BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Bradley Smokers => Smoke Generator with Adaptor (BTSG1) => Topic started by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 11:50:23 AM

Title: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 11:50:23 AM
Hello everyone,

I have spent the better part of a year on this forum- reading and reading.  I cannot say enough how much this place has helped me when building my new smoker (which I just finished).   I am now using this forum to help me with all the smoking/cooking/rubs/recipes and everything else.  I want to thank all the people for all their posts, which lets everyone, like myself, learn and figure things out.   I felt I should 'give back' to the forum by making this post and putting some pictures of how I went about making a smoker out of an old fridge.  I know others' pictures of their homemade smokers were invaluable to me when I was working on mine.  Thanks again for all the help and expertise.  One last comment:  the puck burner on my Bradley smoke generator stopped working after my first smoke, which was horribly disappointing, but I called and talked to Bradley customer service this morning and they are sending out a new part today and I just wanted to say thanks to Bradley for having such a great customer service department.

At the beginning:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yu2UWnj_h-Q/U9gL8QxL6qI/AAAAAAAAAJM/YWoPNkUmgTw/w600-h800-no/01-IMG_0318.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0LcY2ZrwP6o/U9gL9AuvRnI/AAAAAAAAAHc/WSJDrO2NxSE/w600-h800-no/02-IMG_0320.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HQCvFTG9ZxM/U9gL9W-aJKI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/WTqwglOFV5g/w600-h800-no/03-IMG_0322.JPG)


Some construction pics: (everything inside is food grade stainless steel.  We cut out and squared the back of the fridge up where the compresser was located and then squared everything up on the inside with steel then sheeted the entire inside with stainless. It was a lot of fun figuring out how to bend and rivet all that stainless  :).  We then sealed it all with food grade high temp silicone)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4938qstDb44/U9gL-nL34MI/AAAAAAAAAHk/oMSVqKSTpcg/w600-h800-no/05-IMG_0763.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vL9nIeUYUcI/U9gL_rjDygI/AAAAAAAAAHo/bEETXsGzxaU/w600-h800-no/06-IMG_0766.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pqwH20vxn6k/U9gMAOlz_fI/AAAAAAAAAH4/l3YMEYwILuc/w600-h800-no/07-IMG_0768.JPG)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eaUFQK6rS64/U9gL-M0yV3I/AAAAAAAAAHY/jgL--fgl-ck/w600-h800-no/04-IMG_0759.JPG)

Finished Smoker with professional JD green car paint! :D

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WvVdzkHAQZ0/U9gMAjKO8gI/AAAAAAAAAH0/QEsPBmBC2Pc/w600-h800-no/08-IMG_0404.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wkqE43GWfQA/U9gMCMoZYAI/AAAAAAAAAI8/ppWST5H682Q/w600-h800-no/10-IMG_0406.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H05BxjDBzu4/U9gMCii1TfI/AAAAAAAAAI4/FIzYM198LCs/w600-h800-no/11-IMG_0407.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T9b3PmMj4rE/U9gMBGHLcQI/AAAAAAAAAIE/Zbr4yeFUofU/w600-h800-no/09-IMG_0405.JPG)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QpCS-CroFcQ/U9gMDb4kxSI/AAAAAAAAAIU/t-Nbw-1KEww/w600-h800-no/12-IMG_0408.JPG)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e_nuw2IHfX8/U9gMELNs_RI/AAAAAAAAAIY/yo-nYE5lBBY/w600-h800-no/13-IMG_0409.JPG)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mNq6eagvcrQ/U9gMEi5foiI/AAAAAAAAAIw/S-aTdoaJZe0/w600-h800-no/14-IMG_0411.JPG)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bsWvs13Kl18/U9gMFaEhfLI/AAAAAAAAAIo/ScHe_hiNyTE/w800-h600-no/15-IMG_0413.JPG)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EjH0DwCSwFA/U9gMH_auY6I/AAAAAAAAAJA/N_9bgJx4nhU/w800-h600-no/16-IMG_0414.JPG)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MIHIpCRP_zQ/U9gMIDNMyoI/AAAAAAAAAJI/4J__DYbADwA/w600-h800-no/17-IMG_0415.JPG)


Thanks again everyone.


Single Malt
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Quarlow on July 29, 2014, 12:57:13 PM
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the pics. Any way you could upsize them so we can get a better look at that sweet looking smoker. Looks like a great one.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: ragweed on July 29, 2014, 01:57:35 PM
Welcome from Nebraska.  Great, great smoker !  How much $ to make one for me??
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: barbquebec on July 29, 2014, 02:17:45 PM
...sweet!!...  :) 8)
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 02:20:48 PM
I have increased the size of the photos :) 

Thanks Ragweed.  It was a lot more work than I had originally anticipated.  There were more than a few times I wondered why I just didn't go out and purchase a Bradley!  I have already had several requests  but I am now moving on to building a super wood splitter.  I guess I enjoy the punishment ;D
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Quarlow on July 29, 2014, 02:59:29 PM
There that's better. Yup, very nice job you did. What gauge stainless did you use? You will be able to load a pile of meat in there.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 03:35:52 PM
Thanks!  I would have to look back at my invoice but it was in that 20 gauge range.  I ran a heaver gauge 'regular' (16ish) gauge steel backing (both on the inside back and top/bottom and then on the outside bottom and back to square things up and cover holes from the compressor area getting cut out and the back of the fridge also had a hole were other components were.   Full sheets covering a bunch of smaller holes tend to be simpler sometimes vs the patching and I have access to a 4' box and pan break so the bending was easy.  It sure made the thing heavy but a great heat sink.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Robert Rose on July 29, 2014, 03:44:21 PM
What are the three pipes that go through the outer wall at the bottom on the right side? Great looking smoker hard to find old fridges like that one any more.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 03:51:20 PM
Thanks,

Those are vents.  I also have a little blower (10 cfm) that I can just push into one of the vent holes.  I may try it when I am doing jerky to keep the air flow moving and thus reduce the moisture.  I bought it a Auberins when I purchased my PID.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Mr Walleye on July 29, 2014, 05:41:53 PM
Awesome job Single Malt!  ;)

Hey!... Nothing runs like a Deere!... Well... Until you throw it in the smoker!  ;D

Just another prairie boy here.

Mike
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on July 29, 2014, 06:40:02 PM
Thanks Mr. Walleye!  I used many of the pictures in your posts to help.  Very much appreciated.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Habanero Smoker on July 30, 2014, 01:49:40 AM
With the enlarged pictures, I can clearly see how great of a job you did building that smoker.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: beefmann on July 30, 2014, 05:26:18 AM
great looking smoker,,, good  work too
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: irish_smoker on August 26, 2014, 05:54:10 AM
That is a thing of beauty.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: pensrock on August 26, 2014, 01:20:26 PM
I agree great looking smoker. Only one comment... if you plan to smoke/cook butts, and brisket and things like that you may want to consider putting a pan on the lower rack to catch grease and a tray above the pan fabbed up into some kind of V tray to catch the drippings and flow into the pan below. I would hate for grease to drip onto the heating element and cause a fire in your new smoker.
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: renoman on August 27, 2014, 06:51:06 AM
what does the stand alone smoke generator do with the burnt pucks??
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Mr Walleye on August 27, 2014, 09:30:16 AM
I think if you look in the 2nd last and 3rd last pictures, at the very bottom of the photo you can see what appears to be a guard that protects the elements from any dripping grease. I suspect he likely sets the puck bowl on it catch the spent pucks.

Mike
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Single Malt on September 13, 2014, 10:44:28 AM
Hey all,

Sorry been away.  Yes.  Mr. Walley is correct.  I bent a aluminum drip guard/stand at the bottom.  At first it had no holes cut in it but it trapped the heat at the bottom.  Out came the plasma cutter and I cut holes to outline the element (so it is not exposed) and along the sides.  The heat now travels upward well and it acts to protect the element from dripping and holds my puck/water tray.  I have used it a bunch now and I would have done a few things differently.  It does get hot on that bottom puck/water tray and boils off the water fairly quickly.  I would have mounted the generator a little higher with a higher puck water tray to give it some more space from the element.  o well.  live and learn.  I do like the idea of a drip funnel.  I have been just using a lower rack with a bigger aluminum foil pan to catch the majority of the dripping for the bigger meat.  It's fun stuff figuring it all out.   Again, thanks for all the positive comments and help.  Ribs are going in at 1:00 this afternoon :)
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Smoker John on September 24, 2014, 06:22:28 AM
Wow fantastic job on that smoker build
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: ddtdustin on February 13, 2015, 12:25:35 PM
Single Malt
What wattage element are you using?  Are you 120V with the Auber PID?  I am just getting started with a similar build and trying to figure out if 1400W is enough for 7 ft3. 
Thanks DDT
Title: Re: Fridge Smoker and Thank You
Post by: Rider14 on February 19, 2015, 03:25:00 PM
Good looking smoker. I'd probably cook the big stuff in an aluminum pan to avoid the drippage. Not sure what to do about having the water bowl catching the pucks being above the element...I assume you could add a second hole to allow you to mount the smoke generator at a higher point for when you feel like it (with some sort of block over the unused hole, like the slider for the bottom vent).

Regardless, really good looking, looks like it would hold heat really, really well.  Nice job.

-Dan