Easy to Make Cold Smoke Generator

[Hoggy]

I have built the smoker on my site for my father in law, but to be honest, after working on it and searching the Internet a lot, I became interested myself in dry curing ham and salami. I know you need to create a special environment for that, and I found a site from someone who has a good solution for that. Here is the link :

http://www.home.pacbell.net/lpoli/htm%20texts/humidity_control.htm

Anyone experience with this or your solution?
Could be a nice winter project next year, but first I will try it with what I have.

Hoggy

[allforumemail]

Thanks
I'm just home work planing as I will pick up my fridge on the week end.

by the way, My smoker project will be out doors as a recomendation from the government" the wife"

[Hoggy]

She is right, and if you are planning to sit next to it while you smoke, you can connect a piece of duck pipe on it to a higher level, so you don't sit IN the smoke all the time.
Hoggy

[saucisson]

Action shots
Nearly ready to go


lighting up


through the condenser


connect it all up


in the pit

[Iamarealbigdog]

Hoggy, you going down my street....


We made a curing cabinet, the three thing you want to consider heating or cooling, (about 80(f) to ferment and 50 (f) to store)

Then adjusting humidity from 50% - 80%

Last you want to ensure air flow.

We made a cabinet this year computer fans assisted with the air flow, water pan in the bottom filled with salt water assisted the RH and a small baseboard heater kept the temp stable. This will not work in the summer the ambient temp is too high and we have not added cooling into the system.

If you are not using a old fridge, insulate- insulate- insulate.

This summer we are re-manufacturing the box to a closed system with PID to control the humidity and heat, witdog has some examples of what we are looking at. If I can work a small air conditioner into this we will have it all licked.


Cheers

[Iamarealbigdog]

Action shots
Nearly ready to go

Nice......

[Hoggy]

Very nice work Dave, must have cost you a fortune all that plumbing.
The only thing I can advise you, is to get an interchangeable can for you fuel, now it is all connected and hard to fill up again if needed. But it looks GREAT and don't forget to tell us how it ends....
Hoggy

[Hoggy]

Hi Big Dog,

What the guy did on his site, he is using an old chest freezer and replaced the thermostat with one for his needs. Put a humidifier in it, this also takes care of the ventilation. I thought it was pretty clever and cheap and not so difficult to do for people with 2 left hands and a small budget. It seems he has something against water with salt in the fridge.
You rig is nice and big, need my address so I can comment on your ham ?

Hoggy

[saucisson]

The only thing I can advise you, is to get an interchangeable can for you fuel, now it is all connected and hard to fill up again if needed.
Hoggy

Yes, the only reason I didn't put one in was the cans I have at the moment are slightly to large to slot in, and a standard small can would cut down the amount of fuel too much. So I'll be keeping a look out for one of the right size next time I go shopping.

There are a couple of trays of herring and mackeral cold smoking in there now so I'll report back later.

Dave

[Hoggy]

The only thing I can advise you, is to get an interchangeable can for you fuel, now it is all connected and hard to fill up again if needed.
Hoggy

Yes, the only reason I didn't put one in was the cans I have at the moment are slightly to large to slot in, and a standard small can would cut down the amount of fuel too much. So I'll be keeping a look out for one of the right size next time I go shopping.

There are a couple of trays of herring and mackeral cold smoking in there now so I'll report back later.

Dave

" slightly "....did you try a hammer ?
Hoggy

[Hoggy]

Dave, just thinking, if this setup works fine for you, the only thing you have to do in the summer, is to protect your smoker against the sun and put your condenser in a bucket with ice. The advantage is, that you can put your beer in it also !
I assume those herrings must be dead by now ?
Hoggy

[saucisson]

It's a north facing wall and never gets any sunshine. Good idea about the ice bucket, for the beer that is

Dave

[saucisson]

Very nice work Dave, must have cost you a fortune all that plumbing.
Hoggy

All made from bits and pieces from around the house, except the pasta tin, which was �4.99 from ebay.

Everything in the house made of stainless steel is looking nervous

Ash catcher is looking scared

[saucisson]

Ooh, a bean can, my speciality

Will they match :



yep:



Ash filter soon to be installed

[Hoggy]

So how did it go Dave ?
Hoggy