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Cold smoking

I'm experimenting with cold smoking tonight. I used the "new soldering iron in a tin can" trick to smoke some apple wood chips. It worked all right. Perhaps a little too well. It's really smoking, as in a very steady stream of smoke coming out of the top (no daisy wheel)... Can there be too much smoke for cold smoking? I'm monitoring the internal temp, which is around 80....

Comments

  • I just picked up a product called the Amaze-N Cold Smoke Generator. The one I picked up burns pellets or dust. I am going to cold smoke cheese tonight or tomorrow, I can let you know how it goes if you want.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Looks like fun!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,458
    edited December 2012
    I use soldering iron with chips in can all the time.  Once you get a good stream of smoke you can unplug and replug every so often at 5 to 10 minute intervals; I figure it'll save the wear and tear on the iron, also helps to minimise the need to replenish wood chips and keep the temp low.

    Beware that it'll taste like 'tobacco' if you try it right away.  I wrap them in cling film for two weeks to mellow before vacuum sealing.  If you give them out for Christmas, attach a "best After" date warning label
    :))

    By the way, gorgeous table you got there!
    canuckland
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Yeah, nice table! 

    Depending on what you're cold smoking - keep in mind it probably needs to be cured or cooked (one or the other or both) as the temps are in the sweet spot for bacteria.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,458
    good point nola, should have clarified I am strictly talking cheese.  for salmon I smoke with leftover lump to keep temp low but higher than 140.
    canuckland
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I cold smoked about 3 pounds of salmon and 5 or 6 steelhead last night.  I cured them first.  Came out great.  I'll shoot some pics.  Ate some for lunch today and I'm still alive - good sign.  If I live until morning, I'm slicing and packing the stuff up for christmas gifts.

    Need to try cheese...cheese is a preservation in itself.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Great - thanks so much guys.  And appreciate the comments on the table - just finished it up.   I tried smoked cheese tonight, but I just did it for practice.  I'm curing some salmon right now that ultimately I want to have ready for Christmas.   The cheese tasted horrible (it smelled like an old campfire), but after reading eggheadforum I think i've figured a few things out

    1) cheese takes a while to mellow out, so the bad smell may not be reflective of how it ultimately tastes
    2) The can held tomatoes and may have had a coating inside.  It's probably burned off now
    3) I drilled far too many holes in the can, effectively making a small chimney starter.   The apple wood chips burned out in 35 minutes.  
    4) I put the cheese on immediately after the first smoke.  According to nakedwhiz, I need to let the first smoke burn off before adding any food.

    I'll try again tomorrow with a new can and some more cheese.  Hopefully I'll have better luck with the salmon.  Any insights are welcome.  Thanks again...

    Steve
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,458
    great observations ... my two cents:
    1) agree
    2) I use can with paper label that peels off easily and no teflon-like coating inside
    3) agree, unplugging the iron at regular intervals also helps
    4) no sure about this one, I put my cheese on before the first smoke!

    speaking of salmon, my better half brought home four full sides of salmon today for smoking!
    canuckland
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited December 2012

    Similar to BBQ, smoke taste is personal.  Two things to consider, amount of smoke and color of smoke.  In general, cold smoking is done for longer intervals requiring a lighter, thinner, blue smoke.  Judging by your pic, it appears white and thick. 

    This video is a reference.  When running the ProQ, I can barely see smoke exiting the egg.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7j11-buJ8E

    For cheese using this setup, I cold smoked for two hours.  Great flavor, not too overpowering.

    If the soldering iron method continues to give you this heavier smoke, try a "dry" run plugging and unplugging, although it seems like alot of work to me.  Some have used a combination of briquettes and wood chips with success.  These little cold smoke generators are only $33....no cord and plugging/unplugging.  The deciding factor when I looked at the options of setups.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."