Trying to get some airflow in my Masterbuilt 30" analog smoker

[iowabucks]

Hey everyone. Just got a used 30" analog yesterday and by looking closely at it, there is really no airflow going on in there at all. I see a 1/2" hole in the back up top for intake im assuming, and i read where someone said the smoke leakage around the door is supossedly the exhaust.

I want to try and get some better airflow in there before i use it and was wondering if airflow would even really make much of a difference with an electric element? Or would it just make it that much harder to keep temp? I was planning on mostly using this for snack sticks, suasages and summer sausage.

If i put a smokestack on top and a vent damper on the bottom or back, does that sound like a good idea? I did see another member with his vent in back but that was mainly for using a cold smoker.

I think i'm going to seal up the door, use a smoketube, and an Auber AW 1520H PID, and a cable gland in the hole in the back for the Auber and a Maverick.

One thought i just had, If the Auber is rated for 1800 watts, and the element is 1500 watts, will the Auber burn the element out? Or will it just send what it can use?

 

[mike243]

Welcome to the site, that hole on top is the exhaust, making another hole won't make it work better and may not let it come up to temp. use it a few time but be aware you will need to add wood every 45-60 minutes for several-4 hours , I started using small chunks in order to cut down wood reloading. remember outlet size hole out needs same size hole in as it won't draft more without bigger inlet.

 

[dons2346]

"One thought i just had, If the Auber is rated for 1800 watts, and the element is 1500 watts, will the Auber burn the element out? Or will it just send what it can use?"

What Auber means is that 1800 watts is the maximum amount of power the unit is capable of outputting. Since you will only be drawing 1500 watts, you are good and no way can the Auber burn out your element because of the 1800 watts available.

 

[bill1]

smoker elements all run at 120Vac just like kitchen stovetops run at 240Vac. The difference in power rating for an element is based on its resistance. Lower resistance draws more current at the fixed voltage of interest (120 in our case) so has a higher wattage (power) rating. All controllers do is turn the power on and off. The relays that do that job are cheaper at lower power ratings so you want a controller that will handle the max wattage of any element you're likely to use with it...in fact I'd be a bit leery of any controller that wasn't rated for at least 1800W. (1800W is pretty much a max for a 20A circuit and 1200W pretty much the max for a 15A.) If you're using a lower wattage, as others have said, it will draw less current but it's because of the resistance of the element...it has nothing to do with the controller.