How do I get the temp down for cold smoking on a Zgill 1000

[shea1973]

I bought a ZGrill 1000 last year, which I have been smoking a lot of food on it! I have recently started Cold Smoking, so I am a big Newbie I started to cold smoke some Pork Steaks today, which the temp outside is about 75 degrees. I know the best time to cold smoke is durning the winter, but heard you can also cold smoke during higher temperature. I been smoking the Pork Steaks for for about 2 hours now, but the temp seems to want to stay at 140, not like the normal temp for cold smoking I believe is 90. I have my chimney all the way open and have the box where you feed the pellets at opened and also have an I try in chamber as well and it still wants to stay at around 140. The only way I can keep the temp down is leaving the lid where the food is completely open! Even leaving the lid open and it still wants to stay at about 95 degrees.

Does anyone have any suggestions on keeping the temp down to 90 without having the lid opened?

Thank you for any help you can give!

 

[TNJAKE]

My first thought is why are you cold smoking pork steaks and what's your desired end product?

 

[SmokinEdge]

I bought a ZGrill 1000 last year, which I have been smoking a lot of food on it! I have recently started Cold Smoking, so I am a big Newbie I started to cold smoke some Pork Steaks today, which the temp outside is about 75 degrees. I know the best time to cold smoke is durning the winter, but heard you can also cold smoke during higher temperature. I been smoking the Pork Steaks for for about 2 hours now, but the temp seems to want to stay at 140, not like the normal temp for cold smoking I believe is 90. I have my chimney all the way open and have the box where you feed the pellets at opened and also have an I try in chamber as well and it still wants to stay at around 140. The only way I can keep the temp down is leaving the lid where the food is completely open! Even leaving the lid open and it still wants to stay at about 95 degrees.

Does anyone have any suggestions on keeping the temp down to 90 without having the lid opened?

Thank you for any help you can give!

Do Not cold smoke meat that has not been cured with nitrite. You are playing with fire there.

 

[shea1973]

Do Not cold smoke meat that has not been cured with nitrite. You are playing with fire there.

Ok thank you for the information. Do you have a link that you can post on how to cure with nitrite.

Also you said I was playing with fire. What do you mean by that?

Thank you for your help!

 

[SmokinEdge]

Also you said I was playing with fire. What do you mean by that?

Botulism. This produces the most deadly toxin known to man if left in a good environment. Cold smoking meat is such this environment. From 40-139*F is a playground for such bacteria. Nitrite neutralizes this botulism specifically and keeps food safe in that temperature danger zone.

Ok thank you for the information. Do you have a link that you can post on how to cure with nitrite.

Apply cure #1 at a rate of 0.25% to meat weight. This is how it’s applied.

 

[shea1973]

Botulism. This produces the most deadly toxin known to man if left in a good environment. Cold smoking meat is such this environment. From 40-139*F is a playground for such bacteria. Nitrite neutralizes this botulism specifically and keeps food safe in that temperature danger zone.


Apply cure #1 at a rate of 0.25% to meat weight. This is how it’s applied.

Thank you for the information!

 

[shea1973]

My first thought is why are you cold smoking pork steaks and what's your desired end product?

I just was wanting more oak flavor in the pork steaks.

 

[SmokinEdge]

shea1973
not trying to discourage you at all, but want you to be healthy and safe while smoking meat.

That said, if you use cure #1 you will have hamsteaks. If you don’t use cure #1, then you will have pork steak, but you need to follow the 40* to 140* internal temp in 4 hours rule, for bacteria safety With uncured meat.

As for more smoke flavor, you won’t get that very easy with a pellet machine, assuming that’s why your trying the cold smoke?

 

[Fueling Around]

I use a tube filled with oak pellets to get that flavor in my pellet grill.

 

[shea1973]

As for more smoke flavor, you won’t get that very easy with a pellet machine, assuming that’s why your trying the cold smoke?

"As for more smoke flavor, you won’t get that very easy with a pellet machine, assuming that’s why your trying the cold smoke?"

Yes that is one reason I was doing cold smoke for more flavor in my Pork Steaks and Ribeye's ect..

The next reason is that I heard you can cold smoke things like Pork Steak, Ribeye's and other types of meat and then freeze them for later. I am going camping towards the in of May, so I can take this stuff out camping and just throw it on the grill to cook it, but still have that nice flavor from cold smoking the meats. However I don't have a portable smoking as of yet to take with me camping LOL so I am trying to learn how to.

I would also like to get into cold smoking cheese as well!
So do you know of a very good website that covers curing meats and cold smoking them?

 

[indaswamp]

All solid information given on the safety of cold smoking meats. shea1973 ; if you want more smoke flavor, I suggest using the Amazin pellet smoker tray. This will give you more smoke flavor.

 

[indaswamp]

So do you know of a very good website that covers curing meats and cold smoking them?

You found it.. Here at Smoking Meats Forums we cover it all. There is a meat curing section as well as multiple cold smoking sections....just ask, we'll guide you through it.

 

[SmokinEdge]

shea1973
Here is a link for you to read.
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/meat-safety/botulism

while botulism is of most concern with sausage, it as well as other pathogens can be present on pre cut steaks. Smoking in that 90* range is the best temp for these bacteria to grow. I’m not sure what your night time temperature is, but if you can keep the meat at or below 40* and use a smoke tube with pellets inside your grill (grill off) you can safely cold smoke those steaks.

Myself or many others here will be more than happy to walk you through the steps of curing meats. Just know that in doing so your beef steak will taste more like corned beef and the pork steak more like ham. I’m thinking this is not what you are after.

 

[Winterrider]

I am going camping towards the in of May, so I can take this stuff out camping and just throw it on the grill to cook it, but still have that nice flavor from cold smoking the meats.

Cook/smoke to desired doneness, cool, vacuum seal. Just toss bag into some simmering water to reheat when camping.

 

[bregent]

You cannot cold smoke on a running pellet grill - the operating temperatures are much too high. What some folks will do is cold smoke on the grill using a pellet tube or tray with the grill powered off. However, IMO this produces a very poor result as there is not enough draft to move the smoke through the grill quickly enough, result in campfire or ash tray flavors. The best results for cold smoking with tubes and trays are achieved using a remote "firebox" that helps to clean up the smoke flavor (check out mailbox mods) and a smoker that provides a good draft - I use a cardboard box but any vertical smoker works well. Using dust instead of pellets also helps. And of course, follow all safety protocols as already mentioned in this thread.

 

[indaswamp]

Also best to cold smoke at night when falling ambient temps. will give you a greater delta between the chamber temp. and outside temp. for a much better draft through the cook chamber. Using ice to cold smoke during the day is minimally effective as the outside temp. is still ambient temp. and that as well as chamber temp. is what determines draft.

 

[Newglide]

"As for more smoke flavor, you won’t get that very easy with a pellet machine, assuming that’s why your trying the cold smoke?"

Yes that is one reason I was doing cold smoke for more flavor in my Pork Steaks and Ribeye's ect..

The next reason is that I heard you can cold smoke things like Pork Steak, Ribeye's and other types of meat and then freeze them for later. I am going camping towards the in of May, so I can take this stuff out camping and just throw it on the grill to cook it, but still have that nice flavor from cold smoking the meats. However I don't have a portable smoking as of yet to take with me camping LOL so I am trying to learn how to.

I would also like to get into cold smoking cheese as well!
So do you know of a very good website that covers curing meats and cold smoking them?

If you're going camping cook them over an open flame on the fire. Can't beat that flavor.

 

[shea1973]

I’m not sure what your night time temperature is, but if you can keep the meat at or below 40* and use a smoke tube with pellets inside your grill (grill off) you can safely cold smoke those steaks.

Thank you for your help and the link for the cold smoking! April 26th - 28th will be in the high 30's during the evenings.

I have the ZGrill 1000 pellet smoker. I found a a hexagon shaped smoke tube on Amazon for $10.95. Will this work for the smoker I have? Just want to make sure before I buy it.

Here is the link to the smoke tube.

 

[shea1973]

If you're going camping cook them over an open flame on the fire. Can't beat that flavor.

That s true, they do get a nice flavor over the open flame.

 

[TNJAKE]

Yeah that will work. When I cold smoke on my pellet smoker I crack the door open about an inch and remove the cover completely from the exhaust. Creates a good draft