Ok, First thanks to Pops and others for the posts of their plywood builds which have got the hamster running on the wheel in my old noodle.
I'm now thinking about a plywood cabinet build with an electric 3600watt IR heater on a PID controller. Here is what I have (parts were for a 10' forced air IR screen print dryer rebuild)....
1) A Watlow 3,600 watt, 240VAC IR radiant heat panel (capable of cranking out a surface heat over 1,000 degrees F). Panel is 36" long including mounting brackets and 12" wide. Back of panel in insulated and due to the brackets stands off from the surface mounted to by about 6". I have three of these panels, but one should be plenty of heat I would think.
2) Omega CN76020 controller module (with auto tune option) and a J type thermocouple (range with this combo is -100 degrees to +900 degrees F with a resolution of 0.1 degrees). I bought this years ago and when I googled it today it showed a price of $494 at the Omega website. I did not pay anywhere near that. Also one of the IR panels has the well for the thermocouple which is what is up with the housing (this is what I had on hand, so free and paid for is good!). Controller is SSR or DC pulsed output (selectable), and has a programmable ramp function.
More shots of Omega CN76020 controller.
I did not take photos but I have two industrial mercury wetted relay units, a 60 amp and a 30 amp (both 240v) and three high temp squirrel cage air re-circulation fans from the textile dryer (I suspect the CFM rate may be too high for a smoker recirculation fan). I also have the original Watlow analog temp controller board and a analog DC pulse drive out controller board and the matching DC motor for the dryer. Would make a nice rotisserie drive in another smoker one day.
One concern I have (after I got over the initial one of heat and wood together), is the size I'm going to have to make this cabinet since the IR panel is 36" wide. Don't want to make it too huge.
As I mull this over in my head (hamsters get to work overtime on this one), I'm sure I will post a ton of questions, but having most of the expensive parts sitting on a shelf in the basement is making me really want to make this work.
Here are a few thought so far.....
Use would be for sausages, snack sticks etc...., but I would also like to get it to run at 225-250 for other meats on a traditional low and smoke cook. Or is this a real problem in a wood smoker?
Comments and suggestion welcomed as this is still in the concept stage.....
I'm now thinking about a plywood cabinet build with an electric 3600watt IR heater on a PID controller. Here is what I have (parts were for a 10' forced air IR screen print dryer rebuild)....
1) A Watlow 3,600 watt, 240VAC IR radiant heat panel (capable of cranking out a surface heat over 1,000 degrees F). Panel is 36" long including mounting brackets and 12" wide. Back of panel in insulated and due to the brackets stands off from the surface mounted to by about 6". I have three of these panels, but one should be plenty of heat I would think.
2) Omega CN76020 controller module (with auto tune option) and a J type thermocouple (range with this combo is -100 degrees to +900 degrees F with a resolution of 0.1 degrees). I bought this years ago and when I googled it today it showed a price of $494 at the Omega website. I did not pay anywhere near that. Also one of the IR panels has the well for the thermocouple which is what is up with the housing (this is what I had on hand, so free and paid for is good!). Controller is SSR or DC pulsed output (selectable), and has a programmable ramp function.
More shots of Omega CN76020 controller.
I did not take photos but I have two industrial mercury wetted relay units, a 60 amp and a 30 amp (both 240v) and three high temp squirrel cage air re-circulation fans from the textile dryer (I suspect the CFM rate may be too high for a smoker recirculation fan). I also have the original Watlow analog temp controller board and a analog DC pulse drive out controller board and the matching DC motor for the dryer. Would make a nice rotisserie drive in another smoker one day.
One concern I have (after I got over the initial one of heat and wood together), is the size I'm going to have to make this cabinet since the IR panel is 36" wide. Don't want to make it too huge.
As I mull this over in my head (hamsters get to work overtime on this one), I'm sure I will post a ton of questions, but having most of the expensive parts sitting on a shelf in the basement is making me really want to make this work.
Here are a few thought so far.....
- Plywood cabinet
- Possible metal lined interior
- May use cement board under the metal lining for added fire resistance "just in case"
- Insulation between cabinet housing and cement board/metal liner
- large steel or iron plate, painted with high temp flat black engine paint, plate will sit above the IR panel to absorb the heat from the panel transmitting it to the air circulating in the box. Also would serve as a heat sink to moderate temp swings. Would work similar to the way the metal plate in a Holland Grill works.
- Smoke source would be AMNPS or other smoke generator (AMNPS is pretty simple, runs a long time and hard to beat, might need two depending on the final cabinet size).
Use would be for sausages, snack sticks etc...., but I would also like to get it to run at 225-250 for other meats on a traditional low and smoke cook. Or is this a real problem in a wood smoker?
Comments and suggestion welcomed as this is still in the concept stage.....
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