Any Advice on How To Add Heat To My Smoker???

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SH0RTS

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 2, 2022
37
15
So, this thing worked pretty good as a cold smoker. But, I’d like to switch gears a bit and be able to bring this thing up to at least 150 for a few hours. There is a good 12” + from the supports at the bottom to the bottom of the floor. I was considering cutting out a hole in the floor and adding something underneath like a small firebox. Id definitely want to be able to control the temps, and not get too high. If i put a small fire pot inside, it wouldnt get airflow to keep the coals hot enough, I dont think.

Any suggestions on modifying this guy to bring a little heat? Thanks

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Is that a True sliding glass double door refrigerator?

I would be concerned about the foam insulation and whether it can handle the heat without flashing off vapors...
It is. Super heavy doors that my engineer neighbor said could handle the temps. The inside is metal walls. I was just trying to figure out how to pump in heat to bring the sausages up to that 140-150 range, without having a firebox inside the smoker
 
It is. Super heavy doors that my engineer neighbor said could handle the temps. The inside is metal walls. I was just trying to figure out how to pump in heat to bring the sausages up to that 140-150 range, without having a firebox inside the smoker
Yes, the doors and the walls can handle the heat no problem, but the insulation would be the issue. It all depends on what kind of insulation it is. If you want to smoke sausages to 140-150*F, the chamber temp. will need to be about 20-25*F higher than the internal temperature of the sausages...so that would be 165-175*F. Any higher than that an you risk fat out....

Lots of people pull the stock insulation out of refrigerators and replace with rolux insulation for hot smoking. It is a labor intensive project if spray foam was used.
 
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As indaswamp is suggesting about the insulation.. I would check before pursuing heat... then after that I would go with PID controlled electric heat (220v) .. The heat elements suggested above will not be big enough to bring that size chamber up to temps needed for sausage... plus the elements they are talking about have overheat limit switches in them so once they get so hot they will turn off automatically...

I would look into using heat elements from a stove controlled by a PID controller... They (elements) could be put in the bottom compartment and enclosed with a bunch of 3/4" - 1" holes drilled in the bottom of the chamber (difuser if you will) to let the heat in...
 
I have a 3x3x7’ wooden smokehouse that is propane heated. Honestly now I don’t run it higher than 140F for sausage. I finish the sausage in Sous vide to 151F with zero fat out and a wonderful snap on the natural casings. This is a very good step to finish sausage. The Polish finish their sausage in 170F water, but Sous vide is so much more accurate. Food for thought.
 
As indaswamp is suggesting about the insulation.. I would check before pursuing heat... then after that I would go with PID controlled electric heat (220v) .. The heat elements suggested above will not be big enough to bring that size chamber up to temps needed for sausage... plus the elements they are talking about have overheat limit switches in them so once they get so hot they will turn off automatically...

I would look into using heat elements from a stove controlled by a PID controller... They (elements) could be put in the bottom compartment and enclosed with a bunch of 3/4" - 1" holes drilled in the bottom of the chamber (difuser if you will) to let the heat in...
I set it on the floor, set them to mid range. They got the smoker into the mid to upper 160’s. Smoked them for four hours and pulled them out for an ice bath. They were plump, firm and red.
 
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