Need smoking advice.. How much white smoke?

[murphy625]

I built a gas fired oven made of stainless steel..  Its a bit larger than a phone booth (for those who remember what those are)..

Anyhow, I also built one of those little smoke generators..   Mine is a 6 inch diameter steel tube about 12 inches tall and has an air-compressor powered venturi at the top that creates low pressure inside and sucks in oxygen from some holes at the bottom.   I'm using Hickory wood chips that look like they were made with a chainsaw..  They're basically little chip shavings the size of the eraser on a pencil..

I can adjust the smoke output from a barely noticeable trickle to a heavy white cloud that looks like it could create it own lightening strikes..  

I smoked 30 lbs of bacon and a 20 lb ham but I don't think I got enough smoke flavor into them.   I had the unit set at a low rate and didn't run it continuously because I was afraid of ruining all that meat.

I figure too little is better than too much yes?

So now I have to run another batch.. this one will be around 100 lbs and I'm trying to get an idea of how much smoke I can inject into this thing without it leaving a creosote taste.

Are there any guidelines?

Thanks,

 

[chef jimmyj]

Thin Blue Smoke for a looong time. I go 12 hours cause I am lazy but 24+ is not unusual. White smoke is ok for 30-60 minutes on someting quick but you can't go wrong with TBS...JJ

 

[wade]

Hi Murphy. With a hot smoker as you describe, providing you maintain a good movement of smoke though the smoker throughout the cook you will be very unlikely to generate sufficient smoke to create an unpleasant creosote flavour. With regards to the smoke generator setting, you should just be able to detect the smoke as it is emerging from the flue of the smoker. Avoid billowing plumes of white smoke and avoid black smoke altogether. 

You mention that the hickory chips have been made by a chainsaw. Be careful if they have been as chainsaws usually leave an oily deposit on the dust/chops from the chain lubricant. This oil WILL taint your meat. To check, place a handful in a plastic bag and put in the microwave for about a minute. Open the bag and smell. If you can detect any taint of oil then do not use the chippings.

 

[GaryHibbert]

You mention that the hickory chips have been made by a chainsaw. Be careful if they have been as chainsaws usually leave an oily deposit on the dust/chops from the chain lubricant. This oil WILL taint your meat. To check, place a handful in a plastic bag and put in the microwave for about a minute. Open the bag and smell. If you can detect any taint of oil then do not use the chippings.

Thats a great idea Wade. Never would have thought to try that.

POINTS

Gary

 

[murphy625]

 
Hi Murphy. With a hot smoker as you describe, providing you maintain a good movement of smoke though the smoker throughout the cook you will be very unlikely to generate sufficient smoke to create an unpleasant creosote flavour. With regards to the smoke generator setting, you should just be able to detect the smoke as it is emerging from the flue of the smoker. Avoid billowing plumes of white smoke and avoid black smoke altogether. 

You mention that the hickory chips have been made by a chainsaw. Be careful if they have been as chainsaws usually leave an oily deposit on the dust/chops from the chain lubricant. This oil WILL taint your meat. To check, place a handful in a plastic bag and put in the microwave for about a minute. Open the bag and smell. If you can detect any taint of oil then do not use the chippings.

Hi Wade,

Thanks for the advice..    The hickory chips were NOT made by a chainsaw.. but they look like they were.. I just wanted to include that description so you folks would know I'm not using big wood blocks or fine saw dust.    My chips were purchased in a 50 lb bag from a butcher supply store.

Thanks for the info on the smoke generator too..   Lets see if this next run goes better..