Cooking with the help of PID controllers

[jmorris]

Had a bunch of folks over the other day and took a short video of two of the PID controlled smokers I have. One is a regular wood fired and controls the damper the other is pellet fed and the PID controls pellet flow.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMZ9voAORYc

[dragon813gt]

That's a really sweet setup. Now I will patiently wait for members to say "they don't need no stinking PIDs on a smoker" and how it's overkill :laugh:

[jmorris]

You don't need them but it's nice to do other things and come back to the same temp a few hours later.

The pellet one is great for jerky too, will run 16 hours on a full load of pellets.

[ironbrew]

Any chance we can get more about the pellet pooper? Did you build it? I've been eying them up for years, but so far sticking with my egg (on a PID)

Edit - Did not realize this was my first post. I've been haunting here for years. Ooops...

[jmorris]

I used what I had on hand but this is it.

4130 chrome moly seamless tube cut at one end so pellets can drop in from the top and a mounting plate on the other end to mount the motor that drives the auger.

You can also see the heating element on the bottom of the tube to start the fire and the fire pot.
http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/Smoker/augtubeign_zpstj1w9w2k.jpg

An old computer fan at the same end as the motor blows air down the 4" box tube and into/all around the fire pot, non stop the only thing that controls the heat is adding or stopping pellet flow into the pot.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/Smoker/fan_zps6sqivqze.jpg

This was the first test run before the mortar can/hopper and cover were added. The time delay relay turns on for 5 min when you plug it in, powers the heater starting the initial fire, then turns off.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/Smoker/smokermount_zpszdtwjkfv.jpg

[ironbrew]

Thanks.

So the heating rod starts it, and the pellet feeder controls the amount of fuel... How long can it go before it must add fuel? Or were you able to size that it needs fuel fairly often to keep from going out?

Neat rig. Just trying to figure out the controls. Oh, and did you make your own auger flighting?

[jmorris]

Yes, when it's cold the auger will keep on running, if the heating element didn't start a fire, there would just be a pot full of pellets. It depends on the environment (mostly wind conditions) but yes it needs pellets fairly often but the the hopper I have it has ran as many as 16 hours on a single load img jerky before.

[6bg6ga]

Outstanding!!! Excellent use of PID's and control. Well done jmorris once again.