# Mailbox mod for a Smoke Vault 24



## kbvc (Jun 23, 2015)

Has anyone done a mailbox type mod for a smoke vault 24?  I have tried putting my AMNPS inside the smoke vault but it does add some heat and it is tough to keep the pellets lit.  I want to cold smoke cheese and salmon so I want the vault to stay as cool as possible.  I was thinking that I could rivet a duct flange over one of the side vents without having to cut a big hole in the smoker and attach the hose from the mailbox to it with a clamp.  This way I could remove the hose if I wanted to and smoke as usual.   I live in Virginia and it is quite warm now so I may have to wait for cooler days. 

Has anyone done something similar or is this a waste of time? 

One other question, I smoked a brisket on Saturday and after preheating my smoker, I put the brisket in at 4:00pm and turned the burner down to smoke at 225 degrees.  I had my Maverick 732 hooked up and went inside for a bit.  After a while the low temp alarm went off so I went back out and found out that the flame had gone out but the gas was still flowing.  I waited a bit to relight it and it did not go out again.  This seems quite dangerous to me.  I was hoping to do an all night smoke but was concerned about the burner so I pulled the brisket out at 10:00pm and put it in the oven at 225 overnight.  I pulled it out of the oven at 10:30 am and wrapped in foil and towels and left it in a cooler for three hours.  The brisket turned out awesome! 

Is there any type of mod that I can do to add a pilot light protection valve that will keep the burner lit or shut the gas off if it goes out? I have a gas homebrew system that uses honeywell standing pilot gas valves and pilot lights that are controlled by PIDs to regulate temperatures in my vessels.  I was wondering if something similar could be done to a gas smoker.

Thanks,

Keith


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## daveomak (Jun 24, 2015)

Safety valves are listed......

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/smokehouse-plans/smokehouse-burner


With a gasser, the smoke must enter the smoker ABOVE the flame or it will be consumed...    Check out Todd's AMNTS, tube smoker, they work in gassers, but I would call him and check....   

A-MAZE-N Products, Inc.
12372 River Ridge Blvd
Burnsville, MN 55337

(952) 736-7678

[email protected]


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## kbvc (Jun 25, 2015)

Dave,

Thanks for your reply.  I have dealt with Todd and he is awesome.  I have an 18" tube smoker en route to me now. 

Regarding the gas mod, the website you linked confirmed my concerns.  It seems like it would be a common accessory on a gas smoker for the reasons outlined in the link but it doesn't look like any of the popular gassers have that sort of built in protection.  Maybe it isn't as big a deal as I am thinking.  I don't want to sit beside the smoker for the entire cook if I can help it and I don't want to burn my house down either.


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2015)

KBVC said:


> Dave,
> 
> Thanks for your reply.  I have dealt with Todd and he is awesome.  I have an 18" tube smoker en route to me now.
> 
> Regarding the gas mod, the website you linked confirmed my concerns.  It seems like it would be a common accessory on a gas smoker for the reasons outlined in the link but it doesn't look like any of the popular gassers have that sort of built in protection.  Maybe it isn't as big a deal as I am thinking.  I don't want to sit beside the smoker for the entire cook if I can help it and I don't want to burn my house down either.



It is a big deal....  Somewhere on here is a link to a "homemade" gas fired smokehouse that exploded and killed the home owner... If I remember correctly, there was a flame out and when the owner opened the door, the fire department figured the smoldering wood ignited the unburned gas when adequate oxygen was reintroduced.....  The explosion killed him...

Found it....  BD Skelly comes through again....

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/174455/from-usa-today-man-killed-when-meat-smoker-explodes


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