Will this element work?

[rod g15]

Thinking about making a small wooden smoker out of plywood. Probly use jerky racks for the racks. Maybe large enough for 8 racks. Will be making snack sticks and sausage. Will this heating element survive being inside the smoker at 180-200* temps?

IMG_20170220_200316109.jpg

• rod g15
• Feb 20, 2017

 

[crankybuzzard]

Maybe, maybe not...

Those type of burners have thermal protection switches in them that trip when the exterior of the unit gets too hot.  Inside of an enclosed space, like a small smoker, you may exceed its limitations.

What size smoker are you looking at making?

 

[rod g15]

Right now I have a small electric LEM smoker. I make alot of snack sticks and can only get 15# of sticks (on the grates) of the smoker. I'd like to be able to do 40-50# at a time. My small smoker slows down my operation. I was thinking of one out of wood at 30"x30" by about 5' tall with a gas burner. Then I thought of downsizing a little, maybe 24"x24" by 4 or 5' tall using an electric burner. I saw an electric element by River City on dward51's thread from 2015. He said 1300 watts for $39.50 in 2015. There website now says 1500 watts for $49.50. I understand now that the hotplate probly won't work. Don't know which way I'll go. Any suggestions?

 

[dward51]

I see you already know why that type of hot plate will not work.  Either one like I used or the Brinkmann 1,500 watt element should (or any element from a broken down stove as long as it fits you smoker and you have the correct voltage to power it).

 

[rod g15]

Thanks!