Well I started off O.K..

[kielbasa kid]

Opened the site; took a look-see.....spied "meat rakes" and bought them last night. Always used forks until Bear Paws but Bear Paws are awkward to use, slippery and the tines crimp in/on hot meat. So we're off to a good start (50 years later).

I'm on my 4th smoker and more than happy with a scaled-down (for me) Masterbuilt analog 30 that I've retrofitted. It's in my new space, standing on an old White Castle ss table (gotta love-em).

The room is insulated, on a cement slab and the alcove is steel sided for safety and has an exhaust fan. CD/Tape player and a chair for a guest.  Can't beat this with a stick!!!

As for sticks.....the tub is filled with apple/plum/cherry/pear shreadings, made from my orchard prunings that have been run through a chipper by a friend for me. We have alot of old roadside sugar maples and some oaks. When the town does tree work, I've follow their chipper with sacks but I prefer my fruitwood.

Now for some retrifitting. To allow for sausage hanging, I stand-up two of the grates alongside of the top grate and hold them in place with the hanging dowels. I originally used what came with the rig but quickly bought two extra grates.

 Another thing that needed doing, was the leaking door. I wanted to contain ALL of the heat and ALL of the smoke, so I stove cemented a very thin rope gasket around the door.

 Works like a charm!  Now smoke only comes out of the top-rear vent hole and if you can believe it............the socket where the analog plugs in. It's tighter than a clam now.

Now for my masterpiece. A smoke generator for cold smoking and hot smoking that lasts for many hours with one filling and turns the wood into charcoal and not ash. When you want to refill, you don't open the door. It is done from the outside. Neat!

Follow me with this: pressure cooker, rope gasket, colander, ELITE 803 aquarium pump (not smaller), assorted nipples and fittings and you are in business. Print the images and bring them to Wally-World while you pick through what you'll need. I could go into detail about what has to be removed, what has to be plugged and what has to be refitted but that would take the fun of discovery and creativity out of it for you. Look very closely. It's all there and actually, I can't remember details.:(

I made this to fit in the existing bottom drain hole in the smoker's base but you can rig it to side feed as I did with my previous smoker. The tuna can is a precaution to catch run-off that never comes anyway. You will have to poke the tube clear after a loooooong time because it does retain some creosote during the process. The sink feed tube has been cut to fit and slides up (from the outside) into the smoker, in order to slide out the cooker to refill the basket. Start the fire with some Sure-2-Burn fire starters from Home Depot or Wally-World.

n.b. the colander with it's rounded bottom, increases the surface with holes for air penetration.

You may not be able to communicate with me because the site has yet to be able to penetrate the cyber barrier to my e-mail box and I am on my way out to visit ANOTHER doctor. Don't get old!!!

Rich

 

[sqwib]

Very interesting, I love your setup, but what if you have 2 friends

 

[Dutch]

Nice Man area Rich and I like the idea of using extra racks to hold the smoking rods. Now I've been looking for a 'cold smoke' generator, but if I did that modification to Ma Dutch's pressure cooker, she would fold me seven different ways from Sunday and stuff me in the smallest smoker I have.  Looking like it's time to make a trip to the Thrift Stores.

BTW-Welcome to SMF-enjoy the smoke!

 

[alblancher]

Just curious.  The smoke generator turning the wood chips to charcoal and not ash concerns me.  I would think you are using all the bad stuff we don't want in our smoke.  You know that thick white stuff we try to burn off as quickly as possible.  You are retaining the good smoke in the charcoal and driving out the moisture and creosote oils by making the charcoal.

Maybe somebody can correct me on this but I thought that was one of the good things about charcoal,  all that garbage stuff is burned off and all you have left is nice clean, good tasting fuel?

Love the set up, I would replace the two chairs with the biggest, baddest strata-lounger you can find.  Maybe put an alarm clock to buzz when it is time to rearrange the meat! 

Al

BTW  welcome to the site, look foward to seeing more of your projects

 

[kielbasa kid]

SQWIB..Two friends??.  You're asking an awful lot for where I live.  The second chair is always folded and only opened here for show.

My only friend is Maeve and she has 4 legs, naps on the floor and is an 85 pound American Staffordshire Terrier Pit Bull that the Vet says is crossed with a Coon Hound.

She, along with my wife and I, had the Pulled Pork I did Saturday for Sunday's dinner. 

 

[kielbasa kid]

Dutch: Yard sale time is just around the corner. Stay off fleaBay. They want money. Now you have a mission.

 

[kielbasa kid]

Al: I'm trying to follow you?? 

I (we?) burn wood?  At least alot of us do.

The smoke comes from the wood and the control of oxygen (lack thereof) gives the end product; charcoal. A by-product.

Now I have read on another famous site, that electric will not give your product a smoke ring as LP and charcoal does. An answer to that, is to add a brick or two to the wood chips. 

I am left with charcoal as you can see. There isn't any ash as you would have with a charcoal fire. So does that mean that my charcoal isn't burning?  I do get a smoke ring.

All smoke is a carcinogen.

The flavour from our preferred woods, comes from creosote which is the end product of the moisture that has cooled. Some adheres to the meat, while some adheres to the box and some goes into the atmosphere. It's all un-good moisture, carried by smoke.  

There is no such thing as, "good smoke". Albeit charcoal, cigarette, wood, diesel, cigar or petrol.  It's all enough to gag a maggot.

Those who just smoke with wood that turns into an ash, are smoking with un-good garbage? 

Me?  I mix my charcoal from the previous session, into the chips of the present session.  Ignorance is bliss!

All smoke is un-good!  Regardless of the colour, we are dealing with poison. 

My doctor has me on 7 poisons, to keep me alive. They are all Rx.  I chuckle when I see joggers trying to stay extra health, trotting alongside of the busy road, sucking in all of the exhaust carbon monoxide.

If the right hand doesn't get you, the left one will.

Many ethnic groups have dominant cancers. With Poles it's stomach cancer because of the smoked foods we like to eat. So I eliminate the nitrates and nitrites and kill myself with the smoke. One out of three ain't to shabby of a deal to gain twenty more years and still pig-out on pig meat.

You raise an interesting question. It should be developed. Of course, we will continue to do what we  like doing, regardless of "facts".  Don't confuse me with the facts; My mind is made up.

I'm going to poison myself with chicken wings tomorrow.  :) 

 

[tyotrain]

 

[kielbasa kid]

TYOTRAIN: Thanks for the compliment. You put out some great looking products.

 

[alblancher]

Kielbasa Kid,

The point of my question is that I think you want that wood in your smoke generator to burn down to ash.    If you are producing charcoal in your smoke generator I don't think you are getting proper combustion.  Never used a watt burner so I am just going by what I have learned from my stick burning experience.

How about the big easy chair and alarm clock?

 

[kielbasa kid]

O.K. Al.....I just smoked chicken wings for dinner and I used the chip container that came with the Masterbuilt. I am left with charred sticks (charcoal?). Perhaps it is my fuel? Green fruit tree prunings with bark and all, are put through a garden shreader (not the kind used in the movie Fargo) ;)  They are then air dried in trays under the wood stove during the winter.   

That brings me to a safety point. With my pressure cooker, there isn't any fear of flare-ups, as when one might open the smoker door to check something and introduce a flow of air. POOF!

You I believe had mentioned "blue flame"?  When we burn wood, the blue flame indicates gas is burning.   

Tomorrow, I will gather all of my supposed charcoal bits and pieces, to see how they perform in the charcoal grill. 

Will they burn?  Will they be gaseous?  How many MPGs will I get out of doing a skirt steak?

On another note.....you have a point. I have a rocking chair up in my lumber loft. Not your "easy chair" but it will provide a modicum of exercise. Alarm clock? I don't own one; a wrist watch either or a TV, cell phone, SUV, ATV, etc.. and I don't drink beer. I smoke with it and steam with it. That's life off the fast lane of a dead end dirt country road. 

 

[raptor700]

Welcome to SMF Kid, Nice setup.

Can't wait to see some Qveiw from it.

 

[beer-b-q]

 

Welcome to SMF, Glad to have you with us.


This is the place to learn, lots of good info and helpful friendly Members.
 

Many of our members have years of experience in smoking meat.  They are more than happy helping Newbies learn the art.
 

We have members who cure there own Bacon, Hams, Jerky, Snack Sticks, Make Their own Sausage, etc. if you want to learn,
this is the place. 
 

Don't be afraid to ask questions of them and follow their advice. You won't be sorry, you will be making great Q in no time at all...

Just remember, when curing your own meats follow the instructions included with the cure to the letter, this is not something to experiment with.  


Never use more cure no mater if it is Tender Quick or Cure #1 or Cure #2 than the manufacturer says to use, this can be very dangerous.
 

Tender Quick and Cure#1 or Cure #2 are not interchangeable, neither Cure #1 interchangeable with Cure #2 or vise versa
 

Tips For New Members.

1. Go into your profile and Under Location put where you are.
2. City & State or Area & State will do. This will help members when answering your questions.
3. Go to ROLL CALL thread and tell us a little about Yourself (A Name We Can Call You) and Experience & Equipment.
4. Do Not Post  your other questions and smokes in the Roll Call Forum.
5. Post your questions and smokes in the Proper Forum, Beef, Pork, Sausage, Electric Smoker, Charcoal Smoker etc.
6. Use the Wiki Section, many of our members have posted great tutorials and instructional threads so take advantage of them.
7. When you can't find an answer ask plenty of questions, we have some highly experienced members willing to help you.
8. When posting about your smokes be sure to post plenty of Qview (Pictures) Our Moto, "No Pics, Didn't Happen".
9. Get a good Probe Thermometer, Don't Depend on the Built in Thermometer in your Smoker (They are notorious for being off).
10. A good choice for a remote dual probe thermometer is the Maverick ET-732
11. Remember, We Always Cook by Temperature and NOT BY TIME...
12. Sign up for Jeff's 5-Day eCourse.  Click Here
13. Don't Take Chances, Always Follow USDA Safety Guidelines When Handling Meat.
14. 
    If you are wanting to get into curing meat, there are many members here more than happy to help and give good advice.
15. 
    If you are unsure of a procedure ASK, don't ASSUME, It will make your Smoking experience much more pleasant...

 

[SmokinAl]

Welcome to SMF, nice man cave!

 

[kielbasa kid]

Beer-B-Q: Interesting!  I didn't realize that about "cures".  I stay away from them altogether. I majored in analytical chemistry. Your post was/is wise and informative. Thanks!

Rich

 

[kielbasa kid]

Nice fish Al. "Man Cave" is right. I never gave it a thought. It is; isn't it?  My wife stays out of it. She would rather be fishing in our pond.

 

[realtorterry]

Welcome aboard KK! Glad you found us.

 

[africanmeat]

Welcome to SMF Good to have you here