Smoking

[hiraeth]

Just wondering how easy it is to start smoking my own fish and meat, i have seen kits available to buy at the game fairs but i was thinking of starting from scratch and building my own, so over to you guys out there. Can anyone help as to where i can find plans, and how easy or hard is it to do. Thanks

 

[bushwacker bob]

you'll have a job finding Rizlas large enough.



(try river cottage website)

 

[fishy1]

Are you planning on hot or cold smoking your stuff? Hot smoking would be pretty simple, a barrel with a fire on the bottom, cover in hardwood (chips are good), then hang fish on top. Cold smoking needs some way of getting cold smoke on the fish, usually with a pipe. Fish can be brined before to draw out moisture.

 

[hiraeth]

Are you planning on hot or cold smoking your stuff? Hot smoking would be pretty simple, a barrel with a fire on the bottom, cover in hardwood (chips are good), then hang fish on top. Cold smoking needs some way of getting cold smoke on the fish, usually with a pipe. Fish can be brined before to draw out moisture.

Had not really thought about that one, what is the difference in the two,is it in the taste the taste or the length of time that they will keep?

 

[fishy1]

Hot smoking is basically just cooking it with a smoky taste, for example hot smoked salmon is flaky and cooked like normal. It's absolutely delicious, indeed I'm going out to try and catch a salmon today to get one for it.

Cold smoking is just impregnating the meat with a smokey taste, e.g regular smoked salmon that comes thinly sliced. It will still look uncooked, although it will be fine to eat (At least fish would, I'm not 100% about cold smoked meats but I imagine so). Also very nice and keeps longer. The more you smoke them, the longer they will keep.

 

[hiraeth]

Thanks for the explanation fishy1, makes sense now. Its probably hot smoking i would try first then. any idea of time to leave in i.e does it go by weight or thickness of cut. sorry for so many questions but love smoked foods and fancy a go myself.

 

[fishy1]

Are you smoking meat or fish? I don't know much about smoking of meat, but I'd guess you slice it thickly, then hang it in the smoke.

For fish, fillet it, brine it in salt water with added sugar for a while. Then, take it out, and wash it until it is less salty (taste it to be sure). Then just hot smoke it until it is cooked, you don't want very hot smoke, just hot smoke, so it should take a couple of hours to cook and it'll look kinda brown on the outside. You could see if it breaks in half cleanly (flakes) to check if it is cooked. I just leave it a while.

Just smoke it until it is cooked.

Oh, and BTW, I love it when somebody takes an interest and asks questions.

 

[hiraeth]

Thanks for the advice Fishy, i would use fish mainly but the thought of bacon is to strong to resist a try, I have an old tea chest thats surplus to requirements would this be suitable if upturned in place of the barrel you mentioned, also do you cut ahole in the top or side to allow smoke to escape?

 

[sparkplug]

There are loads and loads of different designs of both hot and cold smokers and they can be really easy and fun to make.

It's difficult to have exact 'recipes' with cooking times as different designs have different heat distribution. It's a bit of a 'feel' thing and you do get used to your smoker fairly quickly.

I'd definitely suggest starting with hot smoking as there's less chance of getting it wrong (cold smoke works at temperatures where some harmful bacteria can grow) and if it's all going too slowly or isn't working right you can always rescue the meat and put it in your home oven.

There is a HUGE amount of information what you can smoke and how to flavour and cure it on http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/

 

[Mesquite]

Try this site for smoking info on smoking.

http://www.planetbarbecue.co.uk/smoking1.htm

I use the BBQr's delight smoking pellets for hot smoking meat as I cook it on my BBQ.http://www.planetbarbecue.co.uk/shopwoodchips.html

It gives it a really good taste and if you do Beer can chicken as well as smoking it at the same time it's delicious