Incubator for a kiln?

[Davo]

Just had a random thought today and wondered whether anyone had tried using an incubator which is normally used for hatching eggs as a kiln.

I’m not sure whether they would reach the required temperature for the final stage of kilning but I thought something like this might work.

Incubator | Trade Me Marketplace

600+ egg incubator. Automatic rollers and controllers. 2 controllers and monitors have been wired in for safety. Everything fires up to work. Husband rewired ev...

www.trademe.co.nz

 

[Knucklehead]

I typed incubator in the search box, top right of the header, and pulled up several posts. I just glanced through some of the posts, but it seems some members have or were considering using egg incubators for kilning.

 

[deluxestogie]

Kilning is performed at a single temperature setting for 4 to 8 weeks. That is in the range of 122-130°F (50-54.4°C). Flue-curing is a different set of conditions, with the temp ramping upward over a 5 to 7 day period from about 98°F (~37°C) to a max of about 165°F (~74°C). [Poach 600 eggs at once!]

Most plastics (though not all) can perform adequately at kiln temps. Only some plastics will not degrade at the max flue-cure temp. If your intent is to use the "incubator" simply as a container within which your home-built heating temp control will operate for kilning, then that may work quite well, regardless of the insulating material. I doubt that the built-in controllers and heating system can be set to the required temp. BUT...you would need to inspect the detailed specifications of the manufacturer, in addition to inspecting the home-brew re-wiring performed by the seller's husband. With no manufacturer's labeling evident, you can't really look up specs on what materials the walls are made from.

So this may function as a kiln as is. More likely is that you will have to re-do the controls for tobacco kiln temps. There seems to be no way of determining if it would hold up to flue-curing.

Bob

 

[Davo]

Cheers guys. I wasn’t so much looking at that exact incubator, rather using as an example. I would only be using one for kilning burley at this stage, however I am wondering whether I should just grow enough to let the crops age for a couple of years before smoking. At some stage I will need to build a kiln (or master sun curing) for bright leaf, however this is a while off as I managed to buy some from Don in the meantime

 

[Davo]

Edit. Meant flue for bright leaf