Big Chief Element to Hot Plate Element - in progress - QUESTION

[chopsaw]

AH, but there's more...this will be here tomorrow

Cool . Just know that that will most likely change your " function " . Not a bad thing , but might drop your temps or make them slower to get to what you set it at . If it does , let me know if needed and I can tell you what to adjust . Over all that's a great add . Nice clean smoke profile .

 

[cmayna]

I installed one of those stacks on my propane smoker which is now my cold smoker. Works great.

 

[Fueling Around]

Late to this thread.
You nailed it Sherry.
Now I have to look at replacing my Big Chief element with a simple stove top element.

Your temperature overshoot was probably due to doubling your heat source.

That was my post on a Saturday I neglected to send

AH, but there's more...this will be here tomorrow

View attachment 654145

What can I say...couldn't help myself.

This my post today
10 days? Weak! inexpensive, but ....

I saw a hot plate at Walmart for $13 the other day. I'm going to buy one just to take it apart.

 

[SherryT]

Late to this thread.
You nailed it Sherry.
Now I have to look at replacing my Big Chief element with a simple stove top element.

Your temperature overshoot was probably due to doubling your heat source.

That was my post on a Saturday I neglected to send


This my post today
10 days? Weak! inexpensive, but ....

I think I might be a lost cause...

 

[cmayna]

Sherry,
Are you staying with wood chips in the pan or what, or what, or what?

 

[JckDanls 07]

Sherry,
Are you staying with wood chips in the pan or what, or what, or what?

I see an enabling moment here... (thinking pellet tube)

 

[SherryT]

Sherry,
Are you staying with wood chips in the pan or what, or what, or what?

Tube (with u-bolt mod) and dust...50/50 hickory/apple blend (cuz that's what I already have ground up and mixed).

 

[SherryT]

I see an enabling moment here... (thinking pellet tube)

Oh, I was enabled for the tubes/tray LONG ago!

 

[JckDanls 07]

Tube (with u-bolt mod) and dust

I'm not sure with dust (as I only use it in the tray)... With pellets I find, for me, your way may differ, results are better with the tube standing straight up (in the corner) I don't crowd that corner with my sticks/sausage as it does put out a small amount of heat...

 

[bill1]

Usually those 5-turn burner elements are designed for 240Vac and 2000W of full power make them red hot. Using them at 120Vac makes them 500W, which is probably plenty for your smoker, but they'll run "on" longer and won't get red hot. If this is from a 120V hot plate, it prob gets red hot when on. Your wiring all looks safe and professional but this does mean in a vertical smoker that the lower tray of meat/fish is getting both infrared and convective cooking power but the top trays, even if your measured temperature inside is perfectly uniform, is getting just convective heating since the lower meat is "shading" the IR component.

If you find your meat isn't cooking uniformly, you can add a "heat shield" just a simple piece of steel about an inch above the element, just large enough that none of the lower meat "sees" the red hot element, and that will greatly reduce the cooking inequality.

 

[SherryT]

Usually those 5-turn burner elements are designed for 240Vac and 2000W of full power make them red hot. Using them at 120Vac makes them 500W, which is probably plenty for your smoker, but they'll run "on" longer and won't get red hot. If this is from a 120V hot plate, it prob gets red hot when on. Your wiring all looks safe and professional but this does mean in a vertical smoker that the lower tray of meat/fish is getting both infrared and convective cooking power but the top trays, even if your measured temperature inside is perfectly uniform, is getting just convective heating since the lower meat is "shading" the IR component.

If you find your meat isn't cooking uniformly, you can add a "heat shield" just a simple piece of steel about an inch above the element, just large enough that none of the lower meat "sees" the red hot element, and that will greatly reduce the cooking inequality.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[cmayna]

When it comes to location of the pellet tube or tray, think about how fresh air will/can get to it to keep the pellets lit.

 

[Fueling Around]

Usually those 5-turn burner elements are designed for 240Vac and 2000W of full power make them red hot. Using them at 120Vac makes them 500W, which is probably plenty for your smoker, but they'll run "on" longer and won't get red hot. If this is from a 120V hot plate, it prob gets red hot when on. Your wiring all looks safe and professional but this does mean in a vertical smoker that the lower tray of meat/fish is getting both infrared and convective cooking power but the top trays, even if your measured temperature inside is perfectly uniform, is getting just convective heating since the lower meat is "shading" the IR component.

If you find your meat isn't cooking uniformly, you can add a "heat shield" just a simple piece of steel about an inch above the element, just large enough that none of the lower meat "sees" the red hot element, and that will greatly reduce the cooking inequality.

That's a really good detail to point out for those in the build/refurb mode.
Doesn't dropping the voltage in half also reduce the wattage by half?
I'm thinking it would increase the lifespan by running an element at half power.

 

[SherryT]

AH, but there's more...this will be here tomorrow

View attachment 654145

What can I say...couldn't help myself.

I know...I'm replying to my own post.

It came in today. I thought it might be thin/flimsy since it was so cheap, but this little sucker is heavy and definitely NOT flimsy!

 

[JckDanls 07]

Good deal... Lets hope it helps the function of the smoker...

 

[cmayna]

Having that same smoke stack exhaust vent on my gasser, i run the thermometer cables right down thru it.

 

[Bigtank]

Is your heating coil from a stove or a hot plate?
What would happen if you put a cast iron skillet on the heating coil with pellets or wood chips?

 

[SherryT]

Is your heating coil from a stove or a hot plate?
What would happen if you put a cast iron skillet on the heating coil with pellets or wood chips?

It's from a Proctor Silex 1200W hot plate. I use either the AMNPS or a smoke tube with pellets or dust. I don't see why you couldn't use a CI pan, but I don't know how it would behave if it was at max temp.

 

[SherryT]

Having that same smoke stack exhaust vent on my gasser, i run the thermometer cables right down thru it.

Let me ask you, then...is the baffle supposed to be at a slight angle when in the closed position or is it supposed to be horizontal?

 

[mosparky]

What would happen if you put a cast iron skillet on the heating coil with pellets or wood chips?

Doing so, will ignite all the chips/pellets, pretty much at the sametime. This means a very limited time of smoke production or opening the smoker, losing heat and reloading the skillet. That greatly extends cook time (don;t ask how I know)
Aside from that, at lower temps there may not be any smoke.