cold smoke pictures please...

[keywesmoke]

I've tried 3 times to do sausage and cheese, and can't keep my Brinkmann all-in-one cool enough. I've kept the lid an inch above the rack, on metal spacers, etc but it still goes to 250-300. Can you all post pics on this thread of your cold smoke ideas? Or links to store bought kits? I saw the one on ebay and it looks a bit bizarre to me. Thanks for help!

 

[smoked]

it's tough to do without a seperate box to pipe the smoke into, I'm not sure how to deal with the brinkmann....I always had thoughts about my old ECB and doing that....but I moved on....here is a pic of my old luhr jenson big cheif converted to a cold box and being feed by my masterbuilt unit...

 

[deejaydebi]

keywesmoke -

I have an ECB All-In-One also. I use only charcoal and wood chips. Haven't tried the gas or electric thing. The only way I could control the temps was to drill about 8 tiny holes around the top of the lid and about 6 around the sides. About the size of a pencil point. I think beacause there's no doors or anything it holds the heat and smoke to much. The hole helps it breathe better and the smoke tastes better too. I drilled one hole just big enough to get my long stemed theomometer in too.

To cold smoke in it just put a few hunks of charcoal at a time. I used 4 and a few small chunks of wet wood almost like shavings.

 

[t-bone tim]

I read somewhere's of a guy wanting to cold smoke some bacon on a hot day...his smoker was at 85 -90 degrees already with sun ,he opted to put a couple pieces of hot briquettes into his shavings and presto instant smoke with little added heat ,not sure if this would work for you in your situation,just thought I'd pass it along,Tim.

 

[keywesmoke]

Thanks Debi. I'll try that. I've only used propane and apple chunks from the company on my intro thread. I turn the gas down as low as I can, and even "cheat" the air mixture choke to burn a yellow (cool) flame, and it still is too hot. Plus, and this point the wood doesn't stay lit.

Is a fan always needed to cold smoke? I was just looking at my "ECB" and my useless Holland Companion, and thinking a dryer hose from the top of the ECB to the bottom of the Companion may do it, if it's uphill, and maybe 5 feet long, enough to cool. I wonder if that would work.

 

[smoked]

if you look at my pic's you see that I elevate the big chief, doing that I don't need a fan so I'd suspect you would be fine as well.....the length of flex pipe I've got is about 3 feet and works fine, the chief seems to stay at around 50ish degrees even with the masterbuilt generating at 225.....

 

[peculiarmike]

Keywesmoke -

Here is the "Turbo Cheese Smoker" I fabbed from pieces I got at Loew's and Radio Shack. It is used with my ECB and works great. Temp MUST be kept low or the fan WILL burn up ;). To keep temp low I use 4-6 charcoal briquettes and pile wood chips on top of them, makes plenty smoke. You can also fill the water pan with ice, it works. I'm also working on a cooling mod.
Anyhow, when smoking cheese, or whatever, make sure it is on a rack so the smoke gets to all sides.
The fan is 12VDC (Radio Shack) and requires a 12VDC power supply, about $10.
Works for me, may be what you are looking for - or not.

 

[keywesmoke]

Mike, that's a cool setup....if you put the fan at the cool box end and suck smoke instead of blow, maybe it wouldn't be at risk of melting so much! Just a thought. What temps do you get in the box?

 

[peculiarmike]

Key,
You are right and I have thought about that. Reason I put it on the smoker end is that it fit so nice over the opening in the PVC fitting that goes into the hole in the ECB lid where the "temp gauge" goes.
The PVC fitting going into the box is 4", but it could be smaller to fit the fan without problem. It should suck equal amounts of smoke. This is a prototype and still kind of a work in progress. Like I said I am working on a cooling mod.
The aluminum dryer duct can be pulled out and made a lot longer, which would cool the smoke also. I don't have room to store the thing if I do that.
So, I just use small amounts of charcoal. It makes plenty smoke.
I have not checked the temp in the box, but I will next smoke. It is not very high, cheese stays in good shape. Ambient temp is a major factor.