Cheepo smoker......

[welsh wizard]

Hi Paul

Re the Bradley, no this does not have to be done if you modify it slightly and move the smoker unit away from the smoking box, which is easilly achieved with the use of some large pipe and a cardboard box.

Re the eels yep I get some of those from the river at the end of my lane by using a bail of straw - great fun for the dog who after 13 years is still not too sure what if anything to do with them!

Cheers WW

[aris]

Personally, I was thinking of using a very small wooden shed, and cladding the inside with zinc sheeting and perhaps some insulation underneath. This is a longer term project though - as Paul says - finding space in the garden, and keeping the missus happy are far greater challenges

[georgebaker]

Hi
I am not sure raw Zinc is safe although if you smoked it for a while you will build up a coating on the inside

Welders who smoked told me that you could taste the gavanised on steel

George

[aris]

This is supposed to be cold smoking - so it should not be an issue. I would have a seperate firebox outside with ducting taking the smoke to the shed.

[Oddley]

Hi aris I have been sitting here musing on using gavanized steel, and it occurs to me that if the wood smoke is at all acidic, then that small amounts of zinc could be lifted off in the form of vapor. I will be interested to hear if you can taste this.

I have seen the shed idea used but it was a steel shed.

[Paul Kribs]

If I were to go along the lines of building a cold smoker then the box would be made from white oak and clad with same bricks I have used for my raised beds etc. I would hate to disturb the aesthetic appearance of my garden, in which me and the wife spend most of the summer, listening to the likes of Dean Martin etc, BBQ at the ready. I certainly wouldn't be setting a fridge in it, nothing against pikeys you understand. As I say, I have mused with the idea for quite a while and have yet to find a solution. If I do, and go ahed with it, I intend to post photo's.. at the moment it is on the back burner.

I take the point that having not tried cold smoked meat I may well be missing out but at present I am trying out different charcuterie. This hobby is a very tastey minefield with so many avenues to explore.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Wohoki]

Paul, my smoker is an old barrel, when I take the smoke box off it just looks like a water-butt, and because it's never going to get hot I'm going to grow some peas up it in the summer: it should disapear.

As to the zinc dilema: it isn't a problem, beacuse a cold-smoker shouldn't get much more than two or three degrees C above ambient, and it will get covered with smoke deposites anyway, so just run it empty for a few hours first.

[Vernon Smith]

My goodness you guys, cold smokers have really become a "hot" topic over the past day or two judging from the number of postings on this subject. My collabsible hardboard smoke house works well so Aris' small shed should work better. I have friends on the Essex coast who smoke kippers semi-professionally and all use unlined wooden sheds so I too would caution the use of Zinc sheet lining. I am not sure whether wood smoke is acid or alkali but both will react with zinc even at ambient temperaures. Sorry, Wohoki I am just being cautious, as I was taught. I like Rik's idea of an old freezer as a smoke-house. Thanks for the tip. Now why didn't I think of that??? I have several defunct 6ft chest freezers that I use to store my pig feed, very useful in this climate. I will certainly convert one and give it a try. Logically it should work better than my hardboard bodge-up that is really just a temporary measure.
Nice idea WW to bbq vegetarians but I suspect they would need several days cold-smoking first to give them a bit of flavour. Not so strange as it would seem here in the S. Pacific where eating "long pig" still happens in remote areas from time to time.
Regards,
Vernon

[Wohoki]

It's always better to be cautious: even if it's just for your own peace of mind while you're eating your home smoked duck!

[aris]

I don't think zinc will be a problem - but in reality you could use anything - as long as it was not corrosive and would rust. My main reason for cladding inside was for insulation, and also most sheds are treated with chemicals, so this would be a buffer against that. If you are worried about the zinc, use something else - like stainless steel - but it will be hard to find and expensive. Zinc has been used for commecial kitchen tables and sinks (where you you think the word 'sink' comes from?) for centuries. If you are worried about it, you could clad the inside with untreated wood - such as wood cladding you would use in a house.

[Oddley]

I think perhaps something like the following would be ideal for a smoker.

Brand New!!! 6x3 Steel Storette Metal Shed �79.99

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-6x3-Ste ... dZViewItem

[Wohoki]

Or one of these:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... _Stores_IT

[Vernon Smith]

It's been a few weeks since this subject was activated and now my cold smoker is operating I have a few questions to share.
The bacon I smoked for only 6 hours came out really well with a robust flavour but the colour hardly changed at all. Years ago I remember flitches hanging in the grocer's window being chestnut brown in colour. Does anyone know if commercial bacon is artificially coloured like some kippers. Colour doesn't worry me at all because the flavour is so good, just a point of intrest. I don't think I will smoke any of my bacon for much longer than 6 hours because I suspect the smoke flavour would overwhelm all others. Has anyone any experience with this please?
Regards
Vernon Smith

[Wohoki]

Some bacon is smoked for days or weeks, hence a deeper colour. I did some for five days once and it was the colour of mahogany. Good bacon isn't coloured artificially, bad bacon uses smoke powder and dyes to achieve a deep colour and smoke flavour.

It depends on the original colour of the pig as well

[Wohoki]

I was just preparing a Chinese style pork roast, and it occured that if you want a deeper colour you could just massage some dark soy sauce into the skin of the pork after curing but before smoking. Just a thought.