From my reading, it appears that the ideal temp for cold smoking should be around 80F. This question would take into consideration the following configuration; an OBS with PID. To my understanding, the smoker is plugged into the PID which in turn controls the time and temp. If the smoke generator needs heat to get the puck smoking, how can you get down to temps at 80F?. I was reading that the smoke generator alone produces about 124F. Is my logic right or wrong? I'm supposing the PID would not allow the smoker chamber itself to be turned on... only the smoke generator.
So if I wanted to smoke mahi mahi, how would I keep the temps low enough using the OBS and PID? And is 80F a good temp to smoke fish?
The PID that I have does not control the smoke generator; it controls the tower. When doing a cold smoke, I do not use the PID. I simply plug the Smoke generator into the outlet and pull any plugs connected to the tower. I monitor the tower temp with the Maverick and will open the door if needed to release some heat. If using a cold smoke setup, heat will not be a problem.
Haven't smoked Mahi Mahi but if you go to the Fish section, you can see how Kummok's Salmon is prepared and go from there.
SD
See:
http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm
for a good cold smoke set up which should allow smoking at a couple of degrees above ambient. Cold smoking should be < 80F ideally, certainly <90F.
Placing ice in a water bowl in the smoking cabinet may also help if you have a job keeping the temp down. :)
Quote from: manxman on December 31, 2008, 08:19:06 AM
See:
http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm
for a good cold smoke set up which should allow smoking at a couple of degrees above ambient. Cold smoking should be < 80F ideally, certainly <90F.
Placing ice in a water bowl in the smoking cabinet may also help if you have a job keeping the temp down. :)
I had seen that link earlier but was confused about what to do with the PID. Have you see this?
http://www.yardandpool.com/Bradley-Smoker-Cold-Smoke-Adapter-p6106.html
I'm thinking about ordering it as soon as I get my smoker and try it out a few times. I live in Orlando, FL and good fish is abundant. So I plan on doing a lot of cold smoking for the fish. My new OBS is scheduled for delivery this Saturday... yeehaw! Can't wait to be done with my Weber Bullet... although it has served me well.
PID is for heat and for cold smoke, you will leave the heat off.
If you are in real cold conditions and you want to maintain a cabinet temperature of around 80°F, then use the cold smoke set up and plug the cabinet (not the generator) into the PID. Set the PID for 80°F. I have a temperature control device and use that type of setup when I want to maintain cold smoke temperatures that are higher then the ambient temperature. Depending on how old your OBS is you may need to swap the short cord with a desktop computer power cord.
PS.
Other wise just leave the cabinet unplugged, and don't use the PID.
i don't know how much help this will be as i have only tried it a couple of times while smoking cheese.
first let me say that i like a very lite smoke on my cheese so it doesn't stay in for long. only about 15 min. over cherry.
the ambient temp was only around 50 degrees, but i still took a small cookie sheet and placed it in the rack above my
cheese, then filled it with ice, i didn't use the heater in the smoker nor did i use a cold smoke set up.
my thought was that cold air falls, even if it did get a little warm this would help.
i don't know how this would work with a longer cold smoke as the condensation from the rack above could become an issue.
please be gentle remember i am a rookie.
p.s. i used a bubba puck on edge to keep the door open just a little and a coors light to keep the wind from blowing the door open
farther......i would post a pic but i am not sure how.
So that's what Coors Light is used for? ;) ;D
Just kidding ya. :)
Quote from: smokinrookie on December 31, 2008, 05:31:58 PM
i would post a pic but i am not sure how.
SR,
Here are the directions for posting pics
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11
Deb
pens,
it's for keepin' out the werewolfs..of course.
i think the photo gods are angry.
i tried photo bucket but for whatever reason i cannot get it right.
If you can be more specific, we might be able to help out to get you going.
Quote from: smokinrookie on January 02, 2009, 03:28:08 PM
i think the photo gods are angry.
i tried photo bucket but for whatever reason i cannot get it right.
Here's a couple of links that may help you out:
How do I add pictures to my posts? (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11)
How Large Should Images Be For Posting? (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=823&postcount=37)
All -
I'm in Minnesota. As you can imagine it's cold this time of year. What is the logic behind keeping the cabinet at 80-90F when cold smoking?
I haven't done a cold smoke yet and am looking to understand more about its process vs. hot smoking.
I ask because I was thinking about trying a steaks - I'd like to smoke it without cooking it whatsoever, then throw it on the grill.
Howdy Beyond!
When cold smoking, my object is to keep the temp as low as possible. I use the 80-90F mark as the mark I don't want to go over. In cold smoking, my object is to introduce some smoke to the food......not begin the cooking process. The lower I can get the temp in the box, the better.
For doing steaks, put the smoke on the steaks (I do about 1:40 TO 2 hours when I do steaks). I then vac seal (or wrap tightly in plastic wrap) the steaks and let them rest in the refer overnight. The smoke will really travel throughout the meat while resting.
It does raise an interesting question. Generally, the 140F mark is the point where it's believed that smoke adhesion stops on meats. Some may debate this. However, is there a low point (in temp) where the meat will not accept smoke? I've always wondered if there was a low point (thus a temperature range) in doing a cold smoke.
Perhaps, Professor Habs will see this post and clue me in ;D I would assume if anyone on here would know, it would be him.
Anyways, my cold smokes have always ranged in the 60-80F range as I don't currently use the clod-smoke set up. I will soon however!
SD
SD is right, you don't want the temps to get to high. I never try to cols smoke if my ambients to high. Two methods to cold smoke one is by using the classic off-set smoke generator in a box trick (Search for it on the recipe site, i think its posted there also) and other approach is to just use the smoke generator to smolder the pucks and not use the cabinet heater to heat the cabinet. The issue here is again ambients. The smoke generator will still generate a good amount of heat in the cabinet so the steak will begin to warm up. But if your ambients are not high, not much. You can add ice in the pan and add a layer of use in there also (under the steak but leaving paths for smoke to get to the steaks (or you will have backup of smoke the wrong way).
Now as for duration and timing. I love to smoke my NY Strips, T-Bone and Porterhouse then finish on the Grill. How I do it is simple. I use the regular setup and add ice when the smoker is in the 30 to 50 degree range. Then I add 1 hour to 1:20 and if its cold enough 1:40 of misquete then let it go. No warm up no setting the meat out early. As cold as I can go.
Once smoke is done, I take out and go to searing ready grill. And sear it both sides and test. The Steaks are norming done in 5 minutes and come out perfect every time. Pink inside and juicy as can be and nicely flavored. If I cook it to long on the grill it losses some smoke.
Putting in a bag would work also I guess, but I am not usually that patient.
There is a point at which if the surface it too cold smoke will not penetrate, so the colder you go the less penetration there is, but I believe you will still obtain smoke adhesion. I try not to go below 50°F.
As far as the 140°F goes, that pertains to smoke penetration, when the surface of the meat obtains that temperature, it becomes too hot for the necessary chemical reactions to take place. Smoke adhesion will continue as long as you apply smoke. As the surface gets hotter, the ability for smoke to adhere lessens.
WAHOO!
i think i finally got it.
here is the smoked cheese set up i used.
i did not remove the smoke generator cause it was cool enough
outdoors to beat the heat.(http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/smokerpics/forumpics001.jpg)
(http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/smokerpics/forumpics002.jpg)
(http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/smokerpics/forumpics003.jpg)
the happy fella at the bottom is the ever illusive cheese hound!
The cheese looks great SR!... and your assistant looks good too! ;)
Mike
Beyondclarity
QuoteWhat is the logic behind keeping the cabinet at 80-90F when cold smoking?
I don't think it's so important to keep the temp between 80--90 when doing meat, but it definitely is if you're doing cold smoked fish. If you are doing salmon, anything above 90 and you start to cook the fish, which will give you a different product than the smoked lox you are trying for with the cold smoked process.
Smokinrookie--you must get some "shrinkage with an assistant like that gurading the smoker! :D
T2
T2,
i do have a major shrinkage problem with the cheese and my jerky..
wonder what the common denominator could be?? :D :D :D
i haven't tried to cold smoke fish yet but have done some ribeyes and hot dogs
man what a difference.
i did the meats when it was about 25 degrees and didn't have to use any special set up.
just kept the door cracked and the meat up high and near the back of the box, vent wide open.
Tried the pan of ice method this weekend when I cold smoked a pork loin, it worked great. Took the drip pan out and let the smoke go at it, temp inside of the box remained around 80 as our air temp was rising quickly here in Washington, but the meat stayed cold. Good tip thank you.