First coldsmoker build

[Woodzman]

I'm starting with 2 large disposable roasting pans from the buck store a 5 ft metal dryer vent and a cookie cooling rack. I traced my dryer vent circle onto the bottom corner of one of my roasting pans. Then put cross lines so it resembled a pizza and cut all the straight lines. Folded the triangles straight up and down. Then slid the flexible vent inside the triangles and sealed with metal duct tape. The bottom is done the top I will just put a Exhaust hole and pipe possibly. I will seal the roasting pans with duct tape after its filled and will also stop peeking. I plan on attaching the other end of my vent pipe to The top of my smoker with duct tape so as I'm smoking summer sausage I can cold smoke also. I plan on using the cookie cooling rack for my cheese and mixed nuts I'm smoking. Along with the sausage on the warm side I'm planning to try a small batch of salt...pepper corns and some where in this mix 2 scoops of coffee so I can try a pot. Sounds like a lot but I want everything full this time around. I think I have 5 different kinds of grocery store cheese to smoke. Extra sharp cheddar...Colby Jack
..Munster...aged special reserve sharp and Swiss. Cracker barrel and helluva good cheeseswere on sale this week. Not to mention the sale on beef so I have 6# of meat mixed for summer sausage.will post more pictures as I go

 

[nanuk]

any updates?

 

[Woodzman]

Right idea but wrong way to use it. I tried smoking summer sausage which came out great as always. But tried using that smoke to cold smoke. Definately a no go my cheese smelt like an old ashtray. And everything elsein there did too. I was able to trim the cheese and make a save of some of it. But lesson learned .

 

[nanuk]

I have always read that most cheese smells like ashtray at first... but mellows over time.

too bad you didn't keep some to see how it tasted over time. It would have been educational.

 

[daveomak]

I don't see any air holes for air flow.. am I missing something ?? Dave

 

[Steve H]

I was thinking the same. I don't see any vents. As for the taste. I did some swiss awhile back. And was ready to trash it because it tasted so bad. But, I heeded to peoples comments here and let it sit a month. It now tastes excellent. And I'm not a huge Swiss cheese person. But with the apparent lack of vents. You may have well oversmoked it. I still would have let is sit and see.

 

[Woodzman]

The cold smoker did have vent holes.has anyone cold and hot smokes at the same time before? What were the results? Here is a picture of my cold smoker at work.

 

[daveomak]

I would think holes similar to below would allow for more air... 2 more holes in the other side also.... about 1" dia..

I also think waiting for the cheese to "bloom" in the refer for a few weeks would have mellowed it...
I've eaten cheese I smoked a year later and it just keeps getting better....

 

[Woodzman]

On the top pan on the opposite end from where the smoke enters theirs basically a 4" circle with a ton of small holes for ventillation.Still wondering when I was cold smoking I used the smoke from a batch of summer sausage. When it came out it smelled like the smoke from a fire you just put out with a bucket of water. Has anyone used ...used smoke to cold smoke. I'm really thinking that was the real issue. Thanks again for all the info.

 

[daveomak]

How open is the inlet on the smoker....
Open the holes... More air flow through the smoker... More air flow through the cold smoker attachment...
The exhaust on the smoker should be wide open... If it is not, there is in adequate air flow to make clean smoke...

 

[Woodzman]

The smoker was open 100%

 

[daveomak]

I'm stumped.... Sorry....
Could you see thin blue smoke coming out of the holes in the cold smoker ??

 

[Woodzman]

Yes I could. I'm still thinking its from using used smoke so to speak.

 

[daveomak]

Well, That's too bad.... My next modification was going to be stacking my New-Used Totem smoker on top of me MES 30 to do cold and hot smoke at the same time....

My $20 Totem ....