Cold smoking-literally

[omega50]

Just fired up the Bradley.
She be a wee bit chilly out right now, -26C

Making some Cajun Pork Tasso
I wonder if this is how they do it in Louisiana!!

Does Bradley have a block heater option?

[The Fisherman Guy]

I believe it's a puck heater option.

[covey ridge]

I was under the impression that if there is any cooking required, the Bradley is just not up to it in this type of weather? Since they do not recommend indoor use I have not done anything since November.

My Big Green Egg is still up to it if I am

[grouse_hunter]

Big green egg!!! - 30 and I'm smoking shoulder for pulled pork...

[omega50]

A bit of a frosty start


One hour in cabinet set for 130F and was only at 65F


5-6 hour drying phase on the Coppa slices


Will make for some tasty Jambalaya when all said and done!



3 hours in hit 107F set for 130F Hooray

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

I was under the impression that if there is any cooking required, the Bradley is just not up to it in this type of weather? Since they do not recommend indoor use I have not done anything since November.

My Big Green Egg is still up to it if I am

I made an insulation cover for mine and can normally get it to where I need heat wise in this cold

[omega50]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

I was under the impression that if there is any cooking required, the Bradley is just not up to it in this type of weather? Since they do not recommend indoor use I have not done anything since November.

My Big Green Egg is still up to it if I am

At the end of the day there is very little that I cook in my smoker that needs to go above 152F internal temp.

So-If this adds 3-4 hours then so be it. My internal temp thermometer is set to 100F and will beep loud enough that I can hear if from the house.
At that point I will start smoking and increasing cabinet temps 10F every hour to a normal max cabinet temp of 170F- Today I will let er buck 20F hotter

I believe in my heart that I will eating hot Tasso about 11pm tonight

I like to run the smoker in a worst case scenario- because then armed with that information-I can better predict outcomes in any type of weather. Did I mention that I am retired with too much time on my hands?

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by omega50

At the end of the day there is very little that I cook in my smoker that needs to go above 152F internal temp.

So-If this adds 3-4 hours then so be it. My internal temp thermometer is set to 100F and will beep loud enough that I can hear if from the house.
At that point I will start smoking and increasing cabinet temps 10F every hour to a normal max cabinet temp of 170F- Today I will let er buck 20F hotter

I believe in my heart that I will eating hot Tasso about 11pm tonight

I like to run the smoker in a worst case scenario- because then armed with that information-I can better predict outcomes in any type of weather. Did I mention that I am retired with too much time on my hands?

I am mostly retired as well. Only work a couple days to pay for burning a bit of powder. I am new to my Bradley and have only used it for jerky and a few pork roast which I finished on my egg. About your cook? Because of the long time at very low temperatures do you use a cure?

[Nova]

I actually cold smoked some top sirloin steaks last week for a couple hours in -24. The puck heater held it around 20 degrees the whole time.

[Redfrog]

My wife hates smoking in the cold, so she's trying to quit cold turkey, which means hot tongue and cold shoulder for me. I hate having to stay in the basement. hopes she makes it this time.

I'm itching to smoke some salmon , but I hate trying to do it when it's so cold out. I also have problems even getting a thermometer to work. I even tried one those digital jobbies. turned out it was a rectal thermometer.For all the good that was, I might as well have stuck it up my ..........

Omega that meat looks awesome, I'm heading out to the deck to see if I can smell it. Just have to get past the ogre guarding the top of the stairs.

[omega50]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

I am mostly retired as well. Only work a couple days to pay for burning a bit of powder. I am new to my Bradley and have only used it for jerky and a few pork roast which I finished on my egg. About your cook? Because of the long time at very low temperatures do you use a cure?

Yes to the cure.
This is essentially a dry cured Ham , but due to the thickness can be cured in about 2-3 days. Think of a cross between a wicked spiced Ham and Jerky
I eat it as a snack food, but it is intended as a flavoring agent in Cajun Cooking- not the main course.

Most of the smoker cabinet time is devoted to drying- Then just a few hours of smoke.I delay adding pucks and smoke until the cabinet is in the 140F -150F range because the Bradley has an non adjustable puck feed interval of 20 minutes.
At cabinet temps below 100F in this weather-the pucks would be only charred slightly before they get advanced.
For food safety I like to walk the tightrope between Temperature and Water Activity(WA)

I also Tasso- Beef, Turkey and Ducks/Geese

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by Nova

I actually cold smoked some top sirloin steaks last week for a couple hours in -24. The puck heater held it around 20 degrees the whole time.

When you do steaks like that do you cook them right after or do you store in fridge for a while first?

[omega50]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

My wife hates smoking in the cold, so she's trying to quit cold turkey, which means hot tongue and cold shoulder for me. I hate having to stay in the basement. hopes she makes it this time.

I'm itching to smoke some salmon , but I hate trying to do it when it's so cold out. I also have problems even getting a thermometer to work. I even tried one those digital jobbies. turned out it was a rectal thermometer.For all the good that was, I might as well have stuck it up my ..........

Omega that meat looks awesome, I'm heading out to the deck to see if I can smell it. Just have to get past the ogre guarding the top of the stairs.

You need to start training Pigeons for some night ops!!

[Nova]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

When you do steaks like that do you cook them right after or do you store in fridge for a while first?

Both times I've done it they went straight on the grill.

[omega50]

Hot Tasso- sliced out of the smoker

[troutbug]

wow that looks so good, when can I come over?

[covey ridge]

What time did you finish your cook? What was the highest temperature?

[omega50]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

What time did you finish your cook? What was the highest temperature?

I crashed around 10pm last night

But

I had set the smoker to shut down at 11pm last night. Cabinet was at 170F and internals were approx. 153F-155F

They were partially frozen at 7am this morning so I gave them about 3 hours at 170F to drive off the frost.
Cooling now and if I can get them cry-o-vac-ed before the family discovers they are ready then I will be good to go

[wwbirds]

We cut 3 pork halves last weekend to get the prime parts and save the trim for sausage making for my son and our partners elk this weekend.

some of the sausage and pepperoni require cold smoke so the Bradley will get a good workout with 250 pounds of sausage to make.

never done this before and although time and labour intensive the quality control is nice.

Rob

[omega50]

Originally Posted by wwbirds

We cut 3 pork halves last weekend to get the prime parts and save the trim for sausage making for my son and our partners elk this weekend.

some of the sausage and pepperoni require cold smoke so the Bradley will get a good workout with 250 pounds of sausage to make.

never done this before and although time and labour intensive the quality control is nice.

Rob

With the new pup around you going to have to change the pup's name to Smokey after this weekend.

[wwbirds]

he was chasing pheasants back and forth from outside the pens along the wire walls this morning at -26.
The "experienced" 7 year old female was trying to walk on 3 legs to get back in the house.
last week when I probably smelled like pork chops he wouldn't leave my side so I think this weekend he will stay even closer.

[wwbirds]

We ground and mixed 300 pounds of meat Friday night, made sausage all day and into the night Saturday, clean up and vacuum sealed wrapped up in the food saver on sunday.
Not all were smoked but the Mennonite, Polish and pepperoni spent time in the smoker.

Made: Mennonite, Garlic, Country Elk, Hot Italian, Italian mild, Country Moose, Polish (the smoked stuff is now fully cooked Kielbossa), pepperoni and a pile of maple breakfast sausage. Sure there were others I cant recall right now.
Pure lean pork for Mennonite and maple but 70%elk and 30% regular trim(fat) for the rest.
Moose was brought up by our Lethbridge hunting partner who helped for the day and was moose with 25% beef burger for moisture.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by wwbirds

We ground and mixed 300 pounds of meat Friday night, made sausage all day and into the night Saturday, clean up and vacuum sealed wrapped up in the food saver on sunday.
Not all were smoked but the Mennonite, Polish and pepperoni spent time in the smoker.

Made: Mennonite, Garlic, Country Elk, Hot Italian, Italian mild, Country Moose, Polish (the smoked stuff is now fully cooked Kielbossa), pepperoni and a pile of maple breakfast sausage. Sure there were others I cant recall right now.
Pure lean pork for Mennonite and maple but 70%elk and 30% regular trim(fat) for the rest.
Moose was brought up by our Lethbridge hunting partner who helped for the day and was moose with 25% beef burger for moisture.

Need pictures!

[wwbirds]

I was usually up to my elbows stuffing the sausage stuffer and trying to get any air pockets out so camera work wasn't in the cards.

You can taste it when you get here.

Forgot Bratwurst in the list which is similar to Polish except eggs and milk are added to the mix.

[Huntnut]

Any receipies you'd like to share wwbirds?

[wwbirds]

I was the grunt laborer on this outfit as the only one in the group (and my son) that had not made large quantities of sausage before.

My hunting partner does this and has for many years so I don't have access to the actual recipes all supplies came from CTR refrigeration as well as the many large quantities of spices, garlic, fennel, anise, binders, black and white pepper, cayenne, brown sugars, large and small casings and the cure.

he probably got the recipes on the internet but I know he has adjusted many to his own taste as like me we don't like a lot of salt.

[Iron Brew]

You guys with your big green eggs make me jealous. I'm running a UDS, and am thinking I need to upgrade to a DigiQ DX2 for temperature control. I get bored and wander away, and inevitably the temperature jumps or falls or...

[covey ridge]

wwbirds,

So was your Bradley up to the task of all that smoking or did you get help from some real smokers?

[Kim473]

Like my propane smoker. -20 and had the heat on the lowest setting. -5 a couple weeks ago and the door had to be open 1/4" To keep it at 180 Will look at a Bradley for summer smoking.

[omega50]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Like my propane smoker. -20 and had the heat on the lowest setting. -5 a couple weeks ago and the door had to be open 1/4" To keep it at 180 Will look at a Bradley for summer smoking.

On my propane smoker the lowest setting is too hot so what I do is visually set the flame height by having the door open and the flame setting on high and turning it slowly towards Off.
Just before off it will still be supplying gas but at a reduced rate and you can visually set the flame height.
In addition I invert the wood chip tray rack to let the smoker box be closer to the flame.