What are some easy homemade BBQ smoker plans?

Some of the easiest homemade smoker plans involve using a standard 55-gallon steel drum or barrel. Other easy smoker plans use common items, including coolers, flower pots, bricks and cinder blocks.

Building a smoker out of a steel drum requires little modification. Users can build a pit in their backyard to create extra smoke. When using a cooler or flower pots, a hot plate is necessary to create heat. Brick and cinder block smokers not only create food, they also become part of the backyard decor.

When creating a smoker out of a 55-gallon steel drum, it is important to make sure the drum is food grade and that it never transported oil or gasoline. It is also important not to use cadmium-plated metal, lead or hexavalent chromium.