Metal type & propane question

[abode45]

I am working on getting materials together for my fridge conversion. I have been reading as many of the other posts on here as possible. Probably too many of them actually.
First question: Is there any particular reason why most guys choose to go with stainless steel for replacing the plastic parts (specifically the inside of the door) ? I know you don't want galvanized metal but what are the other best options? I'm having a hard time getting a big enough sheet of stainless without paying an arm and a leg.
2nd question: Anyone that has used the afterburner c-burner from gassmoker.com (or something similar) are you able to run at low temps 120-180? I am trying to be able to do everything from summer sausage and snack sticks to brisket and pork butts. Just trying to see if propane is the best option for that. The electric stuff just doesn't sound that appealing to me and it is significantly more expensive if you do it up right with the PID and everything.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[comanchejohn]

Abode45 - 

I went with 16 gauge stainless steel on my fridge build to replace the plastic trim around the box and door because of its strength and because it looks professional. The pieces I replaced bear the weight of the smoke box. try http://www.speedymetals.com/ - check periodically in their firesale section you can pick up quality steel for a fair price.

The c-burner is what I use and I have a real hard time keeping the temp below 165. it works well otherwise and was easy to install.  But  - I am finding that the more I use my fridge smoker  (i just finished in december) the better I get at figuring out how to maintain my desired temps. The size of your smoke box and the amount of ventilation you have will be the biggest factors in mainatining that low temp you want.  For long smokes using the C-burner you have to make sure that you have a back up propane cannister ready to roll. if it quits in the middle of the night you have to use a thermometer with a remote alarm to make sure you get up and change the tank.

 

[mneeley490]

Abode45,

You don't need stainless for replacing plastic parts. Regular sheet metal works just fine, just as long as it isn't galvanized, as you noted.

Once it is oiled and seasoned, you shouldn't have any rust problems. Good luck!

 

[iowa josh83]

Just like MNeeley said you don't need to use stainless. I would venture to guess after many smokes you won't even be able to tell its stainless. On my fridge the door and door frame are just 24ga steel; got a 4x8 sheet for 25 bucks!

Most of the ungalvanized sheet metal you buy will have been oiled with a petroleum based oil to prevent rust. This will need to be cleaned and burned off prior to cooking. I used good ole dawn soap to clean my door panel then heated my fridge to 350 for a couple hrs to burn off anything left.
 

 

[roger shoaf]

Any heat source will work, but how do you want to control the heat?  With an electric element you have a simple and accurate way to dial in your temps and you just plug the thing in. Now all you need is a smoke generator and you are good to go. 

Propane has some issues.  First off are you going to just set the burners at a given level and then walk away for 12 hours?

What you are doing is hoping that the ambient temps and conditions do not change because all that that method does is give you a consistent rate of BTU's being fed into the box.  Factors like wind come in to play also.  If for example the wind picks up and cools the box faster you might be loosing more heat than your burner is giving up.  If the wind dies down or the sun is not shining on your box then temps will go up.

Also if the fire goes out for some reason the gas is still flowing and there could be a big boom.

Now think about how much it costs each time you need to fetch a new bottle of propane.  Not just the cost of the propane, but then you have to drive to fetch it.

Stainless VS. mild steel.

Mild steel is cheaper. but it is prone to rust.  probably not much of an issue when the smoker is hot often but what happens when it sits for months unused?  Sure it may be possible to clean it up and if you grease it with a slathering of Crisco when you stop that might be OK, but the cost difference is not that bad, so you might be wishing you had.

Another option is aluminum.

If you really want to do it on the cheap scrounge up some of those big gallon size tin cans that they use in restaurants.  Cut off the bottoms and the tops and slit the sides and roll them flat.  Now you can fold the edges and interlock them.  Now nail this to a piece of plywood.

If you have a buddy with a spot welder that would be even better than nailing to the plywood.  Rivets might work also.  

Of course it might be easier to just find a hunk of stainless.

 

[abode45]

I knew I joined this place for good reason. You guys are great. Thanks for the feedback

 

[iowa josh83]

I've had little to no rust issues. I accredit this to a good seasoning with olive oil. That and my smoker never sits for much more than a week or 2!

With that said if I had the money at the time I would have used stainless. Although I would think it would be much harder to bend when it came to replacing the plastic door frame. I'm not much of a metal worker though either.

Also, to add to your 2nd question. My brother-in-law converted a fridge several years ago using an afterburner product (not exactly sure which model). Nothing against his conversion or the burner but he has had a terrible time keeping the temperature under 250. When I built my electric version he's convinced that what he needs to do with his.

Happy smoking guys!!

 

[fish killer]

when I built my fridge conversion I went with electric. Cabelas has an electric element for 39$ and it gets my fridge up to 375. I but the 1800 watt pid from Auberins, ran the auto tune and my temps stay within 1 degree. It was a little expensive but as much as I plan to use it I felt it was worth it. I pulled out all of the old insulation that was in my freezer and replaced it with good old Cornings r13. haven't had a problem yet.