Adding An Electric Smoker To Your Charcoal Grill

Converting your charcoal grill into an electric smoker is not hard and can be done for less than $70. Parts needed; Charcoal Grill, Electric Element, Heat Vent, and a Thermo Blanket. You many also want to invest in a dual oven & meat thermometer.

Purchasing The Electric Element

I purchased the Cabela’s Smoker Electric converter for $39.99. I then had to bend the sides so it would fit into the smoker section of my Professional Char-Griller. I bent the sides down using my bench vice, making it 12″ wide. Before doing this however, remove the two screws holding the element assembly on and remove the element. You do not want to damage this when making your bends.

Make A Heat Vent To Transfer Your Heat

To make a heat vent I took a sheet of 201 stainless steel, 14″ long, 22″ wide at one end and 16″ wide at the other end. I then bent the edges down making it 14 inches wide with the back-end 1 inch tall and the front-end 4 inches tall. This vent forces the heat to transfer from the smoker section into the main section of the grill.

Getting The Grill Temperature Up To 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

The final step to get this grill up to 220 to 225 degrees was to add a thermo blanket. With the thermo blanket the grill maintained 225 degrees. If you want a lower controlled temperature, you can trying purchasing a Rheostat for $15, but make sure it can handle the current needed for a 1500 watt element. 1500W / 120V = 12.5I (amps). So one that can handle 15 amps would work.