# Forum Home Renovation Metalwork & Welding  Meat smoker conversion.

## PlatypusGardens

Mmmm well.... 
Been experimenting a bit with smoking meat in the BBQ which works ok, but given the location of it, on the patio, not very practical. 
We've had this little drum smoker sitting around for a long time now, never been used as messing around with charcoal etc just seems like too much work.
Plus these things don't work as advertised, apparently, and quite obviously when looking at them.
There's no vents of flues or anything.....  :Unsure:     
So the plan was to use the crab cooker BBQ to create the smoke with wood chips in a tray, a hood, some ducting, building a stand for the drum smoker, lead the smoke in to it.....   :Gaah:   
STOP 
Getting too complicated.  
So, started thinking of using the drum smoker as a standalone unit.....but not using coals.
Maybe a small gas burner underneath/inside.....?
Build a stand, gas bottle, hoses, burner.....  
Grr, still too much. 
What about electric?
A little hotplate to heat the chips? 
Something like this -> Kambrook KHP1B Portable Single Hotplate - Black at The Good Guys 
Yeah.....now we're getting somewhere.
Nice compact and simple.
Could have it sitting underneath the drum, maybe in its own box, just plug in and go. 
For cold smoking, set it to the side, add more ducting and let it do its thing.
No need to worry about gas or coals, just keep an eye on the chips.  
Thoughts?    :Smilie:

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## PlatypusGardens

Probably a good thing I just took our old stove to the scrapyard yesterday 
No doubt I'd be trying to pull an element out of that and convert it otherwise    :Rolleyes:

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## PlatypusGardens

So I went past the scrapyard and thought I'd have a stickybeak and see if there might be something I could use as a heatsource. 
And spotted this water boiling urn     
At $14 it seems I got a pretty good deal!  :Shock:  Crown Industries | Commercial Catering Appliances | Hot Water Urns | Boiling Water Units | Coffee Makers | Hand Dryers | Rice Cookers | Soup & Food Kettles | Food Steamers | Hand Dryers | Soap Dispensers  
Now...reading the info on that page it says something about "boil dry protection" so maybe it won't be suitable for this unless I can bypass that function......somehow.....which might ruin the element....not sure.  :Unsure:  
Anyway I had a look at the wiring before testing it and the live cable had fallen off and made contact with the neutral.
Put some new connectors on and it fired up straight away! 
Mmmm anyway.
Will put that to the side for now until I find out if/how it's possible to run it without water.   
If nothing else it could be good for a small crab cooker hehe.
Although salt water might stuff it up.    :Smilie:

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## PlatypusGardens

A beer and some googling later, and it appears a lot of homebrewing guys use these things.
AAAAAAND they bypass the "boil dry" function. 
Some use the "concealed element" version, which would mean that the element isn't in contact with the water.... 
So that kinda tells me that the "boil dry" function is more a thermostat that switches off when the water is boiling.....?   :Unsure:

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## Cecile

> Thoughts?

  Yes.  Send it to Ted.   :Rofl:

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## PlatypusGardens

> Yes.  Send it to Ted.

    :Lolabove:

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## Bros

> Will put that to the side for now until I find out if/how it's possible to run it without water.

  They are designed not to run without water as the element needs water to keep it cool. They have an overtemperature trip built in.

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## PlatypusGardens

Yawn
 Fart    
Too late for reason.     
I felt like blowing stuff up so bypassed everything and hooked the power straight to the coil.
I switched it off when it got red hot and the plastic fitting caught fire hahaha.   :Devil:    
(Pic taken before I did away with the switch and just pumped sweet 240V AC straight in to that coil) 
(And it loved every second of it the dirty dirty coil)       _ still looking for suitable heat source for the smoker...... _          :Unsure:     
.

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## PlatypusGardens

Might go buy one of those single burner hotplates then hehehehe

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## MorganGT

Pity you killed it, we had a whole lot of those kicking around the factory. Used to use one to descale coffee machine boilers by filling it with diluted acid solution and cranking up the heat, so I can't imagine salty water would have caused it any grief.

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## PlatypusGardens

Yeh meh sometimes I just feel like breaking stuff......I guess..... Doesn't everyone?   :Unsure:   
Anyway, any suggestions what to use to heat smoking woodchips?   :Smilie:

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## Moondog55

> Yeh meh sometimes I just feel like breaking stuff......I guess..... Doesn't everyone?    
> Anyway, any suggestions

  Yes inddeeeedy doo
You get a really big subwoofer and put it in a big sealed box Strip the wires from a power lead female end and connect it to the subbies in and out contacts, plug the male end into to a GPO and hit the switch; gets real hot real fast
Or you could just use charcoal like they are designed for

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## SilentButDeadly

> Anyway, any suggestions what to use to heat smoking woodchips?

  Yeah. I just use a billy full of metho. Set it on fire and smoke away...

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## PlatypusGardens

> Yes inddeeeedy doo
> You get a really big subwoofer and put it in a big sealed box Strip the wires from a power lead female end and connect it to the subbies in and out contacts, plug the male end into to a GPO and hit the switch; gets real hot real fast

  Noted    

> Or you could just use charcoal like they are designed for

  No, Ted     

> Yeah. I just use a billy full of metho. Set it on fire and smoke away...

  Hmm

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## commodorenut

God help us if someone gives you a sample of C4....

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## PlatypusGardens

> God help us if someone gives you a sample of C4....

  
Gawd I'm not totally crazy....  :Shock:    
Plus I always make sure I'm suitably intoxicated when doing things like this so I'm calm and relaxed.   :Wink:

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## Moondog55

C4 burns very well doesn't it?
Why not make your own gun-cotton and use that?
Seriously a very small LPG burner is all you want and need for smoking as the internal temperature doesn't need to be above 65/72C
This is why no smoke escape holes, designed to be like that, your not smoking bacon or ham, you are hot smoking; totally different technique
The very smallest burner and a small square box to hold the smoking wood, long and slow
You run into a problem tho, because the gas needs air to burn you will need to put the burner underneath the smoking unit not inside it, you just sprinkle the sawdust/wood chips on the inside bottom of the smoker and put it over the flame as a sealed unit
Piece of cake really for someone of your talent and experience

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## PlatypusGardens

> C4 burns very well doesn't it?
> Why not make your own gun-cotton and use that?
> Seriously a very small LPG burner is all you want and need for smoking as the internal temperature doesn't need to be above 65/72C
> This is why no smoke escape holes, designed to be like that, your not smoking bacon or ham, you are hot smoking; totally different technique
> The very smallest burner and a small square box to hold the smoking wood, long and slow
> You run into a problem tho, because the gas needs air to burn you will need to put the burner underneath the smoking unit not inside it, you just sprinkle the sawdust/wood chips on the inside bottom of the smoker and put it over the flame as a sealed unit
> Piece of cake really for someone of your talent and experience

  Ok.... 
I want to make the burner/smoke unit separate to the drum and duct the smoke in to it.
Sit it close/directly below with very short duct and it will be hot(-ish), set it further away with long duct for cold smoke. 
Yes we've been smoking porkbelly to cut and fry like bacon, also want to do ham.  
The reason I prefer to make it electric is for ease of use.
Plug it in and it will keep going as long as you want.
Also no need to open the drum, take the top half off, get to the bottom and put more chips/dust in. 
Not interested in anything that requires gas or coals or fire (or C4)   :Smilie:

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## Moondog55

What about a large soldering iron element then? Or just a soldering iron shoved into a tube full of sawdust, NO not enough heat to get to 65C
So you need a heat source, some duct work and a hole in the lower end of the smoker and a thermostat in the middle of the smoker to control the temperature then
A single electric hotplate such as used to be available for caravans should do the trick NEW Electric Cooker Potable Kitchen Cooktop HOT Plate 1500W 1 PIT Heater Camping | eBay
Fold up some steel to make an open box to  hold the sawdust/shavings and duct it to the bottom of the smoker
Use or don't use the thermostat
Should be simple for you and easy and cheap I like cheap 
Also you did do it I saw you and told

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## PlatypusGardens

> So you need a heat source, some duct work and a hole in the lower end of the smoker

  Now you're getting it   :Wink:       

> A single electric hotplate such as used to be available for caravans should do the trick NEW Electric Cooker Potable Kitchen Cooktop HOT Plate 1500W 1 PIT Heater Camping | eBay

  Yeh....which is what I said in the first post of this thread.
Try to pay attention, please....   :Rolleyes:

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## Moondog55

Me?
I'm just trying to get the thread back on track.

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## Snipper

I recommend a certain type of wood chip (more like dust) to burn in the smoker that leaves a sharp,spicy yet sweet and inviting tang on the tongue and is remarkably smooth on the pallet.   It makes you beg out for more.  Called the Truffle or Caviar of timber.   This fantastic evolution of technology allows this experience to be available to everyone in the comfort of their own homes. That sweet nectar that is Mdf and particleboard dust direct from the dust extraction bin from your local cabinet makers.  Get in before it's all gone.  Mdf has been banned in some states in the usa, so stock up while you can. You cannot afford to let this one pass you by.   
"The magic powder" (as I now call it)  Is very cheap as well,  it only cost me $35 for a 1 kg sample bag.   Wow.   Ended up back down there the next day to get the rest.   Did me a ripper deal on a bulk buy purchase. and really looked after me like I was the one doing them a favour,  Idiots.   There was 46.625 kg in the dust extractor bag (educated guess he said) ripe for the picking.  Took the lot.  I think i'm blessed sometimes with these bargains I find.  They sold me the lot for only $1,400, What a steal, only cost me about $30 per kg buying in bulk.  Saved myself about  $230 big ones.   
 Not sure what additives they add to the mix but I can definitely detect a hint of salt and pepper,  garlic,  a touch of chicken salt,  oregano and that sweet lingering taste of formaldehyde.   This  combination seems to give it that delicious, spicy flavour.     I'm going back down later to see what other delicasy they have on offer.  I'm really keen to try masonite, LVL's and some gluelam.  Smorgasboard out there.   :Wink:

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## PlatypusGardens

You are so weird

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