Does this look workable?

[ponderingturtle]

I would like to build a functional smoker for myself with a high degree of control over the temperature.

I am thinking on building a wooden box as I would have many more uses for the woodworking tools than I would with metal working tools.

For smoke I was thinking of an AMNS pellet smoke generator with a 1500 watt smoker heater on the level above that controlled with a PID.  Then the racks would be above that some distance.  I was thinking on insulating it in addition to sealing it to permit as efficient operation as possible and mitigate cold spots.

This seems likely to be effective to say 275 F or so, and looks like the most reasonable way to build what I want to me.

Am I missing any obvious flaws in my design?

I plan to take pictures and post a write up on the internet when I actually get to the project(need to buy a house first).

 

[daveomak]

Pond, morning..... sounds like the locations are good, for the internals...  What dimensions are you thinking for the smoke chamber ??

Dave

 

[ponderingturtle]

I haven't gotten that far.  This is a year off or so.   For height say around 4' as for width and depth it would depend on what kind of racks I could find to put into it. 

Then there is the issue of would a fan of some sort help.  And then of course if I should buy a fan or say rig up a gear motor so I could put it outside the heat box and a slow turning ceiling type fan inside.  Running it though bronze sleeve bushings and putting a fan blade on it should be doable.

 

[daveomak]

Locating the racks first is a great idea....  e-bay has racks in the baking section... I've looked at them..   A gear motor and maybe an extended shaft to a blade is  a great idea too....   Circulates the heat and smoke for even cooking....  The fan idea is also good for forming a pellicle and drying some products that smoke better when surface dried...  Some sausage in casings do better with some humidity to keep the casings permeable.... 

Sounds like you have a plan that will work well.....  When you are getting it together take lots of pics and post with details...

Dave

 

[ponderingturtle]

I will.  I think I might start off with out the fan, looking at what I would use at McMaster Carr putts that at about a $100 addition, so I might wait on that.  But I guess I should plan the head room in there to start with.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Looking at things, it seems I could order almost all of what I need in McMaster Carr.  I am liking the look of their finned strip heaters in the 1550 watt range for an element, thought I suspect it would need some cover of some sort to protect it from drips.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#finned-strip-heaters/=hoc9me

I do wonder of it would get coated with smoke and messed up in that fasion, it is just that the smoker elements I see seem to either have their own heating control which I want to do away or might have cords that would have issues with the heat.

Interior space would likely be about 24"x 24" ish  Most oven racks seem to be a about 22"x18 or so.  So a bit of front to back gap will not hurt and help insure air flow.