Placement of smoker

[BuyLowSellHigh]

My view is that, if you can tolerate the smokey odor, a basement setup such as FLSM's is probably alright for cold smoking and possibly stuff like sausage if well attended -- smoking that doesn't render fats.  But I would never consider using it for cooking meats or poultry (brisket, butts, chicken, etc.).  Just appreciate that anytime the heating element in the cabinet is on there is a real possibility for things to go wrong, and if they do the consequences can be tragic.

The vent reminds me of a valuable lesson I picked up as a young lad at the expense of my neighbors.  I grew up on cul de sac.  One normal, quiet spring evening the usual neighborhod peace was broken by the rush of firetrucks into our little circle.  A quick look up and I saw the roof of the house three houses around was breaking through in flame.  Long story short, what started as a small grease fire on the kitchen stove spread to the exhaust fan duct that ran up through the roof, and under the challenge of fire the duct failed spreading the fire to the attic.  It consumed the second floor of the house and everything above it.  The lesson was that kitchen exhaust ducts, over time, can accumulate grease, etc. and be susceptible to fire.  For smoking I would suspect it will also carry similar risk for smoke tar deposits as creosote for a wood stove.

[SouthernSmoked]

FLSM,
I'm not trying to rain on your parade but I urge you to take a look at the attached thread.  Proper cleaning and maintenance will not insure fire prevention.

The smoker in the thread below had only been used twice before.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=19808.0

Please be very careful.

I agree with KYNola - way too many things could happen. I own two Bradley smoker's and both have been on fire one time or another.

Once because I added a mop of BBQ to a butt and the sauce landed on the heating element and the other two times the wood chips/pucks stacked up on me and ignited. I was lucky on all three occasions, even though my smoker's are outdoor they were setting under a canopy and the flame extended about two-three feet above the smoker.

To everyone who thinks just cleaning after each smoke will protect you from you smoker from catching on fire - this is a reminder. Normally I use my smokers 3-4 a week and have been doing so for the past 4 years. I clean my smokers after each and every use. I've never seen a smoker catch on fire clean and setting idol. It's the time that WE decided to act and once WE turn the unit on there are just way to many things that could go wrong. I have already stated a couple but there are also things mechanically with the SRG that could also happen, such as, not advancing the wood Bisquettes.

My two cents worth!

Please be very careful and remember safety first.

[Indy Smoker]

I would never place/use indoors

[CanButcher]

Hi There
I am new to smoking but since its well below freezing up here in Manitoba the first thing I did was set up my BS in the basement. It didn't work out to well. I had the smoke ducked out side but still filled the house with smoke. I kept duck taping where smoke was coming out but then it started coming out where the smoke generator clips on. I gave up in the end and moved it out side. It was 25 below today and I still smoked some awesome pork chops from inside a unheated building. I will smoke out side in warmer weather because of the small but real fire risk.

[hal4uk]

That's cool, resourceful, imaginative, and extremely dangerous.
Ain't nobody here trying to pick on ya or nothin' of the sort...
But, you need to change that plan.

Might work fine for many great smokes...
But it only takes ONE bad day to burn down your house and your neighbor's house.
Do they have kids?
Awrighten.

[DADAKOTA]

I'd also check with the insurance carrier and see if that impacts ones policy or coverage.