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[headrancher]

This is a first post for me, though I have looked through the Electric Smoker Controller threads trying to solve this issue. Many thanks to Kane for directing me here during a phone conversation. There is a lot of great information here, and I'm impressed by the support!

What I'm Trying To Do:
I am looking for input on how best to heat my smoker build.
I have attached two pictures. One has the inner dimensions (12.6 cubic feet). The other has the dimensions for the door.
The outer wall of the smoker is cinderblock. The inner wall is fire brick, and has a 1" air gap between the inner and outer wall. The door is 1/8" steel.

What I've Already Done:
I purchased a AW-WST1510H-W smoker controller to regulate the temperature, and I'm very happy with the unit and all of the functionality.
I purchased a 1500 watt, 120 volt stove top element (PartsTown- https://www.partstown.com/cadco/cadc30102ec) and plugged it directly into a 120 volt, 15 amp circuit. It was only able to bring the temperature of the interior of the smoker to 140 deg F.
So now I am faced with trying to find a solution. I intend to smoke in the 200 - 225 deg F range, so I assume that I'd like to be able to get the interior hotter than that in a reasonable amount of time to get it ready to receive the meat. I'd definitely like to be able to use the AW-WST1510H-W controller to take advantage of the wifi/application (which seems like a dream come true).

Power Available Where the Smoker is:
I have two 120 volt, 15 amp circuits currently wired to the area where the smoker is.
By changing breakers, I have the ability to bring two 120 volt, 20 amp circuits there instead.
By pulling new wire, I have the ability to bring a 240 volt, 20 amp circuit there instead if needed.
I am looking for advice on how to approach this problem. Ideally, I'd prefer not to have to pull anymore wire and go with the 120 volt 15 amp or 120 volt 20 amp circuits currently installed.

Questions:
1. Can I use a larger element with the AW-WST1510H-W controller I currently have? If so, what size specifically? (Watts, Volts, Amps) Is there a way to test it prior to connecting it to the controller?

2. Assuming I can't get it to temp after the first test, could I wire a second 1500 watt, 120 volt stove top element (like the first one) to a second 120 volt, 15 amp circuit? In this way, one element would always be on at 100% on one circuit, and the second element would be controlled by the AW-WST1510H-W to maintain the correct temperature on a second circuit.

3. Suggestions for the 120 volt 15 amp circuits?

4. Suggestions for the 120 volt 20 amp circuits?

5. If those ideas using those circuits don't work, I assume I'd need to pull over a 240 volt, 20 amp circuit and move to the WS-2000F-SMD. If that is the case, any recommendations on an element?

Thanks in advance for your time.

JMc

[Kkane]

1. 1510H is rated as 120V/1800W. If your element is less than 1800W, you can use it with this controller. You can plug in your element directly to your wall outlet without our controller, and see if your smoker temperature can reach your target temperature or not. If not, you need to use a more powerful heating element.

2. Theoretically this plan should work.

[headrancher]

Kane: Thank you for the input!

I think I may have determined a big part of my problem; the door to the smoker is custom built from 1/8" metal. As the temperature in the chamber rises, the exterior of the door rises as well. My current hypothesis is that the door is not insulative enough and is essentially functioning as a heat sink.

Further experiments I have tried:

A.   Tried two 1500 Watt, 120 Volt stove top elements. One was connected to the AW-WST1510H-W controller, and the other directly to a separate 120 Volt, 15 Amp circuit. After 4.5 hours this combination was able to raise the chamber temperature to 181 deg F.


B.   Tried a 3000 Watt, 220 Volt oven element directly connected to a 220 Volt outlet. After four hours, the chamber reached 192 deg F, and the door was hot to the touch, though not so hot that you couldn't leave your hand on it.

Next steps:

Based on these results, think I need to find a good way to insulate that door. It seems as if the heating elements are adding enough heat to raise the temperature to where it needs to be, but the door is allowing enough heat to "bleed off" that it can't get there. I suppose if I had a massive heat source (charcoal, propane, numerous elements), it would be enough to overcome the heat loss, but that door would be the same temp as the interior of the smoker. Whatever insulation I use will need to be food safe and not contribute any extra flavor when heated. On some of the websites out there dedicated to smoking, it looks like people have used a ceramic oven insulation fiber or ceramic fiber board. Amazon might be the best source. I will probably need to fashion something out of sheet metal to hold it in place. I would welcome any recommendations.

My next experiment will be to insulate it with something temporary (firebricks, an insulated sheet of metal, or similar) and see if any combination of the stove/oven elements I have on hand now will allow me to heat the chamber to the required temperature. With any luck, using one 1500 Watt, 120 Volt element will be sufficient, and I can use the AW-WST1510H-W controller as intended. Fingers crossed.

I will post results as they become available.

[LndShrk]

That is a nice looking smoker build.
In all honesty I think you are going to possibly struggle to heat that with electric. The firebrick will absorb the heat. The gap between firebrick and cinderblock will act as a cooling chamber for the firebrick.
and as  you mentioned without insulation on the door it too will allow heat to escape. It is hard to tell where the smoke generator is and exhaust etc.

As for elements. I have had great success with the Temco finned heating elements.
https://www.grainger.com/search?searchQuery=Tempco+finned&searchBar=true

[Kkane]

Thanks for your updates. The total power rating for your experiment #A is 1500W+1500W = 3000W, which is the same as your experiment #B. As your test result, I will say this 11 degree error (181F vs 192F) could be just normal variation. 

Anyway, I agree that you need to find a good way to insulate your smoker better at first, especially for the front door. Maybe you can check some related posts online, to see how they build the brick smokers and how to seal the smoker door.

[headrancher]

LNDSHRK: Thank you; it's been a real education. We've been poking at it now for eight months. The end is in site, but probably still a way off yet. At least we're cooking on the BBQ, so there's that. I've learned that I am not a particularly good layer of either cinder block or fire brick, but what I lack in skill, I make up for with tedious slowness and dogged indecision. Thank you, too, for the link to the heating elements.

There is no smoke generator. The smoke is generated by resting a cast iron skillet filled with wood chips directly on the burner elements at the bottom of the chamber. There will be a rack with either a metal plate or water pan above that, and then adjustable racks above. The exhaust is a six-inch diameter pipe through the six-inch thick concrete ceiling and granite. I've installed a circular baffle to control flow. The chimney is six-inch, Class A double walled pipe up through the roof of the patio cover (approx. twelve-foot length overall). I attached another pic if you're interested.

KANE: Thanks for the input. I think you are right.

New Experiments Update:

A.   Insulated between the door and the oven chamber with sheetrock creating a six inch dead air space. Tried one 1500 watt, 120 volt stove top element connected to the smoker controller. After 5 hours the oven chamber reached 152 deg F. The metal outer door was cool to the touch. (This is an indication that one 1500 watt element will not be able to heat the chamber correctly.)

B.   Same test insulation set up as before. Tried one 3000 watt, 220 volt oven element connected directly to a 220 volt outlet. After 4 hours the oven chamber reached 226 deg F. Again, the metal door was cool to the touch. Progress!

C.   Same test insulation set up as before. Tried two oven elements; a 3000 watt, 220 volt, and a 2400 watt, 220 volt (5400 volts total) connected directly to a 220 volt outlet. The oven chamber reached 225 deg F in about 30 min, and climbed to 261 deg F in an hour and a half before I unplugged it. YES!

Notes:

1.   Based on the above efforts, it is clear that the 110 volt elements, even in combination, will not be sufficient to heat this oven. I am going to have to pull new wire and put in a 220 volt circuit to serve the smoker. I will use the two oven elements (5400 watts) so that it doesn't take forever for the oven chamber to come to temperature with water and meat inside, and the controller doesn't have to keep a single element powered constantly to maintain temp.

2.   I will likely be buying some rolled ceramic fiber oven insulation from Amazon to insulate the door. It doesn't look like I'll need to go overboard to do it, but it will definitely need to be insulated. At this point, I'm thinking I will use sheet metal and fold up a "box" the insulation can sit in, and then attach it to the door with screws or similar. That part is not clear. The door itself is so beautiful, I am hesitant to do anything that can be seen from the outside.

3.   I will need to move from the AW-WST1510H-W controller to a controller that will function with 220 volts. Kane, I would appreciate any recommendation you can make here.

[Kkane]

1. Based on your study, it is good to use sheetrock as insulation material, but is it safe to use sheetrock/drywall in a smoker? I did some research online and it seems ok for humans. Here is a link I found:

https://www.quora.com/Can-you-die-from-eating-drywall

But the maximum temperature for drywall seems only 176F. See the link below:

https://www.thermapure.com/the-safe-heating-of-drywall/#:~:text=Extensive%20studies%20show%20that%20permanent,drywall%20will%20not%20be%20degraded.

You may need to do more research to make sure it is good.

2. Yes, rolled ceramic fiber (designed for oven insulation) seems a better and safer choice.

[LndShrk]

I think I would consider adding foam insulation inside the cinderblock holes.

Cement is not a good insulator. 

I built a smoking pit out of cinder block but I use a wood fire to cook in it.  I have a steel plate on top and can maintain 250. But that is with a good bed of coals