The following information is presented for your interest, and perhaps amusement, but it is not intended as a detailed plan for converting an upright freezer into a gas smoker. This is the first of three frig/freezer smokers that I built. This one used a V-burner in the floor. I since learned that this burner was too large for most such conversions... we now offer it in a 7" X 11" Brownie pan which is very sturdy, and easy to install. Read through it, there's some great pictures of smoked product.
I need to say up front that this conversion is a most remarkable endeavor in meat smoking, because I learned that this configuration is probably the most efficient smoking machine for the least amount of fuel. I never imagined this until I tried it out on a batch of jerky sticks.
A most important phase of the conversion is the camo paint job, without which this project could never have come to completion. You see, we may live in Alabama, but my lovely wife, Mary Ann, would never tolerate a freezer on the back porch (much less the front porch). A friend of mine (mistakenly) parked this same freezer on his front porch, and after six months or so, I had little difficulty talking him and his wife into donating it for experimental purposes. My wife was out shopping when I brought it home, unloaded it, and immediately commenced to paint it in woodland camo. This was "Job One". You can get the paint at Wal-Mart for about $2.00 per can, best $10.00 bucks I ever spent on a smoker! You don't have to use the woodland camo pattern, brown brick color with white mortar stripes would probably have done just as well!
Caution: Don't try this with one of the newer type freezers that have Styrofoam insulation. The stuff is very flammable, and could leach toxic fumes into the cooking chamber. The one I used had fiberglass insulation.
Next, it's important to find a freezer (refrigerator) with a steel inside box, not plastic like most all of the newer models. The really old ones have steel liners. A magnet will tell.
Below, are pictures of the freezer with the door closed and open. It was outfitted with six shelves that measure about 21" X 27" with about 5-1/2" to 6" between shelves. (Note the addition of an adjustable chimney flue on the top.)
The freezer cooling system had been removed before I acquired it, so I can't comment on that part of it. All plastic was removed from around the door opening and the inside face of the door, and replaced with galvanized steel. A strip of self-sticking, weather strip foam rubber was applied around the outer perimeter of the door (the original vinyl seal was found to melt at higher temps). A hole about 16" diameter was cut in the bottom (two layers) with a sabre saw and an Afterburner - V dropped into place. The burner pan had extra holes punched in it to let in fresh air for combustion (this also acts as a safety feature to prevent the freezer from filling up with gas, should the burner go out unexpectedly).
Afterburner w/smoke can Pan with extra vent holes Stainless Steel Water Pan
Note that the traditional EZ-Smoke technique is used here (46oz juice can with smoke wood packed tightly inside). When smoking Jerky/Sausage, a 1/4" steel plate was inserted above the burner to spread the heat/smoke around. No water was used here, because I'm looking for a drying effect on the jerky sticks. When smoking Ribs, Butts, Brisket, Chicken, etc. the steel plate is removed and a stainless steel water pan was propped up on some bricks to boil the water and keep the meat moist while smoking (above right photo).
Now, let's load it up!
15 pounds of hot jerky sticks... fits 2 shelves easily... and smoked to perfection!
What's so amazing about this is how little energy it takes to run one of these smokers. For these jerky sticks, I started late one evening, and got the temperature up to about 250 degrees over a period of two hours. It was getting late, and I didn't want to let it run over night, so I shut the gas off, closed the flue and went to bed. Next day, I didn't get around to checking it until about noon. When I opened the door, a blast of hot air hit me in the face. It was 120 degrees inside the smoker, just about what I wanted to cook those jerky sticks at anyway. In other words, this smoker holds the heat in real good, because of the insulating properties of the freezer, that it cooked the jerky sticks overnight. More recent experience with ribs and butts convinces me that I'm operating on the bottom end of the Afterburner - V heat range. The burner flame is so low that I have to center the smoke can over the burner to keep it smoldering! This has got to be one of the most efficient smoke machines ever. One of these days I hope to find an occasion to smoke 50 to 70 Boston Butts in this thing and really see what it'll do (I have a friend in the BBQ catering business, so maybe we'll cut a deal on it).