Excellent! Besides, if anybody asks what you've been smoking, you will have a legal answer.

ps, the equation for a chimney contains temperature difference and altitude. That means, a lot of altitude above the open ports for the light beam will ensure a good vacuum effect.

I was thinking the same thing, yes, yes, yes. What about a in Duct Fan?

kv

 

I was thinking the same thing, yes, yes, yes. What about a in Duct Fan?

You don't want to force the airflow, so an in-duct fan is out (plus, longevity isn't great for a fan in a smoke stack). You only want natural air-flow.

 

I was thinking the same thing, yes, yes, yes. What about a in Duct Fan?

kv

No! Sheet metal stove pipe is so much cheaper than a fan, requires no maintenance or electricity, and self regulates by working better as the temperature goes up.

 

You don't want to force the airflow, so an in-duct fan is out (plus, longevity isn't great for a fan in a smoke stack). You only want natural air-flow.

So, the draw is based on inversion or not, altitude, and heat. Which is Math and some testing.

kv

 

Here again, we come to "what kind of smoker do you want to build"? A cold smoker requires only a light gauge chimney, since temps are low. A hot smoker will require a much higher gauge chimney, due to the higher temps.

 

I would like this to be something that is for what most people might do, I can do both hot or cold. The idea of Moist, I have no idea?

Hot might be what people will do.

kv

 

Moist and hot smoking is relatively fast (usually less than 4 hours). Cold is very slow - days to weeks to completion.

 

Apparently I can't find the chimney formula in my books, but the smallest chimney height in any chart is 6 feet.

 

... a lot of altitude above the open ports for the light beam will ensure a good vacuum effect.

Are you referring to the Ventury effect?

 

Are you referring to the Ventury effect?

The Venturi effect is the result of the linear velocity reducing pressure on the sides of a tube due to laminar flow.
From the formula, Velocity pressure plus Static pressure = Total pressure
where static pressure is the pressure against the sides of the tube.
For every increase in velocity, there is a decrease in static pressure.

The chimney effect is a partial vacuum caused by hot gasses rising in opposition to gravity. The difference in temperature causes the hot gasses to be of less weight per volume than atmospheric air. Atmospheric pressure moves cold air in behind the hot gasses, allowing them to exit the top of the chimney.
From the formula, Dtemperature x Daltitude = force.
It matters not from whence the replacement air comes, be it the bottom of the fire box or a hole in the pipe which is below some length of vertical pipe. Once the temperature difference is established in a vertical pipe, the partial vacuum exists.

The velocity in a chimney pipe has a lot less effect than the vacuum pressure in the pipe.

Please forgive the strange wording. I am watching a Shakespeare play on TV right now.

 

For a cold smoker you don't want alot of draft
A hot smoker needs to be puffing like freight train.
Cold smoke.
Add a temp sensor with a ref. Voltage and put it into a comparator. If the temp sensor says it is hotter than your max limit, halt all wood pellet input till the temp drops. And/or open a flue and let hot air escape and draw in cold air.
Hot smoke.
Same temp sensor but have it stop feeding fuel and CLOSE the flue when over temp. (Say 350 to 375 F) this chokes the fire box and lowers temp.

 

I learned long ago. Smoke does not penetrate into meat above about 140 to 150 F, it just coats the outside with the same dark brown creosote type compounds that taste so good inside the meat.
I always start my smoker cold and build a starter fire in my BBQ grill. Put the meat on and add already burned down glowing sticks of hickory or pecan in the cold fire box.

Anyway. Bet you can't tell I'm a big fan of smoked meats.

 

And furthermore...

I personally think this is a great idea, but do not want one myself.
I use a stick burner. Always have and don't want to learn another way. Sitting with my friends, drinking beer and keeping a watchful eye on the temp gauge and the smoke stack to know when to choke the fire, add more wood or open the vents is all part of the FUN of smoking meat.

 

And furthermore...

I personally think this is a great idea, but do not want one myself.
I use a stick burner. Always have and don't want to learn another way. Sitting with my friends, drinking beer and keeping a watchful eye on the temp gauge and the smoke stack to know when to choke the fire, add more wood or open the vents is all part of the FUN of smoking meat.

I agree... but for me there are days (especially weekdays) in which I'd like to smoke some good stuff for friends coming over in the evening, and I simply can't, because I'm not retired yet and have to work. And I can't stay 8 hours (the bare minimum I allow things to smoke) at home tending the smoker.

So an automated device (designed and built by me, of course) is definitely in my bucket list.

 

I'll be 60 in March, but even if I was retired, I still can't be bothered with it. I'm contemplating how this could be connected to the wifi and send me an rss feed when it's done, he he

kv

 

Ok... it's time to get started with the technical stuff. First off, which type of smoker did you have in mind?

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I own three BBQ devices: A cheap-o brand grill, just like this one:

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A bullet-type smoker:

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And what we call an "ataúd" (coffin) type of oven-grill, very similar to this:

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My ideal smoker-grill, would be a combination of the three, with the capability of using each feature separately, and with a water-type smoker with a labyrinth technology, just like this one:

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What is the vertical rectangle above the burn box? I like the idea, I'm sure you could get a big long air- tank and convert it maybe? I found this on Youtube.

kv

 

You guy's are overthinking this. Ever watch Food Network's Good Eats? Couldn't find the one I wanted but here's how he does it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/altons-home-smoked-salmon-0170771.html

 

You guy's are overthinking this. Ever watch Food Network's Good Eats? Couldn't find the one I wanted but here's how he does it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/altons-home-smoked-salmon-0170771.html

The Trailer version of @cmartinez perfect smoker was what I was looking at, I personally would want a permanent installation. I want to build it out of bricks, I like the idea of using 110v and some kind of burner with an induction unit would be a great idea, plus I like his use of sawdust. It would be much simpler for an auger to push. Creating the smoke box and automating can be applied to any type, I was thinking the logic on a pic with a, Temp, Stack Sensor combo to run the auger, shutter and burner. The reverse flow is a good idea.

kv

 

You guy's are overthinking this.

Maybe that's the whole point.

Personally, I'm a really awful cook. Not because I can't learn, because I don't care. I prefer my salad without dressing and my cheeseburger without cheese. If these guys want to make a full blown engineering challenge out of it, I'll tell them what I know about air movement and temperature differences. It sure makes more sense (to me) than some other Threads, like using the wrong motor, then trying to get the denizens of AAC to engineer a way to stop it from humming.