How to Build a DIY Cinder Block Smoker This Weekend

When people tell me they want to start smoking meat but can't afford a smoker, I point them to the hardware store. For about $150-200 in materials and an afternoon of stacking blocks, you can build a cinder block smoker that produces BBQ just as good as smokers costing ten times as much.

I built my first one in my twenties when I was broke, and honestly, some of the best briskets I've ever made came off that ugly stack of concrete blocks. Let me show you how.

What You'll Need

• 40-50 standard cinder blocks (8x8x16 inches)
• 2-3 expanded metal grates (for cooking surface)
• 1 charcoal grate (for the firebox area)
• A sheet of plywood or a solid metal sheet (for the door/cover)
• A cheap grill thermometer
• Angle iron or rebar (for grate supports)
• Level, tape measure

Choosing Your Spot

Pick a flat, level area in your yard that's at least 10 feet from any structure. The ground needs to be firm, concrete, packed dirt, or gravel all work. Soft grass will settle unevenly and your blocks will shift over time.

Consider wind direction. You don't want smoke blowing directly into your house or your neighbor's windows. Position the opening of the smoker facing away from living spaces.

The Basic Design

Think of it as a rectangular box made of stacked blocks. The simplest effective design is:

• Base: 3 blocks wide x 2 blocks deep, laid flat
• Walls: Stack blocks 4-5 layers high, alternating direction for stability
• Fire level: Bottom layer, with a charcoal grate
• Cooking level: Grates supported by angle iron at the 3rd or 4th layer
• Top: A sheet of plywood, metal, or even a spare oven rack with foil

Step-by-Step Build

1. Level your ground. Use a level to make sure your base area is flat. An unlevel foundation means an unstable smoker.
2. Lay the first course. Place blocks in your rectangular pattern. Leave gaps on one side for airflow, these are your vents.
3. Stack alternating courses. Each layer should overlap the seams of the layer below, like bricklaying. This provides structural stability without mortar.
4. Install grate supports. At the level where you want your cooking grate (usually layer 3), lay pieces of angle iron or rebar across the blocks to create ledges.
5. Place your grates. Set expanded metal grates on the supports. Make sure they're stable and level.
6. Add thermometer. Drill a hole in a block at grate level and insert a standard grill thermometer.
7. Create a cover. A piece of sheet metal or even a large baking sheet works. You need something to trap heat and smoke.

Using Your Cinder Block Smoker

Start a charcoal fire in the bottom of the smoker on your charcoal grate. Let the coals get fully established. Add wood chunks on top for smoke flavor. Place your meat on the cooking grate, cover the top, and manage your airflow through the gaps in the bottom.

Monitor temperature with your thermometer and adjust airflow as needed. Use our smoking time calculator for timing guidance, and our meat temperature guide for internal meat temperatures.

Pros and Cons of a Cinder Block Smoker

Pros:

• Incredibly cheap to build
• No welding or special tools needed
• Can be taken apart and moved
• Massive cooking capacity
• Produces genuinely great BBQ

Cons:

• Not pretty, purely functional
• Temperature control requires practice
• No built-in grease management
• Heavy and not portable once built

Don't let money be the reason you haven't started smoking. Grab some blocks this weekend and get building.