Skip to main content

New to smoking, living in Sydney, amazed at how serious you guys are about smoking, aiming to be as serious.........I took the word of the manual seriously, quote "don't operate a dirty smoker", so I am out there after the cook with a SS scourer and cleaned the thing like new. NOW, reading the forums I find that is just the WRONG thing to do! How relieved am I !!! I have a question on cold smoking, what is the difference in the end result ? Is it better ? Smokier ? I have recipes which call for four (4!) weeks of smoking an uncured sausage, anyone heard of such a thing ? Glad to be in your forum, thanks for any help/suggestions. By the way I don't plan to smoke kangaroo !
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

G'Day Ozzie,

I lived in OZ for two years, I can speak the lingo if we need. I lived in Canberra (don't laugh).

Not you don't need to clean it, but you need to keep it clean. Clean off any accumulations and try to keep the shelves clean (but you'd be shocked at how little I even do that).

Long term cold smoking is how it used to be done. Typically hams and large pieces in a smoke house (that's really how cold smoking was done before it became commercial).

Don't go that way today. It's a different process than trying to do it in a smoker.

It's not the flavor, its a technique. You don't want to smoke sausage/raw meats of that type in a 225 smoker because they just won't take on the smoke right, they'll cook.

And that's the key. Cold smoking isn't about cooking, hot smoking is.

Cold smoking is about curing, so you want to cure the meat (ham, bacon, sausage).

Welcome to the forum.

I've also been know to hang out Aussie Q forum, they seem to have a good bit of knowledge.
Ozzieb

I am fairly new to smoking myself. I was also interested in cold smoking and thought you could only cold smoke raw sausage. After all the reading I decided to wait a few more month till I buy the cold smoking accessory for my cook shack. As far as I know cold smoking is smoking something at an extremely low temperature. As the last post said, it is a technique and I would suspect a learning curve. I was considering cold smoking for cheese.

Just put some raw sausage in the smoker (hot smoke) and turn it up to 250 degrees. Mine turned out great especially compared to the gas grill sausages I use to do. I personally think it is the easiest thing to do. No need to mess with rubs, sauces, spices, long smoke times etc. Just place in smoker and close the door. Takes about an hour and just check the temp when done. I removed them at 165 degrees.

Just for fun you can smoke different sausages. I did sweat Italian, hot Italian, fennel, and broccoli rabe. I was shocked that the sausage took on the smoke flavor. I thought the casing would prevent smoke penetration. I was wrong it came out with smoke flavor compared to the bland gas grilled sausage I use to do.

El
I agree with El. I've done quite a bit of sausage and haven't yet cold smoked them. 200-225* till they hit 160-165*. Great flavor and picks up the smoke.

Add saute mushrooms and green peppers, mustard, bun, and they're great. Freeze in FoodSaver bags and thaw, reheat to add to soups, jambalaya, gumbo, etc. Delicious.

I think if you're interested in cold smoking sausage, you should probably also be interested in sausages with a cure or preservative in them. Fresh sausage with no cure, I hot smoke (although still low and slow). Our sausage experts can add more on this cause I tend to be overly cautious.
SmokinOkie,
Thanks for the info. First, you are forgiven for having lived in Canberra.......
Do I understand correctly? Don't cold smoke in a smoker not designed for it. I saw last year whilst living in Eastern Europe the traditional sawdust smouldering timber smokehouses which are common in village backyards, used every year by non-professionals. They produce sublime flavoured sausages, salamis hams, speck etc. Wanted to see if that could be done using modern technology.

Thanks El & Pags for your advice too !!!

When you get your cold smoking accessory El, please let me know how it went !

Regards to all, Ozzieb
El, I am going to construct a satellite timber box (that is, it will be separate, not on top of the smokette) connected by an aluminium flex hose. The distance from the smokette will create a really cold smoke. If it works, I'll post details.
Regards



quote:
Originally posted by El:
Ozzieb

I am fairly new to smoking myself. I was also interested in cold smoking and thought you could only cold smoke raw sausage. After all the reading I decided to wait a few more month till I buy the cold smoking accessory for my cook shack. As far as I know cold smoking is smoking something at an extremely low temperature. As the last post said, it is a technique and I would suspect a learning curve. I was considering cold smoking for cheese.

Just put some raw sausage in the smoker (hot smoke) and turn it up to 250 degrees. Mine turned out great especially compared to the gas grill sausages I use to do. I personally think it is the easiest thing to do. No need to mess with rubs, sauces, spices, long smoke times etc. Just place in smoker and close the door. Takes about an hour and just check the temp when done. I removed them at 165 degrees.

Just for fun you can smoke different sausages. I did sweat Italian, hot Italian, fennel, and broccoli rabe. I was shocked that the sausage took on the smoke flavor. I thought the casing would prevent smoke penetration. I was wrong it came out with smoke flavor compared to the bland gas grilled sausage I use to do.

El
No wasn't saying that, just that smokers like a CS are designed for hot smoker (and cold smoking with a cold baffle) just that using a smoker and old smoke houses are two difference methods.

Using the CS for the smoke will work fine in your application, the issue will be air. If you attach the hose and don't have a way for air to get into the vent hole, then the smoke in the smoker will snuff out.

I've seen it done, but the clearance between the vent hole and the hose will be your issue.

Check out the Sausage forum (near the bottom on the main page) and let us know how it goes. Photos would be great.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×