# Belshaw donut/ Smoker



## smokinmad (Oct 6, 2013)

Morning to Y'all....so, the other day, my son brings my truck home full of scrap metal he got out of an old grocery store. He was in charge of gutting the old store, to make a new store, for his grocery chain.  I see this big cabinet, a Belshaw donut proofer, Dad sees a new egg incubator, for raising chickens.....So, I inform my son his RENT has been paid for this month and I set it out back.....Why do kids think they should be able to live at Dads home til he dies?????...Dad NOW sees a new Meat Smoker... 

      Ok Guys and Gals.....Where do I start???..I have taken the foam insulation out...And I'm seriously leaning towards Charcoal/wood as my heat source...

A Belshaw donut proofer, stands over 6' tall...inside is 56" tall..29" deep..25" wide













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foam is now gone













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Thinking of just removing this













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Heater and humidity... water storage in front













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Heater element and water heater is lil" box in back













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Not a bad Rent Payment..huh?...of course he now sees a way to smoke his venison jerky.....Got that smoker done dad....ITS DEER SEASON......WOOHOOO...

will pink insulation be ok?


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## s2k9k (Oct 6, 2013)

That is going to make a really nice smoker!!!


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## smokinmad (Oct 6, 2013)

S2K9K said:


> That is going to make a really nice smoker!!!


S2K9K...thanks...thats what I thought to....think I will remove the old heat source and save it...if I get that thing working I can make a box for an incubator....heck with the price of chicken these days, I better do something...I think this Smoker might hold 2 or 3 birds...lol...dozens...lol

SmokinMad


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## rich- (Oct 6, 2013)

Good evening Smokinmad, Thought I would shoot you a pic and a description of my smoker and what I made it out of. My smoker is an old discarded food warmer from a local school dist.

It has an electrical heating element in it with a water pan thing for keeping food moist. I left the electrical heating element in mine and I use it for whan I do cold smokes such as cheese and bacon, works great.

I also drilled through the side and installed a propane valve from an old barbcue and bought a corresponding gas burner at Home Depot and installed that in the bottom of the cabinet, I use it for hot smoking.

I cut a 4 inch by 10 inch rectangle hole in the lower section of the door and used a floor house type furnace register for an air inlet vent, I also cut the same size hole and put a register in the top of the cabinet for my exhaust vent, With the registers I can open or close in any amount I want to.

Additionally, I did what I saw here on SMF and did a mailbox mod, for using my amzn-p smoke generator.

I would suggest you leave the electric heating element in and use it for cold smoking, With mine its a snap to control low temps needed for chees and I do all my bacon with it doing it cold.

Here is a picture of mine with the mail box mod,  if you are interested, I will post or send you additional pictures of it and of it in operation.













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Rich-


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## smokinmad (Oct 7, 2013)

Rich.. Mornin' to ya....Looks like your the guy I need to be talkin" to....Great Job...Looks Good... I will take any advise you have and pics would be much appreciated as I don't have much time to waste..Not sure that my heating unit works, altho my neighbor works on appliances, so if it doesn't he can set me up with some old oven heaters..I am wanting to make it a cold and hot smoker... looking at putting a ATC on it to control a charcoal fire for Butts and Briskets and Ribs...Maybe put an electric heater in bottom and make a removable charcoal burner shelf for hot smokes...Mine will be outside, so looking at building a wood "outhouse" to put it in...I found Cedar Fence boards at Lowes..thinking of using them to make a cedar siding...Using the "outhouse" to insulate the aluminum box...

Ok....Here is my shout out...I started driving cross country 30 yrs ago.....made a living BUT....I didn't develop the "skills" that those of you who got to "play" in your garages every nite developed. Not that I am a Total Moron.....LOL...just way to close than i want to be..lol... ANY Help that you guys Share would be Greatly Appreciated....Thanks...

SmokinMad


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## rich- (Oct 7, 2013)

good Morning Smokinmad, I will post the pictures and try to describe each one as they go in order.













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Inside smoker as I use it, some times I put chips in that cast iron frying pan, below it is the propane burner.













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This is the propane burner, it sits atop the original water pan that I never use, there are 2 electric heat elements, 1 is to heat that water pan, the other stands upright in the back. They are all in one unit tho with separate controls which can be seen lower frnt.













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Propane valve I scavenged from an old barbecue. The 3'" elbow can be seen for my mail box mod in the upper left of this picture.













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View of the door, showing the lower air inlet vent













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Close up of inlet vent, it is a 4" X 10" furnace wall register. It has the control to open or close as wanted













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This is the top of the cabinet showing the 4" X 10" floor furnace register.

This cabinet is all aluminum, the walls and top are 1" thick with insulation, It is on large casters, so when I smoke, I roll it outside under my roofed area.

As said before, I use the electric elements for heat when I am cold smoking, I set the thermostat on the heat unit and let her go. The electric will only heat to about 160 degrees or so outside, so when I want to smoke ribs etc. I light up the propane burner and then I control the heat with a combination of the gas valve and the vents.













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Pork belley, brined and ready for smoking













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Bellies hanging in the smoker













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Nice TBS and bellies taken on color













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All smoked and resting before slicing


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## frosty (Oct 7, 2013)

NICE!  Great smoker, and beautiful results.


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## smokinmad (Oct 7, 2013)

Rich....Great QView....Fine looking bacon, also......

      This is the same cabinet as mine minus the shelf slots and the heater. I found out that my heater does come out, so this would make it easy to pull out and slide a another box in to use charcoal. Or I myself have a stainless bbq grill that the wife'er wore out, complete with side burner....WooHoo...

      You left the foam insulation in place?  I did see a commercially made pit and they used Pink Foam board.  I just thought about putting the aluminum panels back in on the sides a filling the space with that blow in attic insulation. Not that I will need it since the box is going to be surrounded by a insulated wood "outhouse".  

      Oh yea.. mine did not come with a door, but looking out back I found a aluminum glass door frame for a cooler, minus the glass. Got a piece of safety glass tho and some aluminum diamond plate to build a door for the smoker....In my mind this thing looks Fantastic.....lol

SmokinMad


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