NEED HELP -COLD SMOKING

[smokin pop-pop]

Hello all,
So I have been cold smoking bacon for some time now using BEARS guidelines for curing , then I use my A MAZE IN tube smoker in the bottom of my masterbuilt electric WITHOUT PLUGING IN OR TURNING ON . But the problem is I have always done this during winter months when I have more time. So last Monday ( MEMORIAL DAY ), I smoked a pork belly I ordered from the local butcher. First let me say I'm not sure why but they trimmed off the fat cap on it and I never do that, ok no big deal I can live with it . but I never COLD SMOKED in 80 degree weather before and it got pretty hot in that smoker !! I checked the meat one time and it was around 116 I.T. we just sliced it all and my wife fried some up for a snack while we freezer packed it . IT IS HORRIBLE !! So all that being said how can I cold smoke in the summer and still have the bacon everyone I know begs me for in the winter. I know I can do a mailbox mod but I don't think that will be enough to keep the temp low enough for a TRUE cold smoke. Thanks in advance for any help given .

 

[HalfSmoked]

Try smoking for short periods of time instead all at once. Maybe crack the door open some on the smoker. Just my $.02

Warren

 

[chef jimmyj]

Frozen 1 or 2 Liter bottles of Water. Line a rack above and below your Slab of Bacon. The temp should hold below 70°F. Consider getting an AMNPS Maze and Wood Dust to smoke with. It burns much cooler than pellets...JJ

 

[Cj7851]

I filled a couple of the disposable foil pans with water and froze them used that in smoker and it kept temp down pretty good.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Thanks for the like smokin pop-pop it is greatly appreciated.

Warren

 

[Braz]

We just made bacon and wife pronounced it the best yet. I followed Disco's method of cold smoking one day and warm smoking the next day (180F smoker temp, to 120F I/T). I don't think your I/T of 116F is responsible for yours being "horrible." Not sure what about yours you didn't like but I'd suspect the lack of fat cap may have been the culprit.
Go ahead and build a mailbox mod with a decent length of ducting between the mailbox and the smoker. It will help cool the smoke as it travels through the tube. The bottled ice suggestion above is a good one for hot days. And of course keep your smoker in the shade if at all possible.

 

[daveomak]

Stop using the AMNTS with pellets...... It generates a LOT of heat...
I use the AMNPS with dust made from pellets in my MB mod... It raises my MES smoker temp 0-5F...

Making dust from pellets...

Mr T told me he makes dust all the time for some of his smoking needs.. He ground the pellets in a food processor or something.. I tried it and it seemed a little tough on the machine.. Pellets are HARD !!!.. So I threw them in warm HOT water.. in about 4 minutes they were falling apart... I...

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