Cold smoker design to be used INSIDE

[grisell]

Too bad I have a carbon fibre fan that only recirculates. I bet it won't eliminate the CO. I'll stick to air-drying...

[NCPaul]

A decorative carbon monoxide detector for the kitchen might be nice.

[mitchamus]

A decorative carbon monoxide detector for the kitchen might be nice.

a canary?

[tristar]

A decorative carbon monoxide detector for the kitchen might be nice.

a canary?

A Canary would never match with modern contemporary Scandinavian decor!

[Hoggy]

To be continued next week

[saucisson]

Neat : ) Flow rate looks perfect...

Thanks Hoggy.

[grisell]

A decorative carbon monoxide detector for the kitchen might be nice.

a canary?

A Canary would never match with modern contemporary Scandinavian decor!

A canary is about £2 in the pet shop, but I'd hate to make use of them just to check my CO level. BTW, if the bird dies, is it time to open the windows?

[Zulululu]

Well done Hoggy you have obviosly designed it to suit your own needs, but I think you may have opened a new door to others in the same position to yourself that do not have a back yard to do their smoking.

[Hoggy]

This is an update about the use of the HOGIS ( Hoggy's Inside Smoker ) I received the ProQ smoke generator today, and did a small test just to see if the idea was right, and to try out the smoke dust that I have.
The smoker performs VERY well, if you look at the picture below, I can adjust the vent on top in a way, that the 3 higher food containers are very well evenly filled with smoke, without that smoke comes out of the door. It is also very nice that you can see through the containers while you smoke, I smoked for around 1,5 hours when taking these pictures.
For my feeling, the ProQ delivers a lot of smoke for this rather small smoker, this probably has to do with the different dust I use ( this is another topic )
All in all a very satisfying experience until now, I am still waiting for my thermometer and when I have it, I will do some more testing. ( including the air-chiller Dave.....)

[tristar]

Suprised you didn't have something edible in there Hoggy!

[Hoggy]

Naaah....I don't like smoked fish and meat....

Just kidding, I was an active member 3 years ago, but started my own business last year, and had to move to a very exclusive condo, just outside Montreal to receive potential customers, and entertain them a bit, until I had the signature on the contract....

Got rid of all my experimental stuff with the move, but you know how it goes.....it's in the blood. So I decided to start all over last week, but I am very limited in possibilities. Still waiting for all the other " stuff ", I could have put cheese in, but as a matter a fact....I am a meat guy, don't like smoked cheese.

And I want to stop experimenting " in the wild west "during smoking meat and fish, so before to smoke anything, I need to figure out my dust, and the temperatures that are built up in the ( small ) smoker, still waiting for the thermometer....and perhaps some fine-tuning on the smoker itself.

[Hoggy]

I have done some extensive testing the last 2 days, and I have decided to STOP this smoker project.....
The reason is, that the smoker is rather small in volume, and the ProQ develops too much heat for this small volume, to be able to smoke at a safe , and consistent temperature.
Trying to smoke inside means, that the ambient temperature is already high ( 22 - 23 C ), so you need not much heat in a small smoker to come to a high temperature.
I will show you a graph below about one of the tests. Dave, I have incorporated the result of the " air-cooler " as in the picture, the effect of the air-cooler is projected in the yellow zone. You can see it has some effect, but not really much.





Technically, this set-up works very well, you can even adjust the height of the smoke in the small smoker, but the there is only a small band-width between ambient temperature and the maximum temperature for cold smoking. If the sun starts to shine on the window side in my condo, the temperature jumps 5 degrees C within minutes, it is too tricky and nervous for me, I need something that can do itself for several hours, so I can do my " own thing ".....
I will use the containers to dry the bacon etc etc..... I can use this set-up, keep the top cover off, and let it dry under the ventilator at higher speed.
This was a very good learning curve for me, as with all my testing I realized what was good and what was bad, and I think I have the " final solution "..... ...I am working on it already. This will be a new topic, but I want to fine-tune things before to present it on the forum.

Thanks for all the comments.

Hoggy

[wheels]

Could you not have the bottom box for the smoke generator remote from the others with the air cooler between the smoke generator box and the food boxes?

Phil

[Hoggy]

Hi wheels,

Perhaps I could, but then we come in the process of " fixing things ", and I end up with fix on fix on fix. And I dont want to have a separate smoke box attached IN my house. The idea was one box, all in one. It is already a BIG challenge to try to smoke inside, it is as a fry-pan with carbon filter....it all works well until you open it, then there is no filter working.

I should have thought more on the comments of Richierich, when he mentioned his doubts about the ambient temperature, but you know how it goes.....I was also put on my wrong leg when I read that the ProQ does not give any heat, perhaps in a bigger outside smoker you don't see it, but in a small smoker like I had it is sure of big influence.

Having said that, I have come up with someting better...it actually USES the fact that the ProQ generates heat.....you will see soon.

Hoggy

[saucisson]

I guess the fact that there is always likely to be air moving outside will also help, and I have only used metal containers, where even the small ones conduct heat easily. Except when I used a black bin bag, which again, wouldn't let very much of the heat build up. Keep at it Hoggy