Hi Everyone,
My name is Scott Teaschner. I am from Wonderful Wyoming! Hunting and fishing is just terrible so no need for anyone to want move or visit this place! LOL. I do high end leather work for the sportsman I also guide elk here in Wyoming. I love to waterfowl hunt with my best friend Gus (he is a Lab). Horses and the backcountry are also a huge part of my life. Spent approximately 30 days a horse back hunting elk this year not nearly enough! There is only two seasons for me hunting season and waiting for the season to open. But I spend a lot of time shooting my bow and scouting which is a huge part of why I love to hunt. So on to smoking.
I did my first batch of jerky and summer sausage back in September. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I did 30 lbs. of sausage and 15 lbs. of jerky. It’s all gone! I borrowed a friend’s propane smoker non-insulated. It taught me a lot. I want a smoker of my own and have been reading up a lot and have some ideas. The gas smoker was very hard to keep a constant temp mostly ran hot. When I turned it down it did not produce smoke very well. I think I will be going electric. I will mostly be doing sausage, jerky, fish, fowl and cheese. I may want to try brisket and ribs but it will not be a lot.
With that said I have decided not to buy a smoker ready to go. Most of the ones available in the $200 to $400.00 range do not have very good reviews. Sounds like they are basically throw a way’s. I also would like a little more capacity than they offer. So I decided to build my own.
Let me tell you what I do know. I know I will build my smoker out of wood. I have it on hand and I won’t have to spend money for the most part. It will be T-111 on the outside, 2x4 framed, insulated, plywood inside lined with metal. I want some good controls to maintain temps and with a probe to monitor meat temps. I would like to be able to do up to 100 lbs. of meat and may be have a divider to cut that in half for smaller batches.
Here are some of my questions. 1) Everything I have read indicates I can use fiberglass insulation without backing for my smoker without worries is this true? 2) I plan on lining it with non-galvanized metal about 28 gauge with a plywood backing for a little more rigidity. Will the type of plywood I back it with be a concern and is the metal I am choosing a good choice? 3) What dimensions will it need to be to do 100 lbs. of meat? 4) What will I need for a burner to be efficient?
What would be the best way to create smoke? I have found the lower temps do not produce a good burn. I have read the many different ways and I am a little confused. I do not want to get something that requires me to buy cartridges, pellets or biscuits. I have read some types create too much creosote. I have also read of guys using sawdust and igniting for the burn. Will this work well or does it go out easy? What about a side chamber with a separate burner and wood chip plate? It seems like it would be easier to add without opening the doors on the main smoker? Will this extra burn box create too much extra heat? Will it mess with the burner hooked to the control? I see some hooked with a blower is this needed? Why do they use a blower?
As far as PID goes is the Auber-WS the way to go? It shows for the Bradley smoker but I am sure you can rig it for whatever you want? It also shows a separate control for smoke? Can I rig this unit to a separate plate for the smoke box I am talking about or is it just for Bradley’s system? Is there other PID’s that may not be as costly? I see guys using a Ranco ETC it looks like they are a lot less but as far as I can see they are only controlling the one temp?
I sure appreciate any help or suggestions.
Thanks Scott
My name is Scott Teaschner. I am from Wonderful Wyoming! Hunting and fishing is just terrible so no need for anyone to want move or visit this place! LOL. I do high end leather work for the sportsman I also guide elk here in Wyoming. I love to waterfowl hunt with my best friend Gus (he is a Lab). Horses and the backcountry are also a huge part of my life. Spent approximately 30 days a horse back hunting elk this year not nearly enough! There is only two seasons for me hunting season and waiting for the season to open. But I spend a lot of time shooting my bow and scouting which is a huge part of why I love to hunt. So on to smoking.
I did my first batch of jerky and summer sausage back in September. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I did 30 lbs. of sausage and 15 lbs. of jerky. It’s all gone! I borrowed a friend’s propane smoker non-insulated. It taught me a lot. I want a smoker of my own and have been reading up a lot and have some ideas. The gas smoker was very hard to keep a constant temp mostly ran hot. When I turned it down it did not produce smoke very well. I think I will be going electric. I will mostly be doing sausage, jerky, fish, fowl and cheese. I may want to try brisket and ribs but it will not be a lot.
With that said I have decided not to buy a smoker ready to go. Most of the ones available in the $200 to $400.00 range do not have very good reviews. Sounds like they are basically throw a way’s. I also would like a little more capacity than they offer. So I decided to build my own.
Let me tell you what I do know. I know I will build my smoker out of wood. I have it on hand and I won’t have to spend money for the most part. It will be T-111 on the outside, 2x4 framed, insulated, plywood inside lined with metal. I want some good controls to maintain temps and with a probe to monitor meat temps. I would like to be able to do up to 100 lbs. of meat and may be have a divider to cut that in half for smaller batches.
Here are some of my questions. 1) Everything I have read indicates I can use fiberglass insulation without backing for my smoker without worries is this true? 2) I plan on lining it with non-galvanized metal about 28 gauge with a plywood backing for a little more rigidity. Will the type of plywood I back it with be a concern and is the metal I am choosing a good choice? 3) What dimensions will it need to be to do 100 lbs. of meat? 4) What will I need for a burner to be efficient?
What would be the best way to create smoke? I have found the lower temps do not produce a good burn. I have read the many different ways and I am a little confused. I do not want to get something that requires me to buy cartridges, pellets or biscuits. I have read some types create too much creosote. I have also read of guys using sawdust and igniting for the burn. Will this work well or does it go out easy? What about a side chamber with a separate burner and wood chip plate? It seems like it would be easier to add without opening the doors on the main smoker? Will this extra burn box create too much extra heat? Will it mess with the burner hooked to the control? I see some hooked with a blower is this needed? Why do they use a blower?
As far as PID goes is the Auber-WS the way to go? It shows for the Bradley smoker but I am sure you can rig it for whatever you want? It also shows a separate control for smoke? Can I rig this unit to a separate plate for the smoke box I am talking about or is it just for Bradley’s system? Is there other PID’s that may not be as costly? I see guys using a Ranco ETC it looks like they are a lot less but as far as I can see they are only controlling the one temp?
I sure appreciate any help or suggestions.
Thanks Scott
