# Big Chief smoker mods



## CanuckBob (Jun 24, 2020)

Just picked up my new Big Chief. First things I did was add a thermometer, a daisy wheel vent and a chimney. I live in Mexico where the BC runs too hot. Increased air flow helps to cool it down.


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2020)

They are a great smoker....   Nice mods...


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## Hank R (Jun 25, 2020)

I used my Little and Big Chief for over 30 years had great smokes with them


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## CanuckBob (Jun 25, 2020)

I forgot to say I also added a rheostat to the power cord to enable me to turn down the temp on the element.


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## CanuckBob (Jun 25, 2020)

Smoking 14lbs of Salmon today.


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## CanuckBob (Jun 25, 2020)

Does anyone add to water to the drip pan to increase the humidty and possibly keep it cooler?


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2020)

Condensate on the meat makes for "acid rain" on the meat...  Condensate is not good....   It also dissolves the pellicle....  
Use a SCR to control the heat...  Same principle as a rheostat....  Silicon Controlled Rectifier...


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## cmayna (Jun 25, 2020)

CanuckBob,
What temps are you running the smoker at for Salmon?   I would consider using a Auber PID controller which allows you to set desired temps with desired times.  That's what I use with my Big Chief.

Oh and welcome to SMF.


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## CanuckBob (Jun 25, 2020)

Around the 125f to 150f.


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## cmayna (Jun 25, 2020)

How did the Salmon smoke turn out?   How long did you brine it and then how long to smoke it?  Pics of finish product?  What wood flavor did you use?


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## Hank R (Jun 25, 2020)

Not trying to hi jack this thread but this, is what I used and liked it. when I was using the big chief.
Topic #10 is a excellent video.






						First time getting ready to smoke???
					

Hi I am really new to smoking like never done it.  I have been trying for several years with my gas BBQ, Napoleon Prestige with a cast Iron Charcoal/ Smoker tray.  For 3 years I have not been happy with results so that is why I am here.  I dug out my Big Chief and cleaned up and want to try...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## cmayna (Jun 26, 2020)

Another idea to consider, especially when you do a lot of meat and when the ambient temp is a little on the low side,  is to install a higher rated heating element.  I believe the stock element is 400 watts.   I installed an element from a Proctor Silex stove top which is rated 1000w.
You might also consider wrapping the  Chief with a insulated wrap or blanket since it is not insulated.


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## CanuckBob (Jun 26, 2020)

I ran it without water in the pan as advised above. Made sense. I smoked at 125 to 150 for 5 hours. I gave it 4 pans of applewood. Turned out perfect. Better job than my old smoker for sure.


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## CanuckBob (Jun 26, 2020)

I sell my salmon. Here is a pic after vacuum sealing.


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## daveomak (Jun 26, 2020)

This has seen several mods..  including the burner....  







Burner with the thermostat installed ..
The Red light lets me know when the burner
kicks on and off.....


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## CanuckBob (Jun 26, 2020)

Cool. Looks like that has seen a few miles. My problem here in Mexico is it runs too hot. From the factory I did a test burn and it was nearly 250f. After the mods I can keep it around 125 to 150 with the added air flow and the rheostat on the power cord


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## daveomak (Jun 26, 2020)

Well, I installed the 1000 Watt+ burner when I moved to Eastern Washington...   I tried smoking Columbia River salmon at -20F...   Hold my beer while I fix this smoker.... 
They smoke fish better than any smoker I've tried...  It's over 30 years old...  
I even hauled it to Alaska to use on the Purse Seiner I fished on...  Smoked lots of fresh Alaska salmon...


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## bill1 (Jul 3, 2020)

daveomak said:


> ...Use a SCR to control the heat...


I recognize that unit DaveOmak!...I've bought a couple of those on ebay myself!  They're OK but they do tend to be quite "aggressively" spec'ed and need quite a bit of air cooling to reach even a fraction of their rated power.  But still much cheaper than a rheostat of the same rating.  

Love hearing your stories about Alaska and smoking in -20F weather.


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## daveomak (Jul 4, 2020)

Yes, aggressively spec'd...   I use the 4,000 watt unit to control ~1,000 watt appliances....  Been in use for 3-4 years and still working...  Main use for me is...  Controlling electric cookware...   I have an elec. deep fryer I use for slow cooking and control the element so it doesn't come on full blast to raise the temp 5 deg. when the stat calls for it...  NICE !!!!


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## bill1 (Jul 4, 2020)

daveomak said:


> ... in use for 3-4 years and still working...


That's pretty good.  I think they're basically the circuitry of a 600W rotary wall dimmer switch but with better cooling (ie cooling fin and holes in chassis) while being a couple bucks cheaper.
And I see that for the princely sum of $13 the same unit can now be had, shipped to your door, with a fairly nicely integrated muffin fan.  Still rated 4000W, implying you needed at least that amount of forced air cooling to achieve anywhere near the claimed specs before.  For someone wanting a simple (non-thermostatic) control of a 1500W element on a 120V/15A circuit, it's hard to beat the price and simplicity.


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## markjordan (Jun 7, 2021)

That's rather impressive. I believe they have the circuitry of a 600W rotary wall dimmer switch, but with superior cooling (i.e. cooling fin and holes in chassis) and are a few dollars less expensive than Big Chief carts.
And I notice that the identical item, with a very neatly incorporated muffin fan, can now be bought for the delightful price of $13, mailed to your door. Still rated at 4000W, meaning that you'd need at least that much power.


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