If you're using a gas grill , lower the smoker box on top of a burner. For charcoal grill users, make sure to put your box on top of the coals, and always use the best-rated charcoal for smoking. Andrew W has an excellent step-by-step building guide to how to turn a discarded propane tank into a smoker on YouTube and he even throws in his recipe for ribs cooked in his DIY device. Wrapping it up The only other option for smoke on a gas grill is to put wood directly on the flavorizer bars or heat deflectors. (Those are the tent-like features that stop drippings from hitting the burners.)

Don’t pile too much charcoal close around the smoker box when using it, as embers from the fire can fall low in through the holes on the top of the box and set your chunks on fire. For electric grill users, cover the box with foil where you will poke a few holes in it. The trash can smoker is a great way to turn a commercially available hot plate and an aluminum trash can into a perfectly serviceable electric smoker. While none of them are overly large, barbecue smoker boxes vary in size. If you have a larger grill, this probably won’t be an issue, but if you have a compact grill, you will need to find a smoker box with compact dimensions. If you cook with propane, you can use just about any barbecue smoker box. This is not the case if you cook with charcoal, though. Because a charcoal grill can burn much hotter than a gas grill, some smoker boxes, particularly those made of thin steel, can warp. Reinforced steel usually fares well with charcoal, but to be safe, go with a cast-iron smoker box if charcoal is your go-to grilling fuel.This article is a perfect guide to learn how to use a smoker box and turn any grill into an amazing smoker. The basic idea here is that smoker boxes will perform best when placed above the fire. Still is important to not overheat the box to avoid damaging it. Once the box starts smoking adjust or turn off any remaining lit burners and set the grill to regular cooking temperatures. Once you’ve got your drum, you’ll need to scrub it down and then buff the insides with fine sandpaper. The rest of the build is as simple as attaching four air intakes using readily available plumbing supplies, building a fire basket from expanded metal mesh, and attaching a handle to the lid.

Never try to rinse the ash from a full smoker box, or you might end up with a box of very stubborn sludge on your hands. Keep ashes away from your drain to avoid clogging your pipes. Better to rinse out your mostly empty smoker box with the garden hose. You may find it necessary to refill your smoker box with chips partway through your cook session. If you don’t see any smoke leaking out from under the lid, it may be time to reload! While using a smoker box is one way to elevate your grilling experiences, you need to consider several factors to satisfy your grilling needs. When using a barbecue smoker box on your grill, place it as close to the heat or flames as safety allows. FAQ Using an angle grinder, cut the top with the valve on it off the tank. Then you’ll need to draw out two doors, one for the firebox and one for the meat shelves. The sections you cut out will just need to have hinges welded on and then reattached as your doors.Drill a hole in the bottom of the tank, then fill the entire tank with water through the valve to displace any remaining propane. When it’s entirely full, just let it drain out. Remove the cooking grate and place the smoker box directly on top of the charcoal. Do not surround the smoker box with charcoal or attempt to bury it; this may cause the chips to catch fire.