Cooker/Warmer Mods

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goingcamping

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 26, 2012
396
16
Colorado Springs, Colorado
I moved this to another thread as I've completed the untested mods and have a planned smoke tomorrow (Saturday).


Previous Discussion on my Cooker/Warmer:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/136190/smoking-cabinets-ideas

Here's are the mods:

#1, #2 and #3: Drilled an 1-3/4" hole thru the smoker (where the dent was). I used two (2) 1-1/4" 90* ells and a shoulder nipple thru...sealed it on the exterior with high-temp silicon.




#4 and #5: Added a threaded exhaust (will be trimmed some with a neat idea for a baffle...I'll post tomorrow when complete). Drilled one (1) 1-1/2" hole in the bottom (well, actually 2...first one was too close to some structural SS member running around perimeter of base between sheets of SS. It will be plugged tomorrow with a chrome plug and high-temp silicon).



#6, #7 and #8: I bought exhaust clamps to place my AMNTS on...I also bought SS screws and clips to hold it in place, but for now I like the flexibility of moving, so they'll remain free for awhile? And finally I used a whole sheet pan (aluminum) too block drippings?




I ran the temp up too 100*F just to see how much air flow was coming from the chimney...I was surprised I couldn't really feel any, some heat, but not too much air?!

I needed an extension cord to get it out side from my garage, so I bought 25' of 10/3 SOOW cord and needed a few ring connectors to complete the conversion...tomorrow morning, pre-smoke I'll run too Ace Hardware.

~Brett
 
Brett, morning....  the clamps are great looking holders for the AMNPS.....   Run the unit again without smoke .....  Check all the holes you put in the body for air flow.... with and without the sheet pan...  I'm not sure you will get exhaust and air in.... then try with the AMNPS fired up so you can see smoke at all the holes....  w/ w/o sheet pan installed.... maybe move the sheet pan to different shelves...  

With the sealed recirculating system, I feel there needs to be a positive exhaust, or air in, from the fan shroud area...   I could be wrong...  seems like that is the logical thing to do...    

Let me know how the test goes....  Dave
 
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Morning Dave!

Thanks (as always) for chiming in! So far I ran the unit for about 5 min. with the mods complete. I could feel a little heat rising out of the stack, but not much air flow (not sure if this is good or bad?) I'm hoping it's good as then I should be relying on the the heat from the smoke to allow it too rise?

In my small pea-brain I got to thinking that the cooker is like a small house with a forced-air heating system with a wood fireplace? It's possible that one can run both without too much interference, heat/smoke rises and the furnace circulates air? Now where I get all befuddled in my set-up is the smoke will almost never be hotter that the CC (most of my smokes will be in the 200*-250*F range which will be from the top-mounted elements); therefore, thermal dynamics will not apply to the smoke as only the hot air will want to naturally "vent" and that can create an inversion where the cold air becomes stagnant on the bottom. The fans grab the CC air and recirculates down the rear mounted plenum. So, to get the smoke to exhaust I'm thinking, the chamber must be full of smoke before it leaves...So, I'm thinking you're correct (as if there was any doubt?) I will need to pressurize the whole cabinet by introducing a small hole on the negative pressure side of the fans...as you stated many posts ago...which I an willing and able to do!

I'll report back my finding?

~Brett
 
Beef sticks 2:30 in...AMNTS is working awesome, lots of good blue smoke. The only issue I've noticed is the AMNTS has some flame-ups as the fan pushes some air into the area?! It's settles down after a few minutes though...may need a shield to block air flow from plenum. Also I have noticed some smoke coming out of the heating portion, so it mustn't be sealed from the CC?


 
Brett, Looks good..... still thinking about selling it ???     BTW, is that temp reading 182 ??   Might  lower the temp to 160 ish so the sticks don't "fat out"....  

So tell us how well the temp controls...   sure looks like a smoker that would look good on my porch...     Dave
 
Hey Dave...to answer your question succinctly, Nope, not selling...the second I put the drill to it, it was mine! The temp was before I had the beef sticks in. The temp dials are about 15% off, so if I set at 200* it will be around 230*. I had it running at 150* for about 3 hours, just increased to 170* the internal temp is at 149* right now...If I'm not mistaken, I'll run the IT to 170*, and shut her down. (actually, I might go and get some other form of meat and smoke away...I've had to do NO tending, other than increasing the temp for the stick as per NEPAS recipes!) This thing is awesome...who knew smoking could be so maintenance free?

BTW, it would look good on your porch!

~Brett
 
The final product...wow, these things turned out better than I expected!


So...I decided to move on to the next "subject"...Brisket...I got the local market to cut a brisket in half (5.15lbs in lieu of 10.25lbs). It's not a "flat" cut, it still has 1/2 the point on!

No injection, no marinade, no brining...straight-up Penzey's spices "Northwoods" rub! I'll report back in 5 + hours!!!

~Brett
 
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The beef sticks turned out awesome...so I decided brisket was next (I always enjoy a brisket!).

Final score card: Beef Sticks 95% (not perfect on the spices)

Brisket:82.5%, I tried to cook it faster...I prefer slower: Taste was phenomenal (especially with my chipotle sweet potatoes!) but it needed to be cooked slower...plain and simple!

Thanks for playing!

~Brett

p.s. blizzard is coming so I hurried and put stuff away! Schnikes!
 
Wow!!!!!  You seem to have scored the perfect electric smoker.  Sort of an Uber MES!!!!

Do you know what digital control module they used?  It's probably an off the shelf module and may have a calibration procedure.  If you can find the brand & model info on that module it's probably online.
 
that looks flippin awesome great job I'm headed to co for some smoked groceries LOL
first.gif
 
that looks flippin awesome great job I'm headed to co for some smoked groceries LOL :first:

Thanks...this was more of a "God I hope this works?" than a long thought out project! I am ecstatic that it functions so well (at least so far?). When the elements/fans decide to give-up-the-ghost, I'll re-evaluate and make a full on pellet smoker out of her!

So far so good. Going to the grocer to get some jalapenos/tomatoes and whatever else grabs my fancy? Would like to make about 10# of chipotle (I use it like crack!).

~Brett
 
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