Digital Smokehouse Controller build.

[Swede]

I know I'm fairly new here, and I'm just starting to get serious about smoked meats and sausage. To that end, i've been slowly building up my equipment and thought I'd share with you all. I built an electric smokehouse as outlined in this thread on another forum I'm a member of, it's shown on page 2 or 3 I think... http://www.artisan-distiller.net/phpBB3 ... f=8&t=6343

I needed to incorporate some type of control system in order to do more than just basic cold smoking in it. This controller is going to be capable of several things;
-Both 120/240vac ouput capability for max versatility.
-internal 25amp 2pole circuit protection
-positive power up input (momentary latching switch/relay setup)
-PID control of smokehouse temperature.
-Digital monitoring of internal meat temp
-automated system shutdown once meat internal temp reaches preset value
-on/off control of an electric smoke generator (hotplate/pan style)
-variable draft control via PWM speed control of a CPU fan

Here's how far I've gotten today. I'll outline the build as I go. If this works as intended, I may offer them on my website if there is any interest.

The front panel



A look at the connections on the bottom. XLR connectors for temp probes and draft fan. Plugs for elements.



The inside before wiring it up...

[Swede]

A continuation on the build...

Finished up the wiring and tested it out...

[Swede]

And then I mounted it on my smokehouse and hooked it up. I still need to program it and give it a proper test run. I also tinned in the bottom of the smokehouse for a smoke chamber and element baffle (to keep from overheating my hotplate/smoke generator when cooking). I'm no tinsmith, but it should work... :doh:

I also cut a hole in the back and put a 12vdc CPU fan in for a variable draft control. It appears to work quite well.

[NCPaul]

Very impressive! You might want to move the tin plate above your smoke generator forward so the smoke comes up the back and exits from the front. What do you plan to smoke in there?

[Swede]

Thanks NCPaul. The tin baffle is actually centered in the lower part of the smoke house. There's approximately a 3" gap at the front and back so the smoke feeds evenly.

I've done sausage and bacon so far, and am actually doing a half hog into sausage today.

This is my farmer sausage recipe, and it's quite nice when cold smoked heavily on hickory for about 3-4 hours.

Per 1 Kg pork

• 18.5 gm coarse salt
• 3gm black pepper
• 5gm minced garlic (fresh)
• 2.5gm cure # 1
• 1 cup cold water

Stuffed in 32-36mm hog.

It's pretty simple, but very tasty. I'd like to get a good breakfast sausage recipe too and do some of those in sheep casings.

[Wunderdave]

This is really neat stuff. Did you get that heater element out of a salvage oven? Hand build the box?

[wheels]

Fantastic work. Does the bottom section not get too hot for the plastic on the smoke generator hotplate when hot smoking?

Phil

[Swede]

@wonderdave, it's a 3000w bake element out of a stove. And yeah, I built it myself. I've dabbled in process control wiring and panels for a while now. https://sites.google.com/site/mashingan ... ontroller/

@ wheels, Thanks for the compliments. I have to test it out still to see if the hotplate can handle it, but it's all steel, the only plastic on it is the knob. The heat shield/smoke baffle should keep the heat directed up and the draft fan will help as well. So far, I've run it as a cold smoker with just the hotplate/pan with no troubles.

[wheels]

I'll watch with interest as I'm looking (long-term) to replace the gas burner in mine.

Phil

[Swede]

I have a question for the more experienced guys here...

Where is the best place to measure smokehouse temp, midway in the cook/meat zone, at the lowest/hottest/closest to elemen, or at the top of the smokehouse (presumably the coolest area)

I'm wondering where the best place to mount the smokehouse temp probe.

[DiggingDogFarm]

Near the meat.


~Martin

[Swede]

I made a little video demonstrating how the controller works. Today I'm doing a slow cooked smoked pork butt that was brined 24hrs in a salt/brown sugar/dry rub brine that had a little sodium nitrite in it to give me a wider safety margin while smoking.

Here's the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRq1olNZ3So

[saucisson]

Nice work, was that a serial port on the far left for computer monitoring?

[wheels]

I want! I want! I want!

That's superb, the wife thinks that you're in the garden doing bbq, but you can sneak off to the pub!

No, seriously, that's fantastic.

Phil

[hellbilly007]

That's cool you've found multiple uses for your digi controller. Looks awesome.

Nice to see another AD member on here also.