Cold smokers

sikamalc

Administrator
Site Staff
Ok guys, I have always fancied buying a COLD smoker. I have looked over the years but never really made up my mind as many are HOT smokers.

Anyone own and run a Cold smoker and if so what do you think of it? price and where you got it from would also be helpful. Preferably one from the UK, not abroad.

Thanks

Sikamalc
 
Malc,

I built my own in a redundant outside privy. Results were generally good but it needed a fair bit of attention and I gradually lost interest. A recent thread in the 'Venison Recipes' section has sparked me up again and after reading Maynard Davies' book 'Manual of a Traditional Bacon Curer' (Amazon), I'm ready to get going again but using a better external smoke source.

http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?14984-Kamado-Smokers

It's the strange stuff like cheeses, garlic, eggs and especially sea salt (!) that I found were really popular. :rolleyes:

If you don't want to go DIY I see that the Bradley range of smokers have cold smoking attachments or you can even adapt an old fridge/freezer cabinet and use their smoke generator - sorry no personal experience of them though.:oops:
 
Malc, a mate of mine made his own out of a barbeque, one of those galvanized garden bin/incinerators and a length of chimney liner. I was a bit sceptical at first but it works really well, was cheap as anything, and he can 'transform' the barbeque back to normal as and when he needs it.

garden-incinerator.jpg

tnbarbeque1.jpg

Chimney_Liner_Wood_Pellet.jpg


The barbeque and the incinerator are the same diameter, so he took the lid off the incinerator and put it on the barbeque, then connected the chimney liner to the chimney in the lid and to the bottom of the incinerator, then put the barbeque grill inside the incinerator and the barbeque lid on the incinerator.

He burns the smoking chips in the the barbeque then the smoke passes up through the chimney, through the chimney liner where it cools and enters in the bottom of the incinerator and percolates up through the produce on the grill. Ingenious!

Alex
 
I did a hot and cold smoker with 2 galvy bins a length of that alli pipe shown above.

Light a fire in one bin using wood shavings of choice (free from some saw mills) and hot smoke above the fire. The smoke travels through the pipe cooling as it goes into the second bin. You'll need a chimney out of second bin that draws from the bottom so as to draw but allowing the smoke to fill the bin.
 
new_braunfels_black_diamond.jpg

New Braunfels Black Diamond Smoker
W.C. Bradley Company

Malc, bought one of these about 15 years ago and still going strong. It is really versatile as you can barbecue in either the small fire box or the larger smoke area (clean that bit out before smoking). You can hot or cold smoke depending where you place the Meat/fish and can roast chicken, pheasant and the like also. The first time I smoked some trout fillets, no-one would beleive it wasn't salmon.

The unit lives out summer and winter and apart from a few rust spots where the fire gets hot (burning wood) there is nothing wrong with it. A tip if you do buy one or something similar. Line the bottom of the fire box with sand to stop it burning out.
 
Malc, I am currently building one from the above mention garden incinerator, a length of Al tumbledryer extractor pipe and have the smoke box nearly finished.

Should be operational by the next weekend, I have a salmon which needs smoking, hopefully venison soon also...

I will post some photos when I get it done.
 
Ok guys, I have always fancied buying a COLD smoker. I have looked over the years but never really made up my mind as many are HOT smokers.

Anyone own and run a Cold smoker and if so what do you think of it? price and where you got it from would also be helpful. Preferably one from the UK, not abroad.

Thanks

Sikamalc

Sika Malc;
My cold smoker is also home made- one of the things I do here in devon is make cider- as a result of which I tend to have a few oak barrels kicking around (anyone want any?!) My smoker is a 45 gall oak barrel with the top knocked out and a length of flexiflue (see previous post) connected to an old woodburner. As my trade is carpentry, I always have plenty of oak chippings and often smoke my own bacon, cheese etc. I've never smoked venison mainly because I love it as it is! If you want any help with this pm and I'll pass on what I can. Tom
 
malc not sure if it will help check out ebay lots of smokers on there and also how to make a hot/cold smoker from 2 45 gallon drums
scotty
 
Thanks for all the info guys. Dont know if I have the time to make my own. I have very littel spare time between my business stalking, and running the Museum and small stately home. Would prefer to buy one, but thank you very much for all your efforts.

Much appreciated

ATB

Sikamalc
 
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