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benmar

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 15, 2012
26
11
Grayville, IL
Didn't realize I was as much of an "amateur" at smoking, but after getting hooked on you guys, enjoying every day looking forward to what everyone was doing, I now know I am an amateur. My name is Ben Elliott, live in a tiny burg in Southern Illinois, Grayville, that is. For most of my life I have been in the food business, started in the grocery store, added a convenience store and a few restaurants and bars along the way. A little over a year ago I became sidelined, which left me very limited to what I can do. After a year of feeling sorry for myself, I decided every day I am here, I am going to do something, no matter how big or how small. We used to have a smoker on a trailer that we would take around for catering, and I have had the small brinker smoker and a electric smoker. After finding you guys, I want a real smoker that I can smoke my own bacon, hams and hundreds of the recipes I have been following with you guys. My crazy idea can't get too elegant, but this is what I have been thinking about and would like to have some of your ideas and suggestions before I start on it and screw it up.  I have a wood burning fireplace, free standing, that I would use for a base and set a confection oven on top, with the stub of the fireplace coming into the bottom of the oven. Take the fan off the back of the oven and use that hole for the smokestack to come out of the oven. I have a carport in the yard that I  run the tractor under, or park the mower in between mowing's. There is plenty of room, and I thought that I would put it under the roof, so no matter what the weather is, I could  smoke. What ever I do, I will take pics and post them as I go along. You have given me so much to look forward to, thanks.  Ben
 
Well Benmar  first I would like to welcome you to SMF   With all your restaurant and catering experience I am sure you have a lot to offer and I look forward to reading your posts.

I don't know much if anything about builds but it sounds like you are doing something really interesting and creative.  Do you plan to use the convection oven as a heat source and just pipe smoke into it or is the oven not working and you want to use it as a smoke chamber/
 
Hello Ben and Welcome to SMF. Glad to have you here with us. 

Good luck with that build 
 
Using oven as smoke chamber only. But, it is gas, and I can hook it up to propane if I decided to later. 
 
Thank you,  I am glad to be able to become a part of this. You made me feel at home the instant I found this sight.
 
welcome1.gif
 to SMF. You have come to the right place for smoking info. This site is loaded with great info just use the search bar at top of page to find what you are looking for. If you can't locate the answer just ask folks here are willing to share there knowledge. You might enjoy  the 5 day e-course on smoking its chuck full of great info.Smoking  5-Day e-Course
 
Thanks again for the welcome. I have enjoyed the shared wisdom that you give to each other, and the camaraderie between you all. I have started the e course, and looking forward to becoming a part of the family. 
 
Does anyone have any ideas if I should leave the circulation fan in place and used when smoking, would that help or make any difference?  And any ideas on placement of on the smoke stack to enter into the smoking chamber, ie, at the top, middle or ? Any help will be appreciated. Ben
 
IMHO the smoke stack should be placed as low as possible in one of the side walls of the smoke chamber. smoke rises so you want it to enter the chamber pass over the meat you are smoking, linger around just a bit  and exit out the top  on the opposet   side of the chamber.
 
I was thinking that I would put a plate over the incoming heat & smoke entry into the smoke chamber, to distribute the heat & smoke more evenly throughout the oven.  Didn't know if having the convection fan in and running would help in the smoking process, or would hinder it.?
 
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