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Flower Pot Smoker

Let’s make a smoker … out of a flower pot. Alton Brown's smoker

There are already quite a few instructables out there for Alton Brown's Little Brown Egg smoker, but I thought I would share my improvement to the lid design.

One of the hardest parts of this smoker is finding the suggested pottery piece for the lid. I ended up using the drain pan for the pot size that I picked. I also didn't like the idea of using a Teflon pan sitting on the burner (something about carcinogens being released at temperatures as low as 464°F), so I opted for an 8" cast iron skillet. I hated to destroy an otherwise perfectly good cast iron pan, but it was worth the sacrifice for a quality wood chunk vessel.

Step 1: Materials

Materials Needed:

1    Flower Pot
1    Flower Pot Drain Pan
1    Single Burner
1    Grill Grate
3    Flower Pot Feet
1    Fence Gate Handle
2    Screws Long Enough to hold it the handle through the lid
2    Nuts for the screws
4    Large Washers
1    Grill Thermometer
1    Masonry Drill Bit (of appropriate diameter)
1    Sheet Automotive Gasket Material (Not Shown)
1    8" Cast Iron Skillet

Step 2: Disassemble Burner, Drill Holes

Picture of Disassemble Burner, Drill Holes

I took apart the entire burner and fed the wires through the bottom drain hole of the flower pot. I think I had to break the white plastic piece to get all the wires removed. I ended up elevating the burner on the bottom of the flower pot with some scrap steel tubing I had around the garage.

Use the masonry drill bit to drill holes in the lid for the thermometer and the handle mounts. I tried to widen the holes with a regular bit, but it got pretty hot and I didn't get anywhere. If you cant make the holes big enough, just wiggle the bit around a little.

Step 3: Install the Hardware

Before you install the hardware, cut out pieces of the automotive gasket material to be the same size as the washers, and the outline of your handle that will contact the terra cotta. The main idea here is to provide some cushioning in between the metal and the terra cotta. It would probably be fine without this addition, but I felt like a little buffer wouldnt hurt. I guess it also helps seal up the holes.

Then put everything together. I used two washers, of increasing size in between the nut and the terra cotta. I wanted to distribute the forces as much as I could so I wouldnt weaken the points of contact. I ended up just wedging the thermometer in the hole, and its stayed pretty well since. Not too worried about that hole since it isnt load bearing.

Step 4: Modify the Skillet

Make sure the skillet you get is actually going to fit in your pot before you cut the handle off. I imagine you would have a hard time returning a skillet sans handle if it doesnt fit.

I used a circular saw with a metal cutting blade. You could use a high speed rotary (Dremel) tool, angle grinder, hack saw, etc. Then I rounded the edges down a bit with a bench grinder

Step 5: Assemble!

Feed the wires for the burner through the bottom hole, and set your cast iron skilled on top of it with some of your favorite smoking wood. Set in your grill grate, and drop the lid on and you're ready to go.

Step 6: Other Notes

I like to soak my wood chunks overnight in water, and fill the entire skillet. Before I put the meat on, I preheat the smoker for an hour. Sometimes this requires getting up at 3am for a 5:00 dinner, but its worth it! You can go back to bed waiting for it to preheat.

Keep the temperature lower than you think you should. I've found that about 15-20% of the burner heat setting or less is where to keep it, otherwise you'll crustify the bottom too much.

I've read that 190° internal temperature is ideal for pulled pork, but I think 200° is the way to go. Then let it rest for an hour.

I wasnt able to get a good enough seal around the rim, so I ended up wrapping it in a towel. I've thought about lining the rim with silicone sealant or something like that, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Seems to work fine without it.

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Permalink Reply by Jessie W. Garrett III on January 17, 2014 at 9:57pm

Good find...Got my W-2's today...Will be filing my taxes on the 31st...Thinking about making this with a few little twists...I like this...Good really save some money on having a smoker...The cheapest ones out there are like $100 or more bucks...a $30 dollar pot w/ drain pan and some scrounged parts and you got a damn good looking cooker...

Seriously good find Dude...

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Permalink Reply by saint.357 on January 17, 2014 at 10:47pm

thanks you gonna do more then hint at what those twists might be?

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Permalink Reply by Jessie W. Garrett III on January 17, 2014 at 11:30pm

Lets just wait and see, because I still have a ton of work to do on my Zombie Armor/Apocalyptic Costume and getting a new vehicle...My 87 Chevy Celebrity has decided to go belly up on me before I can file my taxes...So the main project will be getting another vehicle first...Then the materials to finish my Zombie Armor/Apoc costume and then the smoker and then finish up my damn zombie combat bat, "The Rapture"....So it'll be awhile...But thinking about maybe placing a chimney on the cooker so it could be used inside an apartment or house...The chimney would allow the smoker to be used inside by focusing the smoke to escape in a controlled sort of way and be directed out through an open window.......

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Permalink Reply by saint.357 on January 18, 2014 at 12:03am

cool maybe you can use some of that expanding duct stuff. be pretty cool and go right out the window.

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