Old Grill, New Smoker
This is my first inscrutable so bare with me and please let me know what you think. :)
I found this old propane grill on the side of the road with a piece of paper on it saying "free" (my favorite word). So I took the opportunity to make something of it. The grill was in really bad shape; with rust all over the place and pieces either missing or falling off.
I'm more of an old school 'griller'. I like the smell of wood and charcoal burning, a beer in my hand, and hours of perfecting that perfect smoky flavor on my brisket. I already own a charcoal grill, did not own a smoker, and I don't care for propane grills, so I was very happy to give this guy a makeover.
Clean It Out and Gut It
First, I had to get all of the rust out of the bottom. With some gloves and a trash bag ( and a beer) I started removing everything inside, even the old burners and knobs. After everything was removed, I power washed the inside and outside, then let it air dry in the sun.
Creating the Base and Sealing Up the Holes.
For the base, I dropped the top grease trap all the way to the bottom with other metal pieces left over from earlier.
To contain all of the coals and ashes, I used a turkey pan at the bottom.
Last, I wanted the smoke to go out of the top, back lid, so I needed to close up any holes. I simply used duck tape and tin foil.
Grill
Lastly, I wanted to smoke a brisket so I needed indirect head. So I used coals and a lot of soaked wood chips. I marinated my brisket for a couple hours in soy sauce, lemon juice, and some other spices you'll have to beg me to find out. Then on top, I put on basil, which the oils drip out on top of the meat just before burning up. To keep the brisket moist, I would slather on apple juice every 30 minutes.
I hoped you enjoyed.