Smokers / Smoking [General]
2011 Aug 16
Buyer beware. That smoker is sold under a number of different brand names - I was intrigued and did some digging a few years ago and found that they are poor at flowing smoke from the firebox through to the chimney. The result is bitter overly-smoked food. I've since experienced ribs done on one of these and have to concur. You're truly better off with either a Weber kettle grill which serves as a wonderful smoker, or bullet-type smoker.
Those offset smokers look like the real thing, but the real thing costs much more.
Those offset smokers look like the real thing, but the real thing costs much more.
2011 Aug 16
Yes, I know the caveats around cheap offset smokers - a good friend of mine has one just like this one. But for half price it is definitely worth it. Read the reviews closely because one of them tells you how to fix the major problem with this unit (air-tightness) and then he goes on to give it a high rating. Heat retention is another matter - but as long as you resign yourself to cold smoking with it, that is not an issue.
2011 Aug 16
I'm pretty sure offset smoking is the only way you can reliably cold smoke (I consider cold smoking 30 deg c or less). Ways to do it I've come across (and the one I use):
1) Bradley makes a cold smoking adapter for their system, which distances the smoke generator from the smoker housing, as do other smoker manufacturers.
2) I make smoke in a small (4" diameter pipe with end caps) sealed smoke generator whose burn is controlled by an aquarium air pump and I pipe that smoke into my smoking chamber, wherein I have a PID controlled hotplate, so I can independently control smoke volume, smoke timing and temperature.
3) Using a natural, open fire with a large, long (10 feet or more) duct (brick or culvert) into a smoking chamber, and let natural drafts do their thing (I've seen chipotle peppers and salami done this way.
I have always had best results by cold smoking periodically & repeatedly over days rather than one, long smoking session, hence my personal liking for a system that is easy to control.
1) Bradley makes a cold smoking adapter for their system, which distances the smoke generator from the smoker housing, as do other smoker manufacturers.
2) I make smoke in a small (4" diameter pipe with end caps) sealed smoke generator whose burn is controlled by an aquarium air pump and I pipe that smoke into my smoking chamber, wherein I have a PID controlled hotplate, so I can independently control smoke volume, smoke timing and temperature.
3) Using a natural, open fire with a large, long (10 feet or more) duct (brick or culvert) into a smoking chamber, and let natural drafts do their thing (I've seen chipotle peppers and salami done this way.
I have always had best results by cold smoking periodically & repeatedly over days rather than one, long smoking session, hence my personal liking for a system that is easy to control.
2011 Aug 17
@ss, wow sounds like you've built a smoking, Cadillac, smoking system. :-)
I tried cold smoking in a large cardbox box, using a hot plate and a cookie tin full of soaked wood chips. On top of the cookie tin (which had holes in it's lid to let out the smoke) I put a metal bowl with some cheese in it. After a few hours the cheese got really smoky and was softened from the heat, but did not melt.
However, once the novelty wore off, it turns out no one else in the family really liked the smoky cheese, and I don't eat much cheese. So it ended up getting thrown out :-(
I tried cold smoking in a large cardbox box, using a hot plate and a cookie tin full of soaked wood chips. On top of the cookie tin (which had holes in it's lid to let out the smoke) I put a metal bowl with some cheese in it. After a few hours the cheese got really smoky and was softened from the heat, but did not melt.
However, once the novelty wore off, it turns out no one else in the family really liked the smoky cheese, and I don't eat much cheese. So it ended up getting thrown out :-(
2011 Aug 17
Single serving - I would love to get a look at that smoke generator of yours!
EDIT: here is the other thread Forum - sawdust cold smokers
and here is the smoke generator from it
EDIT: here is the other thread Forum - sawdust cold smokers
and here is the smoke generator from it
2011 Aug 17
I cold smoke all the time in my Bradley (original). If the outside temp is less than say 20C, I just use the standard setup with the big box unplugged. My box rarely gets to 30C. If it is warmer outside or very humid, I separate the smoke generator. I use a simple 4" diameter dryer vent for this... which is very good at providing a thermal break (the foil is an efficient radiator).
2011 Aug 23
@zym,
I tried making the smoker in the youtube video above, but I just put a copper "T" in the top of the can, as I didn't have a venturi. On a fish tank pump it didn't generate enough venturi effect / suction through the wood chips to sustain a smouldering burn. I could get a burn going with an air mattress inflation pump, but it was noisy and the airflow was excessive. I emailed the youtube guy to see if he could sell me a venturi, but there was no response.
I think if you want to drive it from a fish tank air pump, you should use a small airline hose "T". Most of these are plastic, and will melt as the hot air from the wood chips passes through, so I'm looking for a metal one, to build version 2. As the smoke leaves the "T" it will spread out it should cool down, so no worries there.
I'm intrigued by SingleServing's PID controlled smoker because it may be that the most of the volatile flavor compounds are generated just below the smokepoint of the wood. The opaque smoke is actually dense with particulate matter, which may or may not be desirable. I don't know. But people have said they "smoked" things indoors with good flavor and not much actual smoke, which is intriguing.
I tried making the smoker in the youtube video above, but I just put a copper "T" in the top of the can, as I didn't have a venturi. On a fish tank pump it didn't generate enough venturi effect / suction through the wood chips to sustain a smouldering burn. I could get a burn going with an air mattress inflation pump, but it was noisy and the airflow was excessive. I emailed the youtube guy to see if he could sell me a venturi, but there was no response.
I think if you want to drive it from a fish tank air pump, you should use a small airline hose "T". Most of these are plastic, and will melt as the hot air from the wood chips passes through, so I'm looking for a metal one, to build version 2. As the smoke leaves the "T" it will spread out it should cool down, so no worries there.
I'm intrigued by SingleServing's PID controlled smoker because it may be that the most of the volatile flavor compounds are generated just below the smokepoint of the wood. The opaque smoke is actually dense with particulate matter, which may or may not be desirable. I don't know. But people have said they "smoked" things indoors with good flavor and not much actual smoke, which is intriguing.
2011 Aug 23
I am away on a business trip and will post some photos when I get back. With my smoke generator, a layer at the bottom of the wood in the chamber is constantly smoldering, and the upper wood is slowly heated by the burning layer, so the smoke given off is gentle and flavourful, like the guy's in the youtube video is.
I ignite the smoke generator with a propane torch before sealing it up and injecting burn air. The PID only controls the smoking chamber (i.e where the meat etc is held) temperature, not the temperature of the smoke coming out of the smoke generator, which is what gives me the cooking control. My second revision of the smoke generator will have an electric igniting element for the wood, and with control of this and the air pump, I'l be able to automatically control the smoking cycle.
I also smoke in my wok in the house owing to having a good extractor fan. I really like the results, though you are really applying a surface layer of flavoursome smoke over the course of a couple of minutes. In many circumstances I like this better for cook and serve, versus smoking for long term cooking, or storage (like bacon or sausage)
I ignite the smoke generator with a propane torch before sealing it up and injecting burn air. The PID only controls the smoking chamber (i.e where the meat etc is held) temperature, not the temperature of the smoke coming out of the smoke generator, which is what gives me the cooking control. My second revision of the smoke generator will have an electric igniting element for the wood, and with control of this and the air pump, I'l be able to automatically control the smoking cycle.
I also smoke in my wok in the house owing to having a good extractor fan. I really like the results, though you are really applying a surface layer of flavoursome smoke over the course of a couple of minutes. In many circumstances I like this better for cook and serve, versus smoking for long term cooking, or storage (like bacon or sausage)
2011 Aug 23
Good price on a Brinkman. These are not as good as a weber smokey mountain, but hey at 1/3 the price it is a deal. I've been using one of these for 3 or 4 years now.
www.canadiantreasureseekers.com
www.canadiantreasureseekers.com
2011 Aug 26
I'm with zym on the recipe sharing thing. Recipes are intellectual property and anyone who keeps intellectual property from their friends is an asshole. :-)
Businesses keep intellectual property from their enemies (i.e. competitors), but that's ok because everyone knows that businesses sometimes have to act like assholes to survive.
The girlfriend/boyfriend analogy doesn't fit. Sharing a recipe is more like *cloning* your partner and sending the clone on its way while keeping your original. ;-)
Businesses keep intellectual property from their enemies (i.e. competitors), but that's ok because everyone knows that businesses sometimes have to act like assholes to survive.
The girlfriend/boyfriend analogy doesn't fit. Sharing a recipe is more like *cloning* your partner and sending the clone on its way while keeping your original. ;-)
2011 Aug 26
1. I should have added a smily to that since I was joking.
2. Everyone has an opinion about what BBQ style they prefer. I've eaten at over 50 "real" BBQ joints all over the southern US and I know what I like and what I don't like. I love Texas BBQ. I like Kansas City BBQ. I loathe the Carolinas style with the super strong vinegar sauce. The type of rub that one person likes will not be the same as someone else likes.
3. I just joined this forum recently and have really appreciated the information that people share, but I don't appreciate being called an asshole for telling someone to search the Internet and try out some recipes until they come up with something they like knowing full well the rub I use could end up "ruining" an expensive piece of meat if the person doesn't like it.
For what it's worth, here is my latest rub, I believe it's number 5.
1/4 cup turbanado sugar
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp crushed celery seed
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh ground coarse black pepper
As you can see, I don't like allot of sugar in my rub, nor do I like a ton of heat. If you like more of either feel free to adjust. Obviously there is a high yield on this recipe. I store in clean dry large mason jars and transfer to a shaker when I'm getting set to rub.
2. Everyone has an opinion about what BBQ style they prefer. I've eaten at over 50 "real" BBQ joints all over the southern US and I know what I like and what I don't like. I love Texas BBQ. I like Kansas City BBQ. I loathe the Carolinas style with the super strong vinegar sauce. The type of rub that one person likes will not be the same as someone else likes.
3. I just joined this forum recently and have really appreciated the information that people share, but I don't appreciate being called an asshole for telling someone to search the Internet and try out some recipes until they come up with something they like knowing full well the rub I use could end up "ruining" an expensive piece of meat if the person doesn't like it.
For what it's worth, here is my latest rub, I believe it's number 5.
1/4 cup turbanado sugar
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp crushed celery seed
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh ground coarse black pepper
As you can see, I don't like allot of sugar in my rub, nor do I like a ton of heat. If you like more of either feel free to adjust. Obviously there is a high yield on this recipe. I store in clean dry large mason jars and transfer to a shaker when I'm getting set to rub.
2011 Aug 28
In line with blubarry's comment, the same recipe often produces different results when someone else implements it. Variations in personal technique, kitchen equipment, and ingredient sources can greatly affect the end result. So even when all the ladies in the church are using the same 1952 recipe I bet their dishes taste different from one another!
Go ahead, share your recipes... people still won't make it the same as you! :-)
Go ahead, share your recipes... people still won't make it the same as you! :-)
2011 Aug 29
smoke sauna . . . a good idea or an over the top one ?:
www.slate.com
Quote:
Five years ago, I visited an Estonian farm that had a contraption so perverse and delightful it would probably be banned in the United States: a "smoke sauna." In a normal sauna, the smoke vents out of a chimney while the hot coals heat the room. But in a smoke sauna, there is no chimney. You light a fire right in the middle of a stone chamber that has a couple of windows. When the fire has burned down to coals, the room temperature has dropped to 200 degrees, and much of the smoke has been vented out of the windows, you can go in. My friends and I would sit naked on the wooden benches, wreathed in smoke, drink Estonian beer, and whip ourselves with willow branches (all part of the tradition!) until it got unbearably hot—which usually took about 20 minutes. At that point, we'd race outside and wallow in a pool of cold water till we cooled down. Then we'd go back in. We did this for three days.
For two weeks afterward, I took to sniffing my arm, just to enjoy the incredible, delicious smokiness of it. Once, after a particularly yummy whiff, I actually licked my wrist.
www.slate.com
Quote:
Five years ago, I visited an Estonian farm that had a contraption so perverse and delightful it would probably be banned in the United States: a "smoke sauna." In a normal sauna, the smoke vents out of a chimney while the hot coals heat the room. But in a smoke sauna, there is no chimney. You light a fire right in the middle of a stone chamber that has a couple of windows. When the fire has burned down to coals, the room temperature has dropped to 200 degrees, and much of the smoke has been vented out of the windows, you can go in. My friends and I would sit naked on the wooden benches, wreathed in smoke, drink Estonian beer, and whip ourselves with willow branches (all part of the tradition!) until it got unbearably hot—which usually took about 20 minutes. At that point, we'd race outside and wallow in a pool of cold water till we cooled down. Then we'd go back in. We did this for three days.
For two weeks afterward, I took to sniffing my arm, just to enjoy the incredible, delicious smokiness of it. Once, after a particularly yummy whiff, I actually licked my wrist.
2013 Apr 9
Bradley smoker help please. I checked out the Bradley forums because I get an E1 message and I checked all the wires and reset it over and over. I tried the oven set a frw times bit after about 20 mins i got the error message again. Strangely I got the smoke going for about 40 minutes but 20 minutes after turning on the oven, I got the E1 message again. Any ideas?
2013 Apr 9
Did you see the 3rd or 4th one in this thread - clean the end of the sensor that goes into the cabinet? I know this applies to our coffee roaster ...
forum.bradleysmoker.com
forum.bradleysmoker.com
2013 Apr 10
In looking through this thread, I noticed that Mart242 talked about cold smoking and the Big Green Egg. Earlier this year, I was at Capital Appliance and BBQ and noticed that they were carrying the Amaz-N Pellet Smoker. It is essentially a metal box that has a maze type track running through it. You fill it with wood pellets and then ignite it at one end and it will smolder for several hours. I smoked some cheese in my BGE using the device. Set the box at the bottom and then had the plate setter between the box and the grids containing the cheese. Worked like a charm.
www.bbqing.com
www.bbqing.com
2013 Apr 11
Backwoodsman magazine has an interesting article on how to make a smoker out of 2 large ceramic plant pots. It looks intriguing.
I've seen cooking shows where smokers have been made out of old fridges, old gas BBQs and even a small car.
Besides, my wife won't let me spend 6-700 on a BGE!
I've seen cooking shows where smokers have been made out of old fridges, old gas BBQs and even a small car.
Besides, my wife won't let me spend 6-700 on a BGE!
2013 Jul 29
Any inexpensive smoker that is worth buying to try my hand at smoking?
I saw this one by Master Chef at Canadian Tire..
www.canadiantire.ca
I saw this one by Master Chef at Canadian Tire..
www.canadiantire.ca
2013 Jul 30
I wish Canadian Tire would stop selling that thing. My friend bought one, really unstable temperatures with wild swings and the food on the bottom rack is too close to the fire without any kind of thermal break. It's a rip off design and a really bad one at that. I wouldn't waste my money on it.
2013 Jul 30
So, we accidentally melted the bottom of our BBQ out this spring. We are in no hurry to replace it as we've not bought one in over a decade (some family member always gives us their hand-me-down BBQ when they buy new).
We did acquire a smoker this year (looks a bit bigger and more rectangular than the Canadian Tire model above) that we've been able to turn out some pretty good bacon, ham and sausage on though.
Wondering, is there any reason we can't use the smoker as a BBQ of sorts? I've always thought of a smoker as a smoker, and a BBQ as BBQ.
Can I throw what ever BBQ food I want on there, add some heat and perhaps less smoke to cook it? I just hate cooking indoors on the really hot days.
We did acquire a smoker this year (looks a bit bigger and more rectangular than the Canadian Tire model above) that we've been able to turn out some pretty good bacon, ham and sausage on though.
Wondering, is there any reason we can't use the smoker as a BBQ of sorts? I've always thought of a smoker as a smoker, and a BBQ as BBQ.
Can I throw what ever BBQ food I want on there, add some heat and perhaps less smoke to cook it? I just hate cooking indoors on the really hot days.
2013 Jul 30
Stuart S - are you saying there is no water pan in that smoker? That would make a fairly big difference if not.
Whether you can use the smoker as a BBQ organicgirl depends on the smoker. GIve us more details on what you have there.
Whether you can use the smoker as a BBQ organicgirl depends on the smoker. GIve us more details on what you have there.
zymurgist
www.canadiantire.ca
Read the reviews.
Smoker / Smoking (just so I can find this later)