Heat for uds build

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Kmino

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 23, 2019
6
1
Hello all. Thanks for a great site. I’m in the planning stage of building a UDS. I do not want to use wood or charcoal for heat. This leaves me with electric or propane. For electric I was thinking of stripping a stove and using one of the larger top cooking elements with adjustable temp knob. Or I can use a cast iron propane cooking burner. Will either one of these get me to proper temps? + and - for each of these ideas would help. Thanks
 

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I don't know, but best guess it the king cooker burner will give more heat and be able to adjust better.
Might want to consider using a flame guard to prevent flare-ups. Good luck
 
Hello all. Thanks for a great site. I’m in the planning stage of building a UDS. I do not want to use wood or charcoal for heat. This leaves me with electric or propane. For electric I was thinking of stripping a stove and using one of the larger top cooking elements with adjustable temp knob. Or I can use a cast iron propane cooking burner. Will either one of these get me to proper temps? + and - for each of these ideas would help. Thanks


That range burner is a 220 VAC element. If you are doing electric, you may want to get a universal 1500 W120VAC heating element.
 
I don't know, but best guess it the king cooker burner will give more heat and be able to adjust better.
Might want to consider using a flame guard to prevent flare-ups. Good luck
What is a flame guard?
 
Why do you say this? What has lead you to this point? Thanks

Those folks test their burners... BTU's to properly heat what the burner is tested for.... The burner you selected in the notes on Amazon, it notes it is 18,000 BTU in one place and about 30,000 BTU's in another... Those are enough BTU's to heat a small shop.... You will have no temperature control....
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Are you going to add a temperature control to the mix?

Or are you going to constantly monitor the temperature and physically adjust the temperature manually throughout the entire smoking process?

I tried it both ways over the years and found out with the lack of temperature controls it was almost impossible for me to ever make a consistent product.

Electric Heat: no smoke ring, heat element could go bad during your cook. Make sure you go with 120 VAC and not 220 VAC or you are limited to a 220 VAC connection.

Gas: gas fire or explosions, you can change from LP or natural gas by changing orifice and pressure controller. Make sure you use a thermo-coupler or electronic igniter paired with a safety control to very a flame.
 
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Do you think that would give off enough heat?
Not at 120 VAC. I use one of those as my cold smoke heater. It gets hot but not hot enough to run your smoker. I use it to keep my smoker above freezing for cold smoking in the winter.
 
Also when it comes to heat source and BTU needed I would also consider the following:

* Smokehouse internal size
* How well it is insulated
* The area, climate that you live in and time of the year that you normally use the smoker.
* How well the unit is sealed.
* What you plan on smoking.
*How much heat you plan on needing.
 
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Do you think that would give off enough heat?
Not at 120 VAC. I use one of those as my cold smoke heater. It gets hot but not hot enough to run your smoker. I use it to keep my smoker above freezing for cold smoking in the winter.
 
Example: Below is Smokin-It electric smokers smallest and largest model and both models use 120VAC. The largest just uses a second element.

Smokin-it #1
Inside dimensions are 12-1/2" W x 13-1/2" D x 16" H
400-watt heating element with LED indicator light 4 amps 120-volt single phase

Smokin-It #5
Inside dimensions are 22" W x 22" D x 42-1/4" H, rack size is 21-1/4 " x 21-1/4"
Twin 900-watt heating elements for a total of 1800-watts, LED indicator light,16.5 amps 120-volt single phase.

I think matching the heat source to the size of the cabinet and how well it is insulated are very important factors.

Go to some of the smoker sites and use there configuration and try and match there product and the heat source size with what you are trying to use and go from there.

Just a thought?


Happy Smoking
 
Let's be kind of honest here: a UDS is sort of a larger water or cheap bullet smoker without the water. We wanted a bigger grille and the tuff guy look of having built our own but it's the same principle: heat and smoke in the bottom, food up top.

I used to have an electric bullet smoker (and I should have kept it) and the 120 VAC element, with lava rocks worked just fine. Toss a couple of chunks of wood on top of the lava rocks and you're good to go. I don't see why that wouldn't work in a UDS.

You can always (almost, anyways) find an old water or bullet (think: Brinkman) smoker for sale cheap on Craigs list or Facebook. Buy it, take the element and pan out, adding lava rocks if not present and try it. I bet it would work.

BTW, charcoal aint that bad. Just need to get to learn your smoker, which takes a couple of smokes.
 
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