Photos of new homemade smoker

DTom · May 10, 2005, 01:56:46 AM

I'm new to this forum and thought I make the first post some pixs of my smoker project. Have used Brinkman smokers for years and am currently working on an outdoor kitchen project. Among other things I wanted an built-in smoker. After doing the research, I settled on a Bradley smoke generator.

My wife works at Whirlpool and got me a great deal (aka FREE!!!) on a Kitchenaid Outdoor Refrigerator that was a lab unit. The frig is stainless steel inside and out!
http://outdoor.kitchenaid.com/refrigerator.asp

Once I got that, I stripped all the refrigeration equipment out of it (they evacuated the system) and started adding the smoker parts. There were a few internal cabinet parts that couldn't take the heat that I removed. Had to cover some internal areas with SS riveted or screwed into place.

Reworked the shelf support by added some angle riveted to the side wall where I wanted it. (Waiting on 3 more shelves.)

Added a convection fan (Ebay) to the back.

Used a 500W heating element (McMaster Carr) that's controlled by a Omega CN132 temperature controller (Ebay) and a type J thermocouple (someone's desk at work). The temp controller switches a solid state relay (McMaster Carr). All that's in a waterproof elect box (junked at work).

Anyway, here's the pix before the first smoke. Did a couple racks of 'test ribs' right after this and they did great!

D Tom

nsxbill · May 10, 2005, 02:54:40 AM

Does the convection fan just involve a stirrer, or does it pump in air from outside the cabinet? That is the one thing BS could use. It needs a stirring fan to distribute the heat better.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

DTom · May 10, 2005, 04:27:05 AM

Bill,

It stirs only. Nothing from outside.

Using it the first time caused some smoke back through the gen when running. I think because the draft comes radially out of the fan so some air was pushing down the back wall, towards the generator. I'm going to add a SS baffle on the bottom half of the fan for the next smoke and see how it goes.

D Tom

nsxbill · May 10, 2005, 05:25:19 AM

DTom

Since Convection Fans are kind of rare on Ebay, what is the brand and model number? I might be able to find one at a parts store. Thanks.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

Oldman · May 10, 2005, 06:34:12 AM

Greetings DTom, and welcome to this place. Nice unit you have!

If you have any tried and true recipes you would like to have added to the Bradley Member's Recipe Page then post them here on the OPEN BOARD. After that they are coded and placed into the correct category. HERE

This is where they currently are ending up, but I'm reworking everything at the moment. HERE

Thanks~~!

Olds

MallardWacker · May 10, 2005, 02:22:45 PM

DT,

Most excelent.....Very good looking. Like the fan. It's just got to work.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

whitetailfan · May 10, 2005, 04:08:26 PM

DTom,
That is a beautiful looking smoker!!!
What is it that you have sunk the smoker into? It looks like a cabinet with counter top, which would fit your comment about an outdoor kitchen.
Is the unit vented out the top with a 90deg bend in your exhaust?
From the pics, you are venting the smoker back out on the same side as the smoke gen, which is inside your structure.

Looks sweet!

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

DTom · May 10, 2005, 05:55:15 PM

Thanks all. Thanks Olds for the links. So far I'm using others recipes. As I develop I'll be sure to posts.

Here's the description of the fan I got off Ebay. Hope the numbers help...

Item number: 5575909790
"Convection oven fan Mint like new Sears/ Whirlpool
This fan came off my Brand new Whirlpool convection oven. The shaft was too short and the fan rubbed on the back of the oven when it heated up. I don't know if this was supposed to be on a different model oven or if it is just wrong. The new one had a slightly different part number. The part number on this one is 70640 22.04. It also has another number on it - 9755777. Bid at your own risk. Buyer pays $6.00 shipping. "

I think it would be like the fan that goes in an oven like this...
http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=BUILT-IN%20OVENS&categoryId=83&productId=72
Click on the "more" link on the Convection Fan System.

It's sunk into an outdoor kitchen (not finished yet) that will have a stucco finished sides and tile countertops. I'll try to post a pixs of the whole thing soon. I vent out the top/side of the unit and that is hooked to a AL flex pipe that vents out the backside of the outdoor kitchen structure.

JJC · May 11, 2005, 04:18:07 AM

Welcome to the Forum, DTom--that unit's a beauty!

John
Newton MA

jaeger · May 12, 2005, 03:19:18 AM

Welcome!
Very nice job!!!
Keep us posted on your results.

Doug

nsxbill · May 12, 2005, 05:21:08 AM

I really like the unit, and look forward to seeing the picture of the island when it is completed.

The convection fan just might be the answer to so many of our questions about how to make the temps more even and preclude shelf rotation.

Thanks for posting up this innovative approach. I am sure I am going to be looking into acquiring and installing one of the stirring fans.

It will go hand and hand with putting in a salamander heater to boost temps more quickly and maintain the temps when the door has to be opened.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

Oldman · May 12, 2005, 05:54:51 AM

We've talked about convection fans before. I've looked at a couple and IMO they move too much air for the Bradley. What we need IMO is a gentle breeze and not a wind.

Perhaps something to defuse the air flow. It could be something as simple as a filter in front of the fan. i.e. The type of metal filter you have over your stove in that hood~~! I have not looked under every rock but I have not found a fan that is gentle enough yet.

Olds

Habanero Smoker · May 12, 2005, 10:48:30 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Oldman
 We've talked about convection fans before. I've looked at a couple and IMO they move too much air for the Bradley. What we need IMO is a gentle breeze and not a wind.

Olds

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
What if you hooked the fan to a rheostat? Then you could control the fan speed, or would that burn out the motor?

DTom · May 12, 2005, 05:47:49 PM

On the actual convection ovens, there is a metal cover over the fan that does reduce the airflow. Can't find one of those on Ebay and don't want to pay a new part price.

I'm going to put the baffle on the lower half of the fan and see how that works. I have an old 3-speed box fan. May rip out that switch and wire to this fan to give a multi-speed operation. May be a few weeks of this stuff, but will let you know how it goes.

D. Tom

Phone Guy · May 12, 2005, 06:04:11 PM

Could you vent up through your BBQ grill? This would make the most out of your smoke. Ribs in the smoker and steaks on the grill. All smoked. I like it. Where are you venting?