[Dan]

This was our first setup:


http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/diary/smokin/


I found it quite hard to moderate the rate of burn of the sawdust - may have been the sawdust but more likely the operator. :-)


We then bought a Bradley smoke generator, which produced excellent results even in our Heath Robinson setup:


Cold smoking salmon on Vimeo


But it's expensive to run. Those little sawdust bricks are pricey! I was speaking to someone at the SSGF who makes his own bricks for the Bradley, will need to investigate...


Reading this all with interest as we need to get something setup here, this is just the kick up the arse I needed. 

[cloddopper]

The lower close fitting door with air inlet holes for the smoke box


Overall picture it is 6 '62 tall by 2 feet deep by 4 foot wide  uses bricks and four paving slabs


This one shows the bits of concrete slab that make the smoke deflectors  and gives a better front view .



This one may be on its side,  but it shows how I cut the smoke hole in both slabs with an angle grinder .
TIP :-
Mark it and cut it out  before you lay the slabs on the first stage , as it is much easier to do when it is lower down on a sand bed or trestles .
 The top two roof slabs do have a mastic joint between them .... put in place on first slab and then the second was eased up to it to give a sound seal .



Adjustable racking a simple set of four uprights screwed to the corners . Long screws every 80 mm  and some gash battening  with six cheap wooden cut up broomsticks to make the shelves/racks



 I'm going to try using an old steel bucket  with a dozen or so 5 mm  holes drilled in the bottom 10 mm up from the lower rim and then place a 20 mm hole in the side a few mm up from the bottom . This is so I can charge it with a large amount of sawdust and stick a simple £3.00 soldering iron in the big hole ( have it on a time clock for say three hours ) to get it smouldering.. it should run for 36 hrs or more  if i get the air flow suitably restricted .

 In the picture of the full frontal of the upper chamber you can just see one of the 10 mm smoke release holes in the base of the top course by the left corner.
i may need to make a couple of 20 mm holes  in the top of the upper doors and use old wine corks etc to plug  or unplug the holes to get a better through draught of nice cool smoke . 

 I've found that because the brickwork breathes it drops the day temp quite quick at night ( kept checking with an accurate digital thermometer) .
  This has been a bonus on hot days , for as soon as the  opened up at night internal temperature dropped to 50 oF I was able to get the smoker going . Leaving it going t overnight and then nip out at 07.00 ish to take the smoked stuff out before the temps got rising with the sun's arrival.

 You do have to then let the goods dry off in the fridge as the moisture level has been ideal for the smoke particles to stick . I wrapped the food in some greaseproof paper and left it alone for 48 hrs . All the cheeses were lovely & dry but not too dry so was the smoked  meats salt , salmon , various sausages , nuts , oils.


My next big step is to brine a leg of pork and smoke if for 3 days , then hang it in the meat drying safe to air dry for 15 months or so

[cloddopper]

And a quick google search suggests an old filing cabinet would be a good starting point. I'm supposed to be working now I'm thinking schmokin!!!! Its all your fault womble!!!

Careful ..... just how old  the cabinet/s is/are , lead paint was still being used in the late 1960's so an old green or grey cabinet like I have will most likely have lead paint in it  . I purchased my cabinets about four years ago ,  the chemical test kit testing for lead paint showed that two of my four four drawer cabinets have lead paint on them inside & out.

[Possum]

Has anyone tried smoking food in an existing chimney fed by a woodburner?If so, how well does it work?

[Womble]

 
Well, having done some more research, I'm liking the idea of the Ugly Drum Smoker, since it will do both hot and cold.
 
My only problem is where to source the drum. A new un-lined drum is going to set me back all of £29, but they want £40 on top of that for pallet post......  Any bright ideas on what else I could use that might be easier to source locally?

[cloddopper]

Do you have oil deliveries to your area...
Most depots will have the odd leaky 45 gallon drum for £10 or so that you can chisel the lids out of . Then it's just a case of burning out the oils on a straw fire and power washing it afterwards 

[County Dangler]

I had my inaugural burning of my proQ last weekend. Just stuck it in my oil drum bbq. It seemed to work well. I tried garlic, salt and a whole belly I'd cured especially. Haven't tested any yet as I'm full of cold and don't want to waste my precious bacon whilst my taste buds aren't responding. I used the oak dust and smoked for around 8 hours.I'm not sure if the oil drum was a touch big for the generator though as it is at the upper limit for what the manufacturer suggests-the smoke never got very dense but perhaps is doesn't need to?







 

[Greenerlife]

Gosh that bacon looks delicious. 


I have pigs.
I have a smoker.
I have never smoked bacon.


Ridiculous situation 

[cloddopper]

The oil drum sounds/ looks  ideal so long as you can contain the smoke , perhaps a carpet tied round /over the whole thing to help retain it a bit more.

 When smoked bacon is vac packed and heat sealed we found that it freezes well @ minus 21 oC for about seven months. Then after that the fat starts to go rancid and begins to give an off flavour though it is still edible for a while and can be fried then used in boiled /slow cooked soup or soup bases which can then be frozen for a few months