commercial oven build and help

[neutral]

Hi guys and gals,

   i've been lurking on the site for some time now and its finally time for me to start and put my project out there. I just today managed to get a major score in my opinion for my build. its an older commercial two zone bread oven out of a subway restaurant. A lot like this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nu-Vu-Nuvu-...771?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item48410a9c7b

almost identical except for the price tag. i got it for free.

I want to use this as my smoker and if its possible as a slow roaster/smoker for ribs or big hams but if that isnt an option smoking is my primary objective. What i need is some insight or advice as to what i need to do to get this thing in good and reliable/repeatable condition.

i have a few questions to get us started.

1 do i try and use any of the existing electronics or fan/elements in this thing? it is 3 phase so i dont know what would be invloved with the thermostat and controls,

or do i build a heating/smoking system from scratch perhaps with a p and id controller etc

should i perhaps only use the electric heat and rely on something like amzin smoke for smoke generation to keep it simple?

i plan on mostly cold smoking things. I make a lot of sausage (100LBS - 200LBS) A year but i would also really like to learn to make my own loks or cold smoked trout if i can catch any of the suckers.

i hope to have some progress photos soon but before i can progress i need a plan. I got the oven in the garage so that was step one.

thanks

 

[africanmeat]

should i perhaps only use the electric heat and rely on something like amzin smoke for smoke generation to keep it simple?

Hi Neutral

if you can get a low temp as 120 and hi as 275 on the exists system this will be your bast bet and the cheap st one

 

[neutral]

That would be nice but the issue is that its all 3 phase,(high current) and the best i can do in my garage is 220 40 amps. i dont know if i can perhaps change the elements to reg over or what but thats the info i'm after

 

[africanmeat]

I don't know how they rig it in the USA but here the element is 3 phase and the control is single phase i will advise you to call a electrician so you won't kill yourself.

 

[tjohnson]

You'll have to scap all the 3-phase controllers, so basically you'll have to start over.

There's some good info on PID Controllers here and smoke guys use a heat strip from Graingers.

You could go as cheap as buying a hot plate and making it work

Todd

 

[arnie]

There most likely is some type of an electrical print on the back or inside the electrical panel.

I would venture to say you can use it with your existing 220 V single phase service with little or no modification.

The oven will take longer to come to temp and most likely will not be able to reach the higher baking temps in a reasonable time.

Since the majority of your smoking will be around 225 I don't think it will be that big of an issure for you

 

[hemi]

In a lot of the equipment I rebuild  a lot of the time the unit is 3 phase. BUTT when U get into it the parts are actually single phase or a combination of the two.

  It is just simpler to build it useing 3 phase and just junction off inside the unit to get the current U want.

240  3 phase is  3 120 volt legs

240 volt single phase is  2  120 volt legs

120 volt single phase is 1 120 volt leg.

all of them require a neutral/common ground.

Check the burners and controls.  A lot of times or MOST of the time each part has the values marked on them individually.  If so maybe a simple re-wiring is all that is required.

   About as clear as mud ain't it..      Hemi

 

[neutral]

so now i'm a little confused. the three phase being 3 120v legs that i can understand, but does that mean that i could somehow wire the garage to work? i hope that the idea that 220v is sufficient. and as you were saying that it would merely take longer to heat up is not an issue. I do really like the idea of a pid to have long term set it and forget it projects like some slow smoked delicious pork butts. so many hours at this temp then this temp and so on. i cant wait.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Stay Safe! My friend...Consult an Electrician...JJ

 

[michael ark]

Look for a schematic hope fully you can find one.If your lucky you can find a ladder diagram.It separates the voltages so it would be ideal to find out what parts to replace and which to keep. Just remember if the control voltage is not 3 pH the it can still be used  even if it had 3pH running through it .Just drop a leg .Another thing a neutral and a ground haven't been the same thing since the 50s.That thinking could get you killed.That's why a modern breaker box has a dedicated ground bar separate from the neutral.If you run them together now it will not pass inspection per the N.E.C

 

[roller]

Boy what a nice unit....

 

[rubbin butts]

so now i'm a little confused. the three phase being 3 120v legs that i can understand, but does that mean that i could somehow wire the garage to work? i hope that the idea that 220v is sufficient. and as you were saying that it would merely take longer to heat up is not an issue. I do really like the idea of a pid to have long term set it and forget it projects like some slow smoked delicious pork butts. so many hours at this temp then this temp and so on. i cant wait.

  You are getting the wrong info and I do wish if someone does not know , please do not give information out like you do know. That is a surefire way of getting someone killed.

  3 Phase is not 3 120 volt legs. It is either two 120 volt and one 240 volt legs(known as low voltage 3 phase), or it would be two 240 volt and one 480 volt legs( known as high voltage 3 phase).

  As JJ said, Stay Safe My Friend, consult an electrician. A smoker is not worth taking a chance at bodily harm.

 

[rubbin butts]

Sorry everyone, don't mean to be a cantankerous old fart, but that just struck a nerve with me.

 

[hemi]

Badly writen , should have been clearer.  That is one reason I don't post often.  as the man said.. Consult an electrican..

the last unit I kept for myself, I just built a phase converter.  in 85'.  Hemi.

 

[rubbin butts]

Badly writen , should have been clearer.  That is one reason I don't post often.  as the man said.. Consult an electrican..

the last unit I kept for myself, I just built a phase converter.  in 85'.  Hemi.

Hemi, don't take offense from it, like I said "it just struck a nerve with me". My best friends son was recently killed working on electricity with his mother standing there watching him. He thought he knew what he was doing and was trying to help out his parents.

 

[hemi]

No Sweat.. I , for some reason just post something without thinking about the fact that other folks might have limited experience with the things I do regularly.

  No problem. After all, I ain't an electrician. just a machinist.

 Hemi..

 

[neutral]

believe it not but i actually was an electrical apprentice ;0    i just didn't get that far i guess. got laid off after 3 months. ;(  no work at the time so now i'm a journeyman rail car mechanic. I'm happy with it. anyway if i can figure it out i will try and salvage as many working parts in here as i can but worst case scenario i remove all the 3 phase elements and find an old oven and transfer what i need over. i'm just wondering if it may be even better to just put in a total custom system with an aftermarket element and a pid and meat and air temp thermocouples.

would any of you know of a ready made package with all i would need to get her going? i already emailed a maze in smoke and decided what i'm ordering. Incredible service so far i might add.

so excited to get my smoke on

 

[neutral]

i may have found a simple solution to the issue. all be it not the cheapest.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=206

and i have a double hot plate that i got for the cause a while ago. this would definetly work but it would be nice to find a way to use existing parts. my uncle is a once apon a time electrician and he's coming over tomorrow to help me button up my electrical in my shop build. so we can have a look at this baby when we're done. gotta get juice to the shop so i can fire up the old smoker.

and i may just splurge and buy a whole pig this year to have plenty of meat in the freezer. probably a little 300 pounder. My friends family usually does about 6 so if i add one to the mix it shouldn't be too bad ;)

 

[africanmeat]

Sorry everyone, don't mean to be a cantankerous old fart, but that just struck a nerve with me.

 One of the reasons you got to be old is you are careful. it was a good advise .

 

[neutral]

and you know words like cantankerous...     : /