Secrets to cold smoking

[minky]

Are there any good books, websites or forums for cold smoking? Any basic tips or info? I am trying cold smoking a chunk of rainbow trout today (around 140 degrees), Thanks minky

[Big Dave2]

3 hours ago, minky said:

Are there any good books, websites or forums for cold smoking? Any basic tips or info? I am trying cold smoking a chunk of rainbow trout today (around 140 degrees), Thanks minky

 

What kind of smoker are you using?

[minky]

Big Chief electric smoker, top self of smoker (a little lower temp on top shelves). I don't have a temperature gauge in there yet. After doing some reading online, I think my temp is closer to 160.

[rundrave]

I would think most smokers would have a hard time not getting too warm for cold smoking. But you could get a pellet tube and put it in your smoker and see where your at temp wise and just leave your smoker off and just get the heat from the pellet tube.

[minky]

My rainbow trout turned out pretty good. My smoke time was just under 3 hours. I ended up finishing it off in the oven. The fish had a nice smoke taste to it. I used apple chunks. I want to use alder next time.

[Cooperman]

On 9/18/2020 at 10:11 AM, minky said:

Are there any good books, websites or forums for cold smoking? Any basic tips or info? I am trying cold smoking a chunk of rainbow trout today (around 140 degrees), Thanks minky

To cold smoke you really need to keep the temperature under 90 degrees. This is pretty hard even when you use an AMNPS tray or tube in a smoker chamber. It can be done by putting a pan of ice  between the AMNPS an what you are smoking, or by leaving the door of the smoker open a bit to let out the heat. The best solution is to make something similar to the mailbox mod, or buying a smoke generator. The attached photo is what I made (similar to the mailbox mod) to attach to my Pit Barrel cooker. I made it out of an old aluminum roaster with a couple aluminum elbows. It generates light blue smoke with no heat. I don’t smoke much fish, mostly bellies, cheese, eggs, etc. as for the cold smoking resources, just Google cold smoking and you will get all the information you need. 

 

[huntnfish]

I cold smoke cheese in my Bradley but only when the temps are around 50 or less. I don’t plug in the smoker itself. I just use the heat from where the wood pucks get heated. 

[BAIT956]

I rigged this elbow and hose to run to an old grille for cold smoking