DIY Smoker...

[octpora]

Yeah, just drink the brewski first

 

[sciencemike]

It depends on how hot the Aluminum will get. I know aluminum vapors are really bad for your brain, and even some people have linked them to Alzheimer's. So if you have a lot of heat in an aluminum can dont eat or breathe the fumes. If its pretty cool then you are ok.

 

[Pastor]

I think if you raised the fire from the bottom of the barrel with a steel grate it should be OK. For hot smoking with a remote fire it will need to get quite hot in there so I would tend to say better off with a steel vessel. It would be fine for cold smoking though as there isn't a lot of heat in the fire.

For a cold smoke source this might interest you sausagemaking.org :: View topic - Easy to Make Cold Smoke Generator a smoker made from an empty can of beans rofl If you fancy a go, try and find a wood carver who uses an Arbortech, the chips are perfect for the job and free

 

[Pav]

Useful link. The cold smoke generator looks like a nice compact way to cold smoke.

I was having a chat to a wood turner today who I work with. We got on to discussing which woods are safe to smoke with? Are some not toxic? I would be interested in a list of safe timbers that can be used to smoke .

 

[Pastor]

I've used mostly Oak, Walnut and Alder with good results. I worked for a year many years ago in a smoke house as you know and we used Oak exclusively there. Here's a list that I grabbed from some website or other a couple of years ago, aimed at Americans but it has many European woods in it:

Reference guide for Woods used to Smoke Food

ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. Is a very hot burning wood.

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

Other internet sources report that wood from the following trees is suitable for smoking: AVOCADO, BAY, CARROTWOOD, KIAWE, MADRONE, MANZANITA, GUAVA, OLIVE, BEECH, BUTTERNUT, FIG, GUM, CHESTNUT, HACKBERRY, PIMIENTO, PERSIMMON, and WILLOW. The ornamental varieties of fruit trees (i.e. pear, cherry, apple, etc.) are also suitable for smoking.

Types of wood that is unsuitable or even poisonous when used for grilling. Don't use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, etc.

There are many trees and shrubs in this world that contain chemicals toxic to humans--toxins that can even survive the burning process. Remember, you are going to eat the meat that you grill and the smoke particles and chemicals from the wood and what may be on or in the wood are going to get on and in the meat. Use only wood for grilling that you are sure of.

If you have some wood and do not know what it is, DO NOT USE IT FOR GRILLING FOOD. Burn it in your fireplace but not your smoker.

Also ELM and EUCALYPTUS wood is unsuitable for smoking, as is the wood from SASSAFRAS, SYCAMORE and LIQUID AMBER trees.

Here are some more woods that you should not to use for smoking:

Never use lumber scraps, either new or used. First, you cannot know for sure what kind of wood it is; second, the wood may have been chemically treated; third, you have no idea where the wood may have been or how it was used. For all you know, that free oak planking could have been used in a sewage treatment plant.

Never use any wood that has been painted or stained. Paint and stains can impart a bitter taste to the meat and old paint often contains lead.
Do not use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically treated.

Never use wood from old pallets. Many pallets are treated with chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the pallet may have been used to carry chemicals or poison.

Avoid old wood that is covered with mold and fungus that can impart a bad taste to your meat.

 

[foxfish]

I have experimented with various hardwoods & in my opinion Oak is the way to go.
Several times I have wasted good fish & meat that has turned out acrid, no need to bother with other woods, Oak works very well.
Interestingly the Japanese have a high rate of stomach cancer which has been associated with smoked eel but I believe the wood used for smoking is a softwood?

 

[Pastor]

I would agree with that, while you can achieve subtle differences in flavour with different woods or combinations it is bloody easy to flamingo up. Oak is a safe bet, it burns well gives good smoke and is very easy to get hold of. I haven't smoked anything since we have moved to Wales but I think I want to make a new smoker. I hope to buy a new boat this year so might even buy that rod as well rofl Well smoked Mackerel is the dogs ....

 

[foxfish]

I new it I new it rofl

 

[Pastor]

Does that mean I will have to start smoking rollies rofl

 

[foxfish]

Pastor can I take this opportunity (in public) & ask why are you not coming for our fishin (our being loads of db members who want you to be there) (here) I am confused but you know what I mean?

 

[Pastor]

Simple answer I'm afraid. Having been through the education system again for the last n years and followed by unemployment I am as about broke as it is possible to be. The good news is that today I landed a job as project manager for a large factory control system project (software design and install) :friday

 

[Spaniard]

Congrats on the job...:friday Now we need to wet its head....rofl

 

[Pastor]

Glass in hand mate, cheers Even Sara phoned me up from Dubai

 

[foxfish]

Not much of an excuse dude Spaniard hasn't worked for years!! Besides Guernsey must be be about the most affluent place for a guy with a degree to a earn shed full of money, seems like it could be a career trip of a life time?

 

[Spaniard]

Not much of an excuse dude Spaniard hasn't worked for years!! Besides Guernsey must be be about the most affluent place for a guy with a degree to a earn shed full of money, seems like it could be a career trip of a life time?

Ha, ha, he's right though.....Mind you the only thing I paid for the whole time there was a couple of Rocquettes...............

 

[Pastor]

Don't think I qualify as an island dweller, OK Anglesey is an island but there is a bridge to get off. Besides I would miss Snowdonia now, beautiful :inlove

 

[Pav]

Porka Pas cold smoker (see his advert a page back ;>) ! , does look good. Has anyone used one or made similar. For £20 does look like a compact tidy option for cold smoking.

with the earlier mention of aluminum I notice it too is made from aluminium but am guessing the product is safe as a cold smoker?

Have passed your list of smoking woods on to a wood turner Pastor. He's pinned it up in his shed and will be bagging up samples to experiment with! I was suprised by the poison woods. Not the ones you would expect! Very useful. Hope to be ready for the first mackeral this year.

 

[Pav]

on order! , I'll let you know the results (hopefully not food poisoning). I've joined in on the end of the thread on the specialists forum Pator linked to ..

sausagemaking.org :: View topic - Easy to Make Cold Smoke Generator where they have been discussing porkas smoker.

I didn't give much thought to it previously but now realise I am not cooking the meat as with hot smoking so a new set of rules apply if I am to avoid being sick!

am I safe with regards to cold smoking fish without any prep other than gutting and scaling?

 

[foxfish]

Pav you need to brine your products first in fact you treat them in the same way as for hot smoking.
Smoked food without salt simply does not work in the flavour department.
Cold smoking reduces he moisture content far more than hot smoke (unless you over cook) This gives the food a special texture, the difference is obvious in fresh salmon & cold smoked salmon.
I dont cold smoke food because I want to keep it for ages before eating it, if I do want to keep it for more than a few days then it goes in the freezer!
Cold smoked food is not cooked, I cook all my smoked meats just before we eat them. You can eat cold smoked food straight from the smoke house but in most cases the house temp is briefly raised to 140c.
You need to buy a book.

 

[Pav]

Amazon.co.uk: food smoking: Books

it seems that I underated how complicated smoking may be! I never thought a book would focus on smoking only. Seems there maybe a little more to know than the few pages in my river cottage book!

A lot of titles available. I'm going to check to see what they have in the library.