My Big Brown Egg
26 Feb 2015 16:35:06 UTC
Topic 197992
(moderation:
Actually a copy of Alton Brown's design of many years ago with a modification to the electrics. I, like so many others, had issues with controlling/regulating temps at the cooking grate. Some had moved the hotplate regulator outside the pot and achieved relative success but I thought I would try an infinite switch instead. I just completed this project so it remains untested as of this post. Today's weather and the next several days weather does not look promising.
You can see the build here if you are interested.
I do need to mention that I am not an electrician so if you decide to try this you assume all responsibility.
If this post violates E@H's policy feel free to remove it.
My Big Brown Egg
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Very interested :) Hope to hear more about it when you get the chance.
Neither am I... and okay :)
Please wait here. Further instructions could pile up at any time. Thank you.
RE: Actually a copy of
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Without a handle setup that lid could not only be heavy but quite warm when the food is done, you may want to think of some way to address that before you use it. Maybe even a small cable, so it won't burn, with a larger than the hole plate on the inside of the cooker so you can lift the lid off. You would need a way to keep the hole open during cooking though, so maybe an outside plate too that can be adjusted to regulate how much smoke comes out?
RE: RE: Actually a copy
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Ah Anniet, spoken with a true pioneering spirit.
Mikey,
Your points are well taken. You are correct about the heat. At around 229 you can touch the dome with a 3 second count before removing you hand. On a steel smoker you would leave some "meat" behind. This gets hot but not like a metal one. As for attaching handles I thought about it but with my limited experience with "ceramics" I have learned that the fewer holes you drill the better off you are. Ceramics are fragile so drill only what you need. With two oven gloves/mits you can remove the dome and set it aside. As you mentioned and as you will see in the pics that follow I use a small clay saucer over the hole in the dome as a damper. It will regulate the air/smoke flow through the pot.
In the pictures that follow I made some changes to design flaws, i.e., I got rid of the "bullet" quick disconnects because they were neither quick nor easy and replaced them with a standard male/female plug arrangement.
ok. As Anniet requested here we go.
This first pic shows the overall layout. Starting with the inline Yellow GFI interrupt, followed by the control box sitting on a table, then the "brown egg" sitting on a cast iron plant dolly for easy moving.
Next pic: shows the control box mounted on a table set for an arbitrary temperature of 2.5.
Next pic: Shows the "new" quick disconnect. Originally I had used the quick disconnect bullet connectors but decided these were much easier. It is important that the plug will pass though the hole drilled in the base of the pot. Note also the cast iron plant dolly this whole thing is resting on.
Next pic: Vent hole is the top of the control box. Use can see the relay opening and closing.
The video shows the relay opening and closing. This is why the switch must be mounted vertically and with vent holes above and below on the control box.
Click for video ---> http://www.usefulramblings.org/bimetal.mp4
Next pic: Small clay saucer used to cover hole in dome pot - a damper to control air/smoke flow as well as temp.
Opinion: I believe that this arrangement will offer better temperature control than the original. Ambient air temp and wind all factor in but clay/ceramic is not as subject to sudden temperature change as is metal. To make it even easier/better you could bypass the control unit and plug the coil directly into a PID. It would sense a predefined temp at the grate and turn on/off power to the hotplate coil based upon temp-at-grate. You can buy them and then asssemble them but that another time and another place. Maybe in another 8 years.
I am so glad that this posting mechanism did not have a timeout period.
[EDIT}
I was able to maintain a 225F temp at the grate (not at the top of the dome) with a setting of ~4.75 on the control - a little below this setting.
My one remaing concern is how to mount the internal grates. At present the pot diameter supports them, but if they expand at a different rate then the pot would that cause the pot to shatter. It did not today but ....
RE: Mikey, Your points
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If that works for you then okay
This could be solved by supporting the grate internally thru some clay or brick pieces. You may need to position then after moving the cooker into place, and then not move the cooker while cooking to prevent the grate from falling, but 3 small pieces should do it.
Pictures look great robl!
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Pictures look great robl! :)
Hi Mikey :)
Please wait here. Further instructions could pile up at any time. Thank you.
RE: Pictures look great
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Hi annie!
And yes the pictures DO look good!
Dinner is ready. St. Louis
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Dinner is ready.
St. Louis style ribs:
with hydro salad: lettuce and tomatoes.
lettuce root structure:
and Dutch Bucket tomatoes: