Hey everybody. I am new to the forums and pretty much new to smoking as well. I acquired a smoker my Grandfather had converted many years ago. It is an old hobart commercial dishwasher. It is almost all stainless steel, in pretty fair shape for being over 40 years old and sitting outdoors for about 20 years. He rigged it up for charcoal smoking and based on family members recollections it worked very well and produced some fine meals. I would like to convert it to an electric smoker. I have some ideas, even tested it somewhat, but I need advice.
First question is the most important, is it worth pursuing? It has some drawbacks that I can see, it isn't insulated and doesn't lend itself well to being insulated, it's also a little bit of an odd shape, and racks would need to be made due to the non-standard size.
Second question is airflow. It has a pretty large (3-1/2") opening at the bottom in the center of the firebox part that can be adjusted. It has a vent in the top center on the back wall that is rectangular, but probably about 2-1/2"x4". Totally open, but I can easily make a sliding cover that would allow adjustment. Is this enough? Too much?
Third question is water pan or not?
And last, but not least, since it isn't insulated, I thought two 1650 watt elements should be more than enough to hit any reasonable smoking temperature I could ever need. The plan was one with a pan for wood chunks, and possibly a water pan on the other. Of course that is dependent on whether I need a water pan or not. I could always fill that pan with sand, or something else for heat storage.
Any ideas, comments, or criticisms would be greatly appreciated!
First question is the most important, is it worth pursuing? It has some drawbacks that I can see, it isn't insulated and doesn't lend itself well to being insulated, it's also a little bit of an odd shape, and racks would need to be made due to the non-standard size.
Second question is airflow. It has a pretty large (3-1/2") opening at the bottom in the center of the firebox part that can be adjusted. It has a vent in the top center on the back wall that is rectangular, but probably about 2-1/2"x4". Totally open, but I can easily make a sliding cover that would allow adjustment. Is this enough? Too much?
Third question is water pan or not?
And last, but not least, since it isn't insulated, I thought two 1650 watt elements should be more than enough to hit any reasonable smoking temperature I could ever need. The plan was one with a pan for wood chunks, and possibly a water pan on the other. Of course that is dependent on whether I need a water pan or not. I could always fill that pan with sand, or something else for heat storage.
Any ideas, comments, or criticisms would be greatly appreciated!
