Q & A with Dave Blaikie (If you haven't read the first part of this blog series you can at DIY Meat Smoking Pt. 1)
Me: When did you build your smoker?
Dave: In 2009.
Me: How did you make it?
Dave: I made it out of a 55-gallon drum that used to be filled with vegetable oil. A man was selling them in his front yard and I had to get one. It was 15 bucks and I wedged it into the back seat of a Mazda Protege. Sheet metal that I found in a scrap pile and angle steel lengths make up the smoker box and stand. It took a week to cut and weld all the pieces in my garage. The design is based on a smoker my friend had.
Me: What are your favorite things to smoke?
Dave:Anything pork. Baby back ribs are my faves followed by the pork butt, and country-style ribs.
Me: Any advice for someone who's never smoked meat before and is about to try?
Dave: Ask questions. For starters, get a good book because you have a lot to learn and you're going to be sitting for a while. Don't use lighter fluid, unless you like that taste in your food. Use a mixture of woods. I use oak or mesquite as a fuel wood and add any fruit wood that I can get my hands on. You can use all fruit wood if you want for both fuel and flavor as well. Apple wood is my favorite and if you can get your hands on some, do it.
Get the temperature in the smoker up to where you want it. You want to have a good fire going but want the smoke to be as light as you can get it. Don't worry it'll have a smoky flavoring without too much smoke. That's about it. Every smoker is different and it takes time to understand the in's and out's of each one. Oh yeah, don't rush it. This is all about kicking back with your friends, drinking and salivating over an aroma that can only be made from smoking meat.
Check out DIY Meat Smoking Pt. 1
Dave and Tyler doing what smoking meat requires -- a lot of waiting...
Blaikie with friends with a rib in his hands. Eating smoked meat from the smoker that he built of course...
After learning from the master Tyler tried his hand at some smoked pork butt. It turned out really good.
Juicy and perfectly smoked pork butt.