Homemade BGE Cold Smoker Unit (in the style of MacGyver)

HendersonTRKing · September 2016

Eureka! The jumbo mailbox/dryer vent contraption actually works! Do I need USPS approval? USDA? USPTO??

Used Ruhlman's recipe for the salmon -- it's delicious. Not quite like the nova lox I crave, but a respectable first effort. The almonds are nice, too. The mozzarella and cheddar need a few days in the fridge to mellow.

Many pix to upload. Prob out of order, but here they are for posterity.

BrueggeDad · September 2016

Now that is different. Nice engineering!

Canugghead · September 2016

Neat! just wondering why you connect the hose to the top vent instead of bottom? I'm thinking it's easier for smoke to rise than sink.

DMW · September 2016

Canugghead said:

Neat! just wondering why you connect the hose to the top vent instead of bottom?

I *think* the mailbox is on the receiving end of the smoke, not the sending.

Canugghead · September 2016

@DMW thanks for pointing that out, I looked again closely and see foil only in the mailbox. Apology to OP. Guess I'm conditioned to seeing smaller egg sending smoke to larger egg too many times

FWIW, two mailboxes only would work, so would mailbox+shoebox

HendersonTRKing · September 2016

Egg is the firebox/smoke generator. Mailbox receives the cold smoke. Using two 10 x 18 baking racks (upper and lower) for the food to sit on. It's a keeper for this very novice engineer!

Jstroke · September 2016

That is Yankee Ingenuity at it's finest--Well played my good sir. The grub looks mighty fine.

GrateEggspectations · September 2016

For some reason, I imagine myself yelling "special delivery" when completing the cook and then having a dog show up randomly and start yapping at me.

Raymont · September 2016

Love the tinkering... but got to ask.. why this build vs. buy the Amazing smoker for ~$30?

bgebrent · September 2016

Nice work man!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · September 2016

I am printing this and putting it on my fridge. Every time my wife tells me "I have a problem" I'm just going to point to this pic.

I have made a living at home and at work of pointing to others as a distraction from my own issues

The Cen-Tex Smoker · September 2016

and btw- a $30 Amaze N Smoker will do the same thing inside your egg with no nosy neighbors whispering about your meth lab setup, and no federal punishment for defacing a mail box

. If you have a way to cook on multiple levels you can do a ton a fish at a time

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/5y/brfmplfrwi2y.jpg

fishlessman · September 2016

for the salmon get one of these

start it at the 2 minute mark. it catches the salmon and sends it directly to your smoker box

https://youtu.be/VsoxAKPj4PA

HendersonTRKing · September 2016

Raymont said:

Love the tinkering... but got to ask.. why this build vs. buy the Amazing smoker for ~$30?

I had considered the A-mazing Smoker and came pretty close to getting one a bunch of times over the past few years, but I just couldn't pull the trigger. At the end of the day, and for a variety of reasons, I blew it off . . . seemed too easy and I didn't think it would be terribly satisfying or very much fun. Also, I didn't really want to use those pellets instead of actual fruit wood and lump.

That left me kind of paralyzed wanting to cold smoke things but not being able to do it while I puzzled and puzzled about building something that would work. I had a bunch of rejected ideas, but not worth going into them. The mailbox idea just kind hit me as I was wandering around Home Depot trying to find some inspiration.

As to the price comparison, I'll borrow a theme from that old mastercard commercial:

Mailbox: $34.00
Dryer Vent and Assorted Parts: $20.00
Satisfaction of Building a Mailbox Cold Smoker (and the Look on SWMBO's Face When I Fired it Up): PRICELESS

My dear wife has gently and repeatedly suggested "that thing isn't going to live on the patio, is it??" so I've cleared a spot in the garage when it's not in use -- it comes apart easily and is very portable. Maybe not so portable as an A-Mazing Smoker, but portable wasn't the #1 goal.

Anyway, my family and friends and office have been enjoying lox and bagels for the past couple days. I've got a bit of work to do on "subtlety" of the smoke, but that's just tweaking the cook. And I'm finally going to do bacon, which I just didn't want to do hot. And b/c there's multiple levels inside the mailbox, I can do a bunch of stuff at once. If anyone has a bright idea for how I get that flag to pop up when the food is done, I'm all ears.

So there it is. Thanks for looking and appreciation (if any) for doing things the hard way.

Logger · September 2016

Heck of an idea. You might want to consider the cheese getting a few weeks or even months to mellow. I kept mine in the garage fridge for 8 months.

JustineCaseyFeldown · September 2016

i have always suggested a simple cardboard box for the smoke chamber, FWIW. there's no heat at that end (to worry about). drops the price to the cost of the aluminum vent.

if you have a large BGE, the 3" (smaller) mylar 'foil' vent will fit into the top vent (chimney)

basically a mashup of Appledog's (Julie's, IIRC) BGE firebox and vent set up, and Alton Brown's cold smoke chamber

DaveRichardson · September 2016

Gives an all new meaning to "Mail Call". I could see setting up multiple mailboxes using the simple T's.

Jstroke · September 2016

Personally I 100% agree with your decision making process. I get immense satisfaction from watching her face when some hair brained idea of mine works.

nolaegghead · September 2016

Looks good. You probably want the mailbox higher than the egg as smoke rises.

morrobayrich · September 2016

Now THAT is innovative!!

JustineCaseyFeldown · September 2016

nolaegghead said:

Looks good. You probably want the mailbox higher than the egg as smoke rises

It'll work. as long as the smoke is coming out the end you can lower it

i start my small BGE, draft is going. Jam the dryer vent into the top vent, excess scrunched up accordion style. The smoke comes out the end of the dryer vent. Drop it down and jam it in the bottom vent of the large BGE, which is lower.

Traditional Russian stoves operate with a flue that goes up and down four or five times before heading out. As long as you have a draft the smoke will go wherever

Toxarch · September 2016

So what temp does the egg run at for cold smoking? And do you mix lump and wood?

HendersonTRKing · September 2016

Toxarch said:

So what temp does the egg run at for cold smoking? And do you mix lump and wood?

I'm no expert, but Ruhlman called for 54 degrees for the salmon. Really? 54? Not 55 or 58?

Science says stuff starts to cook at 90. Knowing that, and knowing that the salmon was "cooked" by the cure, I was comfortable in the 70 degree range. Because the mailbox is black and the sun was beating down on it, keeping temp low was a challenge. I took used our outdoor table umbrella to block the sun -- more great looks from SWMBO, who said all we were missing was a pick-up on concrete blocks to complete the redesign of our yard. But she tends to exaggerate a bit.

And, @nolaegghead no prob with the level of the box -- plenty of smoke (too much?) running through the 8 feet of vent to the mailbox. I used a full KAB of lump mixed with 9-10 chunks of cherry and apple wood, plus some apple chips for good measure. WAY too much. Next time out, I'll cut all of that in half and see what happens.

JustineCaseyFeldown · September 2016

Toxarch said:

So what temp does the egg run at for cold smoking? And do you mix lump and wood?

you are generating smoke in the BGE. use charcoal for fuel per usual, add chips/chunks/twigs as needed.

run it at a temp that produces the smoke you want. i use 300 in my small.

the hose radiates all the heat from the smoke on its way to the smoke box.

my hose lays on the ground, brick, which possibly sucks more heat. i usually find the hose filled with condensate too.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/9v/5l8jli8ldv6e.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/dl/pfhpudk3o50x.jpg

if i need it colder, i run at 250, and/or stretch out the hose along the ground a bit more.

using the BGE as the smoke box allows you open it and stir the coals, add wood, etc. The flow of the smoke will continue after you shut the dome

i use the large for the smoke box not because you need to (there's no fire danger), but because it is handy, already smells like smoke,etc. But you could use a cardboard box, a wooden base cabinet, etc.

Ladeback69 · September 2016

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

Toxarch said:

So what temp does the egg run at for cold smoking? And do you mix lump and wood?

you are generating smoke in the BGE. use charcoal for fuel per usual, add chips/chunks/twigs as needed.

run it at a temp that produces the smoke you want. i use 300 in my small.

the hose radiates all the heat from the smoke on its way to the smoke box.

my hose lays on the ground, brick, which possibly sucks more heat. i usually find the hose filled with condensate too.

if i need it colder, i run at 250, and/or stretch out the hose along the ground a bit more.

using the BGE as the smoke box allows you open it and stir the coals, add wood, etc. The flow of the smoke will continue after you shut the dome

i use the large for the smoke box not because you need to (there's no fire danger), but because it is handy, already smells like smoke,etc. But you could use a cardboard box, a wooden base cabinet, etc.

I have been thinking of doing this with my Kahuna that I have. It doesn't get used much anymore since I a little portable gas grill for cooking during the week. I think I will try smoking some cheese first and then maybe some bacon after that. Not sure when I will get around to doing it though.

Here is the Kahuna. It is about the same size as the Mini, but takes about as long to get to temp as my XL. Uses less charcoal though.

nolaegghead · September 2016

I have also noticed generous amounts of condensate in the duct. If you make the duct rise above the smoke source, you can get the condensate to fall back into the smoke source - almost like a reflux in distillation. The amount of smoke can be controlled with the bottom vent.

Texas.Eggineer · September 2016

I used the soldering iron in a tin can method. Cheap and easy, just like me.

Homemade BGE Cold Smoker Unit (in the style of MacGyver)

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