Starting my first SS fridge smoker.

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bigshooter29

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2013
10
10
Found a older SS fridge laying behind a business. Asked about and was told if I wanted it to take it. So I did. I gutted the inside panels, ripped out the insulation. built the bottom up 5 1/2" inches to match the opening height with 2 2x6. Then I put in vermiculite to insulate the bottom. Bought some 12 gauge stainless to remake the inside panels. got that all welded up and now shoved that box in. Before I insulate the sides back and top what should I do for a electric heating element, I have a digital controller that I will be using to control this heater with, and will be using a smoke daddy for my smoke as I do a lot of cold and hot smoke. how big of a exhaust vent should I have out the back? Other minor detail is what are ppl using for a door seal. I have a 5/8 gap to fill. 

 
when using the smoke daddy as my smoke source do I need a air intake at the bottom yet? Thinking of using a 4 inch SS pipe out the back and high with a 90 degree elbow. would this be sufficient enough?
 
If the smoker is air tight, your gonna need some kinda of intake vent.... otherwise the exhaust will not do ya any good (no air in, no air out).. myself, I think 4" would be a lil excessive... beings that it will be electric, you won't need as much air as if it were charcoal fired... looking good so far...
 
Then I put in vermiculite to insulate the bottom  ????? new vermiculite or did you find some old stuff???  I did not think they made this anymore ???? 

Build looks great so far.
 
yes menards carries vermiculite. about 15 dollars a 3 cu ft bag. used this for insulating are maple syrup wood fired box. worked better then anything I have tried so I thought why not use it in a smoker also. Now onto the intake and out take what size would anyone recommend?I purchased the Magnum smoke daddy. figured if I wanted a lot of smoke or a lil it was capable.
 
my total inside dimensions are 27.5 by 26.5 x 47 inches tall. If this helps with figuring out what size inlet and outlet I would need I don't know. completely new to this and don't want to have to redo anything.
 
Bigshooter29,

I have a similar unit and installed a 1500w Brinkmann replacement element in mine. I have seen others that use a fin-type heater, also.

For air, I put in stainless, flanged sink pipe that I bought at my local Ace Hardware. 1-1/4" wide for the intake, and 1-1/2" wide for the exhast. The intake I just put in the floor, and it also doubles as my drain hole. The outlet hole was already there where the refrigeration tubes came in, so I just used that. It seems to do just fine.

See here:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/115657/commercial-ss-fridge-build-my-first-try
 
Ok so tonight's project led into the door. I used a piece of 20 gauge SS. drilled holes every 4 inches and now the thought came about instead of using stainless screws what about stainless rivets. any thoughts on this? a lot marine places use stainless. Before I do fasten it I want to run a small bead of aluminum colored food grade high temp silicone around the hole panel. And one the edges I left myself close to 3/4" inch for the seal to be mounted. For the exhaust I am thinking of using a 2" piece of stainless pipe out the back and using a threaded 90 to make it go straight up after it gets out of the box. Still don't know what size for the intake yet. The smoke daddy will have a 7/8" opening. 1 inch too small?

 
Didn't get too much accomplished tonight. Cut 1 hole in the bottom of the door at 2 3/8" and one up high in the back at the same width. Going to use 2 inch SS pipe for a exhaust with a damper of some sort, thought about the older tractors with the lil flipper on the exhaust. just tighten it up some so it holds open where u leave it. and then the front of the door for the intake going to make something similar like a weber grill has for a exhaust. lil dial that I can turn open and close. Also ordered the 1800 watt auber dual probe controller. Now to figure out what heating element to get. Who bought the 1800 watt one from grainger and how do u like it. and who bought the Brinkman heating element and how do you like that. just wondering if the grainger one could get up to 500+ degrees for cleaning purposes.
 
hi i just got a true commercial refrigerator  it is stainless steel i noticed it has  a foam insulation i was told that it would be alright to us but i am not to sure  fumes what do you think
 
 
hi i just got a true commercial refrigerator  it is stainless steel i noticed it has  a foam insulation i was told that it would be alright to us but i am not to sure  fumes what do you think
Welcome to the forums!

Read some of the threads here about commercial fridges. If you plan on hot smoking, I believe the conventional wisdom is to remove any polyurethane foam.
 
I ripped all the insulation out of mine to be safe. some have done ok with the foam insulation. I went with a 25 inch finned heater and can get the smoker up to 400 if I switch from my auber controller to another one a local company makes. with going that hot I switched the insulation out. Using vermiculite I have had no issues with the outside even getting warm. I did 120lbs of sumer sausage 2 weeks ago and the auber and the finned heater had no problem keeping the temps where I wanted them in -37F.
 
man i about gave up on this project but i got it apart going to have to put steel tubing in wall for support i am using a universal element with a built in thermostat 50 degrees to 400 would regular house insulation work or do i need to use something else and what do you think about the element
 
as long as you are all sealed up I wouldn't worry a bit about house insulation. Don't know if it is possible but vermiculite is fairly cheap. I used a total of 4 bags of it on my fridge conversion. even used it in the door. it really fills all the voids and also settles in very quick. just rock the unit back and forth and it gets packed in. Heating units are good as long as they don't have there own built in resistor so they don't go over temp. I don't believe yours has this so no worries.
 
OK GOT MY FIRST SS SMOKER APART AND FOAM OFF GOING TO TORCH LEFT OVER RESIN MY SMOKER CAME APART IN SECTION AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE FOAM GAVE IT STABILITY  GOING TO HAVE TO STRENGTHEN THE TWO SIDE SO IT CAN BOLT BACK TOGETHER SHOULD I USE A STEEL TUBING ??? OR COULD I USE 2X4 CUT DOWN AND SCREWED TOGETHER ??? STEEL MORE BUCKS, WOOD CHEAPER, BUT WOULD THE WOOD HOLD UP TO THE HEAT SCREW WORKING OUT???  ANY ADVICE HELPFUL IN MY MIND I SAY STEEL TUBING
 
Not sure if wood would be adequate or not, but I don't think anyone ever went wrong with overbuilding.
 
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