smoking bacon... COLD OR HOT SMOKE?

[SonnyE]

Ouch

Ed,
Our Daughter told me I needed a Traeger after my Baby Back fire that, effectively, ruined the ribs for the Grand Daughters 4th birthday party. :oops::(
And believe me, all pellet poopers were in the running for a new smoker. I even called a local store about a GMG, and they had them in stock. The baby one, the Davy Crockett. Take it along in the RV. ;)
All fell away due to temperature constraints. Pellet poopers all have a higher low temperature range.
I needed to be able to cold smoke. And my preference was to use pellets.

I finally decided on a MES, then gutted it after one use, to make it work my way. Mod, AMNPS, and a stack to help it draw right at low temperature smoking. Then I added a way to bypass the controls and make it controllable with an external temperature controller for <100° temperature control.
Smoking salmon at 200° is not my idea of smoking.

When I got my Bradley puck pusher (~15 years ago), my intention was to use it as an add on to my gas barby. Couldn't.
So I grafted it into the side of my nearly unused Brinkman UDS. And it worked ok for a long time as a drum smoker.
But it was a PITA to load and unload.
Then Bradley decided to over price their pucks. Which was more push to look to pellets.

So my transition brought me to a full range smoker. From Ambient up to 275° if I ever need that end. Cold smoking, warm smoking, and hot smoking.
If it is any consolation, I will be reconsidering a pellet pooper when I replace my gas pipe burner. But the nature of the beast is I felt they couldn't satisfy my cold smoking wants.

 

[Ed Crain]

No harm lol yeah I’ve run into this since getting the Yoder I had never cold smoked anything till I got on here and have started doing some but true lowest I can go is 150 gonna do some of bears dried beef by cold smoking then putting it on at 150

 

[SonnyE]

No harm lol yeah I’ve run into this since getting the Yoder I had never cold smoked anything till I got on here and have started doing some but true lowest I can go is 150 gonna do some of bears dried beef by cold smoking then putting it on at 150

There is always the AMNTS, or AMNPS, inside a cold pellet grill for cold end smoking. ;)
Might consider that accessory.:)

 

[Ed Crain]

Yeah actually that’s what I put into the Yoder the computer fan I’ve got is to try and move the smoke a little bit so it doesn’t stagnate but I haven’t had a problem so don’t know if i need it or not

 

[SonnyE]

Yeah actually that’s what I put into the Yoder the computer fan I’ve got is to try and move the smoke a little bit so it doesn’t stagnate but I haven’t had a problem so don’t know if i need it or not

Martha sez, "If it works, don't fix it." ;)

 

[parrot-head]

Probably so pellet smoker's don't get confused. :p
Cold smoking has a ceiling where it becomes a warm smoking, and warm smoking has a ceiling were becomes hot smoking.
Some things I like to "cold smoke" are Almonds, Cheeses, and some fish. Also seasonings, SPOG and Cyan pepper.
Imagine what happens to a cube of butter at 120 degrees. :confused: Where at 40-60, it can be smoked and still resemble a cube. ;)
Since I live in a hotter climate, I will typically do my "cold" smoking at night to start off with as low an ambient temperature as possible.

Hope that helps.

Right I get that, but why not just cold smoke bacon at whatever the ambient temperature is like when smoking cheese instead of shooting for say 100 degrees ? I don't understand the point

 

[Bearcarver]

Right I get that, but why not just cold smoke bacon at whatever the ambient temperature is like when smoking cheese instead of shooting for say 100 degrees ? I don't understand the point

Exactly:
Some people think you have to cold smoke below 100°, some say below 80°, some say below 70°.
In my opinion cold smoking is below 100°, and as long as it's not so low that it will freeze, that's fine in my book.

As for Cheese you just have to keep it low enough that the cheese won't melt.

When it comes to Belly Bacon, I keep my Smoker between 100° and 130°, and I can get the same color & flavor as I can get with cold smoking, except I can get it in less than half the time using the 100° to 130° temps.

When I smoke CB & BBB, i use those same Temps to get it good & smoky, then I jack up the heat to finish them at above 145° Internal Temp, so I can eat it cold or just heat it a little before eating, and not have to worry about getting it to 145° before eating it, because it was already smoked to 145°

So try all ways, but you're right in my opinion---Don't worry about what cold temps you're using except don't melt your cheese.

BTW: Here's how I do my Bacon (With Temps):
Bacon (Extra Smoky)


Hope this helps,
Bear

 

[pushok2018]

Always cold smoked by bacon before - under 90F. Last weekend tried to hot smoke it increasing temp by 15 degress until IM temperature reached 147. Absolutely delicious - slice thin and eat it as a cold cut....

 

[tallbm]

Always cold smoked by bacon before - under 90F. Last weekend tried to hot smoke it increasing temp by 15 degress until IM temperature reached 147. Absolutely delicious - slice thin and eat it as a cold cut....

I take mine to 145F IT so I can eat as well. I eat 95% of the bacon I make that way rather than frying it hahahaha!

 

[lav25]

Wow, should have read this thread a long time ago. I just did a 5lb or so block that had been ziplock "dry cured" for a week and change with cold smoke (ambient air temp 48F, a block of sawdust made for smoking in the bottom of the MES 30) for only about three hours, which is how I've done it in the past and had no complaints, now I've got another 5lbs in for my first hot smoke (175f, aiming for an internal temp of 150f before I pull it). I've never done anything that would run days, the smoke wood blocks I use run for 2-3 hours, which would mean getting up every three hours to light a new one and put it in. I've heard very good things about the AMNPS, but I live in Japan, and the shipping on the fuel is prohibitive ($16 in shipping for two pounds of pellets), so that's not really an option for me.

Maybe next time when I have more days off.

 

[rexster314]

Do you have some type of store like Home Depot or Lowe's? That's where I get my pellets.

 

[lav25]

Do you have some type of store like Home Depot or Lowe's? That's where I get my pellets.

Nope, but we do have "Smoke Wood" blocks of compressed sawdust for smokers.

Works fine, it's just the time issue, 2-3 hours per block.

 

[tallbm]

Nope, but we do have "Smoke Wood" blocks of compressed sawdust for smokers.

Works fine, it's just the time issue, 2-3 hours per block.

Hi there and welcome!

I think you are in luck buddy. With wood pellets you can pour some water on them and they swell up and when they dry they break apart into dust at the touch.
I bet the same thing would work with those blocks.
The A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray works both pellets AND dust :D

I think you can easily turn those blocks into dust and burn away for 10+ hours using the AMNPS tray!
Feel free to experiment with one of those blocks and report back if you do. Best of luck!

 

[lav25]

Hi there and welcome!

I think you are in luck buddy. With wood pellets you can pour some water on them and they swell up and when they dry they break apart into dust at the touch.
I bet the same thing would work with those blocks.
The A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray works both pellets AND dust :D

I think you can easily turn those blocks into dust and burn away for 10+ hours using the AMNPS tray!
Feel free to experiment with one of those blocks and report back if you do. Best of luck!

I never thought of that. They crumble by hand, one of the problems is actually getting them out of the shrink wrap intact. I'll have to give that a shot. Not sure which generation my MES 30 is, but there aren't any support bars in the bottom. I can probably just provide some lift with balled up aluminum foil, one of my favorite cooking tools :)

Hmm, can't seem to upload an image. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot!

 

[Bearcarver]

I never thought of that. They crumble by hand, one of the problems is actually getting them out of the shrink wrap intact. I'll have to give that a shot. Not sure which generation my MES 30 is, but there aren't any support bars in the bottom. I can probably just provide some lift with balled up aluminum foil, one of my favorite cooking tools :)

Hmm, can't seem to upload an image. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot!

That MES Pic you Attached has the interior of the Generation #2.5.
The best place in that one I've found to put the AMNPS is on the right end of the bottom rack, just above the chip dumper.
Then you can pull the chip dumper out about 2" & rotate it 180° to allow more air flow to the AMNPS, then push it back in if it starts smoking too heavily.

Bear

 

[tallbm]

I never thought of that. They crumble by hand, one of the problems is actually getting them out of the shrink wrap intact. I'll have to give that a shot. Not sure which generation my MES 30 is, but there aren't any support bars in the bottom. I can probably just provide some lift with balled up aluminum foil, one of my favorite cooking tools :)

Hmm, can't seem to upload an image. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot!

I've worked with a few guys on here that have MES30's and did rewiring jobs or need some form of help and the common theme with the MES30 is that it seems finicky with the AMNPS tray inside where the MES40 seems to have much greater success with the AMNPS try inside.

THe MES 30 guys either use the AMNPS Tube (3 hour burn time) or they build a mailbox mod and use the AMNPS tray and all is right with the world. Feel free to try the tray in your MES30 but be prepared to build a mailbox mod if it doesn't work out that way :)

 

[lav25]

That MES Pic you Attached has the interior of the Generation #2.5.
The best place in that one I've found to put the AMNPS is on the right end of the bottom rack, just above the chip dumper.
Then you can pull the chip dumper out about 2" & rotate it 180° to allow more air flow to the AMNPS, then push it back in if it starts smoking too heavily.

Bear

Thanks Bear, good to know. I've been searching images and threads to try and sort things out, but having direct knowledgeable advice is best of all.

I've worked with a few guys on here that have MES30's and did rewiring jobs or need some form of help and the common theme with the MES30 is that it seems finicky with the AMNPS tray inside where the MES40 seems to have much greater success with the AMNPS try inside.

THe MES 30 guys either use the AMNPS Tube (3 hour burn time) or they build a mailbox mod and use the AMNPS tray and all is right with the world. Feel free to try the tray in your MES30 but be prepared to build a mailbox mod if it doesn't work out that way :)

Could you explain what you mean by "finicky" in this case? Difficulty maintaining smoke, or temperature control, or...? I'd like to get as much info as I can before I go in. I actually did buy myself a 6" tube the last time I was back in the States to test whether I could use it with the chips that are sold here in Japan, but I had trouble keeping them lit. Pellets aren't an option for me due to the high international shipping costs, will the tube work with dust? Should probably just test it for myself.

I should probaby add that the reason I'm so focused on smoke generators rather than simply using the installed unit it that, I suspect due to voltage issues, the built-in chip tray doesn't really generate smoke. Japan uses 100v wall current, not 120, but after some research I decided to take the plunge and buy the MES 30 anyway. I've got the digital unit, and it does power up, and make and maintain temperature (the temperature readout on the smoker matches the temperature indicated by my Maverick's probes to within a reasonable margin of error). However, it doesn't really get the chips going, they simply get toasted to a nice golden brown. My buddy in the states got a nearly identical MES-30, and when we were sorting that out, I noticed that it a) got to initial temperature much quicker than mine, which takes a while to preheat, and b) when I put unsoaked chips in the tray, they caught fire. Flames, billowing white smoke, poof, gone. That was an interesting day. I'm guessing that my coil doesn't get up to full strength due to the voltage difference, but the cost of a power converter here is more than I'm willing to spend right now, I'd rather fiddle with adaptations.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your help. Little pic of the my first hot-smoked bacon from last week:

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks Bear, good to know. I've been searching images and threads to try and sort things out, but having direct knowledgeable advice is best of all.

When it comes to MES units, just go to any one of my posts & click on "Bear's Step by Steps" at the bottom.
There are all kinds of MES Tips & a lot of How-tos, mostly on using your MES.

As for the Tube---It's not supposed to work with Dust.

As for the AMNPS, They aren't good at High Altitudes, but at Low Altitude, I've been using mine inside my MES units for 8 years, without a Mailbox, but as a last resort, you should be prepared to use one, just in case, like "tallbm" said.
I've used my AMNPS inside my MES30 Gen #1, my MES40 Gen #1, and my MES 40 Gen #2.5, without any problem, but I'm only at about 300' ASL.

Bear

[/QUOTE]

 

[tallbm]

Thanks Bear, good to know. I've been searching images and threads to try and sort things out, but having direct knowledgeable advice is best of all.



Could you explain what you mean by "finicky" in this case? Difficulty maintaining smoke, or temperature control, or...? I'd like to get as much info as I can before I go in. I actually did buy myself a 6" tube the last time I was back in the States to test whether I could use it with the chips that are sold here in Japan, but I had trouble keeping them lit. Pellets aren't an option for me due to the high international shipping costs, will the tube work with dust? Should probably just test it for myself.

I should probaby add that the reason I'm so focused on smoke generators rather than simply using the installed unit it that, I suspect due to voltage issues, the built-in chip tray doesn't really generate smoke. Japan uses 100v wall current, not 120, but after some research I decided to take the plunge and buy the MES 30 anyway. I've got the digital unit, and it does power up, and make and maintain temperature (the temperature readout on the smoker matches the temperature indicated by my Maverick's probes to within a reasonable margin of error). However, it doesn't really get the chips going, they simply get toasted to a nice golden brown. My buddy in the states got a nearly identical MES-30, and when we were sorting that out, I noticed that it a) got to initial temperature much quicker than mine, which takes a while to preheat, and b) when I put unsoaked chips in the tray, they caught fire. Flames, billowing white smoke, poof, gone. That was an interesting day. I'm guessing that my coil doesn't get up to full strength due to the voltage difference, but the cost of a power converter here is more than I'm willing to spend right now, I'd rather fiddle with adaptations.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your help. Little pic of the my first hot-smoked bacon from last week:

The AMNPS tray with the MES30 was finicky in ability to stay lit. The guys I helped out seemed to have issues but I cannot personally attest to having tried it in an MES30 because I've only ever had MES40's.

Bear should have you straightened out on where to put the AMNPS in your MES30 and also I have heard what he mentions that the tube burner is not suppose to work with dust.
Finally, he has the right idea. Give the tray a shot inside the MES but be fully prepared to build a mailbox mod should the AMNPS tray not work well in your MES30 situation.

Like with any setup you just gotta play with it, tweak, and get it to a point where you can rely on it and repeat the behavior. I think you can really rock and roll by breaking down those wood bricks and using the AMNPS tray. You just have to play around and see if you end up needing a mailbox mod or not. Once you have it figured out get ready to be in BBQ heaven!!! :)

 

[lav25]

My apologies for the thread derailment, to get back to the original topic, my newb 2 cents is that I did my first ever hot smoke of bacon and I don't really plan on going back to cold. I found that it got more smoke flavor in in the same amount of time, the bacon is easier to slice (I just have a kitchen knife), and the fat rendered out much better when cooking, leading to the sort of crispy bacon I expect from store-bought. Cold-smoked bacon tends to be a little chewy, at least when I've messed with it.