spot welder
  • It requires an angle grinder
  • You will also need a drill.

Skills Needed:

  • You will also be required with the skill of metalworking.
  • You will need welding skills

Step-by-step guide:

  • You will easily be able to get the video of Andrew W, and he will provide you with the video demonstration so that you can quickly build a smoker with a propane can.
  • One will be required to oversee this video so that you can DIY without any difficulty. 

DIY Smoker on a Budget:

DIY Smoker on a Budget

It is a simple and less costly DIY smoker project that can easily build under a short range of money.

They are very much quick and low-cost smokers that are to be built within this price range so far. 

It will not take a lot of time of yours, and you will easily be able to create a smoker within a very little time for sure only with 10$.

This smoker will require you with the 2 aluminum foils of baking pans that will be your smoker’s base for sure. 

You will be needed to use some of the steel cooling racks, bulldog clips, pellets of wood, and even the heavy-duty aluminum foil for sure.

The base of this smoker consists of the baking pans of the aluminum foils, and they will be set in a pattern that will just be set as one pan on top of the other. 

Both of these aluminum foils will be held together with the bulldog clips’ help, and inside of these racks would be the cooling racks made of stainless steel.

These stainless steel cooling racks would surely be propped up with the support of a handy brick. 

You are needed to easily wrap up your wood pellet with a foil’s help until you have a pellet burrito.

Then you are then needed to cut the hole in the lower side of the pan and at the top side of the upper one. 

Then you will need to cut a hole in both upper and thee lower pans with ease, and you will just have to light your pellet burrito with the help of a torch, then just place it in the lower pan next to the hole in the side. 

You are then free to use it as you will just be needed to put your food on the racks and clip your pans together and you are all set. 

Basic Materials Needed:

  • It uses heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • It comes up with Hickory pellets
  • You can also use bricks with them (optional)
  • It also uses bulldog clips with it.
  • It requires the use of a cooling rack or the searing grates.
  • It allows you with the 2 baking pans of aluminum foil.

Tools Needed:

  • It only requires the use of a utility knife.

Skills Needed:

  • There are no skills required.

Step-by-step Guide:

It is effortless to use these step by step guides that are way too simple to build these budget smokers with ease. Many people are making videos, but you will be enabled. 

It will provide you with so far the best guide which will come in very handy to you. to check the Sous Vide Everything channel’s video easily.

Wood and Cinderblock Smokehouse:

Wood and Cinderblock Smokehouse

Suppose you want a DIY smoker that you can easily build without having any problems for sure as it will help you cook your food easily.

Wood and a smokehouse made of cinderblock will come in very handy, and it will provide you with a big-sized area dedicated to smoking. 

It is a perfect design that is pretty much attractive, and it will provide you with a base of CinderBlock and the door of a smoking cabinet that will be on top of it.

Apart from the smoking cabinet will be a firebox made of a small heat-brick from where the smoke will come. 

You may be thinking why build a smokehouse of Cinderblock and wood? So you are needed to build it because if it is built once, you won’t be needed to go somewhere else.

It will be a permanent area where you can smoke easily as it is a great idea to smoke and has plenty of space in it. 

Basic Materials Needed:

  • It will require a trash can with a lid.
  • You will need an electric hot plate.
  • You will also need grating.
  • A wooden chips box will also be required.
  • You will also need a temperature gauge.

Tools Required:

  • 2 x 8 cedarwood will be required
  • It will require a black stove pipe
  • It will require a door of the stove
  • You will be needed with concrete blocks
  • It will require clay bricks and fire bricks
  • It will require a mortar of fire clay
  • It will require bolts
  • It will require door hinges and a doorknob
  • It will require bolt lock
  • It will require 2-1/2 inches of deck screws
  • It will require wood screws
  • It will also require steel plates of 16 gauge
  • It will require steel mesh

Skills Needed:

  • Woodwork skills will be required.
  • You will be needed to do bricklaying.

Step-by-step Guide:

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide with proper video guidance, you must see this smoking meat forums channel. 

They will provide you with the easiest ways to do it within minutes, and it will be a lot helpful for you. 

Trash Can Smoker:

Trash can smoker

This trash can DIY smoker will so far be the best smoker for you as it is very inexpensive and it does not even require much time of yours.

The materials which are needed to build it will easily be available to you as the base of this smoker will be made from the trash can. 

The aluminum trash can and its hot plate will easily be turned into a DIY smoker that will come in very handy and you will be able to cook delicious food in it for a longer period of time. 

You will be needed to cut a hole in the trash can and the hot plate will have to be placed into the bottom of the trash can so that you will be enabled to place the wooden chip box of yours on it. 

The food will have to be put on the BBQ grill and it will hold the food of yours without any problem.

The wooden chips will start to smoke after a short time period and then you will be required to put the lid of the can on it so your food will start to cook. 

One will be needed to drill the holes in the trash can so that the smoke will circulate easily and a separate hole will be needed on which the temperature gauge will be mounted.

You will only spend a minimal amount of money on it, and it will only require 30 minutes approximately to build this DIY smoker.  

Basic Materials Needed:

  • You will need a temperature gauge
  • A wooden chip box will be required.
  • You will need a grating. 
  • An Electric hot plate will be required.
  • A trash can with a lid is required.

Tools Required:

  • You will need a Driller with a nibbler bit.

Skills Required:

  • Drilling skills will be required.

Step-by-step Guide:

You can easily find many guidelines regarding this smoker, but if you want a complete step-by-step guide, you will have to search it online.

This DIY smoker is very easy to build, and you might not require any guides because you will have to drill some holes in the trash can. 

DIY Smokehouse Built from Pallets:

DIY Smokehouse Built from Pallets1

It is a bit unique smoker present on our list and is a bit larger in size, and it is completely made up of wood.

It is very much easy to use the smoker and will not require a longer time to build this DIY smoker. 

The reconstruction will gather the raw material of this wooden pallet, and its design will be straightforward.

You will also be needed to line the raw material of wooden planets with the help of a heavy-duty aluminum foil. 

The wood pallet and the screen door made by the aluminum screen will be needed to make shelves on which you will put your food to cook it.

Its firebox is also made of aluminum flashing, which will help you a lot. These pallets can be found from wood projects, or you can easily buy them from the market. 

Basic Materials Needed:

  • You will need 20 to 30 pallets. 
  • You will need two 1/2 inch screws.
  • You will need 1 1/2 inches of the screw.
  • You will also require aluminum flashing.
  • You will require raw material of a corrugated tin roof of 4′ x 3.’
  • You will need a tin foil of Heavy-Duty.
  • You will need a roll of aluminum foil.
  • A handle will be required for the door.
  • You will need 3 Hinges.

Tools Needed:

  • A reciprocal saw will be required with a bimetallic blade, which will take pallets apart.
  • You will be required to use it as a cordless drill machine gun.
  • You will need drill bits of 1/8 bit and a countersink bit.
  • You will need a measuring tape.
  • You will need snips of metal/tin.
  • You will need a utility knife.
  • You will be needed to use a skill saw or table saw.
  • You will be required to use a staple gun
  • You will need safety glasses.
  • You will need to work gloves.

Skills Needed:

  • You will be needed to do woodworking. 
  • You will be needed to do the drilling. 

Step-by-step Guide:

Although it is straightforward to build this DIY smoker idea, anyone will surely not have difficulty doing it if one wants to build it.

You will be able to find the detailed step by step guide of this smoker on diyprojects.com easily. 

It will clear the confusion yours with ease and will be enabled to build this smoker without facing any difficulty for sure.

You will also find the videos regarding this topic for sure.

DIY File Cabinet Smoker:

DIY File Cabinet Smoker

If you compare this DIY smoker with the one made by the old gas tank, you will not get some good results because these smokers are very easy to build.

One will only be required to use just a simple cabinet of the metal filing cabinet, a drill, and a little time. 

You will be required to get an unpainted cabinet on the drum smokers; you will be needed to paint them with epoxy paints to prevent them from getting rusted.

One will be needed to get a filing cabinet to buy new or use a second-hand cabinet. 

You will then be needed to coat them with BBQ’s heat resistant paint, and you are needed to drill holes in it easily.

The cabinets will also be drilled from the top into their bottoms, and then you will be needed to fit the new smoker with the two temperature gauges with ease. 

One of the temperature gauges will be on the top, and the other one will be fitted near its middle so that the lowest drawer will be considered your firebox.

The draws will be occupied by the BBQ rack, which will be holding your food, and you will only need 30  minutes to buy this entire DIY smoker. 

Basic Materials Needed:

  • You will need a filing cabinet, and it should be unpainted.
  • You will require heat resistant paint.
  • You will need two temperature gauges.
  • You will need two racks for BBQ.

Tools Required:

  • You will require a drill.

Skills Required:

  • You will need to do the drilling.

Step-by-step Guide:

This DIY smoker is way too easy to build, and you won’t even be required to use a step-by-step guide as you will only have to drill holes in the cabinet. 

If you really need to get a video guide for this smoker so you can check this Broke Yakin’s video for a better review.  

Conclusion!

We have provided you with the guides of several DIY smokers which you can easily build at home. You can easily use the scrap material, which will help you make your smoker’s base and help you a lot. 

These DIY smokers don’t take a lot of time of yours, and you will easily be able to build them with the help of the guidance or steps provided above. 

One can easily build them as they will require very inexpensive materials, and you can also use the materials available in your house, which are not in use anymore. 

So did you really like our review? If yes, don’t forget to comment, as we will love to see your thoughts about our DIY smoker ideas.