grease control and fires

cadillac forge

Fire Starter

Original poster

Apr 22, 2012

38

10

joplin,mo

• Apr 27, 2014

• #1

How do you handle grease control and preventing flash fires I've seen pics online of major fires where it completely wrecks a fridge smoker, so far its only happened once to me, was smoking 12 pork butts at the same time had a couple of 1/2 pans catching the grease, I was at work my wife was checking the meat opened the door and had 12 ft flames instantly she slammed the door and turned it off   I came home dumped the pans and started over   never had another problem      never smoked this much again at once  have you seen anything simmlar? and what do u do to prevent this        thanks   bruce from Joplin

 

mdboatbum

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Apr 22, 2011

4,094

431

Washington, DC

• Apr 27, 2014

• #2

I've only had it happen once and it was a chicken I'd injected with butter and was smoking at 350˚-375˚. The butter/chicken fat dripped on to the diffuser and as soon as I opened it, WHOOSH! It wasn't pretty. 

I'd guess some sort of way to let the grease drain so it doesn't accumulate would work.

 

mneeley490

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Jun 23, 2011

3,763

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Everett, WA

• Apr 27, 2014

• #3

I have a 1-1/4" hole piped in the bottom of my conversion that doubles as an air inlet and drain hole. Put in a false bottom that slants toward the hole. Seems to work pretty good.

 

Last edited: Apr 27, 2014

blue smokey

Newbie

Jun 8, 2014

10

10

• Jun 29, 2014

• #4

Ive been looking at something like this from Sausage Maker.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/41406smokediffuserfor20lbsmokehouse.aspx

 

cadillac forge

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Apr 22, 2012

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10

joplin,mo

• Jul 2, 2014

• #5

both your ideas looks good, would be concerning how much room would be taken up with the sausagemaker parts

 will work on the slant bottom  got any pics of yours  my next post will be the finished smoker I want to modify   just finished it today

doing the seasoning smoke now            thanks  bb 

 

mneeley490

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Jun 23, 2011

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Everett, WA

• Jul 2, 2014

• #6

You can see the pics here: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/115657/commercial-ss-fridge-build-my-first-try

Not the greatest shots, but what I did was cut some 90 degree angled aluminum, and screwed it along the back and right side of the bottom. Then placed another piece of sheet metal over that, so it naturally slants toward the left front where the drain hole is. Drain is a flanged piece of sink pipe set into the drilled hole.

 

cadillac forge

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Apr 22, 2012

38

10

joplin,mo

• Jul 2, 2014

• #7

thanks mneely the pics helped  have you changed ur smoker from that post?? looks nice  if u knew then what ya know now    would

u change anything??  still like the electric, hows the smoke ring with that unit using amnp?

 

mneeley490

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Jun 23, 2011

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Everett, WA

• Jul 2, 2014

• #8

Once in a while I manage to get a smoke ring. My setup copies the Cookshack smokers, so I sometimes place a charcoal briquette in the smokebox along with the wood chunks. Not so much with the AMNPS, but that's okay. It's a trade off, and a small price to pay for 11-12 hours of uninterrupted smoke. 

I'd only change 2 things. One, the fireplace cement that I used to secure the stove rope. It is starting to come off after 2-1/2 years of use, so I'll need to replace it soon. And I would have used one of the Brinkmann elements that feeds up from the bottom, instead of through the back of the unit.