Electric low temp smoker jerky mod for WSM?


 
D

David Ward

TVWBB Fan
Anybody ever tried a electric low temp smoker mod to their WSM for jerky?

I remember the Alton Brown "flower pot smoker" show where he used a hot plate and two ceramic flower pots to make a budget smoker. I am pondering making jerky and one issue seems to be keeping an even low temp for an extended period of time.

Well has anybody tried putting a electric hot plate in a clean lower section of a WSM ala the "flower pot smoker" idea? Seems you could run the cord out a vent and "set it and forget it" once you figure out the proper temp setting. If it works in a flower pot, surely it will work in a WSM?

If you have not seen the "flower pot smoker", check out some photo's of a home made version at this link....

FLOWER POT SMOKER - ALA ALTON BROWN

Since the temps are considerably lower than a normal smoke, the main drawback I can see is the lack of thermal mass in the WSM. I don't know how well the metal of the WSM will hold the heat in, so it may be necessary to use a insulating jacket such as the BBQ Guru model or the home made HD water heater jacket. The basic idea seams sound to me.

So am I nuts or should I try this out?
 
David - I think your idea will work. It won't be a cold smoker, but I think you can hold it in the mid-100's.

Please let me know how it works out. I'd like to give it a try, too.

Jim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JRPfeff:
David - I think your idea will work. It won't be a cold smoker, but I think you can hold it in the mid-100's.

Please let me know how it works out. I'd like to give it a try, too.

Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
As I understand it, the mid 100's is where you want to be when smoking jerky with 150* for 5 to 6 hours being ideal (with curing agents already added to prevent bacteria from ruining the meat while it cures of course). As I have not cured jerky yet, but want to try it please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in my conceptions about the process.

Here is a good site with info on jerky and other WSM stuff as well where I got the idea to try jerky in the first place (but I also want to make the stick extruded type as well - it would not hang on toothpicks and I will be using the stacked pizza screen method on them)....

smoking jerky
 
David - The 'Jerky' setting on my electric dehydrator is 145F. So if you can get mid-100's with your mod, you will be perfect.
 
I guess the main unanswered question is will the hot plate element create smoke holding the temps in the 150* range. I think it should as the hot plate will be heating a good volume of air to 150* so the metal pan with wood should be literally "smokin". The 3 lower vents on the WSM would still let you regulate the air if it got too hot so we may be onto something here.

From what I've read in many a google search on the "flower pot smoker", the el-cheapo round wire element unit seems to be the desirable one and works best (reported to be available for under $10 at Target and Walmart). I'll see if I can find one after Christmas and tinker with it on a dry run to check smoke ability and temp holding range and report back to the board on my findings.

Oh, and no jokes about trying to reverse engineer a WSM into a electric ECB
wsmsmile8gm.gif
!!! It's a mod - right?????
 
Give it a try and let us know. I don't remember anyone else posting results for something like that at least as long as I've been on this board.

Personally, I'd use my BBQ Guru to run the WSM so low. There's a procedure with the probes that will allow the Guru to run so low. I just can't recall what it is at the moment. It should be in the archives though.

Update: Here's the link http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9270072103/m/3310076433
 
I read the Guru post and it sounds like it would work. Only problem is I don't have one to try. I'll gable on the $10 hot plate first and see how it works and let the group know - good or bad.
 
I guess I'd experiment with opening one bottom damper and the top damper, either partially or fully. You want some draft to keep the air inside dry, to make sure things don't get too hot, and to keep the hot plate from bursting into flames
icon_smile.gif
 
You don't need to do any mods on your WSM to smoke jerky. I have done it once already and am going to do it tomorrow.

Put a chimeny a coal in the ring. light 10 or less coals in the chimney. Once ashed over add to ring. Close 2 vents. Third one, is open a hair. You can get your smoker to hold at 150 or less. It doesn't hold perfect, but pretty darn good.
 
I too made some GREAT jerky this past weekend.
I used 20 unlight coals in a single layer, then dumped 10 fully lit ones on top...spread them out evenly, added small chunk of apple and one of cherry. It held at 120 for most of the time. jsut had one bottom vent open a touch. When the temp dropped a little, I shook and rearrange the coals and it got done ...perfect... in about 7 hours.
Nice texture, still a little moist, not too much smoke flavor, but just enough.
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
I have made jerky many times using charcoal on my WSM just by using a little charcoal like in Scott's post. I had no problem keeping the temp about 140. Regards.
 
When you guys make jerkey, do you use Tenderquick or any other cure to kill the bacteria when smoking at such a low temp?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top