Saw it while driving a van for work. Spent my lunch break driving this thing back to my house.

It's got some rust, the existing paint is faded, and the thermometer is shot.

So I got a wire wheel for my grinder, a couple cans of high temp flat black paint, and a couple universal thermometers.

It's far from perfect, but it looks great from 10 feet away, and it only cost me like $20 n supplies!

I've never owned a grill before, believe it or not. Let alone a smoker, or anything to do with charcoal. But so far I love it.

Made lots of hotdogs to practice getting it hot and running it. Made steak for my friends, with some guidance, and the consensus was "tasty!"

all 56 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 37 points 2 months ago (9 children)

Before this it was an integral part of Jeff's Mobile Pet Cremation service offering.

  • source
  • hideshow 9 child comments
  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    I'm Jeff, and I want my crematorium back!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] [S] 12 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Well it tastes good!

    Hey that gives me an idea...

    No no, I couldn't.

    Or could I?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 29 points 2 months ago

    You've been added to The Best of Lemmy https://sh.itjust.works/post/66125070

  • source
  • [–] 20 points 2 months ago (14 children)

    Awesome! That’s exactly how i got started on my serious grilling/smoking path some 15 years ago. A free roadside offset smoker that just need a little attention….keep it up and enjoy the rewards!

  • source
  • hideshow 14 child comments
  • [–] [S] 14 points 2 months ago (13 children)

    Thanks!

    I'm thinking this winter I might get a pellet maze and cold smoke some cheese 😬

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 13 child comments
  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    Try adding cheezits. For like 20 minutes. I might have been drunk the first time (every time) I've done it but I've never regretted it

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 11 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (4 children)

    i can't think of anything i've smoked that isn't improved. including baked beans. try these

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (3 children)

    Ugh. I've since gone vegetarian and my smoking buddy (who's smoker and grill I used for free) moved away. I might have to see if I can rig something up and maybe smoke some jalapeno poppers on my little ufo grill or something.

    Those look amazing though

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    yeah, we put some seasoned goat cheese in a few jalapenos (still wrapped in bacon because they're that kind of vegetarian) for our vegetarian friend when we make MOINKs.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (3 children)

    In the larger compartment with the cheese, or in the smoke-making section? I've never used a smoker; I'm just curious.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I put it in the large section where everything to get smoked goes. I've also just done it on a coal grill while it heats up and is still all smokey. Really just whatever works to get the smoke on them.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 17 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Ngl, looks like you aced that steak.

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] [S] 10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Thanks!

    I cannot lie though, the phone did some post processing on its own, it was a bit more gray than that unfortunately. Pink in the center though.

    Still really good! But not properly cooked

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The good news is, with modern AI phone cameras, your steak will always be perfectly pink on the inside regardless of how it looks in real life and we know that's what matters most!

    Jokes aside, a steak made on your own grill is great even if it doesn't turn out completely perfect.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Can't afford a smoker... But grills about $3000 in beef at today's prices?

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] [S] 11 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    No joke! That's about $30 in sirloin, but still.

    I strive to be frugal everywhere I can in life, which helps save money for the times I want to splurge.

    Not buying a smoker, literally helped me afford the steak. And that's also why I practiced on hotdogs instead of steak.

    Additionally, the mashed potatoes was a giant pot that cost maybe $5 to make.

    Between the steak and potatoes, we ate leftovers for literally 4 days off that meal, not a bad investment.

    There are better, but not bad 😅

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah, I figured. Sound reasoning, noble pursuit.

    Can I ask though, why did you put a thermometer in the smoker side? Isn't that just where you feed more wood and then you monitor the temp on the bigger chamber?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Mainly because I could, the two pack cost the same as one larger one. And it looks cooler I think?

    Also my buddy has a similar grill, and sometimes he does hi temp searing in the small side, it has grates too. So knowing the temp there might be useful? IDK.

    And finally, I've been using it like a regular grill, putting the coals directly under the grate in the main chamber. And I noticed that the temp in the small chamber would climb up to just under 200f. So now I put my plate in there to warm it up before putting the finished food on it. Or to keep things warm but not still cooking, instead of the top rack on the opposite side of the coals, which would be really warm and probably still cooking a bit. 🤷‍♂️

    IDK still figuring it out. Why not?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago

    I was wondering how rare cigarette users are in your area that you felt the need to go to such lengths to humiliate them

  • source
  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Some dude who set his smoker out to clean and paint it "MARIE, WHERE THE FUCK DID MY SMOKER GO?!"

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago

    Liberating smokers is a midwest tradition.

  • source
  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago
    [–] 4 points 2 months ago
    [–] 3 points 2 months ago*

    my good dude, if you weren't planning on keeping that smoker, that's one hell of a flip. I'd toss you a few grand for one in that condition were i looking for one, and that's excellent beef you cooked up. i ain't even had my weed yet and i'm getting hungry looking at it.

    i went through this absolutely idiotic period of my life where i had no appetite but weed was not legal and i was literally so lawful stupid i was dying myself to death rather than have a joint to quite literally save my life. (no really, the effects were that drastic when i finally did) i bet a community of delicious food photos could really help people as stupid as me. also i want to look at them.

    i can tell you already know your way around a kitchen, but these websites taught me the ins and outs of smoking: amazing ribs, virtual weber bullet, and... probably serious eats? i know there was a third but i'm only halfway through coffee yet. the third website, whichever it was, taught me a ton.

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I grew up eating my very Alabaman dads ribs off a nearly identical one! He still has it like three decades later, his has wooden slats on the front instead of the metal grid and he's had to replace them as they weather but otherwise it's held up great.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    Someone here needs to setup a youtube live sousvide'ing steak

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Bravo! I got the tiny version of that for $10 at a yard sale, the Brinkmann Smoke 'n' Grill

    I didn't have to paint it but I did notice the dial is CRAP. I am gonna swap that out before my next smoke sesh.

    Congrats!

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] [S] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Thanks!

    Heads up, the stock thermometer is some kind of weird insert. Not standard.

    Like, the hole in the grill is 2 inches in diameter, and the whole thermometer recesses inside of that. I couldn't find an exact replacement since they don't make it anymore.

    So I just busted the glass out of the old one, pulled out the guts, and drilled a ¼ inch hole for the new one to go through. So basically I mounted the new one INSIDE the old one.

    Just be careful not to beat up the old one too much, it's thin aluminum and I almost couldn't get it to go back in cleanly because I squished it a tiny tiny bit when I was breaking the glass out, so it was deformed. It's a tight fit.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    NGL, this is what I thought you meant from the title

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    You lucked out, thing looks solid! Happy grilling!

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago