Cold Smoke Generator for the MES

[chef k-dude]

 
Try filling an old pan full of ice in the smoker to cool while you are smoking.

A great idea. In fact you could put the ice directly in the drip pan at the bottom of the MES and it would drain out of the tube at the rear. Add a piece of plastic flexible tubing to divert the draining water if you cant put the smoker where water dripping would be OK. The airflow up through the box would carry some of the coolness from the bottom.

Duly noted for when I build my design.

 

[chef k-dude]

 
Another thing to consider- you could use a different heat source inside of the box. For example, a bunson burner under a tin can. 

Has anyone thought of using a Sterno can with a small pan hovering over it for an external cold smoker heat source?

 

[chef k-dude]

I have a couple fans like this:

fan.jpg

• chef k-dude
• Sep 28, 2015

And a controller like this I use to slow down a coffee grinder as well as a hand held immersion blender:

speed control.jpg

• chef k-dude
• Sep 28, 2015

I saw earlier in this thread where this idea was used, only his was 12V and salvaged from a computer salvage. I just happen to have these fans and could easily use one for this.

I think a little weather stripping around the edge of the fan might help keep it from vibrating off the vent port opening on top of the MES.  Of course duct tape is always an option. The fan control obviously could regulate the airflow. Once you have air moving, if it's not windy, there may be a natural draw.

That makes a pull instead of a push system. Then I could use almost anything to direct smoke in to the chip loading port.

Wheels are turning. I'm a metal fabricator...and this is definitely in my wheelhouse!

I WILL cold smoke

 

[walta]

Chef K-Dude please be aware the speed controller you have posted is designed to work with “universal motors” that have brushes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_motor

The fan shown is induction motor, no brushes. In theory it should not work, If the motor has much load it would not work, but since the load is a fan sometimes you can get away with it.

Something like this may be a better choice.

http://www.acinfinity.com/fan-power...nBnAKu9OngD4aHj0udHLuxNGPwAiGNKFYEBoCqInw_wcB

Walta

 

[dr k]

 
I have a couple fans like this:

fan.jpg

• chef k-dude
• Sep 28, 2015

And a controller like this I use to slow down a coffee grinder as well as a hand held immersion blender:

speed control.jpg

• chef k-dude
• Sep 28, 2015

I saw earlier in this thread where this idea was used, only his was 12V and salvaged from a computer salvage. I just happen to have these fans and could easily use one for this.

I think a little weather stripping around the edge of the fan might help keep it from vibrating off the vent port opening on top of the MES.  Of course duct tape is always an option. The fan control obviously could regulate the airflow. Once you have air moving, if it's not windy, there may be a natural draw.

That makes a pull instead of a push system. Then I could use almost anything to direct smoke in to the chip loading port.

Wheels are turning. I'm a metal fabricator...and this is definitely in my wheelhouse!

I WILL cold smoke

Or maybe the Venturi effect on the top exhaust vent (a straight pipe/stack coming off the vent with a splice into it at the bottom pointing upward like an upside down y.  Putting a fan off the branch blowing up the stack, drawing air out of the smoker, keeping the fan from getting into smoke residue.)

-Kurt

 

[daricksta]

So this is a revived dead thread? OK.

I use my AMNPS for cold smoking. Todd Johnson suggested that I place 2 jugs of frozen water inside my MES 30 to keep the heat down. Burning wood pellets do generate heat. I still found when cold smoking cheese they'd still melt somewhat onto the rack tines. To fix that I bought some Q-MATZ from Todd. Haven't done any cold smoking yet this year but I plan to within two weeks and I'll start a new thread to report how it turned out.

What I like about using the AMNPS is that I didn't need to buy a separate piece of equipment from Masterbuilt that I then had to connect to my smoker. My experience so far has been that it's harder to keep the AMNPS lit during cold smokes but the smoke it produces is more than enough over the 2-4 hour cold smoking time.

 

[smokin phil]

Nathan- I have a broken MES for you and the mailbox mod shown in this thread looks like a great mod, especially with a computer fan to help the draft at the top.


-Uncle Brian

Broken MES???? Such a thing does not exist, unless it has been run over by some large vehicle.

 

[brianbray]

I use a pull fan. I've used controllers and I've tried just blowing across the top vent (venturi). I usually just let the smoke blow through through the fan and I slide the fan so that it is partially over the hole to control flow. All of these work. I've never ruined one of these $2 fans because of smoke going through then but I break them all the time by dropping them. I keep meaning to get some magnets to hold them in place.

 

[hoity toit]

It appears we have a budding group of Inventors here at SMF...

Maybe we should have our own Research and Development Division...

Yep, you got that right. Idle time is the mother of invention.. I think this is going to be a long long thread...

 

[brianbray]

I misread that as "long,bong thread." Wait! I have and idea!

 

[chef k-dude]

 
Chef K-Dude please be aware the speed controller you have posted is designed to work with “universal motors” that have brushes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_motor

The fan shown is induction motor, no brushes. In theory it should not work, If the motor has much load it would not work, but since the load is a fan sometimes you can get away with it.

Something like this may be a better choice.

http://www.acinfinity.com/fan-power...nBnAKu9OngD4aHj0udHLuxNGPwAiGNKFYEBoCqInw_wcB

Walta

Thanks Walta, that's a good heads up. I would not have found that out until bench testing. I appreciate the controller recommendation too, not very expensive.

 

[chef k-dude]

 
Or maybe the Venturi effect on the top exhaust vent (a straight pipe/stack coming off the vent with a splice into it at the bottom pointing upward like an upside down y.  Putting a fan off the branch blowing up the stack, drawing air out of the smoker, keeping the fan from getting into smoke residue.)

-Kurt

Now THATS getting your head in to it!

 

[chef k-dude]

I use a pull fan. I've used controllers and I've tried just blowing across the top vent (venturi). I usually just let the smoke blow through through the fan and I slide the fan so that it is partially over the hole to control flow. All of these work. I've never ruined one of these $2 fans because of smoke going through then but I break them all the time by dropping them. I keep meaning to get some magnets to hold them in place.

A brilliantly simple solution.

 

[chef k-dude]

I misread that as "long,bong thread." Wait! I have and idea!

smoker.jpg

• chef k-dude
• Oct 5, 2015

Some of the devices these days are not far off from some of the power hitters I remember from back in my youthful days. It would be hilarious to see someone DIY the "Tokemaster Classic 18" cold smoker" though!

As yes...those were they days...waaayy back then...yep...long gone days...

 

 

[windsblow]

Watching

 

[brianbray]

I live in Oregon. Retail pot became legal yesterday. Imagine that.

 

[chef k-dude]

I live in Oregon. Retail pot became legal yesterday. Imagine that.

Wonder of anyone will be cannabis smoking any meats? They seem to make everything else out of the stuff...candy, beer, butter, cookies. Maybe it's time for some "Afghan Smoked Green Whole Chickens"

By the way I wont be trying my cold smoke experiment for a while. Need to do some more research on recipes and methods and time is hard to find right now.

 

[smoking pollock]

I have smoked a lot of cheese in my MES. I have used the smoke pistol or the add on attachment cold smoker MES recommends. Smoke pistol needs a lot of cleaning during use. The MES attachment works better. I have smoked a lot of cheese with both. Someone asked about turning on the element. No do not use heat. The smoke producers do not create much heat.

Smoking Pollock