Electric Drum ?

[bunky]

I have been wanting to try an electric smoker and have also thought about a Drum I'm currently using a modded ECB gourmet, (charcoal)

Has anyone built an electric Drum ???

 

[bbq bubba]

Have seen a couple guy's try, good for cold smoking, thats about it.
Can't get enough temp in that big drum!

Build a regular drum and you will be rewarded!

 

[mgnorcal]

For a cold smoker (110-140*), how many watts of a heating element would you need in a drum?

Does a 1000 watt element heat to about 180* or so in a drum?

I'm thinking of making an electric drum cold smoker, and I'd like to aim for a small enough wattage to where I can just leave it on the whole time during the cook.

 

[mavrick]

Try one of these http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...009000_325-9-0 wire it to a plug then use an oven thermostat to control the plug which will control the temp. You can even insulate the drum with something like a hot water heater blanket to help control the temp.

The above element should give you plenty of heat.

 

[mgnorcal]

Yeah, I was thinking about one of those electric oven thermostats to let you dial in the temp.

Anybody use one of those "infinite switch" type controls like are used on the electric range burners?
This allows some power control but not a set temp, but it's a cheaper approach and ought to be quite adequate for the application.

from wiki:
An infinite switch is a type of switch that allows variable power output. They utilize a bi-metallic strip conductive connection across terminals that disconnects with increased temperature. As current passes through the bimetal connection, it will heat and deform, breaking the connection and turning off the power. After a short time, the bimetal will cool and reconnect. Therefore, infinite switches vary the average power delivered to a device by oscillating quickly between on and off states. This makes them ideal for situations that are not sensitive to such changes, such as the resistive heating elements in electric stoves and kilns.

 

[jaxgatorz]

What bubba said ^^^^

 

[mavrick]

MGNolCal if you are going to use something like that then just go and buy an electric coil hot plates, they work on the same principle. They will go up to around 185 or higher in a small enclosure. If you try and bypass this bimetal switch the wiring doesn't hold up well if the hot plate stay on for an extended period of time.

 

[mgnorcal]

Yeah, I tried a 800W hot plate inside my Perfect Flame gas smoker, but that infinite (bimetal) control must have kept shutting off prematurely due to being inside the hot smoker so that even on full high, the temp in the comparatively small PF was only about 110* with an outside temp of 60* and vents closed.
With that result, I gave up on the idea of using a hot plate appliance with integral temp control.
I'm guessing that just setting that switch outside the smoker will allow it to run properly.

The thing about oven thermostats is I've not seen one for less than $70 and I was hoping to get by for less.
Those infinite switches are more like $10-15.

 

[davenh]

Try your local dump or appliance grave yard. You should be able to get a ton of them for free

. Even your local craigslist free section for an oven to scavange.

 

[morkdach]

i have tried oven controlers and have not had any luck with them.
the small bimetalic control like that comes on hot plates works ok if you use a relay for the heating element. the relay takes care of the amps.