2nd Burner ?

[RAF128]

I buy most of my meats at Prairie Meats.    They label them different and Pork Butt usually marked as Pork shoulder.    I've also bought some at Boryski's.   They label them as pork butt.   They're usually frozen there though.

[Cleaver]

Well I grabbed a 7 lb pork shoulder and 4 racks of ribs from prairemeats today.  Was going to leave it till friday but the selection was awesome.  Unfortunate that I will have to freeze it but like I said selection was great today.  Cant wait till weekend.

[Quarlow]

Cleaver if you really don't want to buy a PID then you can hook the second element direct to a switch and mount it to the back or where ever. You willl have to control it yourself, but if it is real cold like it gets there and I know cause I have trucked through there in the winters you may be able to just turn it on and leave it on. But you will have to monitor it cloesly.
 Hey a question to Habs or anyone who might know, could you hook the heat element to a relay and have the digital controller operate it that way? Then you wouldn't have the high voltage draw on the digital controller.

[Cleaver]

I've been looking into it and you can install a relay for the second burner.  They are called a SSR (Solid State Relay).  And that is probably what I'm gonna do.  After I see if I really need it.  I know I made a bunch of pepperoni sticks last year.  Borrow a buddies OBS and with full load it took 11 hours to bring the pepp's up to temp.  It was 30 below outside and his door has a bad seal at the top.  I told him to get warranty but he never did.  door has never sealed since new, he just needs to tweek it a bit though.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hey a question to Habs or anyone who might know, could you hook the heat element to a relay and have the digital controller operate it that way? Then you wouldn't have the high voltage draw on the digital controller.

Others will know, but that is beyond my knowledge in this area.

[Mallikii]

This is the first time in my schooling that I found what I have learned is useful for stuff at home. The PID controller is a Proportional, Integral, and Differential Controller. This essentially means that it is used to control the heater elements is such a way to minimize temperature overshoots and get to the temperature you want in the shortest time possible. That is as fast as possible with out over shooting too high. I see the price on that and I believe that if you had some knowledge you could make one that wasn't as pretty for $20 or so. I might play around with that for my design project this fall. 

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Mallikii;
Welcome to the forum.

The following link may assist you in building your own:
PID Controller

Plug & Play PID and Parts

[Mallikii]

Thanks Habanero Smoker,
   Actually I am an electrical engineering student and I would build it from the component level up. Electric power distribution and control are the two areas I am studying so this is right up my alley. I hope to graduate this Spring. I ordered a 6 rack Bradley on Saturday and it should all be here on Wednesday. I live in Wisconsin and have loved smoke fish ever since I was a kid because of a Lake Michigan Charter Captain my father was a friend of. I was in the Navy for 9 years and now I am back in school. I have lived in South Carolina, Georgia, Washington State, and Guam before coming back here. I miss good southern style barbecue form the south so that is what made me first look for a smoker. I think it is a little early to look at modifying a new smoker but the whole reason I went with a Bradley is because the gas one I have gets too warm according to my neighbor who is big into smoking. Now I am concerned that it won't get warm enough. I will have to wait and see but I plan to smoke a pork butt or two on Thursday. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I would like it to go as smooth as possible.

Thanks again,
           Mallikii

[Habanero Smoker]

You've pick an impressive career choice. If you do build forum scratch, I hope you will share you expertise with the board.

[crestman]

Sorry for digging up an older post here, but I found it very relevant to my current position (and noticed some Sask guys as well). This will be my second winter using the unit and I decided to order the second heating element due to last winters experience. I do have this setup in my insulated garage with a hood vent mounted over top. I can also heat the garage but still would like to have the second element to get better recovery times as I do a lot of butts (3 at a time can take over 30hrs with my current setup and that's when it's warm!). I ordered the stuff without completely understanding the installation and over looked the PID requirements. My problem now is that I have the unit disassemble started and don't think I would have the time (or the cash) to wait for a PID unit to arrive (I'm a in Toon town Sask - GO RIDERS! ) so I'm wondering what you guys recommend. I have an event that I've promised some pulled pork for next weekend so I have to get my setup going by mid next week. I should add that I am not very electrically inclined although I follow directions great!!!

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm not sure what model you have; but without a PID and depending which way you did the hookup, I recommend that you do not use it as is.

If you need to use the smoker asap, I would take the back off the smoker, and disconnect the wiring of the second element at the plug. That way you will still be able to use the original element while leaving everything in place, and when you get your PID, just connect the wires of the second element back into the plug. If you do unhook the second element, wrap some tape or wire screws around ends of the exposed wires.

[crestman]

Thanks Habanero,

I have the 6 rack digital unit

Say, where can a guy get one here in Canada? Not that it can't be purchased from the US, but it takes so darn long with customs etc. Maybe if I could get one in a few days I'd get one.

[Habanero Smoker]

You might want to ask Toker. I don't have a PID so I don't follow up on that device. I use a different temperature control device that uses a different algorithm; DigiQ II.

[RAF128]

Thanks Habanero,

I have the 6 rack digital unit

Say, where can a guy get one here in Canada? Not that it can't be purchased from the US, but it takes so darn long with customs etc. Maybe if I could get one in a few days I'd get one.

I don't think you can.   You'll have to go to auber.   I did and it took a little over a week to get it.  Mine is the single probe and it works great on my 6 rack

[Toker]

No you will have to buy it from Auber web site. Takes about 10 business days to get here.