Making A Smoker.

[echo beach]

In the '50s and '60s you made a smoker by following the stars on TV and in films by puffing on Park Drive, Woodbines, or Peter Stuyvesant if you could afford them.

It made you look 'cool' and all your mates did it, so it was de rigueur.

Fortunately, I wasn't that cool and put most of my money into getting behind my own 'wheel' at 17.

 

echo.

[hackey lad]

28 minutes ago, echo beach said:

In the '50s and '60s you made a smoker by following the stars on TV and in films by puffing on Park Drive, Woodbines, or Peter Stuyvesant if you could afford them.

It made you look 'cool' and all your mates did it, so it was de rigueur.

Fortunately, I wasn't that cool and put most of my money into getting behind my own 'wheel' at 17.

 

echo.

Just the one ? 😀

[trastrick]

 

18 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

Avoid cheap charcoal which is easy to start as they may be coated with fire lighter.

No softwood or softwood turnings,

Really dry hardwood wood, kept indoors. Forage for apple, beech, chestnut

Start asking your pals to keep the discarded nut shells.

Be careful with the meths!

 

When you first fire up the smoker you will get some odd smells which will gradually disappear with use.

Fatty meats and sugary marinades will drip and burn and spoil any delicate flavour.

Bland chicken and pork give better results than beef* which in my opinion is never improved on in the UK by BBQ or smokers.

Big chunky fish like cod absorb the flavours and cook quickly in hot dry air and give fantastic results. You can get similar results using the oven.

As you oven 'cools' put in bacon bits and off-cuts do really well as can cheap nasty ham. Grotty root vegetables for soup. Cooked lentils....and other things for soups and stews.

 

Unfortunately I found that I was smoking everything that moved and everything began to smell ( the neighbours complained that their cat was barbeque flavour). It was good fun for a while and great just to try different things-enjoy.

 

*The fashion for beef cuts supplied in the UK is for younger, different cuts, smaller and more tender. Same for lamb. Older and  bigger cow meat and mutton respond far better. 

Why bother?

 

Smoked fish is widely available and much cheaper than fresh.

 

And the producers are more likely to be more effiecient, and subject to emission controls than "you lot" with your home made fossil fuel emission machines.

 

Leave those apple, beech, chestnut trees alone!

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by trastrick

[PRESLEY]

3 hours ago, West 77 said:

Drop the plan and buy an air fryer instead.

I know people on many occaisions have told you to boil your head but frying your air is a new one on me.