Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
|
themoron
|
Best wood for cold smoking?Hi Guys,
I'm just about to buy my first smoker, a ProQ Cold smoke generator. I want to buy some sawdust to go with it. MacsBBQ do several types to go with the ProQ (Alder, Apple, Beech, Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Oak and Whiskey Oak).
In your experiences, which is a good all rounder wood? I hope to be cold smoking cheese, chicken pieces, sausages, and experiment with whatever I can find in the kitchen (the dog had better watch out lol).
Cheers
TM
|
Shan
|
Hickory works extremely well with pork & chicken. Oak with fish.
|
Shan
|
Ask blokeoffthetelly about cheese.
|
Nick
|
I've used both oak and apple. Both nice. Can I tell the difference? No, not at all.
|
Treacodactyl
|
I've used oak a fair bit to smoke cheese, always turned out really good.
|
Finsky
|
Oak is my favourite too.
I've used few fresh springs of juniper when doing hot smoke and that gives loooovely fragrant sweet smoke flavour to the fish..It would be worth of trying in cold smoking too...it could work lovely with some more tangy cheeses.
edit..to add to that..I've used fresh rosemary same as juniper..another one that gives nice tasting aroma in smoke. But any fresh material is only used in small quantity with the wood. Its only a flavouring..not the actual source of the smoke. Cold smoking taking so much longer, you might need to add it into source for last couple of hours or so..so its not too overpowering.
|
Green Rosie
|
Did anyone see Heston whatsisface cold smoking cheese in kettle BBQ drums? Would like to give that a go.
|
Nick
|
Smoked cheese is great.
|
Frazzled_Barbie
|
Did anyone see Heston whatsisface cold smoking cheese in kettle BBQ drums? Would like to give that a go. |
I saw that - but was confused. Did he use sawdust as well or was it just the rosemary sprigs?
|
dpack
|
oak for bacon/hams
oak for kippers
apple for cheese
re prunus spp most are ok ,cherry is very nice ,
juniper is great for jerky
some green pines are great with game if you like the tastes ,if you dont mutterings of disinfectant are likely
re oak natural with the bark on ,a bit rotted ,twigs ,etc work better than seasoned sawdust ,the oil in chainsaw chips is maybe an issue so i avoid them .a small charcoal fire can be used to burn the soggy oak bits 
|
themoron
|
Thanks for all the advice. I'm getting excited now. If I get a batch of oak sawdust, I can then make my own small quantities of apple and cherry from my own trees to mix in. Does that sound like a good plan? Sort of use the oak as a base for other stuff.
I can also dry some of my rosemary and add it to the oak, I love the smell of rosemary - I often put a couple of sprigs on the BBQ once we're done eating.
|
themoron
|
Does 8 x 450g bags of sawdust at £25.00 sound like a good deal or should I be shopping around?
|
Treacodactyl
|
I've no idea about the price, I've just made my own chippings and saw dust.
If you plan to use oak as a base and mix in other woods I'd expect you'll mainly end up with an oaky smoke as oak is quite strong.
|
Finsky
|
Does 8 x 450g bags of sawdust at £25.00 sound like a good deal or should I be shopping around?
I don't have no idea what 'clean' shavings or sawdust for smoking purposes would cost..but..that does sound bit pricey to me.
Check some animal bedding suppliers what wood they use for the shavings.
I used wood chippings and small starter logs when I do smoking (hot smoking)..perhars using more 'general' wood shavings as main incredient and adding some finely chopped/chredded pieces of oak would do same..that should smoulder long time..?
Have you got circular (bench) saw by any chance?...you could very quickly make some fine stuff with that and you don't get oil any on it like with shainsaw.
|
Nick
|
I know furniture makers have given it away FOC previously. Might be worth asking about. I managed to get some 500g bags from the Co-op at the end of BBQ season for pennies, but I wouldn't buy them normally, far too expensive.
|
themoron
|
Using my schoolboy maths, a 9 hour burn is roughly 100g (according to ProQ) so 8x450g bags at £25 equates to 70p a burn. That doesn't sound too bad I suppose. Once I'm more acquainted with smoking, I'll probably source something cheaper.
I have got an electric plainer but it's broken at the moment. Looks like I'll be trying to get it working over the weekend. There's plenty of fallen wood in the New Forest. 
|
pricey
|
Does 8 x 450g bags of sawdust at £25.00 sound like a good deal or should I be shopping around? |
