Are the following statements facts or myth's?
AMNPS produces no creosote.
Smoke Daddy creates excessive amounts of smoke and creosote making products taste bitter.
The following are the results discovered while cold smoking three country cured hams, but first, the ham that was smoked in February, was smoked for 128 hours with a AMNPS using Hickory pellets from Amazin. The AMNPS was placed inside my 22 cf. cold smoker, below the ham and was smoked to my desired color. When removed from the smoker it was noticed that the surface was tacky, this took one week at room temperature to dry. It was my opinion that this was normal due to the long smoke. The smoker temperature was an average of 25° above ambient temperature with a high of 75°.
Ham drying.
Note: Being a proponent of using different colors and densities of smoke, I wanted to try using the Smoke Daddy Magnum (SDM) to see if the smoke time could be cut down. It would have taken several AMNPS'S to duplicate the amount of smoke that was being produced by the SDM.
Smoke generators left to right, Smoking Gun, AMNPS, Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna and Smoke Daddy Magnum.
Hams prior to smoking.
The next hams were smoked with my (SDM) using Hickory chunks for 32 hours and the Hickory pellets for 18 hours. They were smoked again to my desired color, but in this case the surface was completely dry. The maximum smoker temp was 2° below ambient temperature with a maximum smoker temperature being 83°.
Hams after smoking
This was exactly the opposite of what was expected. Now to try and figure why the smoke generator that was to be expected to produce all the creosote on the product didn't, but the one that supposedly doesn't produce creosote did. So it was decided to run a couple test.
First, the ones who have used a AMNPS know, the unit itself is relatively clean after use. The ones who have used the Smoke Daddy generators know that unless a very hot fire is produced, creosote will buildup on the inside which is totally undesirable to many.
When using pellets, they are smoldering in both units yet one produces visible creosote and the other doesn't seem to, yet one leaves a tacky surface on the product and interior of the smoker and the other one doesn't. The area where the pellets are burning in each unit is burned clean. It appears to be that the heavier gasses, once coming in contact with something leave behind a deposit.
The first test was made using the AMNPS inside the 22 cf. cold smoker using a quart zip bag half filled with water. Using Amazin pellets, the unit was burned for 10 hours. The second test was putting the AMNPS inside the heat sink stove with a external fan blowing enough air to move the smoke into the collector holding another water filled zip bag for 7 hours. AMNPS and fan set up. Fan is needed to push smoke into smoker.
AMNPS inside stove
Fan being used to push smoke into smoker
Smoke from AMNPS entering smoker.
Smoke exiting Smoker
The results were, the bag that was in the smoke for 10 hours With the AMNPS in the smoker was turning a amber color and the surface was very tacky. The second bag that had been smoked for 7 hours with the AMNPS in the stove was still clear and only slightly tacky. I would have liked to have smoked the second bag for an additional three hours, but ran out of pellets, and felt it would not have made much of a difference.
Test bags, Left bag tested with AMNPS in stove, right bag with AMNPS in smoker.
If using an AMNPS causes a creosote buildup on the inside of my smoker, wouldn't it do the same when using it in a grill or smaller smoker when smoking products such as cheese?
Like many when smoking cheese, the cheese is allowed to mellow for a month or more before consumption while the bitter taste diminishes , this is done automatically. In this case while using the SDM I placed some four year old Pepper Jack cheese in with the hams for four hours. My wife wanted some of it for a dish she was making , so I had to try some after smoking just to see how it had aged. It was quite sharp as expected, but to my surprise, there was absolutely no bitter taste. Could it have been because the heavy creosote was left behind in the SDM cylinder, heat sink stove and pipe leading to the smoker while leaving only the flavorable creosote and gasses to be passed on? If that is true, would that imply although the AMNPS produces less smoke and leaves no deposits on the unit itself, it passes all creosote on, making products such as cheese taste bitter right out of the smoker? If so this would necessitate a external unit such as my stove or as some, the use of a mail box or other container to scrub the smoke before entering the smoker. If the ones using external boxes are seeing residue on the inside of their boxes it is creosote that is not going inside their smoker.
Todd and Dennis both produce very good products and both have very good customer service, but have the above myths been busted? I have made my decision.
Pros and Cons:
AMNPS:
Pros: Small, easy to light, long burning time, low maintenance. Cons: Small amount of smoke, takes up space in smoker, requires internal air flow.
Smoke Daddy:
Pros: Burns multiple fuels, produces a light tasting, but thicker smoke, external mount.
Cons: Uses external air pump, more maintenance, needs more attention during use.
Tom
AMNPS produces no creosote.
Smoke Daddy creates excessive amounts of smoke and creosote making products taste bitter.
The following are the results discovered while cold smoking three country cured hams, but first, the ham that was smoked in February, was smoked for 128 hours with a AMNPS using Hickory pellets from Amazin. The AMNPS was placed inside my 22 cf. cold smoker, below the ham and was smoked to my desired color. When removed from the smoker it was noticed that the surface was tacky, this took one week at room temperature to dry. It was my opinion that this was normal due to the long smoke. The smoker temperature was an average of 25° above ambient temperature with a high of 75°.
Ham drying.
Note: Being a proponent of using different colors and densities of smoke, I wanted to try using the Smoke Daddy Magnum (SDM) to see if the smoke time could be cut down. It would have taken several AMNPS'S to duplicate the amount of smoke that was being produced by the SDM.
Smoke generators left to right, Smoking Gun, AMNPS, Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna and Smoke Daddy Magnum.
Hams prior to smoking.
The next hams were smoked with my (SDM) using Hickory chunks for 32 hours and the Hickory pellets for 18 hours. They were smoked again to my desired color, but in this case the surface was completely dry. The maximum smoker temp was 2° below ambient temperature with a maximum smoker temperature being 83°.
Hams after smoking
This was exactly the opposite of what was expected. Now to try and figure why the smoke generator that was to be expected to produce all the creosote on the product didn't, but the one that supposedly doesn't produce creosote did. So it was decided to run a couple test.
First, the ones who have used a AMNPS know, the unit itself is relatively clean after use. The ones who have used the Smoke Daddy generators know that unless a very hot fire is produced, creosote will buildup on the inside which is totally undesirable to many.
When using pellets, they are smoldering in both units yet one produces visible creosote and the other doesn't seem to, yet one leaves a tacky surface on the product and interior of the smoker and the other one doesn't. The area where the pellets are burning in each unit is burned clean. It appears to be that the heavier gasses, once coming in contact with something leave behind a deposit.
The first test was made using the AMNPS inside the 22 cf. cold smoker using a quart zip bag half filled with water. Using Amazin pellets, the unit was burned for 10 hours. The second test was putting the AMNPS inside the heat sink stove with a external fan blowing enough air to move the smoke into the collector holding another water filled zip bag for 7 hours. AMNPS and fan set up. Fan is needed to push smoke into smoker.
AMNPS inside stove
Fan being used to push smoke into smoker
Smoke from AMNPS entering smoker.
Smoke exiting Smoker
The results were, the bag that was in the smoke for 10 hours With the AMNPS in the smoker was turning a amber color and the surface was very tacky. The second bag that had been smoked for 7 hours with the AMNPS in the stove was still clear and only slightly tacky. I would have liked to have smoked the second bag for an additional three hours, but ran out of pellets, and felt it would not have made much of a difference.
Test bags, Left bag tested with AMNPS in stove, right bag with AMNPS in smoker.
If using an AMNPS causes a creosote buildup on the inside of my smoker, wouldn't it do the same when using it in a grill or smaller smoker when smoking products such as cheese?
Like many when smoking cheese, the cheese is allowed to mellow for a month or more before consumption while the bitter taste diminishes , this is done automatically. In this case while using the SDM I placed some four year old Pepper Jack cheese in with the hams for four hours. My wife wanted some of it for a dish she was making , so I had to try some after smoking just to see how it had aged. It was quite sharp as expected, but to my surprise, there was absolutely no bitter taste. Could it have been because the heavy creosote was left behind in the SDM cylinder, heat sink stove and pipe leading to the smoker while leaving only the flavorable creosote and gasses to be passed on? If that is true, would that imply although the AMNPS produces less smoke and leaves no deposits on the unit itself, it passes all creosote on, making products such as cheese taste bitter right out of the smoker? If so this would necessitate a external unit such as my stove or as some, the use of a mail box or other container to scrub the smoke before entering the smoker. If the ones using external boxes are seeing residue on the inside of their boxes it is creosote that is not going inside their smoker.
Todd and Dennis both produce very good products and both have very good customer service, but have the above myths been busted? I have made my decision.
Pros and Cons:
AMNPS:
Pros: Small, easy to light, long burning time, low maintenance. Cons: Small amount of smoke, takes up space in smoker, requires internal air flow.
Smoke Daddy:
Pros: Burns multiple fuels, produces a light tasting, but thicker smoke, external mount.
Cons: Uses external air pump, more maintenance, needs more attention during use.
Tom
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