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Can I use a Commercial Fridge/Freezer for smoking chamber??

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Philly-QueMaster

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Location
Bluffton, SC
I have been wanting to build myself a stumps gravity feed type smoker for several months now. I don't have any welding experience and was wondering if I could give myself a jump start by using a commercial fridge/freezer for my main smoking chamber instead of building one from scratch. Do you think something like these would work? I'm wondering if I could strip them, insulate the internal walls, and add a charcoal chute to the back. Thoughts??

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bfs/1709903544.html
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/app/1730446068.html
http://cnj.craigslist.org/app/1699669258.html

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/bfs/1729716662.html
 
Commercial freezers work great as smokers as long as the interior is stainless or metal skin. I am working on my 2nd as we speak. It has 6 23 x 24 racks 7" apart. The bottom one is used for drip pan. I am putting an Afterburner (gassmoker.com) in this one that can be used with natural gas or propane. It is pretty much set it and forget it. You can use chunks of wood in a coffe can diectly on the burner for a great smoke or I may order a Smoke Daddy to put on this one. Very versatile little cold/hot smoke generator. (smokedaddy.com). Overall some of our best smoked food has come out of our comm. freezer smoker!! Hope this helps!!
 
Thanks for the info jgmjb. Do you have any pics of your build? Any tips on where to get a used commercial freeze and how much I should pay? I'm not sure if the ones are craigslist are a deal or not. I was hoping to pick something up for a few hundred bucks. What are your thoughts on adding a gravity fed charcoal chute to the back like Stumps smokers use?
 
I don't have any pics of the finished product. I'll try to get some and post this week. I got both of mine for free from a local ice cream company that went out of business. Before I found those all the ones I found were going for $100 - $500 used. I also thought about a Stumps clone on one but switched to gas for the convenience. I think it would work great though with the entire chamber being insulated.
 
A friend of mine lucked out an bought one off a guy for 35 bucks. For heat and smoke source it has a small old wood stove with a pipe that go`s into the fridge, the front door is cut in half the top half is the cooking area and the bottom half has drip pan and a metal tent that sits over the stovepipe.
 
I'm sorry I don't understand the word Fridge?

However I do understand the word Refrigerator.

And can you show us some pron! of the Refrigerator you like to use :p)

Just teasin bro.
 
@ Derek - I like the friendly banter :) I use fridge because refrigerator takes too long to type out! :)

Thanks everyone for the responses.

jgbmgb - Do these type of commercial fridge/freezers normally come insulated? Or did you take all the skins off and install installation and then re-apply the outer skins? I think I'll keep looking on craigs list and ebay and see if I can snatch one for under $500.

This one seems like a good candidate, the price seems reasonable but its a little smaller then what I was hoping for. Its still a possibility.
 
Philly-QueMaster said:
@ Derek - I like the friendly banter :) I use fridge because refrigerator takes too long to type out! :)

Thanks everyone for the responses.

jgbmgb - Do these type of commercial fridge/freezers normally come insulated? Or did you take all the skins off and install installation and then re-apply the outer skins? I think I'll keep looking on craigs list and ebay and see if I can snatch one for under $500.

This one seems like a good candidate, the price seems reasonable but its a little smaller then what I was hoping for. Its still a possibility.
Click to expand...
We're still cool bro.

Tease me any time you like. I take it well.

Any hoo did you go to ebay to check out fridges?
 
All commercial freezers should have at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches of insulation all the way around. I found a couple of pics of when I first started my 1st one. This was befor I added Afterburner and racks etc. Like I said, it cooks great!!!
 
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That looks similiar to some of the ones I found for sale. I'd love to see the finish product if you get a chance to take some pics some time. I think this may be a good way to go as I won't have to build completely from scratch. I'd really only have to worry about making the charcoal chute and getting the heat into the main cooking chamber. I'm looking on craigslist and ebay now.
 
Derek said:
I'm sorry I don't understand the word Fridge?

However I do understand the word Refrigerator.

And can you show us some pron! of the Refrigerator you like to use :p)

Just teasin bro.
Click to expand...

I have only been a member here for a few days and you are already making me feel at home :-D thanks
 
jgbmgb said:
All commercial freezers should have at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches of insulation all the way around. I found a couple of pics of when I first started my 1st one. This was befor I added Afterburner and racks etc. Like I said, it cooks great!!!
Click to expand...

Do you have the make/model of this fridge? I'd like to find something similiar if I can.
 
Don't know exactly, but you can look at them on the True website. Google "True Commercial Freezer". They show all models and also have dimensions.
 
That would work great. You would have to reskin the inside of the door if its plastic, which it probably is. One other thing too, when you reskin the door you will need to put some heavy stove gasket all the way around for the seal. When you do this you will most likely have to replace the hinges and latch also because with the new gasket there will be less of a gap to close and the stock hinges are fixed for the rubber gasket. The door on mine is the same size as the face frame of the freezer which made mounting new hinges easy and I put 2 latch clamps on the side to keep it shut tight (latch clamps like on a Stumps). Other than those things it should work and the space underneath would make a great place for a slide out drip pan.
 
jgbmgb said:
That would work great. You would have to reskin the inside of the door if its plastic, which it probably is. One other thing too, when you reskin the door you will need to put some heavy stove gasket all the way around for the seal. When you do this you will most likely have to replace the hinges and latch also because with the new gasket there will be less of a gap to close and the stock hinges are fixed for the rubber gasket. The door on mine is the same size as the face frame of the freezer which made mounting new hinges easy and I put 2 latch clamps on the side to keep it shut tight (latch clamps like on a Stumps). Other than those things it should work and the space underneath would make a great place for a slide out drip pan.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info jgbmgb. I think I'm going to make him an offer and see if he'll take it. What do you think its worth? I was thinking maybe like $200. My plans include a drip pan/water pan that would act as a heat deflecftor and help evenly distribute the heat up the chamber. Now I'm wondering if I should just try and build a Backwoods clone or go with my original idea of a Stumps clone. Did you paint yours or leave it stainless steel?
 
Checked with a used rest. equip. supply down here in NC today and the rep told me for a single door in working order he gets anywhere from 300 to 400 depending on the shape its in. He has a single door True thats about 5 years old in now and is asking 425 for it. It is in working order. Low ball the guy a price and see what he says. With this economy he could accept anything!! Unless he's a used equip. dealer and knows what he has!!!!
 
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