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Recipes => Cold-Smoking => Topic started by: Limey on September 10, 2015, 05:06:47 PM

Title: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on September 10, 2015, 05:06:47 PM
Today I smoked ten pounds of upstate NY cheddar using apple wood and an external smoke generator. The IT of the cheese was 34 going in and 54 coming out after three hours of smoke. Ambient was around 85. Cheese is now vacuum packed and mellowing in the fridge.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: NDKoze on September 10, 2015, 05:46:33 PM
Nice job! I am totally out of my smoked cheese and need to get on it soon.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: SuperDave on September 10, 2015, 05:51:27 PM
What Gregg said!  Without an external smoke generator, just praying for some cooler weather. 
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: gregbooras on September 10, 2015, 07:16:51 PM
Roger,

What is the external generator are you using for the smoked cheese.

Also, from the things I have read (I have not yet smoked cheese) three hours seems long?

Thanks Greg
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: SuperDave on September 10, 2015, 08:48:47 PM
Roger,

What is the external generator are you using for the smoked cheese.

Also, from the things I have read (I have not yet smoked cheese) three hours seems long?

Thanks Greg

http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Daddy-Magnum-P-I-G-Generator/dp/B00E683N92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441932451&sr=8-1&keywords=smoke+daddy
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: gregbooras on September 10, 2015, 09:17:16 PM
Wow, this would buy a lot of cheese.....

Just saying  :)

Greg
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: DivotMaker on September 10, 2015, 10:31:17 PM
Nice custom-build on the holder/setup, Roger!!
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on September 11, 2015, 11:36:04 AM
Greg, I actually use the Big Kahoona size generator by Smoke Daddy. It retails for $125 with free shipping and, yes, that does buy a lot of cheese. However with winters in the Keys and summers in Upstate NY cold weather is hardly ever on my agenda(thank goodness!). Normally I smoke cheese for about two hours but in this case the elapsed time was three hours because I was not happy with the amount of smoke during the first hour. In fact the fire went out. You tend to forget that with one of these you are essentially tending a very, very small stick burner.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: gregbooras on September 11, 2015, 11:40:58 AM
Greg, I actually use the Big Kahoona size generator by Smoke Daddy. It retails for $125 with free shipping and, yes, that does buy a lot of cheese. However with winters in the Keys and summers in Upstate NY cold weather is hardly ever on my agenda(thank goodness!). Normally I smoke cheese for about two hours but in this case the elapsed time was three hours because I was not happy with the amount of smoke during the first hour. In fact the fire went out. You tend to forget that with one of these you are essentially tending a very, very small stick burner.

Hey Roger,

Some of the things I buy, you could also buy a lot of cheese :)

Really $125.00 is really not a bad price, since you could use it for fish, cheese and bacon.

One of my goals it to smoke some mozzarella for my home made pizza, so I may consider the external smoke generator.

Thanks Greg
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on September 11, 2015, 11:49:33 AM
Greg,
These things work great if you like to cold smoke and do it in hot weather. I don't think that the smoke quality is quite as good as we get from the SIs but it is still very good tbs. I have a couple of them(one at each house along with a #3) and use them regularly. In fact a bunch of king salmon from a recent fishing trip is about to go in the smoker.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: gregbooras on September 11, 2015, 03:31:19 PM
Greg,
These things work great if you like to cold smoke and do it in hot weather. I don't think that the smoke quality is quite as good as we get from the SIs but it is still very good tbs. I have a couple of them(one at each house along with a #3) and use them regularly. In fact a bunch of king salmon from a recent fishing trip is about to go in the smoker.

Hey Roger,

I see that you have the smoke going in the top of the SI, I take it that the smoke exits from the drain hole in the bottom of the SI?

Greg
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on September 11, 2015, 06:20:26 PM
Greg, that's right. I have tried it with a long tube in through the blowhole and pumping smoke out at the bottom of the unit i.e. by the smokebox. However the smoke is sufficiently cold that its natural tendency is to sink down so I have settled for a short tube with smoke in at the top and out at the bottom.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: SuperDave on September 11, 2015, 08:31:12 PM
Limey, does the smoke daddy need to be vertical to smoke? 
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on September 11, 2015, 11:08:59 PM
Dave, yes pretty much. I suppose you could run it at maybe a 45 degree angle but it is really designed to be vertical.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Walt on December 18, 2015, 05:14:28 PM
Limey,

Originally, If I remember correctly, you installed the Big Kahuna useing 2 cord hangers. Did that not work well? Is the new setup home made & hows it working for you? Santa's bringing the Big Kahuna so I would like to learn from your experience. Any input would be greatly appreciated. South La & the keys have very similar summer weather. Thanks for putting this on my radar.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on December 18, 2015, 06:09:58 PM
Hi Walt,
You are exactly correct-the first Big Kahuna(BK) I installed using two cord hangers and this installation worked, and continues to work, very well. At that house my smokers and my grills are on the same level so if I want smoke in a grill I can simply route the pipe from the BK into the grill, leaving the BK attached to the SI. At my other house the grills and the SI are on separate levels so I built the stand for the BK so that I can easily carry it around. That having been said I am about to install the second BK using cord hangers since nearly all my smoking is in the SI and not my grills and it is quick and easy to detach the BK and put it in the stand if I need to use it with my grills. I really recommend the cord hanger installation. It is quick, easy and requires no drilling. Good luck with your BK-I think you will find it very useful. If I can help in any way let me know.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: TexasSMK on January 09, 2016, 04:40:56 PM
Another item on the wish list :D  Do you have pictures/explanation for the cord hangar arrangement?
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on January 10, 2016, 11:52:11 AM
Dale it's very simple. Just attach one cord hanger to the right rear of the SI and use a large hose clamp to secure the external smoke generator to it. Then install a second cord hanger, upside down, on the side of the smoker to stabilize the tube coming from the smoke generator.
Pictures are in my post "Cold Smoking in a Hot Climate." This uses all original hardware and no drilling is required. I did replace the existing bolts with slightly longer ones with washers but don't think this is really necessary.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: TexasSMK on January 17, 2016, 03:36:02 PM
Thanks Roger
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: kz0m on January 31, 2016, 02:41:18 PM
I borrowed Rogers idea for a stand for the Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna as an external smoke generator for my 3D.  Home Depot had the 5/8-7/8" hose to attach to the BK and I used aluminum strap 1 1/2" wide, drilled a 3/4" hole with a hole saw to attach the BK outlet and a standard water hose male adapter to attach the hose to the outlet.  I used JB weld to attach the strap to the bread pan.
It has been a challenge to keep the BK going and finally read about using lump charcoal and not just chips/pellets.
Anyone have more advice for keeping the BK smoking without having to relight it several times?  I think using alternate chips-pellets-charcoal will keep it going.

Carl 
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: Limey on January 31, 2016, 06:00:59 PM
Carl, I'm pretty sure that putting charcoal in with the chips will solve your problem. I use a brute force approach-light the Big Kahuna with a blowtorch, from the bottom obviously, and then leave the bottom and top caps off until I have a nice hot fire going. Add a few more chips, replace both caps, and only then plug in the aquarium aerator and start smoking. If the fire dies down at all then remove the bottom cap for a minute or two. Incidentally liked your big loops in the piping setup; these will work great to trap the smoke condensate.
Title: Re: Cheese with external smoke generator
Post by: wehill on March 28, 2017, 06:43:10 PM
You can make your own smoke generator ... it isn't complicated.  I have built quite a few over the years.  The first one was a buried 55 gallon drum  :D.    Just find some junk square tubing, some expanded metal, couple of pieces of pipe, and a source of air and all you need is a little bit of use of a cutting torch and welder and you are ready to smoke till your heart's content.  :-*