electric SMUDS failed attempt number 1 (pics)

[Matt T]

Found me a nice 1000 wat electric hot plate. Took the potentiometer out of it and extended the wires so it wouldnt melt. Placed hot plate in bottom of smokey joe gold and run wires out one vent. Put a pie tin ontop of the hot plate(mistake one) and put two chunks in it. 3 minutes later, fire and a melted pie tin and aluminum flakes all over the heating element. Hopefully the element is not damaged. Replaced said pie tin with cast iron chip box from home depot. Turned hot plate to med high and way to much white smoke. no pretty TBS at all. Removed wood and turned plate to medium low. temp settled 15 minutes later to 300*. added wood and cast iron plate was still hot and lots of white smoke again. This time, the fuse blew in the house because my dad was playing with his new 10" sliding saw i got him a few days ago for his birthday, well, mom and sis helped to. I had to clean up because i had to go to work but here are the pics. I could use some suggestions for TBS with electric smokers. oh and i am switching to heavy duty pie tin to also catch drippings because box aint large enought and does not cover the heating element.

 

[George Curtis]

i knew what happened before reading by looking at the pics. many folks use a round can, maybe try that. or maybe use chips. i would not put anything directly on the burner otherwise. pan should be several inches above the burner. i have a hot plate that came with my wsm so i might try a lectric version also.

 

[John Ford]

I appreciate you going through the testing for us , keep posting ! Aluminum melts @ two low a temp, have you considered a ceramic pot base?

 

[Matt T]

really? put the wood chip holder above the hot plate? not on it?

interesting!

How far above?

tahnks

@ Ford: yes i thought of find a cermic bas and putting the imusa pot on that as well to give me my 3 cooking racks. sorta mix alton browns and a mini wsm together

 

[Matt T]

what the!! george your mbshop at the other place!

totally didnt know that. i saw a post buy you a long time ago and i clicked on your profile because it said youll have it till you pass away so i was thinkin that this person was ill so i was lookin for an update. then i saw the signature! haha

 

[George Curtis]

matt, ya found me out ! i find many come here and go to the brethren site. the wood/chip container needs to touch the burner. i ment the pan should not be close.

 

[Matt T]

LOL, yes i did. Im not sure what was implied by your thread with the WSM score bout you two being together till you pass, but i took it literally so at first i thought it was one of the brethren who passed away earlier this year.

Thats why i cliked on the name and then i saw your signiture. So i hope all is well and your healthy or healthier.

Well, since i was not to sure what you ment, i thunk about it for a moment. I noticed that all the commercial electric smokers had boxes that sat bout 3 inches above the element. So i tried again today but with smaller wood chunks and the pan directly on the heating element. No go, still nasty yellowish white smoke. Not thin and blue at ALL. So i put a cooking grate on the steamer tray holder(first cooking grate) and put the chip holder there and booya, 15 minutes later i had TBS! It stayed that way for about an hour then i had to turn it off and go to school. temps were around 290 at the lid which is im guessing 250-270 at center grate, maybe.

So, with that in mid, im going to put the wood chip holder about 3 or 4 inches above said hot plate so i can still get my 3 cooking grates.

Im trying to figure out how to get the hot plate lower, but its about 2 inches from the base of the imusa pan. wouldnt mind 3 or 4. maybe take out the element and install it in something smaller. im trying to make this a multi functional system.

haha

I am very interested in how commercialized smokers work. How do they burn full logs without causing nasty white and yellowish smoke?

thanks guys

matt

 

[George Curtis]

no, everything is ok. i ment that i'm not one to get rid of stuff and if its a good cooker then its stays for life. especially the webers that can actually last that long. sorry if i had ya worried. thanks by the way. interesting that it works that far away and you only get that temp. my element was in a wsm and the guy said it worked great. i guess i should shutup for a bit and just try it myself and go from there.

 

[Matt T]

yeah it was interesting that it worked that far away. I dont like thick smoke. i like small amounts. haha.

Let me ask this, is the above photo of all that smoke in the cooker bad? or is that ok to have? maybe im freakin out about nothin. haha

If i have the heavy duty pie pan or cast iron chip holder directly on teh element, they catch fire every single time. the dial is at medium low and it still does it. It is a 1000 wats though.

Im to confused i guess. i see movies on youtube and books with WSM's that show, to me, what looks like white smoke and not blue.

like in this photo. even in the sun, its still white. soo, i guess im lost and need to be educated

Oh ok i see what you ment on your thread. i really do hate seeing people sick or ill because my momma has been that way all her life and i dont like seeing people unhappy from illness.

 

[Matt T]

what about grease fires?

Will the drip pan have to have the same diameter as my imusa pot? i dont know if ANY grease should come into contact with the hot plate.

If this were charcoal, then it would be ok, but it aint! haha

thanks

 

[George Curtis]

i always use very little wood to smoke. so yea, at first it's kinda thick but it seems to go light after a short time. again, this is with charcoal so no idea with electric.

 

[George Curtis]

this is how the can works on gas but its what i was thinking when i mentioned using a can.

http://www.gassmoker.com/ezsmoke.htm



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
i always use very little wood to smoke. so yea, at first it's kinda thick but it seems to go light after a short time. again, this is with charcoal so no idea with electric. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[Matt T]

I was going to mod a turkey fryer propane burner for the UDS. Im still thinking bout it. Unless the v burner is a cheaper and better way than modding a propane turkey fryer!

 

[Matt T]

UPDATE: Yesterday was the first cook on the electric SMUDS aka mini WSM.

I did cheater pulled pork. I took some fresh country style ribs and mix regular mustard and ingllehoffers stone ground mustard together and slathered that on the ribs. then i rubbed with some cherry falvored rub from a friend of mine. Smoked in the SMUDS with 1 apple chunk cut into 4 even strips. placed them on the heavy duty pie tin and placed about 3 inches above the heating element. Had beautifull TBS. smelled awesome. Temp was at 300 BEFORE i placed the meat on the middle rack. Once the meat was on, temps never made it past 200* for 3 hours. I was on medium as well. So it looks as if the cold meat( not at room temp. problem one)
really messes with the temps. I smoked for 3 hours then wrapped in foil and finished in the house for 1 hour.

VERY VERY GOOD. Still not what im looking for but it will do. No bark, even before the foil. Im not sure the if the low temps has something to do with that.