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  1. cedar eater

    Propane Thermostat

    Gas water heaters have a control range from around 70 to 160. I think there is something similar for heating cooking oil that goes much higher.  I would look for a propane heated deep fat fryer or pizza oven. I was once a control systems engineer in an oil refinery, so I can tell you the...
  2. cedar eater

    Ideas for a solid diy smoker

    The least expensive that I can think of is a used electric range/oven. You can often get them for free or very cheap. Put the word out to friends and relatives and you might get one pretty easily. You can move a burner down from the cooktop to the bottom of the oven and wire it for 120V. This is...
  3. cedar eater

    I'm Prepared To Be Convinced

    I might add a pellet hopper on later, then. For now, I want to keep the cost down. I plan on just using stove burners for heat, one on 120V and the other on 240V.
  4. cedar eater

    I'm Prepared To Be Convinced

    Thanks for the advice. I have a strong preference for smoking with wood that I get from my own properties, so unless there's such thing as a chip hopper, I'll probably keep using a chip pan and create a way to push chips into it through a duct through the side.
  5. cedar eater

    proper insulation for a fridge smoker

    I haven't built one yet, but everyone here seems to prefer fiberglass or rockwool instead of foam. I think some type of foam would be okay after you bake the fumes out of it a few times, but you would never know without running tests. I plan on making mine with a 3" exhaust vent.
  6. cedar eater

    I'm Prepared To Be Convinced

    Yep. I should have known. At next years family reunion, I might do 10 racks of ribs. My current capacity is five max. I could double that by just buying more oven racks and smoking in both ovens, but that could be a real pain. If I do a fridge conversion I can smoke 10 in one space and that can...
  7. cedar eater

    Trying to figure what I did wrong with my 1st Brisket

    This sounds exactly like what happened to me with a fresh ham roast. I got into the stall, wrapped it, and then unwrapped it too soon and dried it out while the temp dropped and I waited for it to come back up. The conclusion that I came to is that unwrapping large chunks is not like unwrapping...
  8. cedar eater

    Rib Confusion

    Thanks. I'll have to try that with the larger pieces. I usually trim the trimmings after I get the ribs into the smoker, and then put them into a crockpot. But there are some nice meaty bits that would be well smoked long before the ribs and mmmm, mmmm, good.
  9. cedar eater

    What's your occupation?

    I like when I am asked my "occupation", because I can say that I'm "unoccupied", like a house with nobody living in it. I started my career as an electrical and instrumentation project engineer and ended it as an IT systems engineer. Along the way I married an engineer, and we saved some money...
  10. cedar eater

    Rib Confusion

    There are three advantages to the St. Louis cuts. 1) You don't have to cook the meat completely off the bone to get all the fat rendered. There's a flavor component in unrendered fat that triggers a gag reflex. Some are more sensitive than others, so even if you don't mind the excess fat, your...
  11. cedar eater

    questions regarding a electric smoker build

    If you take pics of the build, please post them in the Fridge build forum. I like seeing other people's builds.
  12. cedar eater

    Rib Confusion

    That hasn't been my experience where I live. Even those sold as "St. Louis style" have needed extensive trimming. This link shows the process I've had to go through with spareribs. Rib Preparation
  13. cedar eater

    Metal lined Plywood?

    Sounds risky. The plywood could warp, delaminate, outgas unpleasant vapors, etc.
  14. cedar eater

    Upright smoker

    Very nice build!
  15. cedar eater

    Rib Confusion

    Spare ribs can be tricky if you don't do the St. Louis cut. They have so much fat around the sternum that you can end up with unrendered globs of fat unless you cook them until they fall off the bone. The St. Louis cut trims the sternum off, removes a ton of fat and the diaphragm meat, and...
  16. cedar eater

    Confused about water pan

    Yes, a heat sink, and then for brief periods of time after the door is opened, a heat source. But I'm not taking sides in the debate about whether it adds moisture, slows the moisture loss, or has no effect on the moistness of the meat.
  17. cedar eater

    Confused about water pan

    Water is used as a temperature moderator. Since it boils at 212 degrees, it absorbs heat out of the smoker and converts it to vapor when the smokehouse temp is above 212. This helps to round off swings in temperature. As a secondary purpose, it serves as a heat reservoir, helping the house temp...
  18. cedar eater

    Oh, woe is me. I made a big mistake.

    In the middle of Alcona County, Hawes Township. I've canoed on the Au Sable a few times, from Comins Flats to McKinley to the 4001 Bridge landing. And from the Alcona Dam to Thompson's Landing. Very scenic.
  19. cedar eater

    Philistines !

    I think you shouldn't be upset with her comment. You've awoken her taste buds. This is like when someone who thinks wine that tastes like soda pop is good and suddenly they experience a good wine that they like. They don't know what else to compare it to, so they blurt out the thing that it's...
  20. cedar eater

    questions regarding a electric smoker build

    You might be able to find someone who wants a kegerator and will trade you for an older one that has fiberglass insulation. The more modern a fridge is, the less suitable it seems for hot smoking. There's a forum here for fridge conversions in the equipment section.
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