P10 Cold Smoke Test

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Manxman;

I did a dry run, and will do more or running the smoker with just the smoke cycle on. I did this test without ice or ice packs. I wanted to see how much higher over the ambient temperature it would go. The ambient temperature was 74°F, no sun or wind, and vent adjuster removed. After about 90 minutes the temperature stabilized at 136°F. So that is 62°F higher than the ambient temperature. I'm not sure if the results will be the same at higher or lower temperatures.

PS
My doctor also says he has never heard of Coronacosis, and to stop the self-diagnosing.  :D

[manxman]

Interesting information Habs and as you say it would be very useful to know the differences at a range of ambient temperatures and if the temperature differences are linear?

Whether the addition of ice would be enough to satisfy cold smoking requirements to me is a mute point, I suspect the P10 will struggle as a cold smoker but from your other comments it has a great potential as a hot smoker particularly in a professional setting.

I was talking to a Consultant doctor in our medical division yesterday, he thought Coronacosis is an appropriate term but not sure if he is ready to formally diagnose anyone with it yet!  :) ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm planning to do more tests, once the overnight lows drops at least below 60°F.

,,,,
I was talking to a Consultant doctor in our medical division yesterday, he thought Coronacosis is an appropriate term but not sure if he is ready to formally diagnose anyone with it yet!  :) ;)

That's good to hear. I'm going to continue to self-diagnose, and make my doctor aware of this second opinion.  ;D

[gizy-CA]

Can someone elaborate about ....using a dry ice in P10 in the process of Cold Smoke .... to cool off the smoker chamber. I dont have any clue about just an idea. I am assuming that there will be no moist (dry ice) and it may last longer then ordinary ice cubes .

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm not sure how well it would work. The carbon dioxide may impede smoldering or may suffocate the bisquettes.

Most don't use ice cubes. We will freeze water in containers, so you have a block of ice that will melt more slowly than ice cubes. Plastic food storage containers work well for this. I generally will use cooler ice packs. I will place them in sealable bags to keep them clean and protect them from smoke.

[manxman]

Interesting thought gizy-CA. As Habs says the CO2 produced as the dry ice sublimates could influence how the pucks burn by affecting O2 levels?

Just another couple of thoughts? To my mind the best cold smoking range is between 10-26C (50-80F), ideally around 24-26C / 75-80F. Above 26C /80F there is the obvious danger of compromisIng food safety but conversely below 10C/50F cold smoking times need extending because smoke uptake isn't as good. This in itself would be manageable with dry ice as long as the temperature wasn't pushed too low where food freezing could become a problem particularly with delicate items like fish which would affect the smoking process? Dry ice temperature is around -79C/-110F.

Other issues could be excess condensation not from the dry ice itself but from the temperature difference between the cabinet and ambient depending on humidity? Ventilation or lack could also be a potential issue, if the cabinet wasn't well ventilated (e.g vent not open sufficiently?) would the build up of CO2 be enough to cause a dry ice "bomb" effect and blow the door open?  ::)

Feel free to shoot these thoughts down!? If dry ice could be used I would suggest you wouldn't need much and perhaps that is the twenty thousand dollar question :) Another experiment for you Habs? ::) ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

Don't give me too many ideas! ;D

If I could get it I would probably give it a try, but there are not that many places for me to get dry ice, where I live. The nearest place is about 60 miles away. I definitely have a cold test with blocks of ice down on the schedule. In the manual, Bradley states to place the ice on the top rack, but on the website they recommend placing the ice on the bottom tray.

Though I've found that when using ice in my old Bradley, it would interfere with the draft, with this smoker I don't believe that will be an issue. Though I haven't figured out how the draft works in this smoker, it gets a good draft. There is little air space where the bisquette dispenser slides in, and that is housed inside a enclosed area.  Except for a few slots in the bottom of the smoker, which is completely covered over by the drip tray, I can't find another vents.

On another note; I've done three smoke/cooks with this smoker. All three I've used less smoke time, and all three times the smoke flavor was stronger than I would have gotten from my old Bradley. I've used my standard pecan, and have used the Chile-Cumin bisquettes. Those two bisquette 100w burners burn the bisquettes more completely.