Making woodchips for CSG?

[HueyM]

Hi all, I finally got my cold smoker setup yesterday . . . . now let's see if I can get the photos to display . . .





that's an aluminium hose going from the CSG to a little oak box - couldn't find a suitable container to act as a heat disperser and figured I needed something as the distance from CSG to my oven is so small . . . I made the oak box to take a couple of freezer packs but then started worrying about the smoke getting tainted by the plastic. So now it is an empty box! Thought that if the smoke is too hot I could put some baffles in there or stuff with steel wool?

Anyhow, I'm keen to fire it up but am having difficulty making sufficient quantity of wood dust - have tried with a planer and then blending but it doesn't seem to chop it up very finely . . .how do you all make yours?

thanks for any input.

cheers

Huey[/img]

[Paul Kribs]

Huey
If you are worried about the plastic tainting the smoke, why not try semi-frozen water in a GLASS bottle. WARNING.. as soon as the ice starts to form remove from freezer for use.. obviously the ice will expand and break the bottle.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[HueyM]

great idea Paul - thanks!

[saucisson]

As you are using an air pump fed combustion chamber you will be surprised at what you can burn, anything from dust to kindling and small blocks so long as you can get the smoulder going. Try your blended planings as they are, or even straight planings. Suck it and see, or in this case blow at it and see

[HueyM]

cheers, well it's smoking away using a mixture of planings, blended dust and some small blocks . . .and I am excited! I've got some pork belly strips in there as a first attempt. a few further questions . . .

as you can see in the photo the smoke is entering the chamber near the bottom - I assumed it would rise up, but actually it seems smokiest at the bottom . . . I used 15mm copper pipe for a chimney at the top of the oven, but only a wisper is coming out of there . . . should I have the oven door open to let more smoke out?

and also, how long should I be looking at smoking my pork strips?

thanks again!

Huey

[saucisson]

You are suffering from the same problem I had. You have so successfully cooled your smoke that there is no incentive for it to rise Smoke is actually heavier than air and unless it is warm it will sink. The solution is to pump it in at the top through your 15mm chimney and let it come out at the bottom...

As for the timing, I would try for 4 hours, (or until supper time ) in the first instance and see what you think.

Dave

[Fatmat]

Huey,

I managed to source my oak chippings/dust from an oak carpentry company that I found on t'interweb. I trade them bacon for oak chippings (by the hundredweight). By the nature of their work, their waste is a mix of dust, planing and small chippings.

Hell of a lot easier than making my own.

Mat

[wheels]

For anyone in the Midlands who can collect from Kettering, Ashwood Smoking Chips Ltd., Telford Way End, Telford Way Industrial Estate, KETTERING, NN16 8UN sell food grade smoking chips at very reasonable prices (about £7 for a 'potato sack' size for oak/beech - cherry is about £40 though!). Phone: 01536 523 220.

The trouble if you're further away is that the delivery costs more than the wood!

Phil

[HueyM]

thanks for the tips guys, following Dave's advice I tried using bigger chunks yesterday, right up to the size of the flask and it worked a treat.

can report that my pork belly strips were a total triumph smoked for about 5 hours then roasted in the oven - YUM!

thanks again

Huey

[saucisson]

Excellent...

Dave