Smoker conversion

[marauder11]

Ok i have built my new smoker out of birch plywood with Styrofoam insulation . I have the insulation sandwiched between two layer of plywood. The door is the only non insulated part. I have been using a 1200 watt hot plate and a smoke pistol to  make smoke. I have had ok turn outs taste fine long time to reach IT. So i have decided to turn it to a gas smoker. I have all the stuff i need to do this as i am a gas fitter. Just wondering do you think that i am going to need a circ fan to move the heat around after i add the gas. The burner is a 47000 BTU hot water tank burner and the hot plate converts out to  4097 BTU more than 10 time the BTU'S am i asking for the bottoms of the sausage  to be black or will adding the fan help.

[pikeman_95]

How about a picture to get a better idea of what yo have.

I would suggest that possibly you set your smoker up on blocks and put the burner underneath and bring the heat and smoke up through the floor with some insulated metal piping. I would also suggest the you install a electric solenoid valve in the main gas line going to the burner then pipe a T in front and behind the solenoid valve. Then pipe a bypass line with a fine jetted needle valve in this line between the two T's. Now you can run your temperature controller [digital if you wish ] with the auto valve. when it calls for heat the solenoid valve is opened by the thermostat and it goes to high fire. An when the temperature is reached the auto valve will close and you can then set a low fire setting with the needle valve. This way you can go from high fire to low fire automatically. The fire never goes out so you have no restart issues. I have run my system this way for many years and have just acquired a digital controller and intend to get it hooked up soon.
As far as I am concerned a fan is a must I have 4 in my smoker.

Kirby

[marauder11]

Thanks Kirby. I was just going to use the controller to open the gas valve and have a pilot to light the burner. I will have to see if i have the stuff around to do it the way you described. I will find a pic and post this is the one i posted a while back i call it the experiment because when i get it all figured i still plan on making a cinder block smoker.

[pikeman_95]

I started with the pilot light Idea and I have one on my smoker also but on a windy day you take a chance of having it blow out. If you have a thermal couple on the gas controller you are OK but if you just run it with out one you take the chance of sending a batch to the moon. I found that using the high low fire system gives me very little temperature swing. You can adjust the low fire flame up or down depending on the outside temperature. I adjust mine very little though. The temp swings are very small.

Kirby