Easy to Make Cold Smoke Generator

[Hoggy]

Dave,

I am going to do the test that you describe today, so you will know tomorrow.
The BIG advantage of a seperate system is, that you create much less heat, with you everything is IN your smoker, including all the heat, with me. I only force smoke in it that is coolled by my ( now bigger ) condenser. The air that goes into my smoker is only 43F ( before the condenser it is 138F ). And once the CSG is smoking, I NEVER have to open anything, not the smoker, not the smoke generator.

My test yesterday lasted 6 hours, not bad. but I think I can do the same with only one hole in the center, but this time lit from the top, this is indeed much easier to make.
Here you see a pic before and after


I will keep you updated.

Hoggy

[saucisson]

I look forward to it I'd like to avoid the separate box route if I can, although I fully appreciate the benefits it would bring.

Dave

[Hoggy]

Dave,

Small update concerning the last test, see pic


Diameter wood : 75 mm
Diameter hole : 40 mm
Height : 125 mm
Lit from the top as pictured
Used small lumps of charcoal
BE SURE YOUR AIR HOLE IN UNDER YOUR BURNING CHANNEL

This setup burned 5,5 hours, good smoke, only the last hour a bit less
The hole was burned out like a cone on the inside, see pic



So you have something to think about. For me, I know enough, I stop doing tests and go to finish the rebuilding of the smoker, I have 2 days for that. My father in law has a fridge full with meet in the brine, that will be 2 days smoking also and I don't want to leave him alone with that.

I will include also a pic from the smoker I built in the past for him.

I put an old stove next to it, but was very hard to control, and you could not cold smoke and you could not smoke overnight.

This is the work :

Skip the stove
New smaller frame
Lower the smoker
Heating element in it with thermostate
My new CSM on the side

When this is all done I will update my site showing the work and the final setup of my CSG and I will everyone how my setup for the burn is.

Good luck with yours, and if you have a question, just ask, but no more tests

Hoggy

[saucisson]

beautiful, just what I hoped, what do you plan to use

Dave

[Hoggy]

50% Maple & 50% Apple

[Iamarealbigdog]

Wow guys, I'm impressed. I am really interested in the condenser thing, is there a way to do an overflow, perhaps a float valve that would allow the water to drain if it gets so high.

Do you want the smoke to filter through the water and if so are you losing anything in the transfer. It's kinda like bong territory

[saucisson]

I was wondering myself, that if Hoggy changed his shut off valve into a long capillary it might drain the water but not let smoke out.

Bubbling through water would probably trap all the smoky flavours we are after in the water though.

Dave

[Hoggy]

Hi guys,

Here is the result, it is finished except for some painting and other small stuf. his is only a VERY small update, later next week I will update the site.

On top you see the thermostate for the heating element inside
On the right the cold smoke generater
On the left my MEGA condenser/cooler
The smoke coming out of the condenser/cooler is ONLY 0,7 degree higher the the outside temperature..........

Few comments on previous posts :
* I don't want water filtration or a bong, now as it is I am able to smoke 8 hours in one shot, if I need to force the smoke through water I need more air and pressure, that will decrease my burning time.
If I use an overflow or something like that, that would be the same as above, but I have a valve under the condersor, if I open that one the condense water comes out and after that the smoke comes out, a perfect check without that I need to open anything.......and the condenser can take 1,5 LITER before the water rises to the outlet into the smoker !!!
And I also do not know the effect on the quality of the smoke when I would use a bong, anyone experience with that ?

So...you like it ?

Hoggy

[Iamarealbigdog]

wow

there are some real wholesale changes...

That is a huge condenser, any reasons for such a change other the the amount of fluid that it can hold?


GREAT JOB

[Hoggy]

Hi Big Dog,
Yes, there is a reason behind chosing this size, it has to do with the choice of the burning process and kind of wood.
If you use small wood like pellets etc, you can start with only a small piece of burning charcoal, after that, the pellets will go on smoking by itsself because they are small and have a lot of contact points. So you don't apply a lot of heat and therefor the temp of the smoke that comes out of the CSG is not so high, but your time of burn is also very limited.
I have been looking for a burn of 6 - 8 hours so I didn't have to do fire-maintenance every hour or even less. And I wanted to use solid wood like smal logs ( very smal logs )
If you want to let solid wood smoke, you need a lot of heat ALL THE TIME. So I have a channel of charcoal in my CSG and gets very hot. To give you a feeling : the smoke that comes out of the CSG is around 148F, I can not bring that straight into the smoker, much too warm. ( for cold smoke )So my condenser has a double function, it cools so well because the cooling surface is very big. But it is very simple to make and even cheaper then the first one you saw, although I admit, it had a sofisticated look
This is just an empty aluminium duck-pipe ( not galvanized ) of 4", you can buy it at ANY DIY store, for the rest only two nipples, 2 caps and a valve. It is the enournous surface that does the job....( the pipe came in this lenght, I didn't cut it )
If I would smoke with heat, probably I would not need the condenser, but it is really dirty stuff, so I prefer to use my condenser all the time.

Oh yes, the first cheese was delicious....Cheers !

Hoggy

[DarrinG]

Well Hoggy,

I'm really impressed. Thats a mean looking unit. I bet you could have yourself a bit of a business in no time.

The condenser is awesome. I feed my smoke right into my smoker which isn't insulated so the temperature isn't that high.

Well my hats off to you. Its amazing what we do for our hobbies.

DarrinG

[saucisson]

I'm awestruck nice work Hoggy. I was happy with my set up until now. Now you've got me thinking again...



Dave

[Hoggy]

Hi all,

Below is a very low cost setup for the one who is interested in smoking in my way.

Advantages :

* fool proof
* smoking for 6-8 hours in one shot
* no need to open the door of your smoker
* interchangeable cans
* VERY low smoke temperature, good for cold smoking
* you use solid wood, no need to buy pellets etc.
* easy and cheap to make



In this setup there is a small hose that goes on the bottom in a can of water, so the condense water goes in there by itself. Just be sure that you have water in the can when you start, otherwise the smoke will come out there, And if you want to check the smoke of you CSM, you just have to lift that small hose out of the water and the smoke will come out. So no need to open your smoker for that.

Let me know if someone uses this setup, would like to know.

Hoggy

[Hoggy]

Just thought about this, you can even tape 2 or 3 soup cans on each other and use that a condenser, it will work the same and cost nothing.
Hoggy

[saucisson]

Stop it, stop it...

My wife just read my last post and is already worried...

Dave