Author Topic: Frankenstein!!! My home made cost effective cold smoker. (Read 28158 times)

gavin erwin · « **on:** June 09, 2015, 03:13:02 PM »

It lives!!! Its taken a while but I've finally got it going.

gavin erwin · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:13:58 PM »

More pics

gavin erwin · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:14:24 PM »

One more.

Harvard 16 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:18:16 PM »

Looks like a good cover-up for an illicit still........witblitz and wors anyone?

fishy1969 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:20:49 PM »

Gav....quick question....a fire requires oxygen to sustain itself...where does your fire drum get oxygen from? Looks great!

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:27:13 PM »

Nice skills there Gav

gavin erwin · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:30:56 PM »

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.

fishy1969 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:32:23 PM »

very cool!

L Hooker · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:37:51 PM »

Very lekker

Willie · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2015, 03:41:29 PM »

Great

well done.

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:09:37 PM »

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.

gavin erwin · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:14:24 PM »

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?

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:21:51 PM »

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.

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:28:40 PM »

An early batch

gavin erwin · « **Reply #14 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:36:24 PM »

Awesome stuff

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?

gavin erwin · « **Reply #15 on:** June 09, 2015, 04:41:36 PM »

Im alternating between cherry, pecan and mesquite.

SAfish · « **Reply #16 on:** June 09, 2015, 05:21:12 PM »

That looks awesome! I have to try it one day.

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2015, 06:26:06 PM »

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.

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2015, 06:45:26 PM »

This is a great project for the DIY minded.

gavin erwin · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2015, 07:51:09 AM »

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.