Help me figure out my new cold smoker!

[Nohippychicks]

I've been wanting to take my sausage making a step further and build a cold smoker. I started reading up about them...regrettably, the majority of the information I've found is anecdotal and not really much about what really needs to be considered for a quality product.

Be that as it may, I happened upon the good fortune of getting my booger hooks on an old stainless food service cart. The inside measurements are (about) 25"x35"x40", two doors and a bunch of racks for holding baking trays. It even has a drain in the bottom!

I think it's going to be the new cold smoker! It's huge AND it has wheels on it, so it's got a lot going for it.

From here, though, I'm not sure what direction to take, or how to evaluate exactly what I need.

The only thing I'd be using it for right now is sausage and bacon, but maybe that'll change in the future.

Having said that, I feel like I've got a grasp on what I need 'till I start actually thinking of hanging sausage in there, and then I go into a fog of "What about this, what about that."

SO:

For the smoke source, what should I consider?
What I tried yesterday as a dry run was a pair of new soldering pens stuffed into a can full of hickory twigs. It worked well as a proof of concept, I think. There was tons of nice smoke coming out of the space around the doors, but I'm not 100% how much smoke is desirable for something like a Polish sausage or bacon.

Moving beyond that, how do I figure out if I need to add a damper or a vent somewhere on the side of the thing?

Should I ALSO consider (either in addition to, or in place of the soldering irons) a heat plate inside? Or maybe outside in a different vessel and a length of metalized tube to pipe the smoke into the food cart?

Is insulation something I should look into? I wouldn't think so, as cold smoking should be pretty 'till the outside temperature gets around 100*F, right?

Is there anything else that should be a consideration that I'm not thinking of?
Am I way off target starting with this as the base?

Enjoy a few pictures I took the other day!

 

[cowgirl]

I'd definitely add an exhaust.
For the size of the cabinet, your soldering iron will put out enough smoke. imo

 

[Nohippychicks]

As far as the exhaust, should it be anything more than holes in the sides of the thing? For cold smoking, is there a reason to put a damper on there?

 

[Joshw]

A lot of what you do, will depend on what you plan on cooking. For true cold smoking, I would put an amaze n tray, or tube. They are great for cold smoke, and no electric required.

You mentioned sausage, which depending on what type you are making, isn't truly cold smoked. You normally start it at around 120 degrees, and gradually increased the temps to around 150 and hold it there. If this is the type of cold smoking you are talking about, you will need some form of heat source, along with smoke. You can use a hot plate, but I doubt it is going to heat a cabinet as big, as you are talking about. You would just have to do trial, and add more heat, or insulation if necessary. If you go this route, you can just put a metal pan full of wood chips or sawdust on the hot plate for smoke. I have done this, and it works, but not perfect.

I have a sausage maker small electric, and 100lb insulated gas one. Both are currently not working, and need quite a bit of work, and money to repair. You can buy the parts from sausage maker, to add heating elements gas or electric, but my recommendation, is to buy a gas burner, and install a needle valve on it. This will give you good control of heat, without having to worry about wiring and thermocouples, thermostats and all the nonsense. I actually just bought a gas smoker, to do this setup. My sausage maker smoke generator, works by filling a box full of sawdust, and putting an electric charcoal starter in it. Then it has fan that blows the smoke,
into the main cooking chamber.

I would put a smoke stack on the top, You are more than likely going to be hanging sausage in it, and you want the air flow to go up.

 

[rob g]

https://www.amazenproducts.com/category_s/12.htm

I have a tray for cold smoking. These work great. You will need an exhaust and an inlet on your cabinet.

 

[Smoking Piney]

https://www.amazenproducts.com/category_s/12.htm

I have a tray for cold smoking. These work great. You will need an exhaust and an inlet on your cabinet.

I can add to this. I cold smoke cheese, salmon and nuts with the AMNPS and it rocks.

 

[Nohippychicks]

...I would put an amaze n tray...buy a gas burner, and install a needle valve on it...You are more than likely going to be hanging sausage in it, and you want the air flow to go up.

I have an Amaze n tray en route, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.



Yes, sausage hanging is mostly what I'm looking to do in here. I'll be doing bacon as my first run, though.



Now that you mention it, the books I'm reading DO mention smoking with a temperature going up every few hours. I will do a dry run with a burner in there from my beer wort boiler and see if that's too much. If it is, maybe an oven coil attached to a temperature controller would be good enough, as long as the weather isn't too cold. Maybe even just a hotplate may be enough, but I don't know for sure; that's one of the reasons I posted, I know someone here will have something similar to what I have and can give an opinion.



I knew I'd get some decent insight and ideas here! With just these few responses, I think I'll get more than my money's worth by supporting the sight.

 

[Joshw]

I have an Amaze n tray en route, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.



Yes, sausage hanging is mostly what I'm looking to do in here. I'll be doing bacon as my first run, though.



Now that you mention it, the books I'm reading DO mention smoking with a temperature going up every few hours. I will do a dry run with a burner in there from my beer wort boiler and see if that's too much. If it is, maybe an oven coil attached to a temperature controller would be good enough, as long as the weather isn't too cold. Maybe even just a hotplate may be enough, but I don't know for sure; that's one of the reasons I posted, I know someone here will have something similar to what I have and can give an opinion.



I knew I'd get some decent insight and ideas here! With just these few responses, I think I'll get more than my money's worth by supporting the sight.

All good options, but it is just a trial and error on how much heat you will need, and it will change slightly depending on ambient temps. Good Luck!

 

[cowgirl]

Thanks for supporting the site. Lots of good folks here.
If you ever get interested in cold smoking bacons, hams, etc... this works mighty fine. http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2008/01/building-cold-smoker-smokehouse.html

Good luck with your project! :grin:

 

[Nohippychicks]

...it is just a trial and error...

That's what I expected to see, but not what I wanted to see.



I think what I really wanted to see is that I'm not making any grave errors with my cabinet, and it seems like things are mainly on track even if it requires some experimenting with recipes.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Welcome to the site Nhc. Good to see another local guy on. cowgirl is one of the foremost authorities here and I see she's posted a link to her blog. Does not get any better than that!


Good Luck!

 

[Nohippychicks]

Toast,

Let me know when you want to get together to figure this smoker out. If you know a place to do some fishing, I'm new(ish) to the area. PM me some time while I'm still here!

 

[Titch]

If I may Join in
This is my very Basic cold smoker, An old Bread Proofing unit
I gutted it and added a SmokeDaddy generator external and some Gas jets internal to Hot smoke as needed
Removable racks, a Fixed exhaust and some vents at the bottom for Air flow
The smoke Generator is a bit of an overkill and I just let it idle.
Sometimes I just put a Collander with some lit Charcoal and Chunks
Some pictures( I cant see Yours)
Sorry about the mess.:icon_blush:

 

[Nohippychicks]

If I may Join in This is my very Basic cold smoker

I didn't see in those pictures where you added gas burners, but I think that'd be a really good idea to cover the "Just in case," portion of my build.



Can you put up some pictures of them? Where did you get them, what gas do they burn, how do you light them? Anything else you care to share that may be useful to build into a food cart? Anything you wish you'd done differently?

 

[Titch]

3rd picture down the bottom
2 gas rails.
It all works easy

 

[Nohippychicks]

Whoops, I forgot to attach photos.

 

[bstomper]

Perfect timing as I am looking for ideas for a cold smoker also. As far as cold smoking sausage goes, It can be done with great results. I make my own moose and deer sausage and cold smoke it for a couple hours just to get the smoke taste. It is still raw and still has to be cooked before eating. The couple hour smoke just gives it an awesome taste. I have been doing my sausage on my UDS but I need something a bit bigger so I can do all my sausage at the same time. That cabinet sounds like a great score.