ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website
General Angling Topics => DIY Forum => Topic started by: gavin erwin on June 09, 2015, 03:13:02 PM
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It lives!!! Its taken a while but I've finally got it going. :geet
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More pics
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One more.
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Looks like a good cover-up for an illicit still........witblitz and wors anyone?
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Gav....quick question....a fire requires oxygen to sustain itself...where does your fire drum get oxygen from? Looks great!
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Nice skills there Gav (clap)
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Thanks guys :-) . Well the fire is in the small drum and it just needs to smolder. You don't want any heat if its cold smoked but if I want to use it to cook then I just open the door in the smaller drum.
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very cool!
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Very lekker :corrct: :corrct:
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Great (clap) well done.
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Looking good Gavin. What fish are you smoking and what wood are you using for smoke?
I made myself a cold smoker out of an old plywood packing crate - the aim was to turn barbel into kippers, but I never got that far. I tested it by making a batch of bacon, and now I can't keep up with the demand from friends and family. Its damn good and dead easy -once you have made your own you will never go back to bought bacon.
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Thanks CRANKMAN!!! Im smoking some trout that we caught from millstream last week. What method do you use to make your bacon and where do you get your pork belly?
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I get my bellies from a tame butcher in our little town Louis Trichardt - R55 a kilo. I wet brine for 20 hrs (Crown brine mix), then hang the bellies for 2 weeks in my beer fridge, then into the smoker for 3 hours (lichi wood shavings) and then back to the beer fridge for as long as I can resist (up to six weeks). You can do the whole process much quicker - but its well worth taking your time. At first I was a bit worried about the meat spoiling, but the brine sorts that out. At 2 months old you can just slice it off and eat it raw, like parma ham.
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An early batch
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Awesome stuff :shk I cure it in salt and sugar for a week then smoke it. What does your brine consist of and where can you get pink salt or non iodated salt (kosher salt) do you need it?
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Im alternating between cherry, pecan and mesquite.
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(clap) That looks awesome! I have to try it one day. :tkx:
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Gavin, I started off using rough mined sediment salt from a pan near here (Soutpansberg), apparently it is "full" salt with all the minerals still in, but now I use Crown National's brine mix, has the nitrates and nitrites in the correct preportions already, and is a lot easier.
I tried some barbel when I first made my smoker, but buggered it up - too long in the salt and too long in the smoker - was like chewing on an old sangoma's hyena skin cape. I'm still using it as Tigerfish bait when I have nothing else. What is your method and what types of fish have you smoked? I must give it a try again.
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This is a great project for the DIY minded.
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Great info CRANKMAN! Hahaha I haven't tried barbel yet only trout but still trying to find the texture I want. I rub the fish with a mixture of brown sugar and course salt then place it in a zip lock bag for around 8 hours then wash it off and smoke it for another 4 to 8 hours. Slice it super thin and it is delicious. I need to find this crown brine mixture now! If I want to hot smoke it I just shorten the pipe and pile the wood in the little can.
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:win: love working on this Heath Robinson type project :bow:, but I can never leave well alone :dunno: .tinker here. adjust there :nuts: :craz: . Drives the missus nuts. :toppie:
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This is awesome .
Will send you guys some mackerel to smoke .
I would love to smoke a pork rib in there .
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Great info CRANKMAN! Hahaha I haven't tried barbel yet only trout but still trying to find the texture I want. I rub the fish with a mixture of brown sugar and course salt then place it in a zip lock bag for around 8 hours then wash it off and smoke it for another 4 to 8 hours. Slice it super thin and it is delicious. I need to find this crown brine mixture now! If I want to hot smoke it I just shorten the pipe and pile the wood in the little can.
I get the brine mix from a catering supplier in 1 kg packs (makes 5 litres wet brine, which is good for about 6 kgs of belly), but most butchers buy it in bulk and would probably give / sell you a bit. It speeds up the process a bit - 20 hrs for belly, and from what I have read, about 20 mins for fish.
Try drying your fish a bit longer in the fridge or on a chilly night, with a fan, till it has a nice glassy shine before smoking to get a firmer texture.
I hoped the fatty content in the meat of barbel would behave like herring when smoked, ending up tasting like a Scottish kipper. I must give it another try.
Barbel is so ugly and has a bad name, but filleted smoked and given a fancy name, I think it could be a winner - "Cold smoked African sharptooth", your mates will love it!
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Hahaha they wouldn't tell the difference! Maybe im curing the fish too long? Its good but I can do better. Can you wet brine fish? This is the batch I did yesterday.
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Gavin, that looks finger licking good!
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That looks superb - I can almost smell it from here. :cgrts:
Herrings are often wet cured, so I'm sure other fish could be as well.
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you guys are going to get seriously straffed for this.....
my mouths watering here...
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you guys are going to get seriously straffed for this.....
my mouths watering here...
:hehe: :hehe: :hehe: Maybe ill bring some tastes to the next social :hnthnt:
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That looks superb - I can almost smell it from here. :cgrts:
Herrings are often wet cured, so I'm sure other fish could be as well.
Thanks CRANKMAN!!! Well we just ganna have to experiment till we get it right w;k Keep posting your ideas and progress.
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Eish, those bacon pics made me so hungry...... :nobs:
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Gav something I tried which worked pretty well was to roll one of the cured pork bellies that has not been smoked, and then I hung it in the biltong dryer for 3-4 days. Came out awesome! I also took a crack at dry curing some deboned warthog shoulder and leg - had to lock my fridge when any of my mates came over, super stuff.
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Wow wow wow that is some awesome stuff there Rory :shk Very nice idea im going to try that!!! :rck"
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Let us know your method of curing and smoking Rory :hnthnt:
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Looks great Rory. Yes please let us know more about your process.
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Let us know your method of curing and smoking Rory :hnthnt:
I've only ever dry cure pork. I'm old school - although I have premixed curing salt, I prefer to mix my own. Then I just add aromatic herbs and sugar to the salt mix and vacuum pack. Leave it in the fridge a week, turning the packs over whenever I remember to. Panceta will get hung in the biltong box, and bacon in the smoker. I don't have a fancy smoker, I just use one of those shoebox type efforts. Took plenty stuffups of epic proportions to get that thing to cold smoke, but its possible, and very quick.
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In fact that little shoebox smoker does an amazing job smoking cheese, delicious :corrct:
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Interesting! How long does panceta cure for?
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Interesting! How long does panceta cure for?
I dry cure it for a week in the fridge, same as the bacon, then 3-4 days in the biltong box to extract more moisture :corrct:
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Well done Rory, that all looks amazing.
Give us a bit more insight to your methods.
Do you add nitrates / nitrites to you dry cure mix?
How long do you smoke for, and how long does your cured meat keep without freezing?
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Well done Rory, that all looks amazing.
Give us a bit more insight to your methods.
Do you add nitrates / nitrites to you dry cure mix?
How long do you smoke for, and how long does your cured meat keep without freezing?
Nitrates Sean, I add saltpetre to my salt - very carefully... :craz: In my little smoker its incredibly easy to seriously oversmoke, so once I've got the woodchips smoking proper no more than 5 minutes! After curing/smoking/drying I generally re-vacuum pack the meat, and keep it in the fridge. Its all scoffed after 3 weeks so that's the longest I've kept any without freezing!
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Looks really good, Rory. I also have one of those small shoe box type smokers but have not used it for ages. How do you go about getting it to smoke properly and what heat source do you use?
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Where do we get our hands on one of those vacuum seal things :hnthnt: Nifty!
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I think saltpetre is the same thing - potassium nitrate or trite.
I agree, it's very easy to over smoke. The brine actually preserves the meat, the smoke only adds flavour, so no need to over do it.
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In what quantities do you ad the saltpetre?
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Rory can I bring you some warthog :hnthnt: ??
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Rory can I bring you some warthog :hnthnt: ??
You been drinking in the South again ?
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I am sure it will work with Bushpig as well. There are a couple on my Brother's farm that need to be scoped. :hnthnt:
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Looks really good, Rory. I also have one of those small shoe box type smokers but have not used it for ages. How do you go about getting it to smoke properly and what heat source do you use?
Hermann I use a double ring gas burner. But only to get the woodchips going lekker. Once they smoking proper I remove it from the heat and put the meat in to smoke. Left on the heat those little smokers turn into very effective ovens.
Where do we get our hands on one of those vacuum seal things :hnthnt: Nifty!
Verimark!
I think saltpetre is the same thing - potassium nitrate or trite.
I agree, it's very easy to over smoke. The brine actually preserves the meat, the smoke only adds flavour, so no need to over do it.
Spot on Sean, potassium nitrate. Used in gun powder, explosives, fertlisers and all other interesting things. Pretty poisonous if not used correctly!
In what quantities do you ad the saltpetre?
Gavin the stuff has been banned from direct use in foodstuffs in lots of countries, hence premade cures like Pink Salt and Cure No 2. Pasop. Lots of info on Google regarding ratios
BE CAREFUL!
Rory can I bring you some warthog :hnthnt: ??
No problem Prim, as long as it hasn't been frozen already :corrct:
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Ok Lets see what happen hahaha!!! Where the hell do you find pink salt :dunno:
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Ok Lets see what happen hahaha!!! Where the hell do you find pink salt :dunno:
Go to Crown National and ask them. I stand to be corrected but I think its called Prague Powder locally?? If you go to Crown National, be careful, that place is like a tackle shop - very easy to spend lots of money :craz:
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You guys suck! I already have enough stuff to work on... Can't be lured into building smokers too!!!!
Awesome stuff!
Gavin, just a quick question - Will the galvanized pipe not cause problems? I know heating those pipes give off a lead gas that is poisonous.
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Ok Lets see what happen hahaha!!! Where the hell do you find pink salt :dunno:
Go to Crown National and ask them. I stand to be corrected but I think its called Prague Powder locally?? If you go to Crown National, be careful, that place is like a tackle shop - very easy to spend lots of money :craz:
Thanks Rory! And where is this crown national place :hnthnt:
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You guys suck! I already have enough stuff to work on... Can't be lured into building smokers too!!!!
Awesome stuff!
Gavin, just a quick question - Will the galvanized pipe not cause problems? I know heating those pipes give off a lead gas that is poisonous.
Come on join the smokers!!! Im not sure about the galvanized pipe :dunno:
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Thanks Rory! And where is this crown national place :hnthnt:
In that business park between London and Modderfontein offramps. Access from Modderfontein road side
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For anyone who would like to give this a bash, here is a rough sketch of my first cold smoke generator, the idea was borrowed from some polish dude off the internet.
The actual smoking chamber, where you put your meat or fish, can be anything from a cardboard box, an old washing machine to a steel trunk. It does not have to be air tight, you actually want the smoke to leak out.
The smoke generator does not have to be very big, a 1 litre tin is more than enough for a bit of home smoking. Remember your brine (wet or dry) is what cures the meat, the smoke just flavours it.
The principal is a venturi system, a small pipe blowing into a big pipe creates a low pressure, this sucks air upwards and through your smoldering sawdust. The venturi I made used some 1/2 inch (15 mm) plumbing fittings - a T piece, a couple of nipples and a thin metal tube (front half of an old parker pen). I sealed around the pen with pratley putty.
Air is supplied by an aquarium pump if you have, I used my compressor regulated as low as it could go.
This gentle suction keeps your sawdust smoldering, a handful can produce smoke for up to an hour when you have it all set up nicely.
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Brilliant stuff CRANKMAN!!!! :tkx: (clap) (clap) (clap)
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Thank you Crankman! :+ cred: I have been Googling for a few hours and it gets very confusing.
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Thank you Crankman! :+ cred: I have been Googling for a few hours and it gets very confusing.
It's a pleasure. Just shout if you need any help.
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For anyone who would like to give this a bash, here is a rough sketch of my first cold smoke generator, the idea was borrowed from some polish dude off the internet.
The actual smoking chamber, where you put your meat or fish, can be anything from a cardboard box, an old washing machine to a steel trunk. It does not have to be air tight, you actually want the smoke to leak out.
The smoke generator does not have to be very big, a 1 litre tin is more than enough for a bit of home smoking. Remember your brine (wet or dry) is what cures the meat, the smoke just flavours it.
The principal is a venturi system, a small pipe blowing into a big pipe creates a low pressure, this sucks air upwards and through your smoldering sawdust. The venturi I made used some 1/2 inch (15 mm) plumbing fittings - a T piece, a couple of nipples and a thin metal tube (front half of an old parker pen). I sealed around the pen with pratley putty.
Air is supplied by an aquarium pump if you have, I used my compressor regulated as low as it could go.
This gentle suction keeps your sawdust smoldering, a handful can produce smoke for up to an hour when you have it all set up nicely.
:+ cred: now i will have to build one with help from HHBC&D w;k
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Question... What is the best consistency for the wood? Sawdust? Shavings? Chips? I have access to a lot of Pecan wood and when I researched properties of the timber, one of the commercial uses came up as a good smoking material, particularly for fish as it produces quite a delicate flavour.
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Pecan you say :hnthnt: I like the flavor of pecan for fish and cherry wood, i find mesquite is a bit strong for fish, more for pork and other meat.
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If I remember correctly the saltpeter sold by Crown National and Freddy Hirsch is Sodium Nitrate (NaNO3) aka Peru saltpeter.
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Pecan you say :hnthnt: I like the flavor of pecan for fish and cherry wood, i find mesquite is a bit strong for fish, more for pork and other meat.
I have tons available to me... so back to the question... Sawdust, shavings or chips?
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Marty, the commercial smokers use a block about 76 x 50 x 500 which is slowly fed into a burner. Home smokers tend to use saw dust (about wet off saw size) or pellets. I have found in my home made smoker than shavings from a hand plane work best.
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And how does oak smoke? :dunno:
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Marty, the commercial smokers use a block about 76 x 50 x 500 which is slowly fed into a burner. Home smokers tend to use saw dust (about wet off saw size) or pellets. I have found in my home made smoker than shavings from a hand plane work best.
I'll put some through the thicknesser and we can give it a bash.
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And how does oak smoke? :dunno:
I haven't tried oak yet - but I have read that the American red oak is not as nice as the European white. Weeping willow could be worth a try, it shares many properties with oak, from a shitake mushroom growing perspective at least. I can't get it up here.
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And how does oak smoke? :dunno:
About 30 a day :geet
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haha classic Styx!!!
We sell the oak sawdust downstairs for the Snowbee range of hot smokers and the oak is recommended for meats as opposed to fish as a little heavier in taste.
Never used in personally but very popular. We also sell Elf sawdust brand which says "untreated hardwood". I have confirmed that this predominantly karri wood and then some other types (Trade secret apparently) mixed in. Never even heard of karri wood but its a nice dust to use!
Eish this is going to be a project for the next few weeks!
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haha classic Styx!!!
We sell the oak sawdust downstairs for the Snowbee range of hot smokers and the oak is recommended for meats as opposed to fish as a little heavier in taste.
Never used in personally but very popular. We also sell Elf sawdust brand which says "untreated hardwood". I have confirmed that this predominantly karri wood and then some other types (Trade secret apparently) mixed in. Never even heard of karri wood but its a nice dust to use!
Eish this is going to be a project for the next few weeks!
Karri is one of the Eucalypts. Makes good decking. Tough as nails
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Interesting thank you!