Smoker Suggestions

I aquired this old fridge from a restraunt that has shut down.



I am looking for input on what to use for a burner, I was thinking about using a hot plate or maybe an electric oven element, I think then I will be able to control the temp better with a thermastat. Also, should I put a vent at the top, and if so, how large of hole.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Make your smoker like a gas hot water heater works... But just use hardwoods to fire it, like hickory, apple, etc. I've even heard of maple tasting pretty good.

It looks like you're on a farm--use a round plow disc for the chip plate (holds the chips--below that double up two discs on the bottom for the fire. you can mount a thermometer on the side of the unit, and control the heat with draft, and the amount of wood you feed the fire.

Weld up some racks for the meat, that you would access from the top doors, the bottom doors to access the fire, and chip holder.

I forgot to mention... Make sure you completely gut the inside of the fridge... You don't want any insulation or anything nasty to contaminate your meat.

If you can control your smoke temperature then you will have a far more useful smoker as you will be able to both hot and cold smoke. If you've ever tried Scots smoked salmon it is cold smoked with a rum and demerrara sugar cure. You will also be able to make a much wider variety of foods.

Try getting "Smoking Salmon and Trout" by Jack Whelan


www.bcbooks.com/smoking.html


It explains both cold and hot smoking and has a section on smoker construction. He also talks about forced draft smoking, which reduces your smoking time drastically and results in a better finished product. All this means is you have an air inlet with a small blower attached and the smoke source piped into the far side of the blower. The smoke is then passed through an internal baffle ( a piece of plywood or metal with a bunch of holes drilled in it) which distributes the smoke evenly, and then is vented through a similar baffle. It may sound complicated, but it really isn't at all. I built one years ago and have had absolutely no problems with it.

As far as woods go, it's a matter of taste. Cherry, maple,alder,mesquite,pecan, many other hardwoods,and even softwoods like fir can be used.

Have fun! ( I do.)

Metals406 said:

I forgot to mention... Make sure you completely gut the inside of the fridge... You don't want any insulation or anything nasty to contaminate your meat.

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the inside of the fridge is completely lined with metal, do you suggest removing this metal to get at the insulation behind it? I was thinkin I would have to remove the refridgeration unit that is in the top of the fridge, but it hadnt even dawned on me to strip it down to remove the insulation, I kind of thought it may help with temp regulation. BTW there are no plastic parts inside the fridge just metal.

Thanks for the input, and keep it coming.

Turkeyslayer said:

the inside of the fridge is completely lined with metal, do you suggest removing this metal to get at the insulation behind it? I was thinkin I would have to remove the refridgeration unit that is in the top of the fridge, but it hadnt even dawned on me to strip it down to remove the insulation, I kind of thought it may help with temp regulation. BTW there are no plastic parts inside the fridge just metal.

Thanks for the input, and keep it coming.

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Yes, remove the sheetmetal, and remove the insulation... You don't want to risk contaminating your food. Heat can break down insulation, and cause particulates to become airborne. Strip it down to the outer shell, that's all you need... Commercially sold smokers are made out of something close to 20ga sheet stock--holding the heat isn't a concern.

EDIT: I just looked at your pictures again... An area that I thought I saw exposed insulation wasn't exposed after all... The max temp you'll want with a hot-smoke is around 190°... If there isn't any way insulation can contaminate the smoking area... You'll probably be fine leaving the sheetmetal and insulation intact... Less work for you that way.

Any paint or plastics should be removed from the inside as well... If you can't remove it conventionally, consider burning it off with something like a weed burner. Then scrub the burnt remnants with a steel brush, and clean it with mineral spirits or lacquer thinner.

If you do have to heat the paint to get it of (anything inside, outside won't hurt), watch how much heat you apply, as thin sheet will warp easily.

The reefer unit should be removed as well... If it leaves a hole, consider using the whole for the exhaust.

Nice refer. I picked up a under counter model last year and made a smoker out of it. Don't know how yours is built , but removing the insulation, which was a type of foam, was rough. The doors and front framework were framed with 2 x 4's with 1 1/2" thick rigid glued between the wood and 2 layers of metal. I replaced the foam with rigid fiber-glass. I also replaced the rubber door seals with braided fiberglass oven door seals from the local recycling center. With the insulation a single burner hot plate provides enough heat but I had to bypass the built-in temperature controls and use controls I got off Ebay.

For the large model you have the heating element and controls from a old oven would be good. The only problem would be the 220 volts needed.

On a bigger model I used an electric grill Wall-Mart had on clearance.

I later found that the temps for smoking would not have affected the foam insulation.

For smoke I use a smoke generator.

I can only wish

My wife would be Pi$$ed if I put that in my yard.....you're either lucky or Single.

Scootermsp said:

My wife would be Pi$$ed if I put that in my yard.....you're either lucky or Single.

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mostly lucky with a few stipulations, I have to paint the outside of the smoker than put it out of site behind the barn or else she will

I just went out to have a better look inside the unit. There are 2 seams where potential contamination could come from, I wonder if I high temp siliconed these seams, if there would be any ill effects from the silicone on the food being smoked.
Triptester nice looking smoker you have there. I will look into the oven door gaskets, that is a great idea. Also what is a smoke generator, and what creates the smoke? wood chips?

Thanks again for the input I have been getting lots of great ideas.

My wife actually procured my freezer to make into a smoker.

Now I just need to get it done. My plan is to build an offset firebox for charcoal / wood and maybe later put an lp burner in it if I get lazy. I just scored the ss for the firebox now I need to get a design put together.

Don

A smoke generator is a piece of pipe with a hand full a wood pellets in it. You lite the pellets from the bottom and a small fish tank air pump blows the smoke created into the smoker. A hand full of pellets last about 3 hours.

Works for both hot and cold smoking.

Hey, TS! Congrats on the new smoker. My dad used to smoke mullet in a converted fridge, but he used wood fires instead of gas or electric.

For your conversion, I'd recommend using propane instead of electric as the set-up seems like it would be easier. With a freezer that size, I'd also run two burners off of two tanks so you can control the temps better and still get up to and maintain higher cooking temps more easily. With the two tanks you'd not have to worry about running out of propane halfway through a cook, and even if you did, you could maintain temps while you switched out the empty tank.

Make sure your freezer has fiberglass insulation instead of styrofoam as the styrofoam will burn very easily. It looks like the interior is metal, so you are good to go there.

Figure out some way to put a water pan over the burner(s)--it'll help you regulate temperatures better, and it'll protect the burner from getting drippings all over it and starting a smoky, stinky grease fire. Some folks argue that the water pan adds moisture to the meat, but that's debated in quite a few barbecue circles. And when you start cooking line your water pan with foil so you can clean it up easier.

There's some good pictures here--check out the pix of the burner/chip can/water pan set-ups.

When you get to cooking on it, there's great recipes and advice at the Virtual Weber Bullet site.

Personally,I think some of ya'll are making a smoker too complicated.

You need a BOX, made of metal, with one door. Mostly an airtight seal on the door.
You need a burner (i prefer propane) ,a wood chip box, and a pan that holds water (to keep meat moist), and a temp gauge on the door.

I have two doors on the bottom, for air intake. I have a door on the top to control smoke.

The smoker box itself, is made of sheet metal. I would have NO insulation, as ALL insulation is toxic, if burned and contaminated your meat.

I HOT smoke up to 300 degrees, and cold smoke up to 190 degrees.

I like Djarum Blacks and Specials, but they're like $10 a pack now, sucks.

I'd install that fridge in the house and find a 50-80 gallon ceramic lined gas HW tank to build the smoker out of. Cut the center tube out and you have a hole in the bottom and a hole in the top. The metal is thick enough to weld to for removable racks and will hold a couple hundred pounds of meat at a time. Put a choker (large ring on the end of a small chain) in the top on a hook and you can hang a 1/4 side in there. Weld the hole closed on the disk, put it in the bottom filled water to disperse the smoke and hold the temps even. Then build a small fire where the burner once was, and you are set.

(envious) But that commercial fridge will work too. (/envious) Great find !

freemind said:

Personally,I think some of ya'll are making a smoker too complicated.

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K.I.S.S.

KsWoodsMan said:

I'd install that fridge in the house and find a 50-80 gallon ceramic lined gas HW tank to build the smoker out of.

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I agree. If that fridge still works it would be a shame to destroy it. From the pictures it looks as if it is one open unit inside, big enough to hang meat (deer, lamb, pork). Even if you put it in the barn or garage it would be worth more as a fridge in my mind. It would have some resale value as a working unit for a fridge that size. Put the money towards a smoker.

The fridge doesnt work anymore, the compressor is broken and removed, that is why it was free. I want to keep it simple that is why I asked for suggestions, I am all about easy. I think I am leaning towards a 2 burner electric hot plate with some kind of inline thermostat.

Thanks for all the ideas, and keep them coming.

heres my smoker

dont know how long it will acually cook, but i have had her at 225 for 14 hours on about 12 lbs of kingsford bricks with peacon or hickory for smoke