using Smokette for cold smoking

Hey Tina!,

I own a sm020 and use it occasionally to smoke some cheese or jerky. I use it more often to smoke ribs,PB, brisket, chickens, turkeys,and just about everything else that our forum members post about.When I need to remember how to smoke the different products I use the find button in the top left corner and come up with more then one way to smoke each item or if I really get confused,which happens quite often, I will just ask the form a specific question and heck people are more than willing to help out.Nice folks here!

If I was you, which I ain't, I would use the smoker a while and see if you need to buy a different cold smoker...don't think it will be necessary, but hey, I've been wrong before...so take my advice with a grain of salt.

If all else fails, CS has a 30 day money back guarantee, which I've not heard of many people using,oh well, I'm sure it would work, cause that's just the kind of folks that they are...Nice folks!

Tina, Welcome to the forum.

First and foremost when you get it, plug it in turn it to 250 and let it go for a while (follow the directions) you want to season it and make sure everything is working.

I would classify Cold Smoking as Advanced CS Smoking. Many methods, you don't have to watch the CS closely but with Cold Smoking you will.

whether you use the CS is up to you. The baffle works, but people rig their own up and use ice to keep the temps down. The issue is that the heat element is in the bottom and you need to keep the temps down.

Really going to depend on how much (quantity) and type of smoking you'll be doing.


Are you talking true cold smoking, where the temp never gets above and likely involves some cure, or are you talking cold/warm smoking where you start low and finish warm?

We have a Sausage forum (near the bottom of the main page) so I'd start there for some tips, look for a particular topic. Cold Smoking is a wide topic, so focusing in on a particular type (sure has cheer or pepperoni) will help get that technique down.

It's a popular topic, but it is an advanced topic but well worth the effort.

The search function here is helpful and you'll see a lot of posts (actually too many) so selecting a specific item will narrow the search. For this topic, it's not a daily discussion so searching will help review almost 11 years worth of info.

here you go:

Search on "cold smoking"

Hi Tina,

I purchased a 09 about 9 years ago and tried cold smoked salmon using the baffle. The lowest internal smoker temp was too hi and the salmon, while tasty, was too cooked for my liking.

I've had great success using a hot plate with a pan of Alder chips in my FEC100. The only heat source is the hot plate, which allows the salmon to take on enough smoke while staying under 75o. This doesn't help you very much though

I will try an experiment for you...using a pan of ice cubes on the lower rack position of the 009 and monitoring the lowest temp needed to produce smoke. If I can generate smoke while keeping the internal smoker temp under 100o, it may work for you. Sorry, I don't know what became of the baffle.

Not having any experience with cold smoking cheese or sausage in the 009, I'll defer to others to chime in with their experiences.

Back when I was using the Smokette regularly,I think CS decided that the wood could start smoking at about 135º.

In FL,we could be that warm in the smoker turned off.

Thus,the alternative methods were useful to hold lower temps.

I often use pellets in my 025 to add smoke along with chunks of wood. The pellets start smoking under 100 degrees and would help with your cold smoking. I made an alternative smoke machine this summer to pump smoke into my 025 to cold smoke but haven't had time yet to mount and prove it out. This winter when things slow down I will do that.
If you going to just smoke cheese where you only need short durations of smoke pellets and the baffle would work but if your looking to do some true long hour cold smoking I don't think the cook shack is up to the task without a lot of babysitting.

Cal - that's a good idea to see if I can get it to work for cold smoking and then buy another smoker if need be.

SmokinOkie - I read all posts I could find pertaining to cold smoking. I understand I may have some difficulty keeping the pellets or sawdust burning while keeping the CS cold enough not to render the fat. I think the best thing to do would be to start low and finish warm. I don't want to have to cold smoke for weeks - I'm not looking to ferment (although I love fermented sausages!) I buy a whole pig every 4-6 months and really want to smoke my own hams and bacon as well.

There just doesn't seem to be alot of choices for cold smoking.
There's the one that sausage maker sells and the Bradley and CS. I have read that many people make their own cold smoking set ups but I'm just not that smart. I want cold smoking to be as easy as hot smoking is in the CS.

MaxQue - can I borrow your FEC100 for cold smoking!?

Bubba - If the pellets started smoking under 100 degrees, that'd be great! Smoke with little heat is what I need. I've read about those gadgets that pump smoke in the smoker and thought that'd be a good idea to keep the heat down but don't want to put holes in my smokette obviously. I agree that the CS might not be up to the job of lots of cold smoking so I'm seriously considering buying the one from the sausage maker - I just wish that there were more options out there for cold smokers!

Thanks everyone!

You may want to try some ideas with the CS first.If you are a pure cold smoker the archives may have the setup where you save the box from the smokette,put a couple old refrigerator shelves in it.Cut a door in the front.Set the box on top of the Smokette,with the box bottom open.Tape the sides onto the CS.Smoke will rise out the exhaust vent and provide cool smoke into the box.Add more heat/smoke as needed by feeding the Smokette.

The Lil Chief
and the Big Chief are camp smokers that are purely dedicated for cold smoking and inexpensive.Fish camps,etc leave them there year round.

One option that works well in any smoker is a variation of Alton Brown method.

Take any heating plate, put it in the bottom of the unit, add sawdust (or pellets) and use that.

The key as they said is getting the wood to "smoke" to give you what you want.

many smokehouses use sawdust for that reason.

Sounds like you've got some great background in this, so we can always use some here with the stuff.

russ

Here is a earlier post on this, with some good tips.

Cheese

Your welcome!

While cold smoking is not what I bought my cs020 for, I have experimented with different methods. If I was to cold smoke more I would expand on one method that I have used.

I have taken my bottom shelf and double wrapped with aluminium foil, moved my rack holders to the top notch so the internal probe was below the bottom foiled shelf. I have a turkey pan that fits PERFECT in the top shelf rack and has 1/2" clearance between the pan and wrap bottom shelf. I fill the pan with ice and fit the top shelf on it, and by dumping the heat from the warm up period, twice, I'm able to smoke at lower temps for extended time(2-3hrs) easily. While I need to experiment more with this type of smoking, I think a person could use it for extended cold smoking, especially if you used a cold smoking baffle. Just a thought!!!

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks Cal! That definitely helps. I'm going to start experimenting with it soon and let everyone know what happens (unless I end up buying a cold sausage smoker.)

I was thinking about getting one of these for cold smoking:

http://www.amazenproducts.com/

If I can keep the smokette temp low enough and the a maz in box box will give off no heat, I may just be in business.

Now, does anyone know to how to get some bars in the smokette so I can hang my sausages!

And in case y'all were wondering, I do know that the sausages have to be cured. I've made bologna only twice with pure sodium nitrite and liquid smoke - it was good but want the real smoke.

Tina (Denver)

Tina:

Someone here pointed you to a thread on cold smoking cheese. You should give it a good read because in my view, if you go over about 85 deg with cheese then it is going to melt. Not good.

Using the cold baffle with a pan of ice in my 050, I do the following:

Fire the 050 up for no more than 25 mins or until the upper chamber reaches 85, whichever occurs first. Then I turn it off and let it sit for 1.5 hours or longer. Makes good smoked cheese and should do whatever you want to cold smoke. And remember, the things you smoke will always taste more smokey the next day...

Q-north - Great info on food tasting smokier the next day. I didn't know that.

If I never got the smoked cheese to work out but the sausage, bologna, ham and bacon worked really cold smoking in the smokette, I'd be very happy.

But I definitely would liked smoked cheese - who wouldn't

Tina

I've used the A-maze-n-smoker a couple times now, and it produces nice smoke flavoring for cheeses. Leave the Cookshack off, place the A Smoker on one shelf and the cheese on the other shelf. Ingite, close the Cookshack door and walk away. Simple procedure.

If anyone wants to listen, I'm sayin', I have smoked cheese for 2hrs without a baffle on 150* setting and keeping it at 90* in the smoke chamber AND you don't have to wait till the next day to get SMOKED cheese,it didn't melt,maybe too much smoke. The pan was still 2/3rds full of ice, but hey, what do I know?

I just want to smoke brisket, PBs, and ribs...life is sooo good with a CS!!!

Pags - sounds great. I still want to be able to do ham, bacon, salami etc.

It seems like the A-maze-n smoker is going to be a great addition to my CS!

I'll definitely let those who are interested in cold smoking know how it works out for me.

Tina

Pags - I have the smokette and the a maze n smoker doesn't fit in the bottom of my CS. It's only 4.5" from the wall to the smoke box. The a amaze n smoker is 6x6 (or 6x8) so it doesn't fit.

Your smoker must be larger or did you have to do something special to get it to fit?

Tina

I place the A Smoker on the bottom grill and the cheese on the top grill.

Here is a quick and easy set-up. Cheap too.

Cold Smoking MacGyver Style

Sounds like I did the same thing Cal has done, just have to monitor and work with your Cookshack, food turns out great and the cheese was out of this world, if you like smoked cheese. I like to experiment with both my cookshacks, it's fun and yes I do end up throwing some food out but that is how I learn.

Get the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) for your SM025! Best product for cold and low temp smokes -- I've tried everything on the forum -- this little gismo is -- well amazing.

Mine arrived at 12:30 last Friday by 1:15 I was cold smoking cheese -- pulled some blocks at 2hrs - the rest at 3 hrs -- still plenty of smoke -- temp up 10 degrees - still below 100. Almonds were next for 3 hrs temp jumped up to 105. The 025 power was off, the wood box removed and the AMNPS placed on heater rails below heat deflector -- I could use both shelves -- do that with a baffle. It was still smoking steady a midnight.

I've never been able to hold good smoke at a steady 140 degrees. I always wanted to smoke low and then ramp up the temp -- better smoke penetration IMHO. Impossible (at least for me) in the sm025. Problem solved.

The AMNPS shouldn't contact the heating source -- so says the maker who recommends a shield between the two. I happen to have an old cast iron hoe cake skillet (almost flat). The AMNPS sits on top and they both slide onto heating element below the deflector. Start the cookshack let it settle to 140 - lite the pellets and insert -- a steady 140 with smoke!
-- AND the two sm025 shelves open waiting for food. In go the ribs. Steady temp - steady smoke. Upped the temp by 10 degrees every hour or two until ribs were done to my liking.

I've been a forum member for a year and this OL' tar baby ain't said nothing -- now I've got something to share. Now my little Cookshack is damn near perfect and I'm a happy camper!


-- Dinkum Yobbo

..... still picking beans in South Georgia

quote:

Originally posted by Tina:
Now, does anyone know to how to get some bars in the smokette so I can hang my sausages!
Tina (Denver)

Tina, there are a couple of options. Cookshack has jerky rods available: http: //store.cookshack.com/c-222-jerky-rods.aspx that you can hang them on, I went local to a hardware store and found stainless steel rods that I cut to fit into the side rails. Hope this helps-