Fridge Smoker and Thank You

Started by Single Malt, July 29, 2014, 11:50:23 AM

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Single Malt

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:








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)









Finished Smoker with professional JD green car paint! :D






















Thanks again everyone.


Single Malt

Quarlow

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.
I like to walk threw life on the path of least resistance. But sometimes the path needs a good kick in the ass.

OBS
BBQ
One Big Easy, plus one in a box.

ragweed

Welcome from Nebraska.  Great, great smoker !  How much $ to make one for me??

barbquebec


Single Malt

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

Quarlow

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.
I like to walk threw life on the path of least resistance. But sometimes the path needs a good kick in the ass.

OBS
BBQ
One Big Easy, plus one in a box.

Single Malt

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.

Robert Rose

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.
Robert Rose
Director Region 3
Texas Association of Bass Clubs
CoCoRaHS Volunteer TX-ER-4

Single Malt

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.

Mr Walleye

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

Click On The Smoker For Our Time Tested And Proven Recipes


Single Malt

Thanks Mr. Walleye!  I used many of the pictures in your posts to help.  Very much appreciated.

Habanero Smoker

With the enlarged pictures, I can clearly see how great of a job you did building that smoker.



     I
         don't
                   inhale.
  ::)

beefmann

great looking smoker,,, good  work too

irish_smoker


pensrock

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.