Build your own cold smoker

[Brewbob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=YRyD60OerLA
Check this out. It's 15mins long, but you'll probably get the jist after 5mins.
Very basically, two cardboard boxes, a length of tumble-dryer hose to connect them, a small electric hob in one, a fan attached to the hose in the other to suck the smoke through, and hey-presto you have a rudimentary cold smoker. I just happened to everything at hand so I knocked one together this afternoon, checked it with an incense stick and it works a treat. Next step - Kippers

 

[graysalchemy]

I like the idea of that :hmm: :hmm:

I believe you can make them out of fridges and filing cabinets for something a bit more permanent.

 

[Brewbob]

Yeah, if this works, and I don't see why it wouldn't, I might look at beefing it up a bit. I'm getting a Weber kettle BBQ next week from eBay, so I'll be trying hot smoking too...

 

[alawlor66430]

Looks good for fish, I wander what smoked rabbit and pigeon pie would be like.

 

[Brewbob]

Smoked Mars bar?

 

[graysalchemy]

Would you deep fat fry them first :lol: :lol:

 

[alawlor66430]

You ever tried one? They're yummy lol, seriously!!

 

[graysalchemy]

I find mars bars too sweet and rich these days let alone putting them in batter :lol: :lol:

 

[alawlor66430]

I've not had one for years but it's sickly towards the last bite, melted chocolate and caramel are brilliant though.

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes melted mars bars would be nice I remember making mars bar cake once. Not a big fan of batter though unless its on a fish :lol: :lol:

 

[alawlor66430]

There's a chippy in Dunfermline that used to batter any chocolate bar for you but they stopped because I think they had to run a separate fryer for it or something like that.

 

[Brewbob]

Anyhoo...Back to smoking, there is at last a use for Teachers Whisky, soaking oak chips for smoking with :clap:

 

[alawlor66430]

teachers is nice in coffee so I've been told, or maybe I just misunderstood my maths teacher when he told me it was teachers whiskey in the filling cabinet lol

 

[alawlor66430]

Smoked goats cheese would be nice, how long would you smoke a lump for?

 

[Brewbob]

I've been looking at recipes, apple smoked cheddar for example, try not to get the heat above 40c or it will melt, a block of cheese about 300g about 4hrs.
I'm just going to experiment this summer and see how it goes

 

[alawlor66430]

I love all these wee hobbies I take up, I'm a hobby junky now lol, and this seems like it will fit in just nice!! I've tried hot smoking trout in a smoker I built but I don't know where I went wrong cos the fish just ended up nasty tasting, I think it was a dud bag of dust, I could have sworn there was specs of plastic through it but the guy assured me there wasn't.

 

[Brewbob]

I'm getting the same Adam (I think its coz I've just hit 40), I've always been into food and drink, and its much more interesting, and normally tasty, if you do it yourself, and I try to get my little girl involved, she thinks my box invention (smoker) rocks.

I think as most things buy the best you can from reputable vendors, I've been looking on eBay for wood chips and realised I could could be buying any old dust covered in creosote and such, so until I find a good woodsman down this way I'll buy the best I can so I know what I'm buying, plus I don't know how long these chips will last, its all just experimenting.

I've been reading a bit about the differences between hot and cold smoking, one guy says DON'T COLD SMOKE!!! You'll get parasites and botulism and such, but then again Scandinavians have been doing it for centuries, some say don't let the temp get above say 25c or your food will start cooking and won't get the desired cure, but hey ho I've tried many things in my life, and those I liked I tried them twice, so I'm not going to stop now!

I can get an adaptor to turn my Weber BBQ into a pizza oven!

 

[Brewbob]

Hey Musher....check this out..... Is this for real?? £10 for the whole kit and caboodle inc delivery from Texas???

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pizza-Ove...=Barbecues_Grills_Smokers&hash=item3a80e063ae

 

[musher]

Brewbob

That's only the plans isn't it?

 

[Brewbob]

Oh yeah...

I was thinking I could build it in my front garden and have a communal street pizza oven