Can you obtain a heating element from an electric stove and buy or make a PID controller setup? You could do the same with the hot plate after bypassing the thermostatic safety, but you need some sort of heat control on the thing (the PID serves that function by cutting the power to the element when the pit temp hits a set point). There has been many a cabinet smoker made with stove elements. There are a ton of examples on this site and it's not hard to do. Add one of Todd's pellet trays or tubes and you are in business. Temps are a lot easier to regulate in an electric cabinet than with gas. The pellet tray/tube will generate smoke independent of the heating element being on, plus it gives you the option to make sausage at lower temps and cold smoke with no heat.
