Assembly of the terracotta smoker

First, realize that this is based on a concept from Good Eats with Alton Brown, from 2003, I think. The episode is 'Q' and it's in 2 parts on YouTube. Second, lots of discussions on the Internet surround this setup, and even more for smoking in general. I had lots to go on before making the commitment.

SUPPLIES

• 2 terracotta pots that fit together when one is upside down on the other. Alton used a smaller rounded pot for the top, but I had some around the house so I saved on that purchase. Mine's pretty big.



• Hotplate. $15.00 from Longs Drugs. 750 watts.



• Allen wrench. I glued this onto the hotplace control knob so I could adjust temperature without disassembly.



• Cotton Rope. I had some around the house with a nylon core that I removed. I use it for handles and to make a seal around the rims.



• Thermometer. Instant read seems to be best - I also use a smoking thermometer. $20. ouch.



• Rack. I bought a 14" heavy duty Weber replacement rack for about $9.



• Heavy duty pie plate, or other container for the wood chips.



• Boards, bricks, rocks, or something to raise it off the ground.



• (3) 1/4" x 2" bolts, with 6 nuts and 3 washers

TOOLS

• Drill



• Masonry and high-speed bits as needed. Drilling is the primary assembly technique.



• wrench/pliers to tighten the bolts. Do not overtighten or you risk breaking to pot.

The basic setup is well documented in the Good Eats video, so here are my modifications.

• 2 x 1/2" holes in the bottom to improve airflow control



• 1 large hole in lid for big thermometer. I plan to drill a tiny hole for an instant-read.



• 4 holes in lid for rope handles. Not required, but nice.



• Small hole at bottom of base for control knob extension (allen wrench) to poke through



• 3 x 1/4" holes at rim of base, for holding 1/4" x 2" bolts as rack supports. I butt 2 nuts agains each other to lock them in place without overstressing the terracotta. By adding a couple extra washers, I was able to get the spacing just right so the grill rests snugly without sliding around.



• I wrap a cotton rope around where the rims meet, to keep smoke from leaking out. It was a simple matter to tie a loop that I can easily remove/replace when needed.



• I modified the hotplate adjustment knob to extend it outside the smoker. This is the best enhancement in the whole project. This was done by drilling a hole into the plastic knob, and gluing an allen wrench into place.



• I use a webcam to monitor the thermometer from my upstairs office. Truly Geeky