Home-built electric smoker (UPDATE)

[DIYerDave]

Sigmo, Glad you liked my smoker. I ended up using a 2000 watt element. It works fine but I do plan on replacing it someday with a higher wattage like I was originally going to use. The person who blasted me for wanting to use such a high wattage element apparently had no clue how an Auber PID works. The PID uses 1% - 100% of the elements available wattage depending on how far away the actual temperature is from the set point temperature.
It does have an indicator light showing duty cycle of the element. The closer the temp gets to set point, the less time the elements on.
I never noticed any difference in my electric bill when I'm using my smoker so I think its very efficient. Good insulation and door gasket is the key. The smoker doesn't even get warm on the exterior and I have zero smoke leaks.
So far my smoker has done everything I ask it to do. For my first smoker I think it turned out ok. But if I had to do it over, the cabinet would be smaller.
I'm already thinking of building another smoker. A smaller stainless steel proto-type with PID and 120 volt element. Thinking of making them to sell......some day.

 

[sigmo]

Well, as amazing as your first one turned out, I'm sure you can do well with a smaller one as well. The market for a good, well-made smoker should be pretty big these days.

Having it already set up for (or with) a "mailbox" and Pellet Maze would be very attractive to people who are familiar with all of this.

And yes, the beauty of proportional control is that you can have plenty of "horsepower" available when needed, yet use only as much or as little of it as is required at any given moment. You get smooth control when things are tuned right.

I'm seriously looking at a Pit Boss Copperhead 5-series pellet smoker just to use its enclosure and adjustable rack system for the basis of an electric smoker. I really like the size. But I'd prefer an all-electric.

I figure the manufacturers don't make all-electric smokers this size because you really would want a bigger heating element than what you can run off of a typical 120V circuit. It seems like most 120V appliances stay below 1800 Watts because there are still a lot of 15 Amp circuits in people's homes, and very few customers have a 220V receptacle handy to plug in a smoker.

Sure, big expensive commercial smokers may use 220, but the market for them would be a LOT smaller than for one that someone can plug into any 120V socket!

I'm fortunate to be able to wire up a 220V outlet myself very easily at my place, so I am willing to do so as needed.

But those of us on this forum probably represent a relatively small percentage of everyone who buys a smoker. Still, as many members as this forum has shows that a lot of people are into smoking. And a lot of them probably come here to resolve issues they have with off-the-shelf smokers.

Yet most of us cannot fabricate a proper smoker all on our own. So we modify commercially-available units for the most part. But if people dissatisfied with their first smokers could buy a better unit that had all of the features they now know they really want, maybe some of them would!

The mass market may never be there for a really good smoker. People usually have to learn by experience in these things, so they shop for price to start off.

But once they do use a typical smoker and find its drawbacks, and then learn about better systems, they are motivated to modify or build something better. But for the non-do-it-yourselfers, it would be nice for them to have a pre-built system with the features most of us here want in our smokers.

 

[DIYerDave]

My thoughts exactly.

 

[brandonthompson]

Dave, First and foremost great aptitude on building and great looking smoker!
I had some questions regarding what bigger element you were thinking of going too ?
I have a 120v pid controlled brinkman element but, here in Iowa our winters are cold so it struggles to keep up.
I am rebuilding another smoker and ill post a pic. On the fence about staying 110 or going 220.

Any suggestions buddy ill attach the pix of the intended build fridge. Not near as fancy as yours but should work great for deer sausage and such.

 

[DIYerDave]

Thanks for the compliment Brandon.
If I remember correctly the element was in the neighborhood of 3000-3500 watts.

 

[2008RN]

DIYerDave,
I built something similar. I took a 1951 GE fridge and turned it into a smoker. I Used the Auber SMD-200 PID controller with a 2600 watt 220V stove top element. I use a mailbox smoke generator. Since I am finishing up the year, I just counted 29 smokes this year. From cold smoke Cheese, all the way up to pizza. I did try adding and additional smaller 1300W stove top element to the smoker, so I have 3900W. The only time I used both was for Pizza. The 2600W is plenty for most smoking needs.
The only problem I have had was smoking candied pecans. One small section on one rack gets hotter than the rest, and it darkened them little to much.
Next time I do nuts, I am just going to run the 1300 element.

You did a great job on the smoker, Hows the cooking going?

 

[brandonthompson]

DIYerDave,
I built something similar. I took a 1951 GE fridge and turned it into a smoker. I Used the Auber SMD-200 PID controller with a 2600 watt 220V stove top element. I use a mailbox smoke generator. Since I am finishing up the year, I just counted 29 smokes this year. From cold smoke Cheese, all the way up to pizza. I did try adding and additional smaller 1300W stove top element to the smoker, so I have 3900W. The only time I used both was for Pizza. The 2600W is plenty for most smoking needs.
The only problem I have had was smoking candied pecans. One small section on one rack gets hotter than the rest, and it darkened them little to much.
Next time I do nuts, I am just going to run the 1300 element.

You did a great job on the smoker, Hows the cooking going?

Happen to have link for the element you ran. Be curious to see a wire diagram with the additional element s together with the pid.
If don't have that's okay just brainstorming ideas for different cooking temps needed

 

[2008RN]

I started with the 8" element first, and bought it from Walmart online https://www.walmart.com/ip/Surface-Element-Replaces-Ge-Wb30T10074-8-In/24538856 with a 25Amp SSR from Auberins. I had run 12 Gauge wiring from the controller to the bottom of the smoker where I had a junction box.

When I was at higher temp above 275°F the time it took longer to hit temps and was longer to recovery when I opened the door. Plus I wanted to try to do pizzas, and wanted to hit 400°F so I went and bought 2 used 6" elements from Habitat for Humanity for $6. I did know how it was going to work, so I figured I would buy cheap and have a spare. (I also bought a spare 8" for $5 at Habitat. I bought a high quality slide in connector with long silicone covered wires at a local appliance repair shop. I originally bought a cheap connector from a big box hardware store. I returned it because it was cheaply made.

I wired both elements in parallel to the junction box behind at the back of the smoker. Since I had over designed the wiring (12 gauge for all 240V) and 25AMP solid state relay I was able to add the extra element without messing with the original wiring. Total amps for both 6" and 8" elements was 17amps. The toughest part for me was cutting out another cover/holder for the connector out of 14ga stainless, bending it, and fishing the wires through the rock wool insulation back to the junction box.

What I like about the design is I can any combination of element(s) depending on what I am doing.