New 4 Rack digital. Do I need a PID?

Aether · November 28, 2009, 01:03:57 PM

Hi All:

Hello from the Central Leatherstocking region of New York State (Cooperstown, Baseball HOF). Have been lurking on the forums for about 6 months, absorbing as much knowledge as possible. Just got my 4 rack BDS. Pulled pork, ribs, etc. not going to be an issue (I used to do them in my Weber gas gril, Bradley will be SO much easier). I have used a friend's Bradley to do pulled pork and ribs, did not FTC but they turned out great anyway!

I definitely plan to smoke some homemade lox. I have a recipe that I use for "Southwestern Gravlax" that I plan to use as the base for the lox. Cure for 72 hours in the fridge and then cold smoke for 2 to 3 hours. Is the BDS accurate enough for cold smoking salmon (and cheese, and tuna, ad infinitum) or should I invest in the PID?

Thanks,
Aether

KevinG · November 28, 2009, 01:24:41 PM

Welcome to the forum Aether. I haven't done fish yet in mine (not a big fan of it), but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to help you out.

FLBentRider · November 28, 2009, 01:59:23 PM

W E L C O M E to the Forum Aether!

If the recipe calls for cold smoke you would not need a PID for that.

With ambient temps under 50F you should be able to cold smoke without a lot of changes to equipment, maybe just a tray of ice on the bottom rack.

Aether · November 28, 2009, 04:14:51 PM

Thanks Rider. Will not be able to try a cold smoke until the week of 12/6-12/13. Have a week long "bootcamp" at the CIA (Culinary Institute, not Central Intelligence) this week. Will definitely cure and cold smoke some salmon next week. I like the ice idea. Will let you know how it works out.

mikeradio · November 28, 2009, 08:51:11 PM

Welcome Aether

I love LOX, there is a great recipe for LOX by Spy Guy , I have made it a number of times. Let us know how yours turns out and share your recipe.

Mike

RAF128 · November 29, 2009, 05:09:06 AM

Gravlox....UMMMM :D. Good stuff. I have a recipe somewhere that I got off the net. Problems is finding salmon in the middle of cow country. When I do I make it. The recipe I have doesn't call for smoking but I tried it once in my OBS. I wanted cold smoke but it was too warm out and heat from the burner was too much. Now I've got a 6 rack BDS and a cold smoke adapter. A friend is going to bring me some salmon he caught on his annual west coast trip that it's going to happen ;)

Aether · November 29, 2009, 09:26:47 AM

I have read through Spy Guy's recipe for lox. Seems very much like a recipe I used to make when I was a commis in the kitchen of a Catskill Mtn. hotel in the late 1970s. We never smoked our lox, served it like pickled herring with onions and sour cream.

I like the cure on my gravlax: kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, fresh hot peppers (habaneros and serranos), green onions, cilantro, and dill (fresh or dried). The veggies are ground up in a food processor and I always add a little tequila for good measure. The salmon (always wild pacific or atlantic, no farm raised) cures for 72 hours and is awesome. I think that the addition of cold smoke for 2 to 3 hours will take this "over-the-top".

I will try the smoker with just the puck heater running to see what temps I get. I do not have a cold-smoke setup, so the smoke generator will remain attached to the tower (has anyone tried metallic dryer vent tubing to run the smoke from the generator to the tower?). I want to smoke between 70 and 80 degrees F. What kind of temps can I expect in the tower with just the puck heater running with the generator attached to the tower? Highs are forecast in the mid-to-upper 30s, if this info helps. Will I have to run the tower heater or will the puck heater be sufficient (or too much)?

Quarlow · November 29, 2009, 10:37:06 AM

Here is a post I did theother day it is so easy to do. I wish I could figure out how to link to a post but this will do.

Hey Roddyb in case you haven't seen this yet, here is a simple cold smoker you can make in about 30 mins with a few parts and a cardboard box.

Oh yeah the cat filter is optional. It is for very a sophisticated taste and the flavour difference is probably lost on most people.LOL
Just cut a 5"x4" square hole in the side of the box 4" up from the floor and a 4" round hole in the top at the opposit end of the box.

Then I used what's called a 4" fishlock collar from Homedepot and stuffed the collar up from the inside.

Then I got a 4" aluminum dryer vent hose

and slide it over the collar (You can just cut the hole and duct tape a piece of the plastic dryer hose to the box, this was just easier). Next slide another 4" fishlock collar into the other end of the vent pipe and the lock end into the smoke tower. You can also use some hose clamps to keep the collars from slipping, but they don't move much so your option.
Then I just put the box on the floor and slide the smoke gen. into the hole. I put my tower on the table outside and stick the dryer pipe into the SG opening.

Put a bowl of water in the box to catch the burnt pucks and put a bowl of ice in the bottom of the tower and there you go, cold smoker.

Aether · November 29, 2009, 10:57:34 AM

Quarlow:

Perfect! Thank you.

Quarlow · November 29, 2009, 11:07:39 AM

Hey no problem. The reason I used the fishlock collars is cause when I find the right parts I will use them to build a cold smoker and get rid of the cardboard box. Plus it made it real easy to connect the hose to the box and the smoker.

KyNola · November 29, 2009, 01:00:13 PM

Aether,
Quarlow's setup works well with the Original Bradley like he's running but with the digital you will have to make sure that the digital connector cable that connects the smoke generator will still reach the tower. Otherwise your smoke generator is not going to work. With the Bradley cold smoke adapter there is some sort of little doohickey that you plug into the back of the BDS smoke generator that makes it think the connector cable is still plugged in when it isn't. One of my more learned electronic colleagues will be along to tell you what the little doohickey is.

KyNola

ArnieM · November 29, 2009, 03:24:45 PM

Aether,

With current and upcoming temps in your region (and mine) I'd doubt if you'd need any other equipment - maybe a tray of ice. I've used the stock OBS to cold smoke when the temp was in the 50's and never got above about 85 in the cabinet. If you cold smoking in the 30s or 40s I'd say you're good to go.

KevinG · November 29, 2009, 05:26:28 PM

Quote from: KyNola on November 29, 2009, 01:00:13 PM
With the Bradley cold smoke adapter there is some sort of little doohickey that you plug into the back of the BDS smoke generator that makes it think the connector cable is still plugged in when it isn't. One of my more learned electronic colleagues will be along to tell you what the little doohickey is.

KyNola

The "official term" I got with mine was a Bypass Sensor Plug.

Hopefull Romantic · November 30, 2009, 01:03:05 AM

Hi there Aether and welcome to the forum,

I am with Ky on the sensor issue. The first time I tried cold smoking on my BDS6 with the Bradley cold smoke set up, I went nuts trying to figure out what was E1 fault was. You would need the sensor bypass plug, or if you could by a smilar wire as the sensor wire provided and splice the two together.

Good luck

HR

OU812 · December 03, 2009, 09:26:48 AM

Welcome to the fun Aether.

I have the DBS 6 rack and with the outside temp of 50 f or below never got the cabnet temp above 85 F with the outside temp below 40 F I have to turn on the cabnet heater to keep the temp up to 80 F. I dont have the cold smoke set up but have been thinking of making one out of some sheet metal I have laying around just so I can cold smoke in the summer temps.

Keep us posted on how your gravlax turns out and may maybe through the recipe out there if you dont mind.