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Air pump cold smoker?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 4:26 pm
by JollyJohn
Anyone got any detailed plans for a cold smoke generator, the type that uses an air pump?

This ProQ keeps going out!

John.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 5:06 pm
by wheels
John

There's something wrong if the ProQ keeps going out. It's probably something very simple.

I'm not being funny, but it will be far simpler in the long run to sort out your problem with the ProQ than set up another system.

Can you describe your procedure/set up/ventilation please? What type of wood are you having the problem with? ProQ wood or other? Maybe photos?

I'm sure that between us we can have you getting 12 hours smoking at a time.

Phil

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 6:12 pm
by JollyJohn
Hi Phil.

I'm using the oak dust that came with the smoker, carefully distributed and levelled off below the division top. I initially had the smoker on floor of the tandoor, with vents at the top of the smoke box closed. Later put the smoker on a mesh at the top of the tandoor, bottom of the smoke box withe vents open. It burned for about another hour, then went out again. Could be the dust is damp, but it was in the bag it arrived in, and kept in a heated house.

If you look at my other post, below "smoker too big" there is a link to some pics.

Cheers John.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:17 pm
by wheels
John

We seem to be duplicating a conversation - rather than us both having 'deja vu' I've replied here.

Sorry, I didn't actually answer your original question about the alternatives - the thread is here:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=3185

However, I believe that Saucisson now uses the CSG?

Phil

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 3:40 pm
by tinca
Its clear that the csg aint at fault here ,but the dust that came with it, as said the alternative is to use a feeder cage or fart fodder tin , fill it with dust and dump a piece of lighted white hot charcoal on it, as a quick fix till you get yer dust sorted or porky pas cold smoke generator , the fact is if the dust is crap it aint gonner work, perhaps its to young wood dust not dry enough :roll: gaz

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:20 pm
by saucisson
wheels wrote:John

We seem to be duplicating a conversation - rather than us both having 'deja vu' I've replied here.

Sorry, I didn't actually answer your original question about the alternatives - the thread is here:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=3185

However, I believe that Saucisson now uses the CSG?

Phil


Yes, exclusively. But I keep the air pump set up as back up for lump wood, vine clippings and "dust" that keeps going out in the CSG. This has only happened with home grown dust, nothing from Ashwood, ProQ or Hotsmoked.

I wonder if you got a bad batch? I'm sure one of us can send you a sample of dust that should work John/Gaz...

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:29 pm
by JollyJohn
Thanks guys, for all your advice. I have to say that my initial experience with the CSG has not been brilliant, but I know you rate it highly, so I have to put it down to the dust. I never got it to do a complete burn, even after drying in the oven for a few hours, and when it was burning, it was hardly a whisper of smoke. The same dust performed badly in the venturi as well. I bought extra packs of oak dust with the CSG, they also are c**p.

Anyway, I got a few good hours of smoking out of the venturi, and have taken the salmon out, and put it in the fridge for a day or two prior to vacuum packing, and freezing. It tastes great by the way, hopefully even better after a while to mellow!

I will leave the sausages in the smoker, and give them a few more sessions of smoke during the next couple of evenings.

There are a few tweaks I want to do to the venturi, I think I can make it more controllable and reliable, but I haven't given up on the CSG completely.

John.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:53 pm
by wheels
saucisson wrote:I'm sure one of us can send you a sample of dust that should work John/Gaz...


I'd be happy to do this, but it will be a couple of weeks before I can do so. In the meantime, why not try a post at:

http://proq.forumotion.com/index.htm

Phil

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:54 pm
by tinca
saucisson wrote:
wheels wrote:John

We seem to be duplicating a conversation - rather than us both having 'deja vu' I've replied here.

Sorry, I didn't actually answer your original question about the alternatives - the thread is here:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=3185

However, I believe that Saucisson now uses the CSG?

Phil


Yes, exclusively. But I keep the air pump set up as back up for lump wood, vine clippings and "dust" that keeps going out in the CSG. This has only happened with home grown dust, nothing from Ashwood, ProQ or Hotsmoked.

I wonder if you got a bad batch? I'm sure one of us can send you a sample of dust that should work John/Gaz...


The dust from macbb works fine in my csg Phil :wink: Gaz just giving alternatives for a quick fix :lol:

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 12:04 am
by tinca
Just wondering if by chance and it does happen , that the csg has a fault, perhaps the mesh size is wrong , its not likely but you never no :P i had ago at duplicating it with a ground feeder dish made of mesh and some wire mesh from a sieve, i couldnt get the thing to work more than an hour, a right pain to start aswell, so things have to be spot on for the csg to work right, any difference in dust size , moisture, resin content or mesh size would bugger it up :( maybe due to the smoke house being on a concrete base , theres moisture coming up out of the concrete, may look dry as a bone but crete hold moisture alot and for along time :roll: Try a small pile of dust by iself on a tray , light the top and see if it burns away ok? Gaz

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:54 pm
by wheels
Now answered by Mac on the other thread on the subject - it's a problem with new dust:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... c&start=15

Phil