# Hot plate cutout



## timoteo (Jun 22, 2014)

Hi, I live in southern Spain. I'm completely new to smoking. I've built a small plywood smoker( approx 1 m x 40 x40) but I have a problem with the hot plate ... it cuts out just as smoke starts to get going. Obviously it's a safety cutout. My question is can I bypass the cutout? Or are there special hotplates for smokers?


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## eman (Jun 22, 2014)

Can you bypass the shut off ? yes. Would i recommend it ? no would i do it if it was mine ? yes.


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## daveomak (Jun 22, 2014)

If you bypass the cut-out, the increased temp of the hot plate could melt all the other stuff on the hot plate and start a fire and possibly poisonous fumes if the "stuff" is some sort of high temp plastic....  You can strip the hot plate of stuff that will melt and build a metal framework.....   That takes some skill and an understanding of electric wiring......  and VERY POSSIBLY an electric shock hazard which can be deadly....

I have done the hot plate mod on one of my smokers....

click on pics to enlarge













Hot plate installed.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Jun 22, 2014


















Hot plate wiring.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Jun 22, 2014


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## timoteo (Jun 22, 2014)

Thanks guys, so far you've scared me off! I don't think I'll go down this avenue just yet - electricity was never my strong subject. What about a small gas ring? Fire hazard? Does smoke combust easily?


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## dward51 (Jun 22, 2014)

Timoteo said:


> Thanks guys, so far you've scared me off! I don't think I'll go down this avenue just yet - electricity was never my strong subject. What about a small gas ring? Fire hazard? Does smoke combust easily?


Can you obtain a heating element from an electric stove and buy or make a PID controller setup?  You could do the same with the hot plate after bypassing the thermostatic safety, but you need some sort of heat control on the thing (the PID serves that function by cutting the power to the element when the pit temp hits a set point).  There has been many a cabinet smoker made with stove elements. There are a ton of examples on this site and it's not hard to do.  Add one of Todd's pellet trays or tubes and you are in business.  Temps are a lot easier to regulate in an electric cabinet than with gas.  The pellet tray/tube will generate smoke independent of the heating element being on, plus it gives you the option to make sausage at lower temps and cold smoke with no heat.


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## thinblueduke (Jun 23, 2014)

I don't think I would try gas in something that small and made of plywood.  Do you have access to any sort of metal housing?


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