Making dust from pellets...

[nanuk]

Bear, I have my 36" tube STUFFED with the planer shavings and it is giving off a nice light blue smoke as we speak.
It is inside a 5 foot aluminum tube to feed the smoke into the MES30c.
Seems to be able to smoke about 5 hours like that.

I have some "dried beef" inside now. It was TQ'd as per your thread, and because I found the last stuff salty, I soaked it for a couple hours to see if that would lower the saltiness. We shall see.
I also have some TQ'd buckboard bacon in the smoker too! I found the last stuff resembled bacon not at all, but more like a black forest ham. Good stuff but not what I expected.

I didn't put any coating on this latest meat so I can taste the basic flavours the TQ and maple make.

I am enjoying this smoking journey!

 

[chopsaw]

I`m retired from Dock builders Union and I was thinking about using pellets for a cushion block with a 08 Vulcan hammer saw dust guaranteed what about through the meat grinder . This is ment as " HUMOR " :D

LOL ,,, that's funny . To me at least . St. Louis Carpenter . We have a pile drivers local down here . Re stock the pellets before the hammer drops again ?

 

[paul nj shore]

LOL ,,, that's funny . To me at least . St. Louis Carpenter . We have a pile drivers local down here . Re stock the pellets before the hammer drops again ?

 

[paul nj shore]

Timing !!! :)

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, I have my 36" tube STUFFED with the planer shavings and it is giving off a nice light blue smoke as we speak.
It is inside a 5 foot aluminum tube to feed the smoke into the MES30c.
Seems to be able to smoke about 5 hours like that.

I have some "dried beef" inside now. It was TQ'd as per your thread, and because I found the last stuff salty, I soaked it for a couple hours to see if that would lower the saltiness. We shall see.
I also have some TQ'd buckboard bacon in the smoker too! I found the last stuff resembled bacon not at all, but more like a black forest ham. Good stuff but not what I expected.

I didn't put any coating on this latest meat so I can taste the basic flavours the TQ and maple make.

I am enjoying this smoking journey!

Yup, people can make their own toys or make mods to existing toys to make them work more like what they want, however I refer to the stock Tube smoker when I say it puts out too much smoke for an MES or other small smokers.

I never get too much salt flavor on my TQ cured meats. I got too much salt one time, and that was when I used "Hi Mountain Cure & Seasoning".
A lot of things affect the salt flavor of Bacon & Dried Beef. Not adding the amount of Brown sugar in my instructions is one. Not rinsing & soaking the surface salt off (1/2 hour) after curing is another, and Dry curing with TQ too long can allow too much salt to be absorbed.

Hope that helps.
Bear

 

[nanuk]

I will pay a lot more attention to my amounts, cure times, and soaking. I did a long soak on my last pieces, and they were better.

I can see how a tube with pellets would be too smokey for the MES's

my 3 foot DIY with maple shavings smoked for over 5 hours last night, and the smoke was light.
I took a small piece off after a couple hours and it was very light. Next piece had about 3.5 hours and it was GOOD.
the Beef went full smoke, and took about 6 hours to get to temp, and it was a bit salty too but DELICIOUS!

Oh, forgot to add, I use the recommended brown sugar rub also. I'm thinking of using double the sugar for a test.
I love this experimenting.... cause I get to eat my mistakes!

 

[JMcGraw47]

Been chasin my tail trying to generate smoke without the air pump and pellets in my $9 usd smoker box from Home Depot. Never thought about returning the pellets back to there original state! For now I have been placing on top of coals and it seems to do well but even SS going thru hot and cold cycles will eventually deteriorate over time/uses!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Charcoal-Companion-Stainless-Rounded-Smoker-Box-CC4150/303073855

 

[daveomak]

When grinding the pellets in your blender..... The less you grind, the larger the dust particles... You don't want them too small.... Grind small batches to test the particle size ...

 

[JMcGraw47]

When grinding the pellets in your blender..... The less you grind, the larger the dust particles... You don't want them too small.... Grind small batches to test the particle size ...

Have a large Mortar & Pestle for processing dogs meds (she's not a pill eater), will start coarse and work from there. Prefer doing the dry method but do have a dehydrator/oven if necessary.

 

[tallbm]

When grinding the pellets in your blender..... The less you grind, the larger the dust particles... You don't want them too small.... Grind small batches to test the particle size ...

I think I have a very very very simple way to turn pellets into dust with no grinding, blending, or any of that, BUT I want to give it a try so I have good information to share. I've accidently done it a few times and a couple of weeks ago I accidentally created a whole AMNPS worth of dust from pellets with absolutely no effort what so ever lol.

Stay tuned, unless you want to try the experiment yourself as well... I am always pressed for time so I may not get to it for a week or longer :)

 

[JMcGraw47]

I think I have a very very very simple way to turn pellets into dust with no grinding, blending, or any of that, BUT I want to give it a try so I have good information to share. I've accidently done it a few times and a couple of weeks ago I accidentally created a whole AMNPS worth of dust from pellets with absolutely no effort what so ever lol.

Stay tuned, unless you want to try the experiment yourself as well... I am always pressed for time so I may not get to it for a week or longer :)

Oh pleez share, I just tried making a dry dust with a hammer and forget that method. Firm believer to work Smart, not Hard!

 

[tallbm]

Oh pleez share, I just tried making a dry dust with a hammer and forget that method. Firm believer to work Smart, not Hard!

In short put a couple of handfuls of pellets on a tray or plate (not paper plate).
Drench them with water as though they sat out in a good rain shower.
Drain off any excess water that is on the plate.
Scatter the pellets as best possible (or not) and leave them in the hot summer sun and check on them again this time tomorrow.

You will notice they have puffed up and started to become flakes/powder.
Once completely dried out you just push on them with your hand and they crumble to dust/flakes.
I would then make sure they are good and dry or even a 1 min microwave cycle and then try them in the AMNPS :)

 

[JMcGraw47]

In short put a couple of handfuls of pellets on a tray or plate (not paper plate).
Drench them with water as though they sat out in a good rain shower.
Drain off any excess water that is on the plate.
Scatter the pellets as best possible (or not) and leave them in the hot summer sun and check on them again this time tomorrow.

You will notice they have puffed up and started to become flakes/powder.
Once completely dried out you just push on them with your hand and they crumble to dust/flakes.
I would then make sure they are good and dry or even a 1 min microwave cycle and then try them in the AMNPS :)

Great minds must think alike, after reading about using a blender/food processor and thinking about your potential discovery I also am trying the water approach.

 

[JMcGraw47]

While waiting for tallbm to share I tried what turns out to be his idea. Had an MT coffee creamer container with pellets in to keep dry (from humidity) and poured about a cup of water in it, right B4 my very eyes the pellets began to swell up and turn to wet particles like dust!
They are drying now and have doubled in volume so far!

 

[JMcGraw47]

Going to the local sawmill later and arrange some hardwood dust, mostly oak & hickory and will blend with the fruit wood pellets/chips when the time comes......

 

[tallbm]

While waiting for tallbm to share I tried what turns out to be his idea. Had an MT coffee creamer container with pellets in to keep dry (from humidity) and poured about a cup of water in it, right B4 my very eyes the pellets began to swell up and turn to wet particles like dust!
They are drying now and have doubled in volume so far!

Nice!!!!
Great minds and all hahaha :D

I had a plate full of pellets that got rained on a couple of weeks ago and I just left them outside and then with all the hot sunny days I checked them and they were bone dry. I then filled up my AMNPS and threw some pellets on just in case and lit it all. I smoked 3 chickens with it and no issues lol.

Here in North TX we have been 108-112F outside for the past week so that heat and sun will dry this kind of stuff right up. I would then try a little microwaving on my end to ensure all humidity is gone before burning.

I think this will be an awesome and easy approach, especially during the summer time :)
Let us know how things turn out in a day or 2!

 

[Bearcarver]

Oh pleez share, I just tried making a dry dust with a hammer and forget that method. Firm believer to work Smart, not Hard!

Or you can just buy your Dust from Amazing Smokers.
That's where I get my Pellets & my Dust.

Bear

 

[tallbm]

While waiting for tallbm to share I tried what turns out to be his idea. Had an MT coffee creamer container with pellets in to keep dry (from humidity) and poured about a cup of water in it, right B4 my very eyes the pellets began to swell up and turn to wet particles like dust!
They are drying now and have doubled in volume so far!

Any findings so far? Has the dust dried up yet?
I'm sure here in the TX heat they would good and dried out... not sure if they are devoid of the unseen humidity but definitely they would not be anything near wet here hahaha.

 

[nanuk]

I soaked some, like REALLY soaked them

then I drained them, and mashed them with a potato masher.

then dried in the BBQ on low heat.

too fine, by the time I got them lit in my tray, half had blown away.

next time, I think I'll dry the swollen ones, and then just crush with a pan or something to as to not create too fine a particle.

 

[JMcGraw47]

Any findings so far? Has the dust dried up yet?
I'm sure here in the TX heat they would good and dried out... not sure if they are devoid of the unseen humidity but definitely they would not be anything near wet here hahaha.

They were dry the next morning and in my DIY Vortex strainer I filled 2/3rds with dust and a light layer of pellets and fired it up. Got 2hrs of gentle cold smoke so fabricated the second strainer I bought to keep the cycle going.
Tried it in my Kingsford Barrel grill while cookin some leg quarters but I guess the charcoal stole most of the O2 and it would not smolder. The box smoker will do fine in grill. Am ready to cold smoke now.