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

[shea1973]

What some folks will do is cold smoke on the grill using a pellet tube or tray with the grill powered off.

I found this on smoke tube on Amazon

 

[shea1973]

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

Thank you for the information.

 

[DougE]

Like has been said, pellet tube with grill off. I do it on my Camp Chef.

 

[SmokinEdge]

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.

That tube will work perfectly.
My Yoder pellet grill has the ability to turn the fan on without lighting the grill. I light the pellet tube and run it with the grill fan on. This gives good air flow and works well for cold smoke. I’m not sure if your machine will do this or not.

 

[shea1973]

That tube will work perfectly.
My Yoder pellet grill has the ability to turn the fan on without lighting the grill. I light the pellet tube and run it with the grill fan on. This gives good air flow and works well for cold smoke. I’m not sure if your machine will do this or not.

I am not sure. Will have to check tomorrow and see if it can just run on the fan itself.

 

[shea1973]

That tube will work perfectly.
My Yoder pellet grill has the ability to turn the fan on without lighting the grill. I light the pellet tube and run it with the grill fan on. This gives good air flow and works well for cold smoke. I’m not sure if your machine will do this or not.

Here is a picture of a Z Grill 10002b, that is then brand that I got. It does not look like I can have the fan on without lighting the grill. If you look at the dial it has a 'Shut Down Cycle' and the next one you set on 'Smoke', which my understanding is the lowest temp. 'Smoke' is the setting I used to cold smoke those pork steaks on.

So where does that leave me with getting that Smoke Tube for my Z Grill? Also if I would cold smoke say those ribeye's, sounds like it would have to be in the evening when it is 40 or below?

One more questions is I have heard that you can get a Cold Smoke Adapter for smokers. But is that for all smokers or just certain kinds of smokers?

Thank you
Shea

 

[SmokinEdge]

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.

While this is possible with colder ambient temperature, I’m thinking you should use the pellet tube on the grill up camping and warm smoke the steaks for an hour or two then heat up the grill and cook them. This way way get a “cold smoke” and stay within the 40-140* safety rule. What kind of camp grill do you have?

 

[DougE]

When I cold smoke in my Camp Chef pellet grill, I just leave it turned off. The smoke tube creates enough heat to get some draft going. It does have to be fairly cool out to keep the temp low enough though.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm a little fuzzy on this one. Wouldn't pork steaks be considered a whole muscle meat? If that's the case then you should be fine cold smoking them. As long as you brought them up to a safe eating temperature before eating the steaks. If you haven't used a jaccard on the meat, injected it, or deboned it. I would think it would be considered whole, and intact. If it's whole and intact then it's safe to cold smoke,

This is a good read:

40 to 140 in 4...A Guideline and what to consider...

You will often see this called, " The Rule " here at SMF. This RULE, a Guideline actually, is the most frequently misquoted and misused info on SMF. More perfectly good meat has gone in the garbage at the hands of this," RULE " then from folks cleaning their Refrigerator or Freezer!!! Rules...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

As far as keeping your smokers temps cooler then I would suggest using 2 liter frozen soda bottles. However many will fit under your cooking grate. Cover them with an old towel and place your grate on top of the bottles(a spacer may be needed). This will help prevent the moisture from contacting the meat.

Any and all choices you make are yours. It all depends on how comfortable you are with that decision.
Chris

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm a little fuzzy on this one. Wouldn't pork steaks be considered a whole muscle meat? If that's the case then you should be fine cold smoking them. As long as you brought them up to a safe eating temperature before eating the steaks. If you haven't used a jaccard on the meat, injected it, or deboned it. I would think it would be considered whole, and intact. If it's whole and intact then it's safe to cold smoke,

This is a good read:

40 to 140 in 4...A Guideline and what to consider...

You will often see this called, " The Rule " here at SMF. This RULE, a Guideline actually, is the most frequently misquoted and misused info on SMF. More perfectly good meat has gone in the garbage at the hands of this," RULE " then from folks cleaning their Refrigerator or Freezer!!! Rules...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

As far as keeping your smokers temps cooler then I would suggest using 2 liter frozen soda bottles. However many will fit under your cooking grate. Cover them with an old towel and place your grate on top of the bottles(a spacer may be needed). This will help prevent the moisture from contacting the meat.

Any and all choices you make are yours. It all depends on how comfortable you are with that decision.
Chris

I completely agree with this if you are all inclusive in the process and will cook to final temp. The OP wants to smoke at 90* for an hour or two, then take up to camp later to cook. I’m thinking this needs to all be done at camp and all will be good. Not in separate steps on different days.

 

[DougE]

Nothing wrong with cold smoking whole unadulterated muscle so long as the surface temp. hits 140 in 4 hrs. If it's been injected or anything like that, the 140* IT in 4 hours applies.

 

[TNJAKE]

I think the issue with this is letting it sit in the danger zone while cold smoking then cooling and letting it sit I fridge, then transporting it to camp site then grilling probably isn't the best decision

 

[Nefarious]

The OP said in one post he wants to cold smoke, then freeze to take camping. Does the freezing reset.the clock for the 4 hr guideline?

If it does, does he have 4 hours starting when the meat has just finished thawing?

 

[DougE]

Does the freezing reset.the clock for the 4 hr guideline?

I don't know if it does, but if one was to get the surface temp to 140* to kill off surface bacteria , then freeze, it would probably be fine.

 

[SmokinEdge]

No, the bacteria will grow if present and you will reset with a larger number of bacteria on the second go around.

 

[Nefarious]

Well then it certainly isn't a good plan.

 

[DougE]

No, the bacteria will grow if present and you will reset with a larger number of bacteria on the second go around.

View attachment 629797

I see where you are coming from, but if you were to heat an intact muscle to the point where surface bacteria were killed, put in the freezer for later use, what's left to grow exponentially during phase 2 of the cook?

 

[Nefarious]

I see where you are coming from, but if you were to heat an intact muscle to the point where surface bacteria were killed, put in the freezer for later use, what's left to grow exponentially during phase 2 of the cook?

Once it is cooked over 140° isn't t is like cooking and eating half for dinner and saving the rest for leftovers? I'm.just trying to figure this all out.

 

[DougE]

Once it is cooked over 140° isn't t is like cooking and eating half for dinner and saving the rest for leftovers?

Depends on what you're cooking, and we are talking meat surface temp. here, not internal.

 

[DougE]

If I'm doing pork butt, or brisket, I don't even stick a probe in the meat until several hours in. You can cook large pieces of meat without worrying about the 40* to *140 rule so long as the muscle is intact, and the surface temp hits *140 in 4 hrs..