# Smokers indoors



## mulepackin (Mar 7, 2008)

Anyone every put their smoker indoors? As in a shed, garage or even the house. If so, how did you duct and vent it. I wouldn't mind setting mine up in our shed so I'm out of the weather more in the winter months, which is when I do most of my suasage, turkeys, etc. Also a little worried about fire and so forth. Any thoughts, ideas and pics are greatly appreciated.


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## desertlites (Mar 7, 2008)

I have a metal shed that I will put the ecb in at times-winds mainly-leave the doors open-faces north-whatever that means in tucson-It helps in what nasty weather we get.


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## a-bar (Mar 7, 2008)

mulepackin I used some alum. flex vent and chimney flashing from the UFA supply up here. Sorry I have to be short Internet is going to shut down need new provider.

Alan.


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## fishawn (Mar 7, 2008)

In Washington, You keep it outside & covered if you can.


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## fishawn (Mar 7, 2008)

Please don't look @ the grease stain on my concrete under the grill. I was doing a Brisket on the grill & my grease pan overfloweth with Brisket love.


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## kurtsara (Mar 7, 2008)

I use my MES in our attached garage with the garage door opened about 6 inches, I no the MES has no fire in it, I would not do this if it did, but the smoke goes out the upper opening of the door


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## morkdach (Mar 7, 2008)

never put it inside a living area


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## kookie (Mar 7, 2008)

I have used my little cheif in the garage, but it was after it was done smoking and I was just using it to finish cooking the jerky I was making so it was only heating....At that point it wasn't much different then a space heater.........I guess if I was going to make smoke with it inside I would keep it close to a door and keep the door open some and put a fan up to blow the smoke out the open door............I guess I would never use it in the house.........My garage is unattached...........Not sure if your just thinking more wind break or if you thinking to help with heat loss? ........Hope that helps some.......


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## kratzx4 (Mar 7, 2008)

A buddy and I have been discussing this. The thought that we came up with is to get an old range hood mount it to some sort of frame, get a piece of play wood cut to a size to fit in a garage window cut a hole for ducting then attach ducting to the hood and plywood. hope this makes sense, like I say we have been bouncing this idea around but have not put it in to action yet.


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## blkshadowsabre (Mar 7, 2008)

I use my smokey mountain smoker in my shad and leave the doors open,it works well,but the shed will smell like smoke for a long time.I mostly use it in the shed because I live on top of a hill and have alot of wind.


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## dysartsmoker (Mar 7, 2008)

I bought a range hood to install in the garage, but never got a chance to install it yet. Not sure if there is enough cfm's to take the smoke away. If someone has done this please post pics or just let us know how it work out for you.


THKS.


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## travcoman45 (Mar 7, 2008)

Used the little chiefs in the garage all winter long. New unit is being built to live in the garage so it don't walk off like the ss unit did! I leave the small door open a bit and raise the overhead door bout 6 inchs or so, garage smells good for a long time afterwards! One could fashion a hood over the smoker and pipe it out a window if you wanted to, maybe add a fan to encourage it. Never felt the need for it myself.

Do not use a grill or smoker in the living space, just dosen't work out well!

I would keep (and do) a fire extinguisher in the area.  My shop already has several so it's not an issue.  I have used the Turkey fryer in the shop before, ( it's very large, ceiling is 15 feet high and the shop measures 25 x 35 with all concrete floor) when it was blizzerding on Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Don't like to do it, buy had to feed a whole heard of folks too!  I cut and weld in the shop alot, so there aren't alot of flammables close by.


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## mulepackin (Mar 8, 2008)

I guess I just want to get out of the weather a little when I'm filling the smoker, and taking stuff out. So I'm not standing in a raging blizzard (which I've done). I've got a new yard shed 11x18 ft. that I built last year and I could fit it in there. I've thought about putting a regular vent pipe roof jack in, and then use flex pipe and collars to hook it up as Abar suggests. My door oozes a little, so I am concerned about that smoke smoking up the stuff I store in the shed. I think for now I'm going to build a rolling frame to stand it on and try it in a few different locations around the yard including the deck. Thanks for all the input.


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## travcoman45 (Mar 8, 2008)

Mulepackin: Got room to just build you a small shed on your property just for the smoker, sorta like an oversized out house?  Just a thought.


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## walleye1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Mulepackin

I live in Canada (Saskatchewan) and our winters are a little on the chilly side. We also have an abundance of wind so I built my smoker into my detached heated garage. I have a 250 cfm range hood installed with a direct vent through the wall. My smoker started life as a Bradley Digital. In addition to building my smoker into my garage I've also done a number of mods including adding a PID, circulation fan and permanent cold smoke setup. I usually hangout at the Bradley forums. Here are a few links which include photos of my set up. I've been a lurker on the site here for some time and usually check in fairly often if you have any questions. I just though you might be able to get a few ideas from my setup.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6075.0

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6843.0

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4735.0


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## geek with fire (Mar 8, 2008)

I've been fiddling with drawings over the last several months to build a "Dad's Kitchen" outside.  Mostly to pretect from the weather, like you mentioned.  I think what I've decided to do over the smoker area, in addition to a flexible hose to vent out the stack, is to build a square wooden "hood" over the smoker with a standard bathroom "fart fan" to vent out the smoke that excapes when you open the lid.  I think the hood will help the stray smoke to collect there and excape without having to draw the smoke out too hard; which I suspect would make it difficult to maintain temperatures.

In any event, no matter what you do, I very much recommend putting in a CO alarm in any confined area with a smoker or grill.  Every year I read about someone who died trying to keep himself warm inside with charcoal.  The alarms are a little pricey, but we can't have you keeling over...yer' cookin' dinner!


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## geek with fire (Mar 8, 2008)

very nice setup, my friend!


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## walleye1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Thanks for the compliment Josh. It's kinda a.... "continuing work in progress". I love to tinker so I'm pretty confident it will never be "complete". 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Mike


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## nh3b's (Mar 8, 2008)

Dude,

Anyone with a name like Walleye1 and with a setup like that......You ROCK!!

Check this out, Id love to incorporate this in my house one day: http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/smokehouse-old.htm

This site is awesome actually. He is old school Polish and has some great plans! I know it cause my father smoked meats back in KY like some of his designs.

PM sometime, I grew up at mouth of Detroit river/Lake st clair....Walleye spawning grounds!


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## setitandforgetitsmoker (Mar 8, 2008)

i have got a pretty big stainless comercial smoker in my shop and i layed a masonary chimney up through the roof for my wood stove and then tied the smoker into this vent works really well i will say that if you are going to put in a enclosed area such as a shed use at least a class b vent like what a hot water heater uses when you go through the roof use a thimble or bonnet to keep the pipe away from any wood. i know that your smoker flue temps shoud never get too much above 250 deg. which on a double wall pipe wont feal but a little warm. the reason i would not use the flex pipe is that even burning seasoned wood your flue temp is always so cool that your smoke will condensate and stick to the inside of the pipe over time and not cleaned this does pose a pretty good risk for a fire in the flue the flex duct other than stainless steel will melt in no time. you get the point. also these flex pipes are not real easy to clean.also i would make sure that the top of the flue is 24 inches above the highest point on the building to prevent down drafts. and install the flue as if it were going to get alot hotter than expected.


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## big dawgg (Mar 8, 2008)

I was just about to link to these when I saw you had done it. One of the better setups I have seen and I am thinking of copying it.


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## dodgeramsst2003 (Mar 8, 2008)

I have thought about this and noticed that a local meat shop has one of those fancy commercial units inside his store.  when he opened the door, you could see all the smoke go towards the vent pipe, which leads me to believe that if you install a small fan to create just  a little draw it should pull all the smoke outside.  I work in a dyno lab testing engines and we always have the testcells setup with a little draw to them.  Keeps people from getting sick from CO poisoning, so I would be comfortable running a smoker like that.  

Chris


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## walleye1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Thanks Dawgg

I'm happy with the setup for sure and it certainly takes the weather element out of the situation, especially where I live.

Mike


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