What to Do?

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

smokingohiobutcher

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Jun 21, 2009
1,185
34
The North Coast of Ohio
I got this display cooler from my work to put into my garage. It works a little (cools some but not very cold)so i had a neighbor that works in refrigeration come over and take a look at it. He says it can be fixed but would be pretty costly,and would not promise it would be fixed for long. He says once these self contained cooling units get plugged and overheat, they have a tendency to keep breaking down. Sooooo now I have a delimma!?!?!?!?!?!What to do with this tall insulated box with a circulation fan inside and a tempered glass door that has a tight seal ???????AAAAAAAAAAHA!!!!!!!!I've got it !! Make my in the garage  electric smoker!! But I just picked up an old fridge for that......What am I to do?  Anyone in my area looking for an old fridge for a build????

    Heres some pics!

7b99d893_DSCN0505.jpg


c08c3008_DSCN0504.jpg


 Heres the back.

fefe3660_DSCN0506.jpg


Here is the top on the inside it has a circulation fan up behind the panel.

ed8e012d_DSCN0508.jpg


The bottom with a drain!!

e855bbe2_DSCN0507.jpg


the side brackets already mounted.

68e972a4_DSCN0509.jpg


what do you all suggest I should do???

SOB
 
Last edited:
Wow!  My wife would kill me!!!!! 
PDT_Armataz_01_09.gif
  The Gatorade fridge definitely has the potential for a one-of-a-kind smoker!
 
lets see, it cools only slightly, has a good seal, and has a circulating fan...................hmmmmmm. ever think of smoking

cigars!!!!!!!!!!!! that thing would make a great humidor!
 
Only problem with the humidor is that it does eventually overheat the compressor and kick the breaker in the house.

I wish it wasn't soo much to fix cause I would like it for a "second fridge" in the garage.  Oh well, I guess I will have to smokerize it!  I want to use a finned strip heater like smokindwarhal did with his fridge conversion.  I am wondering if I will have to strip the paint off the inside or it will be ok???I would like to use it to smoke everything from ribs to jerky to cheese.  I will hopefully be using the 8 x 8 A-MAZE-N MEAT SMOKER when it becomes available for the smoke generator. I will attach a sealed exhaust that will exit out of my garage window so I can use it during the winter months. I want to use a pid controller as the control panel for the system (am gonna need some help with this) Mrs SOB is already rolling her eyes at me as I am drooling all over just thinking up this list!  Any suggestions would be helpful!!

Thanks

SOB 
 
cool.gif


I'm thinking a smoker too. Now I have seen those boxes at work too but I have never brought one home thou.
 
That is awesome!  I'm looking to build a curing chamber, and something like that would be great.  

Can't wait to see pics of your GatorAde Smoker (GAS)....SOB has GAS..... ???
 
Nice score you old SOB!

I can't wait for this production----Gatorade "Super Smoker" for sure!

Bear
 
That is quite a find and I definitely see lot of potential there.  Getting out all the rubber and plastic will probably be a chore.  I was surprised how much there was even in the 1950's fridge I converted.  If you have an interest in cold smoking, slap on a smoke generator and shelving or dowel rods and you are ready to go.  That thing is so tall and with the glass door I can picture nice long strings of sausage hanging in there!   Can't wait to see what you do with it.
 
That is quite a find and I definitely see lot of potential there.  Getting out all the rubber and plastic will probably be a chore.  I was surprised how much there was even in the 1950's fridge I converted.  If you have an interest in cold smoking, slap on a smoke generator and shelving or dowel rods and you are ready to go.  That thing is so tall and with the glass door I can picture nice long strings of sausage hanging in there!   Can't wait to see what you do with it.
  Yessir I love smoked cheese!  your build is the inspiration for mine and if you dont mind I will be bugging you with a lot of questions???? Sausage, beef sticks and snacksticks are in the future.  gonna have to try bacon again too.

Thanks

SOB

 
 
No problem SOB, ask away.  That is what this place is all about.  I have some turkey legs and a bacon wrapped pork tenderloin in the smoker right now.  I'll post some q-view when its done.
 
  Yessir I love smoked cheese!  your build is the inspiration for mine and if you dont mind I will be bugging you with a lot of questions???? Sausage, beef sticks and snacksticks are in the future.  gonna have to try bacon again too.

Thanks

SOB

 
 
I am thinking dry cure chamber for salami and ham. Look at what DangerDan did for his freezer build. I can't see why it wouldn't work.
 
Last edited:
I am thinking dry cure chamber for salami and ham. Look at what DangerDan did for his freezer build. I can't see why it wouldn't work.
I'm with solar on this one...it would be perfect for dry curing sauasage and meat!
 
SOB

I thought you might be interested in this recent build I did for a friend....

I finally got around to building another big smoker for a friend of mine. This one started life as a commercial fridge. It will be direct vented in his heated garage as well.  It has 2.5 inch thick insulated walls and a 4 inch thick insulated top. We decided we would leave the glass in the door and see how it fairs. It's a thermal pane with tempered glass and so far so good. The element is a 3000 watt 220 volt oven element. We wired this one up the same as my other big smoker with a separate controller & contactor which operates as a high limit safety because this smoker is also going into a heated garage. Anyway, here's some pictures....

The first couple of pictures are when it first came to life.... It's like having a new baby!  :D
dba9207b_GregsSmoker1.jpg


43d5475e_GregsSmoker2.jpg

 

I used a little different style of vent on this one. It's a 4 inch pipe with a butterfly plate in it. Once the smoker is in it's new home it will be under a 250 cfm range hood spaced about 1 inch above the vent.

94b7c79a_GregsSmoker3.jpg


This shows the deflector shields I installed to deflect any grease drips into the pans that are foiled lined. Makes for easy quick clean up.
351344f1_GregsSmoker4.jpg


This shows the control panel. Temps aren't the same because this was taken just after we fired it up for the first time. We've got it dialled in now.
8f165f61_GregsSmoker5.jpg


This is the wiring diagram I did up for my other smoker. This one is exactly the same except there isn't a blower in it.
146310c7_220diagramcopy.jpg


Mike  
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky