processhead

It seems to me that controlling the temperature during smoking (and those swings) is very important in the overall ‘process’. I’ll probably be one of those guys who sits and hovers over his smoker, watching & monitoring things, trying to keep everything ‘just right’. Having an idea of how a PID (with all the proper supporting equipment as you say) now works, I think it’s one thing that will ‘help’ tremendously.

Like everything else, it depends.
It depends on the magnitude of the swings and how long they last.
The temperature swings in the smoker do not automatically transfer to the product being smoked. The product internal temperature will assume the average temperature in smoker and not follow the peaks and dips exactly.
Having product in the smoker actually should help moderate some of the temperature swings compared to the swings in an hot, but empty, smoker.

It seems to me that controlling the temperature during smoking (and those swings) is very important in the overall ‘process’. I’ll probably be one of those guys who sits and hovers over his smoker, watching & monitoring things, trying to keep everything ‘just right’. Having an idea of how a PID (with all the proper supporting equipment as you say) now works, I think it’s one thing that will ‘help’ tremendously.

2400 pounds… you are WAY out of my league!

That was a previous life, but now it is just fun and I’m a fat guy that loves to eat.

Thanks… I’m retired so I have LOTS of time to practice ‘patience’. Thanks

Well Paul, I may be a bit like you because that PID/SSR upgrade seems like the right way to go. I know my smoker works perfectly so I will ‘test’ it as you described and think about maybe doing my first run with it ‘as is’. That said, can’t really argue with gus4416 and his ‘logic’… there’s always room for improvement. Reality is that I won’t make a lot of Summer Sausage over the course of any given year and when I do, I’ll have to do it in small batches… 10 pounds. Just hoping I can get a ‘system’ down that will allow me to share my ‘product’ with family & friends… especially my hunting partner at the cabin during season. As I’m sure you all know, the guy who supplies the Summer Sausage at any gathering is everyone’s best friend.

mrobisr why buy a smoker and then do all this extra work by the time you get all the pics bought you could buy one that does what you want it to

I haven’t, but I could built one that may not be as pretty as the commercial models, but it will perform just as well for thousands less and I will have the bragging rights to it being my successful creation.

I challenge anyone to find a smoker that can keep the temp within a couple tenths of a degree, keep the whole cabin temp even from top to bottom, and very possibly control humidity for less than $220.00. The PK 100 is 2500.00 and it only maintains the temp, agreed it is stainless, but as a home smoker I do not have to pass health inspection so any cabin will work.

The box and all the components cost 102.15, exception being the wiring I used because it is 240v, but for a smoker 110v is what you would use and it be under 20.00.
PID and thermopaste 48.69
K coupler 10.98
Fan 17.99
Box 18.99
Switches 3.00
Plug 2.50
Wiring <20.00
Total 102.15 in the pics you see

Throw in a couple other items…
Fogger 49.99
Heating element 40.00
Total 192.14

You could add a cold smoker for another 160.00 or so bringing the total to 352.14 or you could use a cast iron wood box for hot smoke for under <20.00. I could build a smoker out of junk or a 55 gal drum that would control every aspect of my cooking, that is why a person might want to build a smoker for 220.00-352.14 verses >10,000.00.

I personally enjoy creating and building something better than what is commercially available. This is especially true when I can do it for thousands less and it is better suited for my needs. That is why I love home meat processing as I can create the perfect meat for us.

Retired157

I have had this SmokinTex for many, many years. I bet I have NOT used it 1/2 a dozen times. I got this ‘wild hair’ to make some Summer Sausage… being a hunter and living in Montana, I seem to have plenty of deer/elk to work with.
I just thought I could break out my old smoker and ‘get it done’. As most projects seem to go… it ain’t just that ‘easy’. It’s a bit frustrating… might need a beer.

Are the factory controls working correctly now?

If your smoker controls are working properly, it should maintain a reasonably constant and accurate temperature.
How to know that for sure? I would use a remote reading digital thermometer, placing the probe near the smokers internal temperature sensor.

Fire up the smoker and let the temperature stabilize at some mid-range setting. Observe the digital thermometer and note any major temperature swings or deviations from the set point.

If all looks good, adjust the internal controls to a few different temperature setting and note if the digital temp probe follows the changes.

If the existing internal controls give you a stabile temp and are adjustable, then I would just go with them. If it’s not broke, why fix it? Well, unless you are like me and are an inveterate hacker and experimenter…

Here is a thread on a smoker build I did this Summer. I try to explain how and why I did what I did with the controls. There are also some wiring diagrams at the very end of the thread. It’s long, so don’t plan on getting through it in just one session.

https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/4019/electric-smoker-or-landfill-what-say-you?_=1639258189144

I have had this SmokinTex for many, many years. I bet I have NOT used it 1/2 a dozen times. I got this ‘wild hair’ to make some Summer Sausage… being a hunter and living in Montana, I seem to have plenty of deer/elk to work with.
I just thought I could break out my old smoker and ‘get it done’. As most projects seem to go… it ain’t just that ‘easy’. It’s a bit frustrating… might need a beer.

Thank You Paul… I appreciate you ‘setting me straight’. It appears I have misinterpreted some of the things that I have been seeing/reading. To tell you the truth, I really wasn’t sure how what I previously was thinking was ‘how’ to do this really would ‘control’ the electric element of my smoker. After reading your post, the light went on… sorta speak. So, I went back to the internet (cause everything on the internet is based in fact) and researched PID using an SSR (which was something else I had no idea what was) in a smoker application. I think I actually found two videos that help explain just how to wire this up. If I understand this correctly… if correctly done (wired), the PID is used to ‘set’ the temperature (no longer the turn knob up top). The SSR is wired through the PID so when the temperature ‘drops’ below the set temp, the SSR triggers ‘on/off’ the electric heating element… raising/maintaining the internal temperature of the smoker as ‘set’ through the PID.

First question… does this ‘now’ sound right?

Neither of the two videos actually showed with ‘clarity’ how to wire my existing electric heating element to the PID/SSR. That said, the one video did have this diagram. Does this look like what you would do?


Well, that didn’t work. I can’t seem to figure out how to ‘copy’ the pic in here now… ugh! I have no idea how I got my smoker pics to upload before or what I am doing wrong now.

Here is the specific video I was watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2qsO83_x_7U

“1-a Inkbird (kit) #ITC106-VH… includes the solid state relay and the K-Type thermocouple
(see below)”
The only difference between your model and mine is I got the heat sink too since I enclosed it.

“3-a 3M K-Type 100mm Thermocouple Sensor Probe (it appears to me that the thermocouple
which comes with the Inkbird will be to ‘short’ to effectively pass through the door of my
SmokinTex). This one will be ‘long’ enough to get the job done.”
I extended my coupler wiring to a longer length by just splicing the wires.

“I would next turn its ‘factory’ heating element dial up to ‘some (?) higher’ temperature.”
I would suggest the highest setting it will go.

“Then, as I start my cooking schedule, I would input the various cooking (schedule)
temperatures INTO the PID as I move through the various ‘stages’ of the cooking schedule.”
I think I’m understanding but wanting to make sure that you will have to manually change the temp each time.

“The PID would then adjust itself through the use of the fan… turning the fan on and off -
moving the air through the smoker to keep the internal temperature of the smoker where I
want it as per what I ‘input’.”
I do not really understand the fan keeping the temp correct. The smoker would be plugged
into the PID and if you wanted you could also connect the fan to the PID thereby turning both
on at preset temps. You could also just directly plug the fan into a power source and keep it running continuously and use a plain timer to turn it off and on while letting the smoker keep
the temp without a PID.

“Always happy for suggestions… cause right now I feel like I’m getting in over my head.”

I did too when I first started using them, but once you set it up and use it a couple you will ask yourself how you ever lived without it.

I believe some guys are using them to regulate fans and temps in pellet grills by controlling the burn rate of the pellet burner .

My only experience is using the PID and an SSR to switch the electric heating element on an off and thereby control the smoker temperature that way.