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[matthews131]

Hey guys im new here so im not sure how thise works. So i have an old smoker that my dad was going to toss out. I decided to fix it up and try smoking myself. I have only made jerkey, pepperoni, ,summer sausage, and trout. All and all it turned out ok. The problems i have been having is that i can never get enough smoke. I just cant seem to keep the chips smoking they just simply go out. another problem is that the bottom of the smoker is hoter then the top so the meat is not consitant unless you lay it flat. This smoker is also fueled by propane and if a small gust of wind comes up it blows out or the temp drops like crazy. I had an i dea to make an electric smoker from an old stove. The burner out of the oven part of a stove is run off a thermostat and a timer so that way i can set it up turn it on go to bed and wake up to fresh smoked meat!!!! seem like a good idea??? or is it crazy??? and does anyone have any design ideas???? im not sure on how to get the chips to smoke eather?????

 

[big casino]

Hey guys im new here so im not sure how thise works. So i have an old smoker that my dad was going to toss out. I decided to fix it up and try smoking myself. I have only made jerkey, pepperoni, ,summer sausage, and trout. All and all it turned out ok. The problems i have been having is that i can never get enough smoke. I just cant seem to keep the chips smoking they just simply go out. another problem is that the bottom of the smoker is hoter then the top so the meat is not consitant unless you lay it flat. This smoker is also fueled by propane and if a small gust of wind comes up it blows out or the temp drops like crazy. I had an i dea to make an electric smoker from an old stove. The burner out of the oven part of a stove is run off a thermostat and a timer so that way i can set it up turn it on go to bed and wake up to fresh smoked meat!!!! seem like a good idea??? or is it crazy??? and does anyone have any design ideas???? im not sure on how to get the chips to smoke eather?????

I think you could do this, and actually I may have seen a build here some where for just such a project, the only problem I see is how to control the oven at low temps,  I think the lowest setting on my oven is 200, which is ok for smoke/cooking butts and brisket, but too high for sausage,

So you would have to opt for another temp controller say maybe a PID/thermocouple set up

 

[alblancher]

Welcome to the forum Mathews131!!

I love projects,  they are a lot more fun then parking myself in front of a TV set all day.   But, I wonder if just purchasing an electric smoker may be the way to go?  

Look around on the forum a bit under "Builds"  maybe there are some good ideas and guidance hidden away in previous posts.    If you are planning on using just a single stove top element you may be able to get by with a small hot plate.  Wish I could offer better advice.

Again, welcome to the forum,  keep us informed about your build

 

[matthews131]

ya i have looked at a few smokers at bass pro they seem expencive and they seem to be kind of cheep or there are things that just dont seem right. And as a millwright I enjoy the chalenge and the excitement of building my own haha. i will take some pictures of the one i have just to show you and then i will sketch out what i am thinking about building. it might be a little while before i get all the materials to build but i cant wait to get it done. As for the low heat  problem I might just have to leave a spot for a stove top burner cause I will be able to keep a consistant low temp with that. i just like the fact that i can put meat on at night and go to bed and wake up and everything will be done to prefection!! unless it flames up.... hmmm... 

 

[deltadude]

Matt you might post in the Smoker builds or Propane forum where those who have a lot of experience with those type of smokers can help you.  This forum is the electric smoker, if you want to swap out the propane for electric we might be able to offer some suggestions.  If you are interested in swapping out propane for electric, we need several pics of your smoker inside and outside, the pics need to be clear enough for us to see how your setup is constructed.

good luck.