Anybody ever do a 3-door commercial fridge build?

[countryboy19]

Yes, I know it would be huge, but my thought is to partition it into 3 section, take the middle door off (maybe), and use that section as my "equipment and accessories" area. I can have my smoke generators in the middle with a fold-down work-table etc along with my heat-control (I'm thinking electric with an Auber PID with built-in ramping for sensitive smokes like summer-sausage etc). Or possibly 1-side gas and 1-side electric (electric for the super precise & automatically ramped smoking and gas for the non-critical, just get 'er cooked stuff). I have an extra High-pressure turkey fryer burner I salvaged a few years ago.

I will probably build air distribution channels and fans into the partitions so I get even heat distribution...

The inspiration for this project: I've lived far too long with my cheap UDS. It's hard to control the temp precisely enough for what I want to do, and it's hard to smoke summer-sausage etc because the bottoms always fat-out while the tops barely make it up to cooked temp (they hang so close to the fire). So if I'm going to through the pain of making an insulated cabinet type smoker from a fridge etc, I may as well make it a cadillac and just ditch the UDS. The reason for 3-door is because I've been having trouble finding other options and just found out that my brother has a non-functioning 3-door commercial fridge that he said I can have for free.

 

[crazzycajun]

I have a two door that isn’t partioned kind of thinking about it but doubt it will happen. Biggest draw back would be three separate controllers, exhaust,and intakes or some creative duct work. There was a guy on trying to do the same thing a few days ago good luck and take pics.

 

[crazzycajun]

I can’t cut and paste worth a*&$# look in electric smokers started by moot106

 

[countryboy19]

Biggest draw back would be three separate controllers, exhaust,and intakes or some creative duct work.

center section wouldn't be a smoker, it would be reserved for controls & equipment. Plan would be for all equipment mounted external to the actual smoking chambers to be mounted in this space so there are no "extras" hanging off the outside of the unit. Any fire-boxes, LP tanks, exhaust ducts, electronic controllers, wiring, smoker-generators etc would be in this space. The chambers would be kept clear so the meat can occupy the entire space... It will also be nice to have a work platform (not sure how that's actually going to work yet) that folds down so I can carry out lugs of meat, set them on platform, open either door (the left door hinges left and the right door hinges right), and have it all right there.

I can’t cut and paste worth a*&$# look in electric smokers started by moot106

Thanks, I missed that one because it wasn't in the builds section.

FWIW, I still haven't set eyes on the cooler; my brother lives a few hrs away so I'm going to check it out next time I make it up to his place. Current plan is to have this complete by Christmas of next year so I can smoke my summer-sausage and snack-sticks after deer season is over. If I get it done before then it's a bonus.

 

[crazzycajun]

All though completely different I’ll post some pics of my simple design when I get a chance

 

[Moot106]

This is the double door unit I built. It's split in the middle. 3in of rock wool insulation, 6in in the dividing wall, 5000 watt on each side, pid ssr and heat sink for each element. So far it has worked good.

Has 4 racks. They are all within 5degrees of the set temp. The drip pan doubles as a heat deflector. The element kit I used came with fans that run the whole cook time. Helps to keep the air moving to keep equal temps.

If you want anymore pics let me know

 

[countryboy19]

This is the double door unit I built. It's split in the middle. 3in of rock wool insulation, 6in in the dividing wall, 5000 watt on each side, pid ssr and heat sink for each element. So far it has worked good.

Has 4 racks. They are all within 5degrees of the set temp. The drip pan doubles as a heat deflector. The element kit I used came with fans that run the whole cook time. Helps to keep the air moving to keep equal temps.

If you want anymore pics let me know

Is that silicone foam door seal on there? I've been ponder what I was going to do for a door seal.

That looks like a very professional build!!! It's much along the lines of what I think I'm going to go for in some respects. I have the fans from the evaporator units that were inside, I'm trying to figure a good way to reutilize them to circulate air.

Where I stand now: All spray foam stripped out with only minor dings and bends in the metal. Lots of holes need patched. Trying to source mineral wool of the right thickness. My Menards can special order it but it says it must be ordered in a minimum of 12 bundles when looking at it online. I need to go into the store to see if they can order in smaller quantities in-store but it's a 45 minute drive to the store. I only have 2 to 2.5" gaps between the inner & outer walls. I stopped by the local metal supplier and got sticker shock on stainless sheet price for the dividers, I knew it wasn't cheap but I didn't expect $400/sheet on 22 ga. I do have a good friend that runs a big fabrication business in-town and he seemed open to the idea of getting me stainless (and helping bend it up if I need the help) so I will likely pursue that option.

I'm thinking cool side up to 225 or so and the hot-side capable of up to 375. Any thoughts on electric vs gas for the hot-side? Cool side will be PID controlled electric

Things I still have to figure out:
Air-circulation: how do I want to do it? I have the evaporator fans from the cooler. They draw air towards the motor and I doubt they are meant to be exposed to high heat. I could extend the shafts and build duct-work into the dividers to make air-circulation easily modified if things aren't working out but it makes the dividers much more complex. I could also just drop the fans in the top, with no duct work and just let them move the air around a little. I suspect it won't get as good of circulation, but it will help a little.
Vents: There are currently holes in the top from lines/wires that ran into the unit. I would like to reutilize those for vents (so I don't have to cut new holes and then patch the old. I know top vents can drip condensation on the meat, is there any problem with a top-vent located near the corner of the chamber where drippings are unlikely to hit the meat?
Smoke generator: I thought it would be a novel idea to use the center section to house the smoke generator and controls so I could refresh the smoke generator without opening the smoker. The logistics of piping smoke into each chamber is proving to maybe more than I want to tackle. I could do it, but I don't know that the effort is worth the benefit. Do you find the need to refresh smoke generators like the AMNPS often?
Door: current doors are glass; it would be neat to be able to see the process. Glass would need cleaned frequently for that to work, and R-value of double-pane glass is about 2 so I will likely lose about the same amount of heat from the doors as I will the rest of the cabinet. OTOH, the cost of sheeting them in stainless isn't going to be cheap.

I'm all ears for advice and helping make some of those hard-to-make decisions. My plan is for this to be the last smoker I ever need.

 

[Moot106]

Yeah that's 3/4x1 1/4 silicone gasket. Got that from greggindustries. Great guys to deal. Expensive but worth it. Don't use furnace rope to seal your doors. Possible to contaminate food.

My setup has a fan that blows the whole time the cooker is going. It blows across the heating element so it doesn't overheat and provides good circulation. I put a 6in chimney in the top with a solid damper.

I'd get rid of the glass doors. There just gonna get black and if there's smoke going you won't be able to see anything anyway.

For smoke I use a 12in pellet tube. I get the lumberjack brand pellets. 100% hardwood. 40lb bag for 33$ on Amazon. I have about 20cuft per side and it makes plenty of smoke. Get about 4hrs from one tube.

 

[brian_84]

Moot, how do you like that heating element and blower setup? I'm in the process of converting a single door commercial fridge and I've got the same one ordered. I'm curious how well you like it

 

[Moot106]

So far it works great. With the fan running the whole time it makes for good circulation. Only thing I don't like is it takes a long time to get it up to temp for hot cooks. Make sure you get good high temp wire. I used high temp appliance wire at first and the coating melted off, ground itself,. Burned up the SSR and kicked the breaker. I found some good high temp wire on Amazon 50ft for about 95$. Other than me not using the right wire it works great.

Another thing I recommend is to slide some 2in ceramic tile under the heating element incase the fan craps out and the coils sag it will hit the tile instead of the stainless. If that was to happen without the tile underneath it would fry the element and possibly everything else

 

[brian_84]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was going to ask you about the wire, what size and how much do I need. I'm thinking 15 feet of 10 gauge would be enough.

 

[Moot106]

10 gauge wire. I run mine into a knife switch panel box with 30am fuses then to the element box and controller box. The way mine is setup it takes about 25ft if wire pet side. You will also need smaller gauge wire to power the PID and SSR. If you want I could get you some pics of how I set mine up. With the PID I have I needed some kind of switch to turn the power on and off. Without it once I plug it in its running

 

[countryboy19]

Has anybody tried cutting mineral wood thinner? As it turns out, I'm not going to be able to get mineral wool in the right thickness without ordering A) an entire pallet of it, or B) ordering online and paying shipping (which is going to cost about 3 times what buying the wrong thickness and cutting thinner would cost)

I've never worked with it before but I've been told it doesn't compress very well so I doubt I'll be able to fit 3.5" thick wood into my 2.125" walls.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Waiting to see some photos as work progresses. I see a double door sitting outside a pizza shop and was thinking about doing this. Just some old man thinking he can still do everything. :rolleyes: :D

Warren

 

[Moot106]

You can take a hack saw blade and cut it to thickness. I had to do that to insulate my doors. Worked great

 

[brian_84]

Moot106, I might have to take you up on pictures of how you wired yours. I tried starting mine up for the first time tonight, but nothing happened. Not sure what I have going on.

 

[Moot106]

What do you have for a controller and element?

 

[brian_84]

I have the same heating element kit from the sausage maker and I have their controller with it. I wanted to go with the Auberin's PID unit but decided to save a few bucks.

 

[Moot106]

Did you get the PID from them or analog controller?

 

[brian_84]

Analog Controller. I was able to get some advice from an electrician, and we think the controller is bad. I have power to the controller, but it is not turning on the heating element and fan.