gasket

[azrocker]

I bought a gasket for a wood stove for my smoker. It says on the package not for contact with food. I see others have used it. It is fiberglass and I assume the fibers are the problem. Any input?

 

[ddave]

If the gasket is just on the edges where the door seals, then there shouldn't be any danger of it coming in contact with the food.

Dave

 

[roksmith]

I considered using something like this at one time.
My concern was that as it breaks down, the fiberglass fibers would begin flying around and getting inside the chamber with the food.
Maybe over protective on my part.

I went with a high temp silicone. simple to install, and it's been fine for 2 years now.

 

[azrocker]

Very good point. The gasket really didn't work all that well. I have some silicon. Might give it a try.

 

[mulepackin]

I don't know how large a gap you have to seal, but AlliedKenco carries a silicone rubber sealer strip:

/www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/89_367/products_id/2677

 

[azrocker]

That gasket looks like a good idea. Might have to give it a try. Thanks for the link. I also thought about a metal strip I had on a door once. It was weather stripping and it was sort of V shaped. The door closed into the V compressing it. I had looked for it once for a door and could not find it. I may try again. It looked like copper.

 

[1894]

Try your helpfull hardware man ( and others as well )
I may try that on my char-griller. Easier than cutting angle iron , tin snips and a few small screws / bolts / pop rivits and its on

Thanks for the idea !

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-ace-sp...i-1286178.html

 

[shooterrick]

Much is said about sealing smokers. Man think about it. Ya already got a big hole in the top with smoke pouring out! I think the mod is over rated and my Lang will even leak some smoke at the door when first starting and running hot. Just my two cents worth!

 

[azrocker]

My thought is drawing the heat across the grate to the other end as well as holding more heat. I want the thick metal to get a good even heat. On a windy day the draft though the smoker throws a lot of heat out of the door. Maybe I am wrong. (wouldn't be the first time) But when I have tried foil I had more heat.

 

[lightfoot]

Here's my opinion (and that's all it is.) I have a small leak abound the door-very small. I adjust the flue on my stack to where there is just a small amount coming out around the door. It's minimal. But i figure that if there is no smoke coming out around the door, then it's obviously pulling in cooler air, which is lowering the temp in my box. I use the flue to create just the slightest positive pressure on the smoker to where there is just barely visible smoke coming out around the door (almost none). Works for me, but obviously there are many kinds of smokers and smokees', i guess you just do what works for you. I would say that if it bothers you , fix it how ever you want it. That's the cool thing about smoking meat. Rarely any two people use the exact same method, but the end result is usually pretty darn tasty.

 

[azrocker]

I have to say after much trial and error I have decided that a small leak is good. I put heavy foil on the bottom of the door due to big gap but around the edges smoke is a good thing. Spreads it around :-)

 

[shooterrick]

I would think you are ok then man. I gotta do some sealing on the conversion I am working on but the gaps are pretty large. i really dont think a small leak here and there is that terrible. Good Luck.