Need advice on electric heat source for smoker build

[fishinjoe]

My current smoker is propane and I would like to convert it to electric. I have a hard time keeping the burner lit at low temperatures for sausage. The dimentions are 24x17x48. I saw this on amazon would it work? . Any other recommendations?

 

[LakeErieSMKR]

I've used an element like that in 2 different insulated smokers. One was a small converted fridge , the other was a converted commercial upright warmer. Mostly for sausage and snack sticks. Works great for that. Once you get used to adjusting it holds temp great

 

[bill1]

These are intended to plug into a standard 15A circuit so are limited to 1200-1500W. Note your gas burner is probably 3X that amount...
What max temp are you hoping to achieve? That smoker looks sharp...is it double wall? If not, the heat loss through the walls may keep you from ever getting > ~150F with it. (Most commercial electric smokers have double-wall construction because they tend to be starved for power; most gas-powered ones don't bother.)

That's the power side of things. The other issue is energy--the time to heat up. Since there's a lot of metal mass there, a 1500W element will take a few hours to get that cooker up to temperature, even if the walls are well insulated. Of course if you keep the gas burner, you can still use it to get to quickly achieve your desired temperature and then valve off the gas (one location only!) and switch to electric.

You can always add a second Amazon element, but you'll need to find an outlet on a separate breaker. (The extension cord for it will need to be at least 12AWG to avoid excessive voltage drop.) On the other hand, if you have 240V close by, you needn't be power-starved. I've found replacement electric dryer elements to be both rugged and inexpensive for smoker usage--but note there is both a burn and shock hazard with an exposed filament. (Note the filament winding is potted inside a grounded shell in that Amazon element and all the electrical connections are pre-designed ...only the mechanical connections need to be improvised. You should be comfortable with, and knowledgeable of, electrical safety practices before designing and executing electrical connections. )

If your problem is the gas burner going out at low gas flows (for lower desired temps) maybe forget the electricity and just add a smaller gas burner? If you get an additional (smaller) burner, such as one intended for small grills, camping or even backpacking stoves, you should be able to reliably maintain low sausage temps without the (smaller) flame going out.

Let us know how it goes!