getting ready for my smoker build.

If you can find a gas oven you can steal parts from it. Then a AMNPS for smoke and you should be good to go.

Happy smoken.

David

Congrats on the find! You're halfway there already. This is the PID I use.  http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=381   along with a 1500w Brinkmann replacement element.

It's a little pricey, but well worth it for peace of mind. It's as "set-it-and-forget-it" as they come.

Good luck, and keep the pics coming.

i have that set up.... element and PID and it is just so easy its stupid ...   LOL

GOOD LUCK

Goliath

i live in northern canada, i actually added a 2nd element with its own switch, when i get the smoker up to temp the brinkman takes over. what i used was a 1000 watt hotplate element and it has a dial control from a stove i took out of the dump. i have learned where to set the 2nd element so that the PID is not on full time and can cycle with the 1500. was a cheap fix for me.

here is my basic element set up for the brinkman that i started with


then i added the 2nd element with some flat bar and a few more nuts and washers


here is the set up, the 2nd control box under my PID ... just used what i had for free... not real pretty  :0)



the PID is also good for 220, .... and the price of the Brinkman is minimal, hope this helps !!!

GOOD LUCK

Goliath

GOLIATH said:

 
i live in northern canada, i actually added a 2nd element with its own switch, when i get the smoker up to temp the brinkman takes over. what i used was a 1000 watt hotplate element and it has a dial control from a stove i took out of the dump. i have learned where to set the 2nd element so that the PID is not on full time and can cycle with the 1500. was a cheap fix for me.

here is my basic element set up for the brinkman that i started with

SMOKER HEATER.JPG

• goliath
• Oct 8, 2014

then i added the 2nd element with some flat bar and a few more nuts and washers

P1010040.JPG

• goliath
• Oct 8, 2014

here is the set up, the 2nd control box under my PID ... just used what i had for free... not real pretty  :0)

P1010044.JPG

• goliath
• Oct 8, 2014

P1010043.JPG

• goliath
• Oct 8, 2014

the PID is also good for 220, .... and the price of the Brinkman is minimal, hope this helps !!!

GOOD LUCK

Goliath

Click to expand...

Nicely done.

Happy smoken.

David

i would also highly recommend buying the auerins dual 1800w control. it can run off 220v as well and has way better control options than any PID you can build.. I even tooko mine out of the case it comes in and mounted it in a new control box 
its controls a brinkman 1500w element and a smaller element in the top in-line and cooks up to 300F if i want. 

i wouldnt bother, you dont really gain anything moving the smoker to 220v, and youll have to replace the element anyways adding to the cost. I would stick with 110v and build it right, heats up just as fast and less costly. 

I was going to go 220v and after comparing 110v to 220v for a smoker it wasnt worth the extra cost of the line in my garage and element. 

and if you want to make things easier and simpler wuith greater control dont bother building your own controls, go with the dual probe 1800w controler from Auberins. 

to each their own, just MHO

i have the two element tunning in line so the power out ion the back of the control controls both element togehter at the same time.  The smoker control plug in isnt used. I was hoping to use it to control my smoking element in the smoke box under the fridge but it only has an output of 3a and isn't enough to run it.

i completely re-wired the contrl so everything is directly wired in the control box. 

I love the conmtroller, so glad i didnt try to build my own. I tried and tried to find  a way to be able to have and internal temp probe for the food that would shut the smoker down or ramp up or down depending on internal temp not just set times and the only way i could do it was with the duel control  got. Worthe every penny. Out of the box it worked perfect and made for amazing results ithout having to ever open the cabinet to check on anything.

I did pulled pork over night for 16hr. It was set for 225 cook temp and when the internal temo hit 190 it was set to change the temp to 135f to hold until i was ready to remove from the smoker the next day.  Turned out to be the best pulled pork i ever made. 

Insulation will help,

was it plugged directly into the wall or into an extension cord? that element get pretty red hot when plugged into the wall and generates a lot of heat.

you could look for a 1800w oven element and wire it with a plug for the controller.

I have a smaller fridge smoker, only 6-7cuf, less than 1/2 what your heating, but that brinkman heats it up really fast on its own, and will ride to far hotter than I need it to.

you may wan to build your own controller then and add a larger wattage element with that big of a space to heat.

The internal temp controls the plug n play units offer is really  nice to have, but guys smoke with way less and produce awesome stuff all the same. just more monitoring till you know your smoker well.

youll be able to run both element inline through the pnp controller. The only reason I have 2 elements in my little fridge smoker  is because I found what looked like the perfect solution for a small smoker. I tried to put the heat source in the top with a convection oven fan to circulate the heat. Unfortunately it doesn't work as well in practice as it does in theory. The fan doesn't move enough air to keep even temps in the bottom 1/3- 2/3's.

I add the element in the bottom to even out the temp through the whole cabinient. I am likely going to take out the top element and fan so I have only the brinkman 1500 on the bottom to heat it. It will get a little hotter on its own and be just as even heating as it is with both elements now, top 1/3 may be a minute or two behind when getting to temp, but once there it will be very even.

the plug and play can only run max 15a at 120v, it would heat with the 1 1500w brinkman no problem, or any element with similar specs.

its cool up here right now and I turned my smoker to maintain 79F while cold smoking to prevent condensation and create better airflow. the pnp control had no problem at the low temp. 

the pnp controller can be tuned for the smoker so that when you tune it on and set the house temp it doesn't run at full power to get the element red hot (unless you override auto tune and set to full power out) SO what it does is output the power to the element at say, 80%, when its 10F away from set temp it reduces the power output to 75%, at 5F from target it lowers it to 50% output. This prevents overshooting the temp and allowing super accurate temp control. You wont need to run a smaller separate element and pid for anything like cold smoking, unless you want to use it fro generating the smoke, but then you wont be able to do cold smoking, it'll heat the house up over 80F

you also shouldn't overload the circuit, even if you run 2 on 1 line. I have 3 elements running at the same time when im hot smoking and only have an issue when I turn all my garage lights on at the same time before my breaker blows. I have the 1500w brinkmann and a smaller element (I don't know the specs) in the smoker and another small element from a 110v hot plate to generate the smoke. never had an issue., asinde from all the lights being on at the same time and kicking the breaker only then.

get it insulated and sealed then test with just the brinkman. easy to do, and if it saves you the time and $ of adding another element and controller your ahead of just adding them.

Looks good so far!

were the dampers closed or open when you only got it to 190?

surprised the 1500 isn't getting it hotter than 190.

low temp smoking until you get the extra power is fun too. This is tonight. chorizoish sausage (on day3 of smoking), aged cheddar, mozza and butter all cold smoking for the night.

yep, get your ass smoking something!! hahahaha