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-   -   Your help, experience, information, expertise with the Amazing Pellet Tube Smoker (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151883)

Erin 01-20-2013 12:49 AM

Your help, experience, information, expertise with the Amazing Pellet Tube Smoker
 
I received my Amazing Pellet Tube smoker (AMNTS). I used it tonight. I smoked eggs, cheese and salt all at one time. I filled the AMNTS with pure hickory pellets purchased from the A-MAZE-N website. I filled the tube to about 5/8ths full and put it in the bottom of a Little Chief metal smoker box with the element and power cord removed. I sealed up the holes with cardboard and then put the metal rack with trays of goodies into the Little Chief. I immediately noticed that the color of the smoke didn't look right. It was thicker and gray, but I thought "this is new, just let it do its thing". Well, two hours later food is removed and sure enough the smoke flavor is acrid......a dirty bad smoke flavor.
Has anyone used the tube pellet smoker? What did I do wrong? Any help and advise would be appreciated. I want to cold smoke so bad!
Thanks,
Erin

IamMadMan 01-20-2013 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin (Post 2334520)
I received my Amazing Pellet Tube smoker (AMNTS). I used it tonight. I smoked eggs, cheese and salt all at one time. I filled the AMNTS with pure hickory pellets purchased from the A-MAZE-N website. I filled the tube to about 5/8ths full and put it in the bottom of a Little Chief metal smoker box with the element and power cord removed. I sealed up the holes with cardboard and then put the metal rack with trays of goodies into the Little Chief. I immediately noticed that the color of the smoke didn't look right. It was thicker and gray, but I thought "this is new, just let it do its thing". Well, two hours later food is removed and sure enough the smoke flavor is acrid......a dirty bad smoke flavor.
Has anyone used the tube pellet smoker? What did I do wrong? Any help and advise would be appreciated. I want to cold smoke so bad!
Thanks,
Erin


The amount of smoke you want for food is directly proportional to the size of the smoking chamber.

You also stated that you closed the holes in the smoker. By doing this you have no airflow inside the smoker and the smoke will condensate and form a creosote type residue on your meat giving it an over-powering smoke flavor with a bitter aftertaste.

Also hickory is a stronger flavored smoke than the milder alder and fruit woods.

The "Little Chief" is designed to be a cold smoker, and by leaving the top vent open. The temperatures allegedly will not get over 100 °, and even colder with lower outside temperatures.

Consider the size of the "Little Chief" and the normal amount of wood chips or sawdust used in a normal smoke (about 1/4 cup or less?). This with proper air flow is the target you are trying to hit as far as the amount of combustible materials to create smoke. The AMNTS at 1/2 full is probably 5-6 times that amount.

Bottom line is smoke should be smelled and should not be seen heavily billowing out of the smoker. In cold smoking you will see slightly more smoke than you would with a hot smoke, that is why airflow through the smoker is important.

The smoke should lightly bathe the items in the cold smoker, only to impart a smoke flavor as it finds it's way out of the top vent. Sometimes it is suggested that some some smoked items sit or stand a day or so to mellow out and distribute the flavor throughout the item (Cheese, Some Sausages, Ect).

.

Erin 01-20-2013 11:48 AM

Thanks Mad Man,
Your reply was very thorough and well explained. I did notice that the color of the smoke wasn't what I was used to seeing from my Traeger. The creosote flavor is exactly what I achieved. After this happened I did wonder about airflow. The Little Chief box that I am using is very, very old...probably 30 yrs old, top loader. I covered the chip pan door and power cord hole, so the only way the smoke escape was through the seams of the lid on top.
You mentioned about the amount of pellets (combustible) used. My tube is 12" long and about 3 inches wide. It burns very even. The only control I have with it is when to remove it and how many pellets I put in which dictates burn time. When I use it there will always be the same amount of smoke, I just need to figure out how to get the box airflow environment balanced..........right?
Cold smoking as been very trial and error for me without a lot of success.

IamMadMan 01-20-2013 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin (Post 2334939)
Thanks Mad Man,
Your reply was very thorough and well explained. I did notice that the color of the smoke wasn't what I was used to seeing from my Traeger. The creosote flavor is exactly what I achieved. After this happened I did wonder about airflow. The Little Chief box that I am using is very, very old...probably 30 yrs old, top loader. I covered the chip pan door and power cord hole, so the only way the smoke escape was through the seams of the lid on top.
You mentioned about the amount of pellets (combustible) used. My tube is 12" long and about 3 inches wide. It burns very even. The only control I have with it is when to remove it and how many pellets I put in which dictates burn time. When I use it there will always be the same amount of smoke, I just need to figure out how to get the box airflow environment balanced..........right?
Cold smoking as been very trial and error for me without a lot of success.

Don't worry about trial and error, we have all had our share of learning experiences that we have made some type of error in.

My friend who used his Chief for smoking salmon used to leave a 5/8' wide at the top to vent. His was a front loader, so he just held the cover in place wi9th the large vent gap at the top.

I have seen some people add a cardboard box on top of the Chief. This allows you to add and smoke more food items on added racks in the box, as well as a way to add and make a top exhaust vent.

Remember you can always add more smoke for flavor, but you can't take it away. In the cold smoking process, smoke will be visible, it just shouldn't be billowing out.

Erin 01-20-2013 03:56 PM

I have added the Chief cardboard box on top of my unit too in an effort to get away from the heat the Little Chief pumped out. That is another story in itself........having been given the old Little cheif, replacing element, cord and pan and now try a new bag of chips in order to get the old thing working properly (it won't burn the whole pan of chips)..........Hence, the AMNTS. I might just throw that smoking tube in my gas Weber or Traeger and see what happens. I currently have 18 creosote smoked eggs, a brick of white cheddar that I am afraid to try as it is probably ruined too and I threw away the creosote smoked salt. (sigh).....oh well, there is always a lot to learn from boo-boo's and you have helped a lot. Thanks for your time and help :)


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