Making dust from pellets...

[daveomak]

Dust is all I use anymore... I really like the way the thin smoke permeates the meat, when cold smoking.....

 

[pugsbrew]

This worked pretty good for what I wanted . To burn " dust " in a tube . The grinder made enough coarse pieces to keep the rest from falling thru . The wet method works great , just to fine for the tube .
View attachment 383093 View attachment 383094

Anyone else tried this? Looks easy

 

[chopsaw]

Hey Pugs , how ya doin bud .
It is pretty easy . I use a 1/2 inch plate , and don't over load it . That's key . It does take some muscle at first , and some back and forth before you get to a complete crank . After that it's good to go . I crank up enough for a 12 " tube in minutes .
I think normanaj uses an electric coffee grinder with good results . If you try it , let us know what you think .

 

[normanaj]

I think normanaj uses an electric coffee grinder with good results . If you try it , let us know what you think .

Yup.Just a cheapo I picked up at the local thrift store.I use it just like a food processor...I just keep tapping the button until I get the right consistency.

 

[zwiller]

I bought a $11 grinder on ebay solely to do this. Plate is 3/8" and takes a little work but IMO totally worth it. Like chopsaw says a little back and forth does it.

 

[JckDanls 07]

So Dave... I'm a lil confused on HOW MUCH water to use to do this process... A pot of water and dump pellets in ?? Or just enough water to make them damp ??

Thanks Brother

 

[daveomak]

Add hot tap water to the pellets.... Cover them.... They will expand like an accordion and fall apart...



Evening... My last batch a few weeks ago, was made from about 1# of pellets... 200 + 200 + 100 grams... soaked for about 10 minutes in hot tap water.... stirred only with a big spoon... decanted the water... spread evenly on a 1/4 or 1/2 sheet pan and in the smoker or oven at 250-275 for a couple three hours... Do not put in a blender... makes too many fines...

 

[Murray]

daveomak has a good point with the fines, however, some fines doesn’t hurt. I grind my pellets with an old hand crank grain grinder(adjustable grind size) and I have found that the smaller the grind the longer the dust will smoulder. Using a 6” Oval tube with whole pellets I’ll get about 1.5-2 hours of smoke that is way to “thick” for my taste. Using dust I will get 4-5 hours of a thin blue smoke, grinding the pellets too much it gets to be a challenge to keep them in the tube and keeping the tube burning. My unproven theory is too fine a grind and you loose much of the trapped air between the dust particles which supports combustion. Conversely, whole pellets have lots of air between them and will burn faster producing lots of smoke. Too much IMHO.

 

[Watson]

Add hot tap water to the pellets.... Cover them.... They will expand like an accordion and fall apart...

Evening... My last batch a few weeks ago, was made from about 1# of pellets... 200 + 200 + 100 grams... soaked for about 10 minutes in hot tap water.... stirred only with a big spoon... decanted the water... spread evenly on a 1/4 or 1/2 sheet pan and in the smoker or oven at 250-275 for a couple three hours... Do not put in a blender... makes too many fines...

OK. Thanks for this.
My bacon was getting too much smoke. Last batch was almost 'sooty' and trying to dial this back with the AMNPS. I put in less pellets and the thing keeps going out.

So the bellies are back in the fridge.

I just added some hot water to the pellets and they exploded like popcorn. In the oven drying as we speak.

Will try these in the AM to finish the smoke.

BTW, if this works, I may try watering down the pellets with bourbon next time :)

 

[Watson]

This was exactly the answer. Very light blue smoke and not going out. Really like what I am seeing here.
Hard to start though as my blow torch wanted to send the dust everywhere.

Might put some full size pellets in the front to get things started next time.

A+. The forum strikes again!

Thanks.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Good to hear... The wife didn't have any objections to putting them in the oven ?? Does it smoke/smell the house up when drying ??

 

[Murray]

This was exactly the answer. Very light blue smoke and not going out. Really like what I am seeing here.
Hard to start though as my blow torch wanted to send the dust everywhere.

Might put some full size pellets in the front to get things started next time.

A+. The forum strikes again!

Thanks.

If you have a heat gun give it a try, takes a bit longer but you won’t blow dust as much as the touch.

 

[daveomak]

Light the dust from the bottom of the maze or tube... Get the SS hot and it will burn....

Put a little alcohol on the dust and light it...

I use a small butane torch......

 

[hoity toit]

Richie, morning... I just had a friend deliver "cob" from tractor supply... I'm looking forward to smoking some belly with it... Let us know how grinding the cob works... I'd like cooler, less smoke, longer cold smokes to try on my bacon.... Trying to achieve "long ago" smoking techniques...

low slow and cool is my go to method.

 

[Watson]

Good to hear... The wife didn't have any objections to putting them in the oven ?? Does it smoke/smell the house up when drying ??

Surprisingly understanding. But she is invested in the bacon I make and will tolerate quite a bit as I make it.

I'll do it while she is gone next time though. :)

How high do you guys fill the tray with the dust? To the top? Halfway?

 

[normanaj]

I'm mystified by this soaking and drying method.I dump a load of dry pellets into a blender and have all the dust I want in a few seconds and can make it as fine or coarse as I need it.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I'm mystified by this soaking and drying method.I dump a load of dry pellets into a blender and have all the dust I want in a few seconds and can make it as fine or coarse as I need it.

Same here.

If I want a coarse dust, I just run it in the blender with short bursts and make the dust as course or as fine as I want.

 

[daveomak]

I'm mystified by this soaking and drying method.I dump a load of dry pellets into a blender and have all the dust I want in a few seconds and can make it as fine or coarse as I need it.

As mystified as you may be, do you find the dust an improvement to your smoking arsenal ??

Same here.

If I want a coarse dust, I just run it in the blender with short bursts and make the dust as course or as fine as I want.

Do you like having "dust" to smoke you food with ??

 

[philinnm]

Anyone know if Todd over at Amazen is OK. I've emailed twice about buying some dust, but haven't heard anything back.... Thanks!

 

[JckDanls 07]

Rumor has it that he (Todd) sold the business...