My build

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I like your style.  For a build made of found items, you have a nice mix.  The smoke stack might drip, like Dave said.  You could either catch the drip, divert it, or rework the stack to prevent it...  But the stack adds to the charm of the build.  So does the friggin door latch, I bout fell out of my chair when I saw the first pic of that...  Nice touch!  This smoker is very over built, but in really good ways...  Let's 'em know you are serious about your smokin'.  The fridge was not too nice... the smoker is too nice. 

I like the 2" chip pipe, though I might have tried to do a larger one.  But if you are sticking with found items, you might be limited there.

The only thing I would do that you probably won't is add a computer controller with a bunch of temperature probes, and a computer controlled blower/igniter for the smoke injector.  But that is just because I'm an engineer, and putting computers into things is what I do... We all have our vices.  The main reason I would put a computer in it would be so that I can keep an eye on it while I go to the store to buy beer, or so I can brag about what's for dinner while I'm at work (my co-workers range from computerized green-egg users, to home brewers, so there is a lot of home automation competition).

And when I say "computer controller" I mean a computer that not only controls everything, but that serves up a web page that can be displayed on the TV, and on my smartphone, so I can take my controls with me wherever I go.  "Yeah, my bbq pit is on the Internet..."
 
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bigtexan, afternoon....   It would be great if you would take pics of your smokers and controllers for all to see....  Start a new thread for that stuff.....    Also,

Please take a moment and stop into " /Roll Call/   " and introduce yourself and get a proper welcome from our members.... Also, if you would note your location in your profile, it will help in the future when answering questions about smokin'...   elevation, humidity etc....    

We're glad you stopped in and joined our group...    Enjoy the long smokey ride....     Dave
 
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I haven't made my controller "pretty"yet, so it's isn't overly photogenic... When I'm not using it to smoke a brisket, it is a ball of wire on the floor in the corner of my office at home...  But I'll take some photos the next time I drag it out and wire it up.

As for the web page, I keep changing it every time I set it up, I'm not sure what I want it to look like.  I started off using the same free software I use at work to monitor the 5 HVAC systems I use to cool the lab.  Zabbix (www.zabbix.com)  Zabbix is great for doing things like monitoring 1000 ethernet connections, 300 servers, 5 HVAC systems, etc...  And it can do a BBQ too, but it may not be the best fit.  The reason I used Zabbix is because I've been using it for years, so I know it pretty well.  What got me thinking about it was shortly after I wired temperature sensors up to my HVAC system, I ran across the Stoker system. (www.rocksbarbque.com)  The stoker actually uses the same technology for reading the temperature probes that I had implemented with my own home-grown system in my lab, but instead of using zabbix, they used their own system that is a lot like zabbix  in some ways, but tailored specifically for the needs for the bbq artist.  So really, all I have done is created a home-grown stoker, only in an ugly wires-all-over-the-place prototype.  I have yet to refine it, or some up with the perfect web page.

The problem with Zabbix is it was designed for something different.  Zabbix can be used for this using it's mapping feature to create a custom page, and it's screen feature to create custom temperature charts, so that is probably where I will go with it... 

As for the Roll-call... I did do a roll-call post, and in that post I think I already bored you all to death talking about  this idea already.  The only difference is I have spent some time working on it since then.  Not a huge amount of time, but enough to have had a few good smokes behind me, and I found the need for some pit mods for my Char-Griller 16619 Kamado Kooker.  I was going to link to my roll-call post, but I can't find it.  I swear I did one, it was almost exactly a year ago, did something happen to loose some posts along the way?  Guess I should do another one.  I'll do it when I'm at home and can take some photos of my experiments.  I remember doing a post, and having half a dozen people saying howdy...  But maybe it was all that smoke from that first good brisket from my Kamado put me in a hallucinogenic stupor and I just dreamed it.

I'll start a build thread where I talk about building a controller.  It could easily apply to anything from a large professional smoker, to a little Kamado like mine.  Of course you could just go out and buy a stoker, or any of the other fine controllers out there.  The stoker is nice in that is has good web connectivity, and you don't have to do that work on your own.  But I don't own one have have never played with one, so I can't speak from personal experience.
 
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I wound up swapping the 2" wood chip pipe for the air tank that I cut down and made a lid for. The pipe just didnt have enough burn time, about 2 hours.

Like I said, I tried to finish this as cheaply as I could. Bigtex, sounds like you have an ideal setup....for you, lol. Ya lost me at the very beginning of your description. The adjustable electric heating elements are high tech enough for me, lol.

As for the intake, it's what I had at the time. I'll keep it until I come across a 2" ball valve. I could always cut the hole bigger.

 
Years ago I built a smoker out of a refer. I added a hot plate for heat and a cast iron skillet to hold wood and charcoal. This was about 40 years ago. I also added a hot water heater thermostat to control the hot plate. It worked pretty well to smoke fish. I also added a damper to a 4" chimney.
 
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Why do you need an air inlet if you're using electric elements? I'm wanting to build an electric/cold smoker this winter and trying to understand the process.

That's a good looking smoker by the way!
 
You need airflow to go thru your smoker to 1) let your wood smolder, and 2) to draw out the stale smoke. So you need both an air inlet and an outlet or smokestack of some sort on any smoker.
 
Smoker looking good, let us know how it cooks.

Gary
 
How long did it take, and how did they turn out ?

Gary
 
Did another whole chicken last night. Turned out better then the 1st. Can't wait to finally score on a deer already, so I can start making jerky and sausage!!!
 
Where is your chicken pictures ?

Gary
 
Nice build! I rebuilt an old Cookshack model 15, and used 115 volt electric hot plate elements, and used an old oven controller with the temperature probe to control it. See the process at pikespeakbbq.com.

You can see in there how to resize oven racks to fit your smoker, if you want.

Is the interior plastic or metal?

Nice work!

Steve
 
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