Mad scientist with the smoker

[butchlambert]

Butch your welcome anytime. It'll take you about 7 hours to sneak over. Now if we get a house built in the mountains it'll take 45 minutes.

Waiting on you to get it done!

 

[KRP]

Picked up this Oklahoma Joe on Craigslist the other day for $60. I've got the same model in my tool container at work but it has never run as well as I thought it should, not like my old New Braunfels for sure, and wanted to experiment. Planned to just clean it up and drive it first... but a couple hours later it was reverse flow with some scrap from the shop. Had 15 pounds of brisket and 25 pounds of pork loin in brine already so it's maiden voyage was 15 pounds of pastrami. I need some time to learn to drive it but it works.

 

[Tommie]

After fish, the best thing to cold smoke is cheese.

 

[DiffEQ]

I've been wanting to make sausages for years. So after giving my wife a backpack sprayer for Christmas last year I decided she needed a sausage stuffer. Covid visited my daughters house over the holidays so we/I had a lot of free time. This is garlic pork with parmesan. I also made a lamb with rosemary and wine. Not bad for the first time. Might have to make some fresh pasta tonight. I won't mention how good and how easy home made bacon is.

Funny, my neighbor and I made hot link style sausage and smoked it the same night after the lox! I just threw some in the oven last night with onions and bells. Made a quick vinegrette with some EVOO, red wine vinegar, stone ground mustard, garlic powder, S&P. Coated sausage and veggies on a baking tray, in the oven at 400° for 15-20 minutes, flip/toss with just a touch more vinegrette, go another 15-20 minutes or until 160° internal temp.

Dang, we need a :drool: smiley in the "like" emoticon list.

 

[PhilC]

After fish, the best thing to cold smoke is cheese.

I agree, in fact, asked my wife to pick up an assortment of hard cheeses when she goes shopping today. Some like it fresh out of smoker, I like it better after it's aged and mellowed a week or more.

Smoked prime rib for Christmas dinner, first time too, nothing like stepping out on a limb. It was incredible Son and DIL just raved over it.

Tried several brine recipes when I first started with trout 10yrs ago. Ended up modifying a wet brine recipe which turned out far less hands on and final product always moist. Can't do enough to keep friends supplied. LOL. Vacuum sealed and frozen it keeps for a very long time.

 

[Tommie]

I agree, in fact, asked my wife to pick up an assortment of hard cheeses when she goes shopping today. Some like it fresh out of smoker, I like it better after it's aged and mellowed a week or more.

Smoked prime rib for Christmas dinner, first time too, nothing like stepping out on a limb. It was incredible Son and DIL just raved over it.

Tried several brine recipes when I first started with trout 10yrs ago. Ended up modifying a wet brine recipe which turned out far less hands on and final product always moist. Can't do enough to keep friends supplied. LOL. Vacuum sealed and frozen it keeps for a very long time.

Be sure to include provolone cheese.

 

[butchlambert]

I have lived in Alaska a couple times that add up to about 10yrs. I eat about anything, but the wife and I never acquired a taste for salmon. We have tried it prepared several ways. We will eat it, but not our favorite.
I had a friend send me a flat rate box of Alder from Alaska and it worked very well. Pecan and Hickory are our next most favorite smoking wood. Mesquite is good, but has a little too strong taste for me.

 

[DiffEQ]

I had a friend send me a flat rate box of Alder from Alaska and it worked very well

Tried smoking some rainbows & cutthroat with Aspen years ago. Only wood around us was lodgepole pine, sage and Aspen. Yuck. Made the mistake of thinking it was in the birch family....

 

[butchlambert]

Tried smoking some rainbows & cutthroat with Aspen years ago. Only wood around us was lodgepole pine, sage and Aspen. Yuck. Made the mistake of thinking it was in the birch family....

Surprising to me that some of my Alaska buds like Cottonwood for smoking. Never tried it as I hate Cottonwood trees.

 

[Fast14riot]

I use a lot of cherry for smoking. I mostly smoke birds so it goes well with it. Did a cherry smoked turkey for Thanksgiving, served cold and sliced thin. Also did two other turkeys roasted, so had plenty of choices.

 

[DiffEQ]

Surprising to me that some of my Alaska buds like Cottonwood for smoking. Never tried it as I hate Cottonwood trees.

Must be an acquired taste. I was used to apple & hickory, being from the midwest.

 

[Fast14riot]

One of my favorite "quick smokes" it to throw a whole chicken in there. No brine, not spatchcocked, just some evoo, seasonings (either "Italian mix" or a pelepele style rub) a quick injection of bourbon and butter, and in just about 2-3 hours its done. Ill typically throw some jalapeños directly on the coal bed for a bit, too.

 

[ihmsakiwi]

I just cheat and use my Traeger. Does really good low & slow smoking.

 

[PhilC]

Surprising to me that some of my Alaska buds like Cottonwood for smoking. Never tried it as I hate Cottonwood trees.

Saw that on a recent episode of Life Below Zero and my first thought was cottonwood, eww, but hey, if it's good why not.

For our Inland NW rainbow I use a blend of cherry/alder, it works and I can't keep results around.

 

[cdhbrad]

I use a Shirley Fabrication 24x36 model. Mainly smoke Pork, Beef, and Chicken with Oak. Haven't tried fish or cold smoking, but may have to give it a try.

 

[divingin]

Fab up a dang piece and see if it works? Thanks for sharing,not only for the brain jog but.... now am hungry.

Years ago, I built a 2'x2'x4' box out of 1/4" plywood, put some runners to hold trays or rods, and fed it from a 4" aluminum tube "burner" chamber connected with dryer duct. It runs for about 4 to 6 hours on a load of chunk wood, at about a degree or two over ambient. Worked pretty well for a proof of concept thing. Cold smoking is way different than normal hot smoking.

PhilC: For cheese, make sure you try some gouda.

 

[Cecil S.]

Smoked Salmon......mmmmmmmm

 

[geralton4]

That's a nice setup. I have similar plans using my 2 Big Green Eggs.

Cold smoking typically isn't a problem up here in the Great White North!

This was taken Sept. 2019.

Reference picture, April 2018, showing the MiniMaxx BGE was under there somewhere.

Your smoker reminds me of R2D2. good look.

 

[Fast14riot]

Got some havarti, gouda and more cured salmon for Lox on the cold smoker, plus a pork butt on the hot side. Hot side holding a steady 220 and cold side a steady 71! Today is gonna be a good day.

 

[Fast14riot]

Here is the lox we smoked yesterday. It came out incredible!