It's been a long time comin, but FrankenSmoker is here!

[Smaterchew]

Well folks, after hanging in the shadows for many moons...I'm making my first post. Been wanting to get into making sausage for quite awhile but like I do most things, I research it to death. Just want to say first and foremost, you guys and this forum have been my "go to" for just about everything, so a hearty thanks for that. I'm no stranger to smoking meat and in fact, do a lil' catering on the side, but even with a herd of smokers...yeah, I have four....I didn't have one to get the low temps I needed for sausage. So, of course, I had to build me a sausage smoker! And that's how Frankensmoker was born! Just wanted to post some pics how everything turned out and once again say "THANKS"!!

 

[SonnyE]

Nice!
Where's the rest of der FrankenSmoker Family?

 

[SmokinAl]

Nice setup & your sausage looks amazing!
Al

 

[oberst]

You built this?! I wish I was that skilled! Folks might enjoy a description of how you went about this.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Pretty sweet!
:cool:

 

[Smoke23]

Nice!

 

[GaryHibbert]

What's the length of your exhaust stack?? It looks to roughly the same height as the MES itself. I added a short one to mine, but have been kicking around the idea of a longer one.
Gary

 

[tallbm]

Nice!!!!
Hey where did you get that project box from? How did you run the grounding wire for it? I used a steel box that the ground wire connects to for my controller box wiring.

DSC_0352[1].JPG

• tallbm
• Jun 19, 2017

DSC_0351[1].JPG

• tallbm
• Jun 19, 2017

 

[dannylang]

great looking build there, i bet you started a new smoker for some guys here, maybe even myself.
dannylang

 

[Smaterchew]

I just ordered about everything off amazon. A cheap waterproof box, an Inkbird ITC-106VH PID controller, (I tried to add links but they wouldn't show up) a couple of toggle switches, a receptacle, and a short extension cord. Wiring it was pretty easy....let me know if you want a wiring diagram. As far as the rest of the smoker. It was a 1st Gen Masterbuillt that was left out in the rain and fried the controller on top. It was my neighbors and he was happy for me to take it off his hands. I rewired it by following the conversion thread posted on here which now left the element on constantly as long as there was power to the plug. The PID, through a relay, now gives and cuts, power to the element keeping it at whatever temp you set. Now that I can make it go to ....say, 100 degrees...how can I make it smoke? I found out that Home Depot sells a 3" aluminum pipe, in the water heater section, that is 3' long and fits perfectly in the opening on the bottom right side of the smoker.... taking an old smoke tube I had, I used some small bolts and nuts to make legs on it...and slid it in the pipe. It smoked OK, but not that much...so I added another 3' aluminum pipe where the vent goes and put a cap on it. This caused a really good draw and pulled the smoke into the smoker. Voila! A smoker that I can set to any temp and produce good smoke!

 

[Smaterchew]

Nice!
Where's the rest of der FrankenSmoker Family?

They're all sitting around looking very jealous...

 

[Smaterchew]

Nice!!!!
Hey where did you get that project box from? How did you run the grounding wire for it? I used a steel box that the ground wire connects to for my controller box wiring.

DSC_0352[1].JPG

• tallbm
• Jun 19, 2017

DSC_0351[1].JPG

• tallbm
• Jun 19, 2017

The ground runs from the extension cord coming in, straight to the receptacle. The box, being plastic doesn't have to be grounded.

 

[tallbm]

The ground runs from the extension cord coming in, straight to the receptacle. The box, being plastic doesn't have to be grounded.

Thanks for the feedback.
I would still love to see a link to the box you purchased on Amazon. I likely had more internal components since I installed convection fan on my smoker and added a variable controller into my controller box. To do it all over again I would have just cut out the fan controller as it really doesn't give much variable control to speed and is basically just a fancy on/off switch for the convection fan I installed.

Beware those rocker switches. I burned up three "20 amp" switches because they were poorly made chinese junk. I got fed up and installed a 100 amp marine boat breaker switch and I'm not sure lightning would melt that thing hahahaha so all has been well with the switch ever since :)

 

[Smaterchew]

Thanks for the feedback.
I would still love to see a link to the box you purchased on Amazon. I likely had more internal components since I installed convection fan on my smoker and added a variable controller into my controller box. To do it all over again I would have just cut out the fan controller as it really doesn't give much variable control to speed and is basically just a fancy on/off switch for the convection fan I installed.

Beware those rocker switches. I burned up three "20 amp" switches because they were poorly made chinese junk. I got fed up and installed a 100 amp marine boat breaker switch and I'm not sure lightning would melt that thing hahahaha so all has been well with the switch ever since :)

Here's the link: uxcell 250mm x 150mm x 130mm Dustproof IP65 Junction Box DIY Case Enclosure Gray let's see if I did it right...

 

[tallbm]

Here's the link: uxcell 250mm x 150mm x 130mm Dustproof IP65 Junction Box DIY Case Enclosure Gray let's see if I did it right...

Thanks!

 

[crazymoon]

SC, Nice build and excellent looking SS!

 

[indaswamp]

Here's the link: uxcell 250mm x 150mm x 130mm Dustproof IP65 Junction Box DIY Case Enclosure Gray B06ZXSGQQF let's see if I did it right...

See if that fixed your link...

 

[Smaterchew]

You built this?! I wish I was that skilled! Folks might enjoy a description of how you went about this.

Thanks! I don't know about skilled...lol. This site helped me tremendously!

 

[Smaterchew]

What's the length of your exhaust stack?? It looks to roughly the same height as the MES itself. I added a short one to mine, but have been kicking around the idea of a longer one.
Gary

Sorry, didn't see your question till now. It was a 3"- 3 foot section sold at Home Depot. It's what they had and worked well at causing the updraft I was looking for. Gonna do pepperoni in it this weekend!

 

[Smaterchew]

Thanks for the feedback.
I would still love to see a link to the box you purchased on Amazon. I likely had more internal components since I installed convection fan on my smoker and added a variable controller into my controller box. To do it all over again I would have just cut out the fan controller as it really doesn't give much variable control to speed and is basically just a fancy on/off switch for the convection fan I installed.

Beware those rocker switches. I burned up three "20 amp" switches because they were poorly made chinese junk. I got fed up and installed a 100 amp marine boat breaker switch and I'm not sure lightning would melt that thing hahahaha so all has been well with the switch ever since :)

Tallbm, tell me more about this convection fan. I am interested to see if I could use it in Frankensmoker?