Smoking in the garden shed.

[johnr]

#guywhosmokes posted pictures of his smoker enclosed in a shed of shorts for better temp control, and smoking in wind and cold.

I built a similar set up a year ago, and as we speak am smoking chicken drummies, so I figured I would post pictures of the design I used.

It helps greatly when the wind is blowing, like it always does in western ND, and helps minorly when its below zero out, I use a sunflower heater inside the shed to bring the overall temp of the ambient air up, which is helpful in a Bradley smoker maintaining and getting up to temp(they are not a cold weather smoker so much)



I have this right over the vent in the smoker, and put an in line vent fan in the 4 inch tubing, that I wired to a switch so I can easily turn it on and off when running the smoke. It vents the smoke right out the back of the shed through a dryer vent flapper thingamajig.



More of a close up view, I have run this for close to a couple years now, and would guess I use this a couple times a month, so far so good. I have had no issues with the fan building up with any soot.



Of course I keep a beer fridge next to it, because smoking and drinking go together.

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The strangely places kitty litter box in the pictures is actually my minnow bucket for ice fishing. I have a square bait bucket inside of it, works pretty well. Just incase you thought that I maybe was a weird cat guy...haha

 

[You]

very neat how you wired it to your chainsaw! totally stealing that idea.

 

[guywhofishes]

Neato. Beer fridge is perfect touch.

And as long as you don't smoke with an inch of fat/sludge coating the drip tray, etc. (fire source) your risk of fire is near zero. Nonetheless... I'd move the fine looking stihl chain saw.

If you do the extra heating element mod they will smoke under any weather/temp condition.

 

[arrowdem]

i remember when i used to smoke in the garden shed...... :;:smokin :;:muahaha ;:;ban

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it was me johnny hopkins and lycan, and we were blazing that sh*t up all day!

 

[Bed Wetter]

Pleasantly surprised by this thread. Nice work!

(thought it was about something else)

 

[WormWiggler]

I have been contemplating a similar set up, but in a heated shop with an overhead chiminey. The dude before me had a barrel stovel (still for sale) that I just didn't care to use. So I have this extra chimney hole. Do you guys think the big size (guessing 9") or vertical nature would be a problem for smoking. Sorry for jacking your thread juanr, but drinking busch light you should be used to people cutting front of you ;:;rofl

 

[johnr]

You need to have a source of suction to get the smoke up and out, just leaving it to chance that it will go up the existing chimney is likely going to fill your building with smoke.
I used to just leave my overhead door open on the shed, put a box fan above the smoker and force the smoke right out the door, this seemed like a good idea until I was on the golf course and could not quit smelling the deliciousness of someone smoking meat, and it turned out it was my club covers that had absorbed all that wonderful smoke smell. Something had to be done, and a big hungry golfer with the smell of food in his cart was not a good combination.
That is when #guytheinventor gave me the helping hand, and now I can golf and drink like golf is supposed to be done.

 

[dust in the wind]

The strangely places kitty litter box in the pictures is actually my minnow bucket for ice fishing. I have a square bait bucket inside of it, works pretty well. Just incase you thought that I maybe was a weird cat guy...haha

nah, just thought you liked to poop in cat litter filled boxes out there so you didn't have to go inside. Or maybe mrs johnr preferred you do your business out there.

 

[WormWiggler]

You need to have a source of suction to get the smoke up and out, just leaving it to chance that it will go up the existing chimney is likely going to fill your building with smoke.
I used to just leave my overhead door open on the shed, put a box fan above the smoker and force the smoke right out the door, this seemed like a good idea until I was on the golf course and could not quit smelling the deliciousness of someone smoking meat, and it turned out it was my club covers that had absorbed all that wonderful smoke smell. Something had to be done, and a big hungry golfer with the smell of food in his cart was not a good combination.
That is when #guytheinventor gave me the helping hand, and now I can golf and drink like golf is supposed to be done.

I was thinking to tie the smoker directly to the chimney, may be a fan in the duct work, I would think the ND wind would pull a draft on it. I would be to paranoid to leave for anything more than a beer run. I am considering moving the beer fridge from the garage to the shop. Mine isn't fancy like yours.

 

[Account Deleted]

nah, just thought you liked to poop in cat litter filled boxes out there so you didn't have to go inside. Or maybe mrs johnr preferred you do your business out there.

Well there was that time his auger hit someone else's poop hole. That'll teach to not re-drill someones hole.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Wormwiggler, It's mostly heat differential that causes updraft, As long as you put a fan in you should be good. Wind can cause downdraft in a cold chimney so I'd put a damper in the pipe for when you're not using it or you might smell smoke. If you like the smell it's no big deal but we burned wood for so many years that I no longer appreciate that smell.

 

[johnr]

Well there was that time his auger hit someone else's poop hole. That'll teach to not re-drill someones hole.

Ah yes the dreaded dookie hole, it was a bad day, I spilled coffee all over a buddies truck, we got stuck, then I drilled into some dudes cornshit, and end up way to drunk at the end of the day.

The good old days is what that is all about.


A bit of advice, if your going to shit on the lake, don't eat corn the day before.

 

[johnr]

Had corn on the cob tonight, hope I am not ice fishing tomorrow

 

[Rizzo]

Ah yes the dreaded dookie hole, it was a bad day, I spilled coffee all over a buddies truck, we got stuck, then I drilled into some dudes cornshit, and end up way to drunk at the end of the day.

The good old days is what that is all about.


A bit of advice, if your going to shit on the lake, don't eat corn the day before.

This made me laugh. The true meaning of a cornhole.

 

[BBQBluesMan]

Excellent! Love the beer cooler. Like how there are pounders and regulars in there.Haha.

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Neato. Beer fridge is perfect touch.

And as long as you don't smoke with an inch of fat/sludge coating the drip tray, etc. (fire source) your risk of fire is near zero. Nonetheless... I'd move the fine looking stihl chain saw.

If you do the extra heating element mod they will smoke under any weather/temp condition.

Guy, curious as to how you did the mod. I have seen a couple different methods, this one looks pretty legit http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification

I love my bradley for smoking most things but am a bit frustrated with it not being able to heat up/maintain temps in cooler weather. Even when its nice out, if the smoker is really full, it doesn't seem to maintain heat well. I pretty much have convinced myself that I need to add extra element and PID, although I am not quite sure why bradley has not addressed this issue. I would think they would easily be able to add a better element to begin with. Overall great smoker, and very simple to use. A couple manufacture mods could make bradley smokers top notch. They are spendy to begin with, so although modifying the smoker will be a fun project for this fall, not looking forward to investing even more money into the bradley. Just my .02 cents.

 

[johnr]

[




Guy, curious as to how you did the mod. I have seen a couple different methods, this one looks pretty legit http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification

I love my bradley for smoking most things but am a bit frustrated with it not being able to heat up/maintain temps in cooler weather. Even when its nice out, if the smoker is really full, it doesn't seem to maintain heat well. I pretty much have convinced myself that I need to add extra element and PID, although I am not quite sure why bradley has not addressed this issue. I would think they would easily be able to add a better element to begin with. Overall great smoker, and very simple to use. A couple manufacture mods could make bradley smokers top notch. They are spendy to begin with, so although modifying the smoker will be a fun project for this fall, not looking forward to investing even more money into the bradley. Just my .02 cents.[/QUOTE]

I would like you to just do the install for me #guywhofixesthings. Next time you are out west on a rooster hunt, you could stop by, drink a few ice cold Busch Lights, and handle this task.

I know if I attempt I will break something, then get upset and smash the entire smoker in a fit of rage...haha

Cool weather smoking, like 20* or below is a challenge with the 6 rack Bradley, or as stated when the unit is overly full.

 

[johnr]

Well I smoked some under whelming bacon this last Saturday to try to bring it to an acceptable flavor. I preheated the smoker in my garage, and then wheeled it into the driveway when I put the smoke puck on the heating element. We where about 30* and it kept heat and did a nice job. However we are entering the cold short days of winter, and I am either needing to add the element or smoke up my heated finished garage.

Anyone add the element? where did you get it, and how hard was the installation?

 

[Lycanthrope]

Pleasantly surprised by this thread. Nice work!

(thought it was about something else)

You mean you were HOPING.....

 

[deleted member]

cool. i too thought it was bout something else and was gonna suggest the boys room instead of the shed. carry on.

 

[guywhofishes]

[




Guy, curious as to how you did the mod. I have seen a couple different methods, this one looks pretty legit http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification

I love my bradley for smoking most things but am a bit frustrated with it not being able to heat up/maintain temps in cooler weather. Even when its nice out, if the smoker is really full, it doesn't seem to maintain heat well. I pretty much have convinced myself that I need to add extra element and PID, although I am not quite sure why bradley has not addressed this issue. I would think they would easily be able to add a better element to begin with. Overall great smoker, and very simple to use. A couple manufacture mods could make bradley smokers top notch. They are spendy to begin with, so although modifying the smoker will be a fun project for this fall, not looking forward to investing even more money into the bradley. Just my .02 cents.

I did that same mod johnr - except when went a little overboard and added a lighted shutoff switch for the second heater. Which was dumb - I never use the second switch.

It's been a few years but I think I bought all my stuff at YardandPool. but I bet Amazon has everything these days too.

Yard and Pool has every part of a Bradley you can imagine.

http://www.yardandpool.com/bradley-smoker-replacement-heating-element