HELP ME WITH MY VERTICAL SMOKER

[Farmall]

Guys I need your help!!! First I am a newbie to this smoking thing. (I am embarrassed to admit I have never even owned a smoker) I have used other guy's smokers but that kinda seems wrong.

I am planing on building a vertical smoker from scratch. I will use the smoker for hot dogs and other sausages, fish, and other cuts of red and white meat. I live in northern Michigan where summers are cool and winters are cold.

My plan so far is a 3' to 4' insulated cube for the smoking chamber, using a double baffle with propane heat source.

I also plan on making a smoke generator where i can pipe smoke in as i need.

I also plan on putting a fan in it to equalize heat.

My guess is this will end up trailer mounted as it already sounds heavy.

I am able to weld, cut, bend steel. I am not set up for stainless at this time.

I know I will probably be beaten for using propane as a heat source but just a lot easier to control temp.

let me know your thoughts and opinions.

[Gizmo]

Welcome Farmall - glad you found us! I am just today testing a smoker I built using Frank's calculations. It heats with charcoal and wood. It's spooky how easy it is to reach and hold temp so don't be afraid of going that way if you have good critical numbers. In Nebraska I live where it averages 20 degrees in the winter for weeks and I've insulated my last two smokers with 1/2 inch ceramic stovepipe insulation - works great. I would suggest you make a basic sketch of what you would like to build and send it to Frank in an email for his input - or post it here if you want a hundred opinions - lol

[Tom_Heath]

Yup I have to second that.

Welcome to the site, I am sure we can get ya fixed up.

Sounds similar to what I want to start working on, only that I think I am gonna go with pellets. Also I am gonna make mine from 16 ga stainless. But. I gould tig the insides but doubt I will, its gonna end up with rust proofer on it anyways. All the drippings and such. Then on the outter skin I am thinking about using rivets, that way if ever needed I could drill them out and pull a cover if needed.

I straightened the garage last night since I had a side job today so now I can get to thinking about my bench brake again.

[Frank_Cox]

Thanks EK!
Welcome farmall! Just shoot me a pic or 2 and I'll be glad to help or like EK said... Post them here and we will all help ya!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

[Farmall]

Thanks for the replies, I will work on reducing my thoughts to paper and getting sketches posted soon.

Just bought a new furnace for my workshop so that will be my first project

[Farmall]

I finally reduced my thoughts to rough sketches, I am having a hard time posting them here, I scanned them and they are in pdf form, I couldn't get them to load in photobucket please help me

Justin

[Frank_Cox]

I have never tried to upload a .pdf file to photobucket. if you can email me the files i would be glad to post them for you. click on the envelope next to this post in my profile to get my email address.

[Frank_Cox]

Here ya go buddy, here's your pics...

[Frank_Cox]

right out the gate I would like to recommend a different style propane burner. The burner in the drawing appears to be a pipe style burner.
If it was me I think I would use either the burner that is used in this thread that is near the bottom of the page: viewtopic.php?f=80&t=259
Or this Burner:http://astore.amazon.com/smokerbuilder- ... B000W8JNLC

[KILLSWITCH505]

+1 on the alpha burner they're cadillacs compared to some that I've tried. the electric start can be a pain in the ass but work great with a little adjusting (thats if it doesn't work right out the box)

[Frank_Cox]

Only thing would make that burner better is a flame safety. I may try to rig one on mine and post it on here. it really makes me nervous to put a burner in a closed area without one. it could go out for some reason and you would not notice it until

[Farmall]

Okay, I am down with the burner change, how 'bout the rest of it? Gonna start building soon. By the way I got one of the Milwaukee metal saws for Christmas!! It kicks ars!!

[Frank_Cox]

well, I am supposing you are looking to use this as both a cold smoker and a gasser. I don't really see a problem with it other than burner safety. the smoke generator will work fine and the burner will help you control temps. I say give it a whirl!

[wakeboarder141]

On the burner with the 3 valves would there be a way to have an external temperature control knob on that or would you have to open the smoker to adjust the 3 valves each time?