Mac's Pro-Q Cold Smoke Generator
(Cold smoked food) .."don't confuse cheap with crap, ..this isn't crap"
I grew up hauling mackerel out of the sea & smoking them on an expensive little ABU smoker.
Nowadays for about the price we paid back in the 70's for the ABU you can simplify the process & smoke stuff on a much grander scale...
By sticking this under a slightly modified cardboard box
(if you really wish to try it on the cheap)! you could achieve with a little bit of web reading, smoked cheeses, nuts, SALMON, trout, salt & other "premium priced" epicurean delights, for a matter of pence.
I'd long hankered after an expensive bradley smoker (basically a fridge with a heating element that burns off woodchip "pucks" at great expense, or for around £34.95 start here & build on my scant experience from youth.
FYI there are a lot of Bradley smoker owners who use this within their machines due to the fact it's simpler, cheaper, & with no moving parts doesn't break down, unlike the Bradley smoker which can be a bit uppity at times it being a intricate piece of kit.
So why is Gear-Snob positively raving about this kit?, well smoke for smoke it's CHEAP to buy, run, maintain (what little maintenance there is, by dint of a soapy wash by hand with a sponge scrubber in the sink ..& it's also dishwasher safe , though I wouldn't be safe from the wife after a move like that).
Cost to run: PENCE ..not Pounds, ..if you fill up the smoke maze (wood dust "type" dependent, it can be a matter of £0.15 - £0.50p per run compared to pounds on a packet of "wood pucks" for a Bradley, meaning it's definitely affordable to smoke a little or a lot of whatever you fancy, ..not in one massive fridge-busting hit!
Starting small, & then progressing in acheap hobby....this is a winner, who cannot find a decent sized clean cardboard box & spend 20 minutes making a few supporting rails for those "loaned" oven racks you snuck past the wife. or perhaps your partners cooling racks for baking, ..this is starting & sticking on the cheap whilst you decide whether the cold smoking hobby malarkey is for you.
Food smoking elevates your family & friends taste-buds, turning that supermarket offer of bland edam cheese (for example) into something special you'd only normally dare splash out on once in a blue moon at an eatery as a starter or a speciality food market.
Mac's hold the design patent for this gem of an item, which is available directly from themselves (as well as lots of useful info from the right people to ask), OR via numerous websites, including amazon.
www.macsbbq.com
Nowadays for about the price we paid back in the 70's for the ABU you can simplify the process & smoke stuff on a much grander scale...
By sticking this under a slightly modified cardboard box
(if you really wish to try it on the cheap)! you could achieve with a little bit of web reading, smoked cheeses, nuts, SALMON, trout, salt & other "premium priced" epicurean delights, for a matter of pence.
I'd long hankered after an expensive bradley smoker (basically a fridge with a heating element that burns off woodchip "pucks" at great expense, or for around £34.95 start here & build on my scant experience from youth.
FYI there are a lot of Bradley smoker owners who use this within their machines due to the fact it's simpler, cheaper, & with no moving parts doesn't break down, unlike the Bradley smoker which can be a bit uppity at times it being a intricate piece of kit.
So why is Gear-Snob positively raving about this kit?, well smoke for smoke it's CHEAP to buy, run, maintain (what little maintenance there is, by dint of a soapy wash by hand with a sponge scrubber in the sink ..& it's also dishwasher safe , though I wouldn't be safe from the wife after a move like that).
Cost to run: PENCE ..not Pounds, ..if you fill up the smoke maze (wood dust "type" dependent, it can be a matter of £0.15 - £0.50p per run compared to pounds on a packet of "wood pucks" for a Bradley, meaning it's definitely affordable to smoke a little or a lot of whatever you fancy, ..not in one massive fridge-busting hit!
Starting small, & then progressing in acheap hobby....this is a winner, who cannot find a decent sized clean cardboard box & spend 20 minutes making a few supporting rails for those "loaned" oven racks you snuck past the wife. or perhaps your partners cooling racks for baking, ..this is starting & sticking on the cheap whilst you decide whether the cold smoking hobby malarkey is for you.
Food smoking elevates your family & friends taste-buds, turning that supermarket offer of bland edam cheese (for example) into something special you'd only normally dare splash out on once in a blue moon at an eatery as a starter or a speciality food market.
Mac's hold the design patent for this gem of an item, which is available directly from themselves (as well as lots of useful info from the right people to ask), OR via numerous websites, including amazon.
www.macsbbq.com
ProQ Cold Smoke Generator, (official Specs & blurb)
Gear-Snobs 9yr old daughter made some damn fine smoked cheeses with dad.
ProQ Cold Smoke Generator is a great little gadget that makes cold smoking easy to do and affordable. Released in 2010 it is now used by top chefs, fishermen, hunters and “foodies” around the world to add a wonderful smoky flavour to foods such as fish (Salmon, Haddock, Kippers, etc), bacon, hams, eggs, cheeses, beef, venison, salami, butter, salt and nuts.
- Easy to use
- Produces clean, cool smoke for up to 10 hours
- Will work in most existing BBQ's, smokers, in fact just about any container
- The most cost effective cold smoking method, 100g of wood dust smokes for up to 10 hrs
- Made from high grade Stainless Steel
- 150 x 180 x 40mm
- Weighs just 250g
- Patent - GB2471296
- The ProQ Cold Smoke Generator is covered by a 12 month warranty, but by following the simple instructions , each unit comes complete with Premium smoking dust, Starting Candle and Instructions.
- The patented ProQ Cold Smoke Generator is designed to produce smoke for up to 10 hours, using ProQ smoking wood dust which is of a high quality and sourced from sustainable forests (other brands of dust may not produce the same results).
Extra's to consider.
Different wood dusts command different prices, Oak is the norm for uk smokers as are beech ..both are good to get you started (I prefer the scent & smoke of a beech & oak mix, sweeter smoke, superb results for this amateur & convert.
There are various places to buy smoke in small bags, however I found a fantastic site (yes it delivers via courier) Ashwood smoking, which means that my smokes work out about 12p per 10 hour (full) burn. I dare you to compare that to the price of bradley smoker briquettes.
If you go through a firm such as Ashwood, you can be sure of full certification got deli grade wodchip, not dust scapings from an indeterminate source mixed with contaminants, you'll need to buy by the sack, but don't worry this is a cheap armchair sport of foodie delights & you'll be set up whilst you hone your skills & pass it around your friends & family to have a go, so far this is on 3 relatives "must have" presents lists which means you can get them sharing a kilo or so of your precious wood-dust without breaking the bank.
Ask for this: Raucher dust,
Räucher Gold
E 150-750
Size 0.2 to 2.5 mm
1 inch wooden dowel, bamboo or metal skewers, fondue forks at a push ...all these can be pushed through a large multi-pack crisp box courtesy of your local supermarket, a bit of scotch tape (sellotape) to cover up any leaky holes & corners.
your wife's* cooling racks (baking)
A longish screw for the nightlight (you'll see why)
With this little lot of kit I sort my hobo smoker (you might just use a spare BBQ with a vent if you've one available) I stick it outside on a raised surface, covered from the elements & depending on your preferences, a smoke or three later you have a superb bit of cheese on the cheap.
Give it a go, just remember to allow the smoke to get out as fast as it is produced!
Use this site forum & smoker indredients store as a reference guide ... Sausagemaking.org
*sorry dear!
There are various places to buy smoke in small bags, however I found a fantastic site (yes it delivers via courier) Ashwood smoking, which means that my smokes work out about 12p per 10 hour (full) burn. I dare you to compare that to the price of bradley smoker briquettes.
If you go through a firm such as Ashwood, you can be sure of full certification got deli grade wodchip, not dust scapings from an indeterminate source mixed with contaminants, you'll need to buy by the sack, but don't worry this is a cheap armchair sport of foodie delights & you'll be set up whilst you hone your skills & pass it around your friends & family to have a go, so far this is on 3 relatives "must have" presents lists which means you can get them sharing a kilo or so of your precious wood-dust without breaking the bank.
Ask for this: Raucher dust,
Räucher Gold
E 150-750
Size 0.2 to 2.5 mm
1 inch wooden dowel, bamboo or metal skewers, fondue forks at a push ...all these can be pushed through a large multi-pack crisp box courtesy of your local supermarket, a bit of scotch tape (sellotape) to cover up any leaky holes & corners.
your wife's* cooling racks (baking)
A longish screw for the nightlight (you'll see why)
With this little lot of kit I sort my hobo smoker (you might just use a spare BBQ with a vent if you've one available) I stick it outside on a raised surface, covered from the elements & depending on your preferences, a smoke or three later you have a superb bit of cheese on the cheap.
Give it a go, just remember to allow the smoke to get out as fast as it is produced!
Use this site forum & smoker indredients store as a reference guide ... Sausagemaking.org
*sorry dear!