EggNerd's "Salt Smoke" Experiment

eggnerd · June 2006

Well ... at 2am this morning I decided to start my first attempt at creating "Smoked Salt". Obviously smoked salt is an attempt to bring a smokey flavor to other food items.[p]I've learned a few things from the experience that I thought I'd share here:[p]Since I started this effort in the middle of the night my pictures do not start until 6am or about 4 hours into the smoke.[p]I started by presoaking 3 pounds of hickory chips until they were saturated. Looking for three things in this: <1> Need the smoke itself for flavor - <2> Need the moisture given off by the chips as a carrier to help bond the smoke to the salt, and > Need the moderator of the wetness to help expand the timeframe that the chips will give off smoke.[p]After getting the lump going I put about 2.5 pounds of the soaked chips directly on the lump. (The lump was almost completely covered by chips.) Then I inserted a placesetter and a water pan with about an inch of water in it then I put the last 1/2 pound of hickory chips in the water pan.[p]This setup immediately started giving off billowing clouds of thick smoke. Had it been daylight I might have had indians (or firefighters) for miles around collecting in my backyard![p]I then stacked three trays in the smoker that were seperated using the lift-grids you find in toaster ovens. This provided a couple of inches of seperation between them for air circulation.[p]I filled two of the trays with Kosher Salt and one with Sea Salt, all to a depth of about 3/16th's of an inch. Then I shut the lid and went back to bed.[p]At 6am (4 hours in) the smoke had died down significantly, but was still robust:
[p]I opened up the lid and noticed that the salt at started to take a carmel brown coloration, so I removed each tray and stired the salt to mix it and reveal the uncolored salt deeper in the trays.[p]I did notice that in the top tray a few drops of water (about 6) had dripped into the tray from the Daisy where the steam had condensed. Each of these drops left dark spots in the salt, but since it also welded those crystals together they were easy to lift out and discard. My egg is relatively new, but if your dome is well covered in crustys, you might want to rig up a top shield over your salt from such stuff. (A top "Cover Tray" would easily do the trick.)[p]I decided to give it another four hours and will recheck it at lunch today..So after stiring the salt and putting it back in, I shot a few more pics. This pic shows how the "toaster oven" grids were used for tray seperation:
[p]
Here you can see thay my bottom "Tray" was something I made from Aluminium foil. I only had 12 inch diameter "store bought" trays but couldn't bring myself to waste that space - so I made the bottom tray larger (About 16 inches in diameter):

You can also see that the sea salt (top tray) is of a finer granularity than the Kosher salt (lower two trays). Despite this, my read so far is that the Kosher salt is better absorbing the smoke - not sure why. This picture best shows the color change observed in the salt itself.[p]I intend to give it another 4 hours (for 8 hours total) before taking the salt off, then do a blind taste test on my coworkers in order to determine which of the two salts (if either) people prefer.[p]All in all, this is an easy project and thus far the results look promissing...[p]EggNerd

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Unknown · June 2006

EggNerd,[p] Thank-you for the excellent descriptions and pics. Time and temp are the obvious variables so I will be following your later posts to get your impressions. Interesting to note your comments about stirring and seeing the kosher salt not yet turned brownish. The CarolinesRub Hickory Salt I purchased has a definite brownish cast to it. Your tip on condensation from the upper damper will help me avoid that issue.[p]Thanks and please keep updating your process. [p]Tom B (EggSport)

Smokey · June 2006

EggNerd,[p]Very cool!, Thanks for your hard work (posting pics etc.). Have you tries smoking parika? I suspect the same setup would work. I recrived a package of Smoked Spanish Paprika from Penzeys Spices. [p][p]Their description is:[p]Rich, colorful Spanish Paprika, naturally smoked over traditional oak fires. Awesome flavor and perfect color, good on just about everything. Sprinkle on chicken and fish before cooking, add to sauces, soups and salad dressings.[p]Good stuff.

Tony · June 2006

EggNerd,[p]Damn EggNerd, I can understand being addicted to your egg, but, you are either possesed by demon spirits or you are an alien from another planet. [p]btw: You could save me lots of impossible explaining to my wife and family if you would just send me a small bottle of your "salt smoke" (I'll gladly $). They would never understand if they saw me smoking salt on the bge [p]

Smokey · June 2006

Tiger Tony,[p]You too? You and I seem to have the same problem!![p]Smokey

AlaskanC · June 2006

EggNerd,[p]I love the pics & documentation![p]I've been making alder smoked sea salt since I've gotten my egg - it takes a lot longer to do it than I originally thought!
Now I need to make a mass production setup like yours.
Hmmmm......
no. gotta finish tiling the kitchen.....aaaghhh....egg withdrawls...

eggnerd · June 2006

OK, here's where we are on the Smoked Salt just shy of 12 hours into it:[p]When I last checked it (about an hour ago) it was continuing to take on a progressively more prevalent carmel color, I again stirred the trays and again decided to let it continue smoking.. Added 24 ounces of water to the, now dry, water pan and stirred the lump and chips to energize the smoke.[p]So far the keys appear to be <1> Sufficient moisture to catalyze the smoking process and <2> Time.[p]Since the melting point of table salt is 1474*F, I think that temerature is pretty much irrelevant. Ergo I'm holding a nice 225 just for the smoke production.[p]Looking forward to organizing some taste tests and will report those results back when I have them.[p]EggNerd

eggnerd · June 2006

Hi Mel:[p]I'm currently 12 hours in and feel I've got at least another 4-8 hours more. How long did it take you for yours?[p]Phil

eggnerd · June 2006

Smokey,[p]I have not tried Paprika. I figured I'd start with salt as that's likely to the the hardest to infuse flavor into. After that the rest should be a breeze.[p]Looking forward to making my own Smoked Chipolte!!![p]EggNerd

AlaskanC · June 2006

EggNerd,[p]The way I did mine was to put the salt (in a tinfoil pan) on the egg after I was done cooking food. I would just throw a couple of alder sticks on the coal and then shut it down. It took probably 4 "after cooks" before it started changing color and seemed smokey.
I really want to get the salt dark brown/ heavily smoked, but I haven't gotten there yet.
I was thinking about putting the salt on a screen type contraption so that the smoke could really get to it.[p]buuutttt I gotta finish tiling the kitchen first or my husband is going to shoot me. I'm already getting the "looks" for being on my computer! lol

Tony · June 2006

EggNerd,[p]"Looking forward to organizing some taste tests"[p]Hey! Count me in on the taste test. I consider myself some what of an expert in that field

eggnerd · July 2006

>>>you are either possesed by demon spirits or you are an alien from another planet.[p]It's Alien, but don't tell anyone else - this will be our little secret.[p]Regarding the wife factor - My wife got used to just shaking her head at my weird schemes years ago. Once you get them get properly conditioned it's not a problem. (Of course, she would say the same thing!)[p]EggNerd

EggNerd's "Salt Smoke" Experiment

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