Commercial SS Fridge Build: My First Try

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"I use wood chunks and 1 charcoal briquette (to develope the smoke ring). About 4-8 oz. of wood is all that is needed, and it will put out TBS for a good 5-6 hours. That's usually about 2 half-fist sized chunks."

"I've used this unit at least a dozen times now with no problems, that is until today.

Put a couple racks of ribs in, and some apple and hickory chunks for smoke. The only thing I did diferently is add a water pan. But somehow, when I went to check on things after 30-40 minutes, the temp inside had skyrocketed! I knew what it was before I even opened the door; the wood chunks had caught fire and were burning up! I just don't know why."

"A short update: I added some felt tape gasket along the seal to help close any gaps that may let in more oxygen. Also, because of the large amount of water I had in a pan (about 8 cups), I believe the element was working harder to increase the internal tempurature of the box. I think this, coupled with the added oxygen, is what caused the open fire in my woodbox.

I have successfully done 3 smokes since then, in one of which I used a much smaller pan and volume of water. Works like a charm now. 

Live and learn."

I don't think the volume of water was a factor.  4 pounds of water is going to suck up as much heat as 4-6 pounds of meat.  If I understand the physics correctly two things are happening.  

First you have evaporation drawing some of the heat out of the water. (And that heat is going into the box.)  This I believe is a function of the surface area of the water.

Next, the water is absorbing heat until it becomes steam.

Have you given any thought to making the smoke outside of the cabinet and then piping it in?  It seems to me that were you to do that you could tightly control the quantity and quality of the smoke and also you might get less condensation of the smoke on the walls of the cabinet making cleaning easier.
 
I have since switched to sand as a heat sink for most smokes.  And I have had great sucess with Todd's AMNPS for cold smoking.

Otherwise, I am very happy with the original design.
 
No, if you look at the pics on page 1, you can see I removed the insulation. It wasn't easy, but better in the long run I think.
 
Mneeley, just curious how many square feet is your smoke chamber? The brinkmann heating element your using I have been comtemplating using myself but didn't know if it would be enough to heat the chamber in my build, ~9 cubic feet. It would be this one. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138081/first-build-westinghouse-fridge#post_961778 It's been a while since I worked on it and I just got back into it after a few months off from working on it.
 
Mneeley, just curious how many square feet is your smoke chamber? The brinkmann heating element your using I have been comtemplating using myself but didn't know if it would be enough to heat the chamber in my build, ~9 cubic feet. It would be this one. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138081/first-build-westinghouse-fridge#post_961778 It's been a while since I worked on it and I just got back into it after a few months off from working on it.
For heating purposes, the inside chamber is 48"H x 22"W x 28"D, or approx. 17 cubic feet.  This was made for cold air to flow down from the top where the refrigeration unit was housed. The cold air went down either side, and then into the middle area thru false sides that have many holes (including some for racking), so the actual usable area is a bit smaller. For smoking, it does just the reverse, having heat come up from the bottom, thru the false sides, and out the smokestack in the back/top.

I think you should be fine.
 
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OK GOT MY FIRST SS SMOKER APART AND FOAM OFF GOING TO TORCH LEFT OVER RESIN MY SMOKER CAME APART IN SECTION AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE FOAM GAVE IT STABILITY  GOING TO HAVE TO STRENGTHEN THE TWO SIDE SO IT CAN BOLT BACK TOGETHER SHOULD I USE A STEEL TUBING ??? OR COULD I USE 2X4 CUT DOWN AND SCREWED TOGETHER ??? STEEL MORE BUCKS, WOOD CHEAPER, BUT WOULD THE WOOD HOLD UP TO THE HEAT SCREW WORKING OUT???  ANY ADVICE HELPFUL IN MY MIND I SAY STEEL TUBING
 
IS THIS A GOOD ELEMENT COME WITH AN THERMOSTAT



[h1]ELECTRIC SMOKER BBQ GRILL HEATING ELEMENT ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTAT CORD CONTROLLER[/h1]

Universal / Add On Electric Smoker / Grill Heating Element and Adjustable Controller River Country, one of your most respected manufacturers of Grill and Smoker Thermometers is proud to introduce the River Country Universal Electric Smoker / Grill Adjustable Heating Controller and Element. The matching heating controller and element are designed for the Barbecue Enthusiast who is designing and building their own electric smoker or grill and looking for an easy to use and install electric heating system. The controller and element can be added to many existing large smokers and grills if you’re to incorporate in a separate food warmer area. The heating element and matching adjustable controller allows you to adjust the temperature from approximately 50 F up to 450 F, depending on size, construction and materials used in the smoker or grill. The heating element features an easy mount flange which requires a rectangular opening in the side of your grill or smoker of 2 5/8” by 1” for the removable controller attachment flange. The element mounting bracket allows for adjustable bolt mounting from 2 ¾” to 3 ½” on center and can be attached with user supplied bolts and nuts. The heavy duty 1300 watt element uses standard US 110 volts and come with 2” tall stabilizing supports for the ends of the element. The controller easily can be unplugged from the heating element for cleaning and storage and features an easy to adjust dial thermostat with a heating on indictor light. The controller is UL listed and has a heavy duty yet flexible 52” power cord for safe use of your grill or smoker year round. The River Country element and controller may be used as a general replacement for other brands of electric smokers and grills, however, please be sure to check your manufacturer’s warranty and mounting requirements and sizing specifications below. Features: 1300 watt, 110 US volt Heating Element with adjustable mounting bracket and element support feet Adjustable UL Listed 110 volt Controller (Aprox. 50F to 450F depending on size, material and construction of the smoker or grill) Built in Controller Heating On indicator light 52” heavy duty flexible controller power cord Mounting Requirements/Specifications: Heating Element (not including mounting plate) 14 ¼” x 11 ½” Mounting hole needed in the side of the smoker/grill for the controller flange is 2 5/8” x 1” tall, overall area need on the side of the smoker/grill for complete mounting is 4 ½” wide by 1”
 
There is a chance that the foam could give off gas or fumes when it gets hot. I have also heard of it starting on fire when exposed to higher temps. From the advice I have found on here I decided to be safe and use rock wool and I am glad I did. I used Thermafiber UltraBatt 3.5" x 24" x 48" R-15 Mineral Wool Insulation. The stuff is very firm and easy to cut with a sharp knife or machete.  It was pretty easy to work with and even though I don't plan on having a fire or getting the heat to extremes the chance is always there. At 3.5 inches I think it ran about 77 cents a sq ft. Here in Minnesota it gets cold and I was able to smoke in my unheated garage at below zero(not that I like to).
 
Well, I'm not sure what's going on with my smoker, but this morning it wasn't up to the task of smoking some bacon.
I had it loaded, programmed, and turned it on with seemingly no problems. Then I noticed on my Maverick that the temp wasn't climbing. Turned out it was tripping the GFI outlet on the other side of the garage. I reset it, and it worked for a couple minutes, then same result. Odd that it didn't blow the fuse in the Auberin PID before tripping the GFI.
So good thing I had my MES30 with mailbox mod as a backup, and that I was only doing 4 pieces.
I guess I'll have to tinker with it some day when I get the time and work space in my garage.
 
I have the same exact Auberins unit you have. When I first received mine, the unit ran for 20 minutes and quit. I called, sent it back for repair and have not had a problem with it since. I love it because I can get the temp down low for cold smoking. I use mine for a UDS. I have been looking for a proofer cabinet for about 2 weeks. Your smoker looks great! jeff

I have converted a proofer and it has turned out very well. Still finishing up the project but hope to season it and have smoked goods coming out of it within a month or so.
 
I am having a similar problem. I started converting a PBC to electric. I purchased a 1200 watt heating element from Cookshack and a PID controller with a built in relay. Wired it all up and plugged it in. The first time the controller turned on the heating element, it instantly tripped my GFI outlet. The outlet actually broke since it was probably 20 years old. We were having issues with the same outlet tripping when our Christmas lights were up.

I put a new outlet in and tried running the smoker again. It ran for 10 minutes or so and then the GFI outlet tripped again. I tested everything I could with a multimeter and couldn’t find anything. In my internet searching, it seems that heating elements and GFI outlets don’t always play nice with one another. I’ve read stories of people having to replace every outlet on the GFI protected circuit in hopes of keeping their electric smoker from tripping the GFI. I guess GFI outlets are very conservative by design so it is easy for things to make them trip. The fact that ours was tripping with our Christmas lights up makes me think the old wiring in our house isn’t helping my cause.

If I plug mine into a non-GFI outlet, it runs like a champ. Now my dilemma is do I just chalk it off to heating elements and GFIs not playing nice and run it on an unprotected circuit (risk safety) or scrap the idea. I was really only converting the PBC because I had it. I’d really prefer a converted refrigerator running on propane.

I’m going to try finding propane conversions in case I can’t make this work.

-Randy

Well, I'm not sure what's going on with my smoker, but this morning it wasn't up to the task of smoking some bacon.
I had it loaded, programmed, and turned it on with seemingly no problems. Then I noticed on my Maverick that the temp wasn't climbing. Turned out it was tripping the GFI outlet on the other side of the garage. I reset it, and it worked for a couple minutes, then same result. Odd that it didn't blow the fuse in the Auberin PID before tripping the GFI.
So good thing I had my MES30 with mailbox mod as a backup, and that I was only doing 4 pieces.
I guess I'll have to tinker with it some day when I get the time and work space in my garage.
 
As long as there is a ground wire correctly connected to the unit its not a unprotected circuit,GFI's haven't been around forever.Most older freezers and fridges wont run on 1. They were designed to be used in areas where water is involved(bath rooms kitchen sinks out doors)they put them in garages cause folks run power equipment out side from there and codes demand it,you can put in a regular line with out 1 for fridges,Thanks for sharing your build.
 
Well, I'm not sure what's going on with my smoker, but this morning it wasn't up to the task of smoking some bacon.
I had it loaded, programmed, and turned it on with seemingly no problems. Then I noticed on my Maverick that the temp wasn't climbing. Turned out it was tripping the GFI outlet on the other side of the garage. I reset it, and it worked for a couple minutes, then same result. Odd that it didn't blow the fuse in the Auberin PID before tripping the GFI.
So good thing I had my MES30 with mailbox mod as a backup, and that I was only doing 4 pieces.
I guess I'll have to tinker with it some day when I get the time and work space in my garage.

I ended up replacing both the GFI and the other outlet on the same line. Even upgraded them both to 20A, but it still trips, so must be something in the smoker. Runs for about 5-10 minutes, then trips. Still haven't gotten around to making room to work on it.
 
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