The new experimental cold smoking thread

[saucisson]

I guess a lot of us would like to cold smoke properly, but only on a small scale. Piles of smouldering sawdust or chips on a shed floor are beyond my reach and I've been trying to recreate this cold smoking effect within the confines of an average sized kettle barbecue or up to dustbin size. I thought I was well on the way until another forum member tried to follow my over confident MkI plans and had a melt down on their hands

On my experimental run I produced cold smoked duck, cheddar and garlic so it can be done

New plans are afoot, they may also fail, so all input on making a small cold smoking generator that can be placed in a BBQ, dustbin, or similar are welcome.

Dave

[BBQer]

My minimal research on the subject seems to suggest that the smoke generator be separate from the smoking chamber. Possibly connected by metal ducting?

The temperature to get the wood chips or dust creating smoke takes the smoking chamber above the cold smoking range (80F - 100F) if the one is inside the other.

[Gill]

In theory, you should be able to use a set of baffles to dissipate the heat whilst allowing the cool smoke through. However, there's often a big difference between theory and practice...

Gill

[DarrinG]

I have a cabinet gas smoker and when I need to cold smoke anything I get an electric hot plate and put in in the bottom and then place the wood chip box on top and it cold smokes great. I get great temperature control and I can get it as cold or as hot as I want.

This process could be used in a kettle or even offset style smokers.

DarrinG

[saucisson]

I'm smoking a kilo of bacon as we speak with my smoke generator inside a kettle barbecue, the ambient temperature is 25C and the temperature where the meat is, is 26C or 78.8F

[BBQer]

Well that's good to know that I stand corrected. I just finished converting an old freezer into a smoker and was wondering if I would be able to use it as a cold smoker without more modification or only as a hot smoker.

[Fallow Buck]

I saw a brick built smoker in scotland last year that was very compact.

It butted up against the outside wall of the house standing about 6'-7' high but only about 20" deep. He hung salmon or Venison in there and the sawdust chippings were on the floor of the smoker. Apparently with a small vent in the top it didn't get too hot and his salmon won awards.

I know it is a bit more substantial than most of the plans here but it would be very unobtrusive.

FB

[saucisson]

The trick is to have the smallest possible heat source and the biggest possible box to maximise heat loss. This is something I am still experimenting with. An insulated freezer may be counterproductive in this respect. To maintain such a small temperature differential in a kettle BBQ I had to monitor it carefully and partially remove the lid if heat started to build up too much. Consequently I think I smelt smokier than the bacon at the end of it

[dougal]

The trick is to have the smallest possible heat source and the biggest possible box to maximise heat loss. This is something I am still experimenting with. An insulated freezer may be counterproductive in this respect. To maintain such a small temperature differential in a kettle BBQ I had to monitor it carefully and partially remove the lid if heat started to build up too much. Consequently I think I smelt smokier than the bacon at the end of it

(Smile of recognition!)

For *cold* smoking, an old kitchen cabinet or metal locker or even a 44 gallon oildrum, is actually a better prospect (though even uglier) than an old fridge or freezer.
However, for US-style hot smoke roasting, an insulated box may indeed be an advantage.
Where did I read someone proposing cold smoking in a *running* fridge? (Not quite that cold...)
But for cold smoking, and avoiding over-intense smoking, its an absolutely excellent point that the size of the smoke box should ideally be rather large in comparison to the size of the smoke generator.
I think that the Polish technique is to use a very intense smoke. Hence the use of rather small 'sentry-box' smokehouses with a big firebox some distance away.

The big difficulty with small-scale cold smoking is keeping a small-scale fire going without constant attention.

The fire problem can be split into two parts- creating the heat and managing the chips/sawdust.
The heat can be created by the burning of the sawdust itself (traditional) by a charcoal fire (which I find needs constant attention on a small scale) or by 'other external heat sources' - like spirit burners (promising), gas burners (recommended by Erlandson), multiple tealights/candles (don't like draughts and a bit feeble) or electric heating.
And, reposting this link, the Bradley isn't the only way to go electric
http://bandb2005.spaces.msn.com/PersonalSpace.aspx


Has anyone any experience with making Joss Sticks?
It would seem to me that Oak and Apple joss sticks might be an excellent way of generating an appropriately small quantity of flavoured smoke, while keeping smouldering with minimal attention...

[saucisson]

I'm trying out some of those charcoal sticks for hand warmers, I got a very funny look when I bought them in this weather!!

DarrinG and FB, thanks for the input, they will also go into the melting pot!

dave

[saucisson]

Mk II is well on the way, it will be something completely different. ( It might even work this time )

If initial tests work out OK I'd like to post out a few samples for people to test.

Dave

[Wohoki]

These might be useful as well:

http://www.incense-man.co.uk/holders13.html

[tristar]

Hi All,

When I saw the word Incense, I thought for a moment that Wohoki was going to suggest that we all pray before starting "Dr Dave's Compact Smoke Generator MkII".

Regards,
Richard

[Wohoki]

Might be a plan

I frequently sacrifice a chicken or two before I fire my smoker up (and then brine them for two hours and rub them with soy sauce.)

[saucisson]

These might be useful as well:

http://www.incense-man.co.uk/holders13.html

Excellent find, I must get some of those to play with as well, thanks!

Dave