Chips in foil

[SmokedLoon]

The large hickory dowel that came with my unit worked flawlessly delivering a long wispy perfume of smoke.  I want to switch to trout this weekend and prefer to use apple wood. I have 5-6lbs in chip form.  Has anyone made chips work by wrapping them in foil or stainless shim stock with a small vent hole?

I know there is a mesh to burn chips available but I want to make them behave like a chunk.

Matt

 

[Pork Belly]

you can lay down a piece of perforated foil and make a pile of chips on it. You would likely get good smoke with foil wrapped chips but it would take longer for the smoke to start. The chip screen is a good investment.

 

[Barrel99]

+1 ... Chip Screen works real well, but definitely try some foil. I have spent many hours testing with foil in different forms. None as good as the chip screen, especially when you want smoke quickly.

 

[SuperDave]

Don't be afraid to ditch the smoke box altogether.  For my cheese smokes, I use a tin pie plate with sawdust, pellets and chips that rests directly on the element. 

 

[NDKoze]

Don't be afraid to ditch the smoke box altogether.  For my cheese smokes, I use a tin pie plate with sawdust, pellets and chips that rests directly on the element. 

This would work well if you are smoking something that won't drip (like cheese) all over your heating element. Unless your pie plate covers all of your heating element and/or whatever you are smoking is dry and won't be dripping liquids I don't know that I would do this.

 

[jbauch357]

Depending on how long you intend to smoke, the chips may work fine in the stock fire box.  My last batch of salmon I used alder chips from the local hardware store, directly into the fire box.  At 140 the chips only got hot enough to smoke during ramp up and a little bit after, overheating wasn't an issue at all. 

Next time I do fish I'm starting at 120 and ramping up 5 degrees every 30 min to keep the element hot enough to smoke chips but not so hot that it overcooks the fish which was done after 2hrs at 140.

 

[SuperDave]

Next time I do fish I'm starting at 120 and ramping up 5 degrees every 30 min to keep the element hot enough to smoke chips but not so hot that it overcooks the fish which was done after 2hrs at 140.

When you are that close to your programmed temp, the element only gets power like the blinking light on the smoker or Auber.  It is very difficult to do what you are suggesting.  It is why the use of the cold plate and full power to the smoker is a typical technique.  The box temp above the plate stays at a temp in the 100's while the element is kicking out power trying to reach 250.  When I do my cheese, I can run the smoker hot for an hour and still not reach 100 in the food zone.  With a little experimenting on the baffling, you could probably reach the sweet spot with your fish.

 

[SuperDave]

Don't be afraid to ditch the smoke box altogether.  For my cheese smokes, I use a tin pie plate with sawdust, pellets and chips that rests directly on the element. 

This would work well if you are smoking something that won't drip (like cheese) all over your heating element. Unless your pie plate covers all of your heating element and/or whatever you are smoking is dry and won't be dripping liquids I don't know that I would do this.

Fish on one rack and some foil on the rack below if that was a big concern. 

 

[jbauch357]

Next time I do fish I'm starting at 120 and ramping up 5 degrees every 30 min to keep the element hot enough to smoke chips but not so hot that it overcooks the fish which was done after 2hrs at 140.

When you are that close to your programmed temp, the element only gets power like the blinking light on the smoker or Auber.  It is very difficult to do what you are suggesting.  It is why the use of the cold plate and full power to the smoker is a typical technique.  The box temp above the plate stays at a temp in the 100's while the element is kicking out power trying to reach 250.  When I do my cheese, I can run the smoker hot for an hour and still not reach 100 in the food zone.  With a little experimenting on the baffling, you could probably reach the sweet spot with your fish.

As with most experiments I could be wrong but am pretty sure a slow but constant ramp will produce the results I'm looking for (might have to start at 100 and jump 10 degrees though).  Sounds like I have something to experiment with this weekend, time to get some fish thawing.

I do have the cold smoke plate too, once ambient temps are in the 90's and 100's I'll start experimenting with it 1L bottle ice blocks.

 

[Pork Belly]

Am I the only one here that sets the temp and walks away? From 80 to 250 I dial up what I want on the stock controller and let the machine work. I keep my wood sized appropriate to the temp and length of my smokes, and don't have any issues.

 

[SuperDave]

Am I the only one here that sets the temp and walks away? From 80 to 250 I dial up what I want on the stock controller and let the machine work. I keep my wood sized appropriate to the temp and length of my smokes, and don't have any issues.

There might be a difference in performance between Auber users and non Auber users?  The flickering light of power control for me, as an Auber user, turns the heat on and off for seconds at a time so that the element is never really on long enough to provide sustained heat to the wood and thus keep smoke rolling.  I was under the impression that the analog controller also flickers power.  Is that correct? 

 

[Pork Belly]

I have never seen it flicker I have watched it cycle on and off over a few minutes . I have also messed with it a bit to get an indication where the box temp was at. I turn it up until the light kicks on then immediately back down to my set temp. But my smoke never quits through the smoke regardless where it is set, I'm making smoke.

 

[SuperDave]

In addition to the Auber vs. analog differences we share as SI owners, I've also come to believe that not all SI units operate the same.  As a model 4 owner, my experience may be of very little value to a #1 or #2 owner and vice versa. As long as we all take the advice given with a grain of salt, we should be good. 

 

[NDKoze]

You are right. You and some of the newer #4 owners are kind of blazing some paths because the #4 is a different beast in some ways.

You won't see flickering without the Auber, it will be solid on for the cycle and then off until it kicks on again. This actually might be an advantage to us non-Auber users.

 

[Barrel99]

I see many differences between all models if you scrutinize everyone's comments. So you can't take everything verbatim without understanding your own unit a bit. You won't go far wrong, but you might have to adjust a little as you learn. I never see blinking lights, I have no Auber, and agree I am a set it and forget it smoker man.

 

[Barrel99]

I see many differences between all models if you scrutinize everyone's comments. So you can't take everything verbatim without understanding your own unit a bit. You won't go far wrong, but you might have to adjust a little as you learn. I never see blinking lights, I have no Auber, and agree I am a set it and forget it smoker man.