Home Brewed Pucks

Dalby Spook · November 26, 2006, 09:04:31 AM

Hi folks

thought you may be interested in my puck making experiments. After a lot of trial and error I've hit on a fairly authentic and reapeatable system.

Basic product is oak shavings/dust which I put through my wifes smoothie maker ( !!!) till I get the right particle size. Takes a couple of minutes to get half a bucket full.

For the hardware I bought a 1/2 ton arbour press off ebay for 20 pounds . For the mould I use 48mm internal dia. stainless tube about 35mm long. For the dye a thick flat washer slightly smaller.
I dampen the wood a little with cup of water mixed with 2 teaspoons of white flour. Pack loosely into the tube
, put the tube under the ram, washer on top and SQUEEZE. I use a 2 foot extension tube on the bar to get some extra leverage.

Press the puck out with your thumbs against the washer and hey presto! home made puck. Takes around 30 secs to make one.

One problem I encountered is that they swell making them too thick so I make about 30 or so, sandwich them between two thick baking trays or what have you and put a heavy weight on top. Then bake in the oven for 1/2 hour.
It takes a fair bit of experimentation to get the thing to fit the BS , cycle correctly and burn for 20 mins but hey! its just a bit of fun.

I don't know about other woods but damp oak stains your hands a very fetching purple that is very hard to scrub off !!

MY puck is on the left.

manxman · November 26, 2006, 10:08:25 AM

Hey DS, sounds like you are perfecting it nicely! Do you plan on making all your own pucks?

Quotemy wifes smoothie maker

Mmmmm ....I suspect you will be buying them in again when she finds out!! Banana and oak flavoured smoothie...... yuk!! On second thoughts I'll keep an eye out for the your press and BS on ebay, when they appear we will know she has twigged!! :D :D :D :D :D

Dalby Spook · November 26, 2006, 10:39:36 AM

Hi Manx

Yeah, I just can't get my head around the price of pucks over here. 40 quid inc. p&p for 120? Nah!
I"ll make my own. I've enough oak to last me literally years.

As for my darling, long suffering wife, I think she will be won over by the oak smoked pheasant. Thats despite completely filling the house full of smoke when the wind changed the other day and blew all the smoke back into the garage for several hours while we were out. Certainly made the dogs eyes water!

This is my new hunting companion this season, "Finn"

bubbagump · November 26, 2006, 12:26:09 PM

That is one beautiful dog!!.....nice job on the pucks also.

Bubbagump

manxman · November 27, 2006, 01:26:11 AM

Wow, that is one beautiful dog! How old?

Dalby Spook · November 27, 2006, 05:01:04 AM

Thanks for that guys. He's just short of a year old. Very quiet and soft for a working springer. A dream to train. Almost ready to go. A bit more polish and we'll be out at christmas
He's a replacement for my older dog who's now permanently lame after breaking a leg last season.

manxman · November 27, 2006, 05:45:49 AM

Been trying to recognise where the picture was taken with no luck? Initially thought Port Soderick but not so sure now.

Where abouts on the island do you live, can't remember if I have asked already and forgot? :-[

Next time I go to the US I plan on bringing a suitcase full of pucks back with me, just hope the exchange rate continues to be as favourable as it is at the moment! ;)

The price of the pucks is silly over here but I have got quite a good bartering system going with a couple of people so some things like calig, mackerel and cheese I smoke in large quantities and barter/swap which helps offset the costs.

It is great to have an understanding partner is'nt it, makes a big difference. ;D

Kummok · November 27, 2006, 09:22:22 AM

I hope that you're already marketing the advantages of "high fiber" smoothies to you wife, Spook! ;) ;D

Finn is a beaut!! My wife asked me if there will be dogs in heaven and I told her that it IS indeed the presence of dogs that will identify that we've made it to the right place......if she sees cats though, she's in deep kimchee!! ;) ;D ;D

The puckmaker sounds like good therapy....I'm glad that pucks aren't soooooo danged expensive up here....I already have enough projects, er, ah, make that "therapy sessions" to last me three lifetimes! :o I noticed that you used flour as a binder.....I don't know how that might "adjust" the smoke flavor, (opps....I meant "flavour" ;) ;D), but my first thought was the foul smell of burnt toast ??? ??? Have you experimented with any kind of gelatin mix? Don't know if that would make a difference, but I'm just wondering about a binder that wouldn't produce acrid smoke?!?!? Just a random thought from another inventor?!?!?

Dalby Spook · November 27, 2006, 10:20:45 AM

Hi guys,

Manx, I live in Onchan and the pic was taken at the top end of Molly Quirks glen, just above Whitebridge. You fish out of Port St Mary.
Are you a southside "spaniard"? By the way, if you want any game give me a shout and I,ll get you a brace.

Kummock, I think there is so little flour involved it does'nt seem to alter the flavour. I hav'nt had chance to do a control test against Bradley pucks. Now the weather has gone cold here I'll try with gelatine again. Darling wife hit the roof when the first batch fell to pieces in the fridge. Boys and their toys!!!

icerat4 · November 27, 2006, 11:42:48 AM

Very VERY nice looking dog.O and the puck looks good too. ;D

manxman · November 27, 2006, 02:15:20 PM

QuoteManx, I live in Onchan and the pic was taken at the top end of Molly Quirks glen, just above Whitebridge. You fish out of Port St Mary.Are you a southside "spaniard"? By the way, if you want any game give me a shout and I,ll get you a brace.

Yes, Port St Mary born and bred although spent 10-12 years living in Onchan as it was handy for the hospital where I work plus I played a lot of sport at that time, but living in Kirk Michael at the moment. Plan on a move back to PSM at some stage as my boat is moored/stored down there.

Would love a brace if you have any going spare, if you fancy trying some smoked calig I will do you a swap. ;)

Kummok · November 27, 2006, 03:24:54 PM

ManX/Spook.....Can't speak for the other colonists on the forum, but I LOVE "listening" to your "English-speak"....I'm learning all kinds of new words/phrases! Adding a little culture to my little "hamlet-by-the-sea" up here;) ;D

Dang, Spook.....yer mangling the blender, the reefer, and the oven with this "puck therapy". Your wife must REALLY love you....I'd be sleeping with my Newfy by now if I tried that! ;) ;) ;D :o

manxman · November 28, 2006, 01:41:33 AM

Code Select

Dang, Spook.....yer mangling the blender, the reefer, and the oven with this "puck therapy". Your wife must REALLY love you....I'd be sleeping with my Newfy by now if I tried that!

Hahaha.......... yes I agree Kummock! Not many of us would get away with that and I thought I had an understanding partner!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

QuoteManX/Spook.....Can't speak for the other colonists on the forum, but I LOVE "listening" to your "English-speak"....I'm learning all kinds of new words/phrases! Adding a little culture to my little "hamlet-by-the-sea" up here;)

It's exactly the same in reverse, I really enjoy the cosmopolitan nature of the forum with the similarities and differences between the people here..... great. ;D

A bit of the Manx language well worth remembering is "traa dy liooar", it means "time enough" and not only is it official Government policy over here ( ;) ) it also represents how many Manx people view life! ;D ;D

Dalby Spook · November 28, 2006, 07:22:11 AM

Guys, I'll give you a snapshot of the mechanics of my marriage over the last 22 years:

Wife: " sterilisation seems a lot more involved than a vasectomy, don't you agree?
Translation: "If you really want that 1000cc Suzuki, ring the doctors."

Wife; "I see they have loaded your life insurance by 25% since you bought that bike"
Translation; " Get rid of that noisy deathtrap and We,ll consider a new boat"

Finally,

"How on earth are we going to afford Heathers university fees this year?"

Means: Farewell, boat. Hellow Bradley smoker and Rickenbacker guitar.

So i guess we understand each other perfectly!!

Kummok · November 28, 2006, 12:17:57 PM

Quote.....A bit of the Manx language well worth remembering is "traa dy liooar", it means "time enough" and not only is it official Government policy over here ( ;) ) it also represents how many Manx people view life! ;D ;D

I like "traa dy liooar"....it's the same meaning to me as "TJ time" and represents the view of those waaaaay smarter about life than am I. Biblically, it's the "Mary" of the "Mary and Martha" team....a great place to be in your view of life on Earth! ;)

Now in return, here's a native Alaskan word, a VERY important word up here..... "T'a" ......it is what the Tlingets call the King Salmon and as far as I'm concerned it is where the food cycle begins and ends....all the other good things to eat fall somewhere in between... ;) ;) ;)