The "The Pitmasters Of Maryland!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in a lounge chair watching my son-in-law Dave and his friend Art prepare the evening meal.  Started the procedure close to noon in hopes of having the meat ready by 5:00 PM.  They are going to give me a lesson in smoking meat which will take place in Dave's new smoker which he and Art and a few other friends built a few months ago.  

The Mencarini Smoker!  The guys that spent time building this piece of art.
 are from the left: Art Himes, Son-in-law Dave, Matt Bryne and Ed Radwinsky.
Click on images to enlarge them.

I was impressed with the quality of the smoking unit that they built.  They first poured a cement slab that is close to four feet wide by about five feet deep.  They dug into the ground a few inches in order to have the bottom of their smoker sitting below the ground level to give it a better base and to help prevent it from cracking in the winter weather.  After the base was poured and dried, they used concrete blocks and mortar to build the the actual unit that sits on the concrete base.  It stands four blocks high with one end having the bottom row missing with an opening that will allow a grate to enter on which the smoking material is placed.  Once the grate is pushed into the smoker, steel panels can be closed to keep the heat inside or opened to allow air to flow through the smoker to build up more heat.  A second grate sits about a foot from the top to hold what is being smoked.  The top is made of exterior plywood and is hinged in the center so it can be easily opened.  The top is the only part that may need to be replaced over time.  The smoke created in the unit escapes through a metal standpipe on the opposite end.  On top of the standpipe is a fitting that will prevent water from entering into it.  An opening was provided to place a temperature gauge to help keep track of the temperature inside the smoker.  I attempted to take photographs so I could show you how impressive a job they did in making Dave's smoker.  Hope you understand, thru my photos, how the smoker operates.  Now, why did Dave go to all the trouble to build it in the first place?  Well, smoked meat is freaking awesome!  Smoking adds flavor, tenderizes and turns some of the worst cuts into a wonderful meal. Follow my visual story to see what is needed to have your own smoking unit. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Dave stands next to the smoker that he and his friends built in his backyard.

A better look at the smoker. The base of the smoker was poured concrete about half-a-fot thick.   The gray area is made of concrete blocks with an opening left at the bottom on the side facing the camera.  A  metal tray of steel mesh was constructed that can be moved in and out of the cement blocks with metal handles.  When it is completely inserted in the smoker, steel doors can be closed to prevent air from entering the unit.  The metal doors can be seen on either side of the smoker in this photograph.  The top is made of exterior plywood and is hinged in the center to make for easy opening.  The far part of the top holds a metal standpipe made out of sheet metal which has a cover on the top to keep rain from entering.

Art, Dave' friend, prepares the charcoal that will be used to create the heat.  On top of the charcoal is placed chips of hardwood that can carry flavoring for the smoking procedure.  Today they added an applewood to the mixture.

A fire had been started in the metal device to the right using charcoal.  It will be poured over the small piles, one on the left and one on the right.  The pile has the charcoal and flavored wood mixture.

Art is preparing chicken wings for smoking with a variety of spices.

Both piles are ready to be ignited with the burning embers in the small container.

Art is pouring the hot embers over the charcoal and wood pieces.

After both piles have been started, the metal grate is pushed into the smoker and the metal panels closed.
These panels can be opened or closed to control the interior temperature.

This tray of pulled pork was smoked a few days before and keep refrigerated until today.  Art is preparing it with apple juice and seasoning and it will be placed in the front of the smoker so it will warm while the wings and other meats smoke next to the charcoal and wood mixture.

This is the thermometer that is inserted into an opening on the top of the smoker.  It tells the interior temperature of the smoker.  Controlling the temperature is important.  The best temperature is close to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  

The top is opened and a second tray above the heat source can be seen.  This tray holds the already smoked pulled pork which can be seen in the far left in the back.  The two round trays in the foreground will hold the wings that have been flavored.

Art is adding the wings to the metal trays which are held on the upper level metal tray.  
They will be directly above the small fires that have been burning and producing smoke.

Art is checking the wings and making room on the metal interior grill for a few other types of meats.

Checking on the smoldering embers to see if they need replenished.

The heat source  seems to be smoking nicely.

To prevent them from smoking too rapidly and burning out too soon, the metal doors on either side must be closed to prevent extra air from flowing over them.

With the door closed and the unit working perfectly, you can see the smoke rising from the standpipe.

Another view from the other end of the smoker.

The top has been opened and a few other types of meats have been added to the upper level metal tray. 

Another check on the progress of the meats.  The smoking process began before noon and will be ready about 4:00 PM.  It is a slow process.  Most meets need to be smoked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees with poultry being cooked to 165 degrees.  Below...the wings look delicious!