Which smoker to buy

[Batman]

Phil, the first article in particular is a really good guide on which to draw.

As I said in the previous post, the only way we can approach the target weight loss is by longer drying and/or drying at higher temperatures. The implication seems to be that cooling during smoking, even in the UK summer doesn't have much if any benefit and may even be counter-productive.

[welsh wizard]

Hi ruralidle - I am in Ludlow, south of the County. If you are ever down this way I can be found on the Ludlow Market on a Friday or Saturday and farmers market 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.


Hi Batman.

As someone who smokes salmon and sells it I have to have it tested to comply with the EH rules and regs. However I do not profess to know all things salmony and when I was starting out and trying to find out any tips and guidance was extreemly difficult - it seems to be a well protected and very small industury.

I have worked on the basis, though possibly in my ignorance, that in line with the EH edicts, leaving any food unchilled (between 0 - 5 degrees) for a period of 4 hours effectivly makes that food nul and void. They allude to leaving food out on a market stall for example, unchilled, as the 4 hour rule.

Cold smoking, as I have always been led to believe has to be done at tempratures of below 30 degrees C or 85 degrees F, which as you correctly say is rarely achieved in this country. However sometimes when using the Bradly on a hot day the plate used to burn the pucks can get the cabinet up very close to that temprature. Also if you do what I do which is to put the cabinet outside, if the sun catches it for a good period, this can also put the temprature up. I, as a retailer of the product need to have it bibbed and bracered so I am very cautious about the growth of pathogens at high tempratures. When I was smoking it for myself, it really didnt bother me what the temprature was (within reason).

Weight loss - I have tried my hardest to get what is considered to be the "correct" weight loss, but all to no avail. Never had a problem though, touch wood. My recipe is very simple. Lightly salt the bottom of the container you are going to lie the salmon filletts in. Cover with a good covering of salt. Leave for 8 hours. Rinse and dry. Leave to dry for three hours or overnight & smoke. The only main difference I have found in weight loss is I now leave them for the 8 hours in the fridge (EHO wanted this) which produces less weight loss than if you just leave them on the side, as it were.

Cheers WW - oh god the wife is waving a duster at me, better get going..........

[Richierich]

15% should be achievable, I managed 16% with the CSG and on over night stay in the fridge after 9 hours of smoking. I might try longer in the fridge before smoking next time, see if I can get a firmer texture.

[this41uk]

OK I'm about to complicate thing, has anybody come across or has used the "West Country Cold Smoker"

Is it any good, would it be a better investment than a Bradley?

Tim

[Richierich]

I came across the unit whilst looking a few years ago for cold smokers, in my opinion it as an expensive unit that only offers cold smoking possibilities. The bradley clearly has an advantage in that it can hot smoke, but is pricey to run, although smoking times are shorter.

[Batman]

WW, points well made and understood.

Friends often ask me why I'm not smoking/curing/sausage making commercially and for a split second I think well maybe, then I recall yours and others experiences with EHOs and I'm quickly brought back to earth and realise why I do it for fun. I suspect that the relationship you have with your EHO has an enormous impact on the business from both a commercial and personal satisfaction point of view.

I have some friends in Leominster and will try and visit Ludlow Market next time I am down.

Good luck

[welsh wizard]

Hi Batman

As you correctly say it is all about the working relationship you have with your EHO, and thankfully I have a good one. However I do have to bite my lip quite often! But I suppose they have a job to do but unfortunatly they are predominantly trained to look at "main line" business and understand little of what we do. Therefore they tend to blanket apply rules to all processes and anything that is out of a chilled enviroment they do tend to get a little freaky, so you play the game and all get on with it.

Thats it no more off topic - promise

Cheers WW

PS I spent New Year in Mainsforth - Northumberland is truly a wonderful county, even if we did get snowed off the A66

[this41uk]

OK I've done the deed I orderd a Bradley plus cold smoker attachment. so any ideas for what to smoke first

Tim

[wheels]

Cold smoked cheese, nuts etc is a good starting point.

Phil

[this41uk]

Nuts that sounds good tell me more

Tim

[wheels]

Just put your nuts of choice into a net bag or spread onto tray then put them to cold smoke - Sorry, I don't know the timescales for a Bradley.

You can also do some bizarre things like boiled eggs - I shell mine, others just crack the shells - they're like Marmite - luv 'em or hate 'em! Salt's another.

The other obvious ones for cold smoking are fish and bacon etc. Garlic's OK but needs a long time smoking.

...and this is the time of year to do cod's roe for taramasalata. (sp?)

Phil

[this41uk]

Cheers, food for thought I'll post some pics after my first expoits

Tim

[Ianinfrance]

Well, I've just got my Bradley home and set up. So I'm also looking for help and advice. Nearly all the comments on the Bradley Forum are about hot smoking, which might well interest me later, but at the moment I'm dying to get started with cold smoking!!

Richierich., You said that Bradley smoking times are shorter. Any idea how MUCH so? I'm very frustrated, as I'm not prepared to throw away a whole salmon because I've undersmoked it.

What I'm particularly keen on trying is smoked haddock. If the Welsh wizard found the salmon smoking industry tight mouthed, they are positively garrulous compared with haddock smokers. I HAVE managed to garner some information. What's meant by 80% brine for example, the relationship between brining time and weight of each piece and whether filleted or not, a little less about drying times, and NO hints about the time taken to smoke in a Bradley. If it's the same as in a commercial smoker, then 12-24 hours works out pretty costly at a briquette every 20 minutes.

Maybe I should try hot smoking some boerewors and serve them with lentils!!

[wheels]

Ian

I believe that an 80% brine is about 264g Salt per Litre, at least that's what the figures from Erlandson would have you believe.

As to the times in a Bradley, I don't know - but I do know that in general they are far shorter than for traditional cold smoking. I think that Jenny Haddow has cold smoked haddock in a Bradley, it may be worth sending her a PM.

Phil

[Batman]

Ian, not sure I can help much here's my experience.

I've not smoked haddock but have done cod which I did using a dry cure (as per salmon) rather than a brine or brine + dry cure I smoked these using a Porky Pa for about 4-5 hrs (single fill of the smoker).

I've smoked some salmon in the Bradley but used the CSG rather than the Bradley smoker unit and this was done for about 10 hours again a single fill of the CSG. Comments from friends were 'best ever'.

All the talk on the Bradley Forum is that the smoke is more concentrated than other smokers but no evidence of what that means. I've done cheese at 1 and 2 hrs, prefer the former, cashews for 2 hrs, salt for 4hrs. All came out ok.

I would recommend buying the CSG, its both easier and substantially cheaper than using Bradley bisquettes, particularly if you can get hold of the wood dust.