Help with Cold smoking

[Savannahsmoker]

I have been smoking and grilling for years but do not know how to cold smoke. Need some help here please.

[Richtee]

Classically- it's done with a small pile of coals or a fire burning down in a big (compartivley) building... a "smokehouse". It can be done on a small scale tho. Usually utilizing a separate fire box and ducting the smoke into the smoke chamber from a distance, allowing the heat to dissipate while moving thru the ducting. Some claim it can be done with a soldering iron and a can of chips inside your normal smoker.

Deal is... temps below 100°, sometimes close to ambient temps.

On edit: I suppose I would be remiss in not mentioning the "Smoke Generator" thingie. Again, I have no experiences with it.

[JustSmoke2]

Well first question is what type of smoker or grill you using? I would try charcoal first. Start with maybe 4 chunks and see how that goes and more if ya need it. You want to stay in or around the 100 degrees or less.

[dagorich]

If I'm not mistaking you have a Taeger smoker, and if you do, Traeger makes an add on drum, you remove the chimminey and replace it on the same spot on the new drum. Then you have both a hot smoker and a cold smoker in one unit. I do cheese in mine while I smoke my meat. I put a pan of ice cubes in to keep the temp in the cold end under 100.

[Big Guy]

well I made it cold , now get smoking LOL

[Kingudaroad]

All you need to do is create a smokey environment with temperatures below 90. Good airflow is your friend, especially when its cool outside.

Heres how I do it in my offset. Sawdust takes very little heat to smoke. The day I did this bacon the ambient temps were in the mid fifties. Even with the electric hotplate directly under the bacon, the smoking temp was only 75. Plenty cold for cheese or anything. Hardwood sawdust is available online in many different woods.

[curious aardvark]

Some claim it can be done with a soldering iron and a can of chips inside your normal smoker.

Yep works a treat :-)

But I also do it in my chargriller outlaw with a few bits of charcoal and little chunk of wood. and that works great too :-)


I reckon that would work no matter what smoker you had. and bear in mind if it's getting a bit warm - open the smoker door a few inches as long as there's smoke in it - it's working. Let the heat out, there'll still be sufficient smoke in there to do the job.

[Savannahsmoker]

If I'm not mistaking you have a Taeger smoker, and if you do, Traeger makes an add on drum, you remove the chimminey and replace it on the same spot on the new drum. Then you have both a hot smoker and a cold smoker in one unit. I do cheese in mine while I smoke my meat. I put a pan of ice cubes in to keep the temp in the cold end under 100.

Thanks but I did not buy the add on and now Traeger does not sell it anymore.

[WALLE]

Savanna - thanks for posting this question. I've been lurking around all of the smoked cheese posts wanting to make my own smoked gouda.

Clarification from the group - So if you have a smoke "generator" that essentially produces no heat, you're good to go? I always thought you had to have some heat, and my "mini" Beast won't go under 120*. Smoked some Canadian Bacon last weekend and tried to go lower, but couldn't.

Here's what I have - may give others some ideas on building a very simple "shotgun" smoker as I call it. Usually load it with six briquets and then fill it up with chips. Will smoke for a looong time. This could be set in, any type of cook box.

Basic 4" square tubing, although I've see them made with pipe.


small grate to keep coals off the bottom


built it to plug into this bad boy - my SS cajun microwave.




Please let me know on the "no" heat, and again - Thanks Savanna!

Tracey

[Kingudaroad]

Please let me know on the "no" heat,

Unless I'm off base, that little unit will smoke for a long time because there is very little airflow. Nowhere I can see for the heat to escape. If you could get some of that cool Colorado air flowing through there with the smoke you could maintain lower temps. Although the chips wouldn't last as long.

[Texas-Hunter]

Cool idea.. I like it.. Simple but easy... Points..

[WALLE]

Unless I'm off base, that little unit will smoke for a long time because there is very little airflow. Nowhere I can see for the heat to escape. If you could get some of that cool Colorado air flowing through there with the smoke you could maintain lower temps. Although the chips wouldn't last as long.

You're right on, King - that's what it is supposed to do, just provide smoke to an otherwise very difficult smoke enviornment inside the cajun micowave.

Cool idea.. I like it.. Simple but easy... Points..

Thanks for the points! Texas Hunter.

I still have a question on cold smoking... if you are able to product smoke, then it will smoke adequately with little or no heat? Or are there recommended temps in order for the meat/cheese to take the smoke?

Not trying to hi-jack Savanna's post - just have had the same questions on how to do this correctly. Hope you're okay with that Savanna, otherwise, tell me to buggar off! and I'll just monitor your post.

Tracey

[Hell Fire Grill]

No heat is nessecary to cold smoke cheese.

If your using cold smoke to preserve meat your smokehouse is acting as a "smoker" and a "dehydrator". Heat and air flow are nessecary to keep condensation under controll. Without them the condensation may drip onto your food, which isn't very appealing to the eye or taste.

[bb53chevpro]

This is how I keep temps low. Small fire and about 8 ft of duct from the firebox to the smoke house.

[BigBuck]

Newbie to cold Smoking

Hello everyone,

My name is Ernie Rosato I live in PA and I'm new to cold smoking meat.

Several issues that I have questions about.

My smokehouse is 4 feet wide 7 feet deep and 8 foot tall. Smoke is generated from a small wood burning stove and piped in with 6inch pipe through the concrete tiled floor. Two vent 6 inch vent holes along the roof line. The interior of the Smokehouse is lined with stainless steel.

After two attempts of smoking trout and deer sticks, the product has a vinegary taste to it. I marinated the trout on the first go around and figured that is where the taste came from. I Processed the venison sticks with cure #2 all the salt, seasonings and spices, that my recipe called for. Cased the meat and let sit in the fridge @ 36 degrees for 1day prior to smoking. Smoke temps were maintained at 80-90 degrees F. Smoked the product for 24 hours.

Product came out a little dry but the vinegary taste is the killer.

What Am I doing wrong?

Your help is greatly appreciated