smoker build advice

[antileno]

So I am starting to build my first smoker this week and I thought before i get into it too much i should consult the experts. I am sure many of you on here have made your own just wondering if you could share any tips or tricks that will make life easier for me. My basic plan is to make it out of plywood with framed walls and use some cedar siding on the exterior as it will be a permanent fixture in my backyard. I also got some thin sheet metal to line the inside of the smoker with for easy cleaning. I will have two doors, one for the upper smoke box and one for the heating element/smoke generator down below. I still haven't decided on what i will use for a heating element and control module. I would like to be able to set a temp have it hold there consistently for even cooking and better control. my dimensions are 2'6 x 2'6 x 4'6. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

[Big Lew]

I've only built 'cold smokers' which were approx 4'x4'x10', so controlled the wood fire with damp wood for smoldering and thick smoke. I used a adjustable draft at the bottom of the door.
Many wood heaters now have thermostat controlled drafts so you might be able to pick up that apparatus at an appropriate store. Having a metal liner is a good idea so that it is fairly easy to clean off the creosote build up before it catches fire.

[cdub]

Mine is 1/4 ply with 2x2 frame and rockwool insulation made into panels then put together. I have a bradley smoke generator for smoke and i bought a 1500watt retro kit for a smoker at cabellas controlled with a Johnstone controls electronic thermostat. I have a 6-8inch vent on top with a 90deg elbow and a butterfly damper to open close. I also use a wireless thermometer and meat thermometer to keep an eye on things without having to open the smoker (wireless smoker thermometer on Amazon) i have had the unit up to 200f but most of what i do is sausage or bacon.

[Ambush]

I've built a couple. You're fine using wood, just use some flashing around the elements. My current unit is built from a larger bar fridge as it was the perfect size and weather proof. Be sure to remove any plastic interior parts. I re-line with aluminum flashing, cheap and easy to cut/bend.

I use two burners. One for the smoke generator and one for temperature control. I also have a small exhaust fan that sucks air through the smoker. That fan is on a rheostat to control fresh air flow. This aids greatly in the drying process. The rheostat is simply a electric fan control for controlling a ceiling fan. Not the same as a light "dimmer" switch. The electricians on here can tell you the difference. The fan is from PA's surplus shelves. You can dry your meat with air movement, before putting on some heat. This is especially important with fish.

To control the temperature, I have the heat control unit from one of the older electric frying pans. The probe goes through the side of the smoke house, half way up, and is back wired to the heater element. I can control the temperature from 80 - 180 F degrees.

I have a door just big enough to remove the smoke pan, so I don't have to open the smoke house to add chips. This keeps the temperature from fluctuating.

You can get more sophisticated, but mine are always built on a budget, just because I can. I like the idea that I can make something for 1/10 the cost of retail and have it do a better job. One of life's little satisfactions.

[antileno]

Thanks for the advice guys. Ambush I have an old electric grill i was thinking about using with the control dial like your talking about. It has the big steel probe thing on the plug that plugs into the grill itself. Can you remove that and run a wire down to the bottom so the control would be in the middle while the heating element in the bottom? That sorta sounds like what you have there? Thanks again!

[Ambush]

Thanks for the advice guys. Ambush I have an old electric grill i was thinking about using with the control dial like your talking about. It has the big steel probe thing on the plug that plugs into the grill itself. Can you remove that and run a wire down to the bottom so the control would be in the middle while the heating element in the bottom? That sorta sounds like what you have there? Thanks again!

That's exactly what I did. I have a two burner hotplate in the bottom. One for smoke and the other element is powered through the frying pan control/probe.

I have three controls total. One for chip element temperature, one for fan speed and the control/probe for the heat temperature.

I'll try to post some pics today.

[adriaticum]

I did not build this.
But the most important thing you should consider is your racks. Decide on the width of the racks first and how many you want to have and build around that.

[Ambush]

Here's my smoker.





The rheostat controls. One for fan speed and one the chip burner element. Both are connected to power and then to their respective units.

[Ambush]

The frying pan control/probe. Plugs into a power source like normal. I opened it up and soldered two heavy gauge wires to the connections inside. These wires go to the heater element to control actual temperature. The probe sensor is just above the heater element. I also use a thermometer inside for comparison.






The small fan that sucks air through to aid drying.





Small door to remove and refill chip pan.

[antileno]

Awesome pics, thanks guys! I had not originally planned on putting a fan in but it looks easy enough, i guess it would help with even smoking as well drying. The purpose of the flashing over burner is to protect wood from heat? I plan on lining the plywood with metal on all sides so do you think flashing around burner would still be required? Thanks again for pics, a great help.