Camp Chef 24 inch Smoke vault temperature control

[btberlin]

Temperature control in a smoke vault.

My 24 inch Smoke vault has been difficult to maintain a set temperature. The gas control on it is very finicky. So I decided to make a simple, inexpensive device to stabilize the temperature. The Smoke vault has three vents with shutters, and I decided to use one of those vents for an electronically controlled fan. My idea is borrowed from a commercial temperature controller that I saw on a Green Egg. I found two devices on eBay that we're relatively inexpensive that I thought would do the job. One is a 5 in square muffin fan that operates at 120 volts. The one I chose comes with a nice power cord. The second is a small digital temperature controller that has a cooling option. The one I chose is small, and inexpensive. If you decide to make this, make certain that the controller has a cooling option. Mine allows output for heat or cool. They use a K-type thermocouple input, which is in the form of a stainless steel probe and several feet of braided metal jacket. First. I removed the vent shutter on the lower left vent opening. Then I tapped ( threaded) the four screw holes in the corners of the fan. Using the fan as a template, I drilled two holes through the side of the Smoke vault, and then used two two small thumb screws that I could insert from the inside of the vault, and thread into the fan. This holds the fan securely against the side of a Smoke vault. I put the sensor from the temperature controller into the Smoke vault, dangling it from one of the grids in the center of the Smoke vault. The door seal on the Smoke vault is not very tight, so the probe wire can be passed through the door opening and the door closed on it without hurting it. The temperature controller is set to the cook temperature, and the fan is plugged into the controller. The smoker gas flame is set so that the temperature will go above the desired temperature, and the cooling fan will blow air into the Smoke vault when the temperature rises about 2° above the set point. The fan comes on, blows cooler air into the vault and the temperature drops a couple of degrees below the set point. This cycle repeats until the cook is done. With this setup temperature is maintained within about 3 to 4°. The controller is mounted in a plastic box along with a solid-state relay, a receptacle for the fan, a couple of switches and indicator lights. You need to have some DIY electronics experience to make this gadget, or a friend who can help. And, you need to plug this into a GFCI outdoors for protection against shock. Right after I posted this I noticed that you can get an entire kit on Amazon. It is made by Inkbird and you need a few other inexpensive items to complete the controller : a plug receptacle, a housing, and some optional items like a light to show on or off and a switch so you can turn it off without unplugging it. The picture below is taken from the Amazon page featuring this kit.

Inkbird PID Temperature Controller Kit, High Voltage 100ACV to 240ACV, Comes with SSR 40DA Solid State Relay, K Type Thermocouple, and White Heat Sink


Visit the Inkbird Store

[ssandy_561]

I had trouble maintaining stable temperatures on my 24” Smoke Vault when I was using it frequently. What I did was buy a couple of the metal old school dryer vent covers and attached them to my Smoke Vaults lower two vents. This prevented the breeze from blowing in and disturbing the flame. Once I did this I had a lot easier time controlling temperatures.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

This is an interesting mod. I might have to look into it.

Another thing I've heard of is people doing a "needle valve" for the propane? So you can get a much more precise control of the gas. I need to look into both of these. I'd like my Smoke Vault to be able to be a LOW TEMP holding chamber - something like 150ºF. Thus far, about 175ºF is about the lowest I can get it to run reliably.