Smokin' bad idea

Cariboocoot

So my wife gets another brilliant idea; an electric meat smoker. "We can use it at the cabin!"

Yes, dear. And how do we feed its 2.5 kWh (250 Watt element for 10 hours) appetite? Double the size of the PV array and battery bank? (The $6,000 solution.) Or just run the Honda all day? (The $5 solution.)

How about we just use it in town? (The $0.25 solution.) :roll:

TnAndy

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Introduce her to the propane model.

TheBackRoads

Re: Smokin' bad idea

hahahaha, please do keep us updated! This outta be good

Slappy

Re: Smokin' bad idea

somebody is about to be in the dog house.:D

Cariboocoot

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Guys, there is not a chance this thing is going to get used at the cabin!

This is just a demonstration of how the addition of a "little load" can be a big headache with off-grid power. I know you don't have to run it the full 10 hours (depends on how much meat you're smoking), but just look at the needed change to be able to supply power for an "occasional" use! (Of course she chose to do hams first; nothing like taking a chance on several pounds of pork rather than start out small and work your way up.)

Now she's going to realize that a smoker can be built that doesn't use external power at all, and expect me to build one (I do have plans for one somewhere).

niel

Re: Smokin' bad idea

explain it to her this way, if you got a bike generator and if she could maintain 100w for 25hrs she'd about replace it plus a few extra hours to top them off due to efficiency factors. this is no easy feat and my guess would be she would be lucky to do 1/2 hour a day if she really tried.

the best thing would be to not have it at all and return it to the store, but if she is anything like my wife, you're stuck with it and it's all your fault there's not enough for her to do as she pleases.:roll:

waynefromnscanada

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Leaves me shaking my head, not laughing, because there are sooo many good folks out there who think just like your dear wife. I think of my cousin and his camp. I just helped him install 450 watts PV feeding TS-MPPT-60 (future PV expansion), feeding 12 volt, 400 AH battery bank. His dear wife just cannot understand why she can't have an electric clothes dryer as well as a washer. The Great Divide in understanding is deeper than words can describe.
But not to worry, they get along fine because of an understanding in their relationship: one is always right, and the other is the husband. :p

ggunn

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Similar (in a way) situation: My wife wanted to run the fan on our central HVAC system all night every night because she likes the sound it makes and it somewhat masks the sound of my snoring.

techntrek

Re: Smokin' bad idea

You can get her a white noise machine, same effect, 1/1000th the wattage.

mikeo

Re: Smokin' bad idea

So my wife gets another brilliant idea; an electric meat smoker.

Buy her a chainsaw and build her a wood fired smoker out of rock with a steel grate and door for the cabin. Tell her when she get enough wood cut for a 10 hour burn, you will light is off for her.

solarix

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Your wife is like most people. They think electricity is all the same. I've just about given up explaining kW and kWH to them. Its the same with all forms of energy. They think it will always be there, just flowing out of the socket or out of the ground for their use. After several generations of cheap energy, we are all spoiled rotten. You want a good investment? Energy. The demand is up - up - up, and the supply is getting hard to find. Too bad we have an economic system built on a model of unending growth.

System2

Re: Smokin' bad idea

hi everyone i am newbie......i hope my hello will get some responses

Seven

Re: Smokin' bad idea

I feel your pain. My wife has really got on board recently though. The other night she made a comment that she was doing laundry a couple days early so that the heat from the dryer could be used to warm the area because it its supposed to be in the 70s to 80s on sunday, her normal day. I was so proud.

techntrek

Re: Smokin' bad idea

chinky, welcome.
...........

manzanita

Re: Smokin' bad idea

Cariboocoot wrote: »

So my wife gets another brilliant idea; an electric meat smoker. "We can use it at the cabin!"

Oh dear! Have fun with that one!

You're gonna need to find those plans.

Cariboocoot

Re: Smokin' bad idea

manzanita wrote: »

Oh dear! Have fun with that one!

You're gonna need to find those plans.

Actually tried the thing out Friday. Whole lot of room for improvement. Here we go again; more projects!

It doesn't work very well at these temps, for one thing. Of course what does work at -13F (-25C)?

NOT ME!

ggunn

Re: Smokin' bad idea

solarix wrote: »

Your wife is like most people. They think electricity is all the same. I've just about given up explaining kW and kWH to them. Its the same with all forms of energy. They think it will always be there, just flowing out of the socket or out of the ground for their use. After several generations of cheap energy, we are all spoiled rotten. You want a good investment? Energy. The demand is up - up - up, and the supply is getting hard to find. Too bad we have an economic system built on a model of unending growth.

Actually, my wife listens to reason about electricity rather well. She pays the electric bill. ;^)