Handheld smokers becoming popular in the world of smoking.

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mr t 59874

Master of the Pit
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Jun 9, 2011
2,630
266
Trout Creek, Montana
 Currently, there are two models available on the net priced between $ 40 and $100 which makes them a good value for what they are capable of doing.  I am in no way discouraging anyone from purchasing  A-Maze-N products, but instead encouraging the broadening of your smoking arsenal. All smokers should consider having an A-Maze-N product included in their smoking arsenal.

Tom
 
 
 Currently, there are two models available on the net priced between $ 40 and $100 which makes them a good value for what they are capable of doing.  I am in no way discouraging anyone from purchasing  A-Maze-N products, but instead encouraging the broadening of your smoking arsenal. All smokers should consider having an A-Maze-N product included in their smoking arsenal.

Tom
Yep nothing like more toys!! 
sausage.gif
 Wife may say different thou LOL - 
I have both amps and ampts  and love them!! 

A full smoker is a happy smoker 

DS
 
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If I get any more smoke generators, I will be living in the MES 30 on the back porch... BUT, it's good to know what options are available... Like smokers, everyone's needs are different....

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em...


Dave
 
If I get any more smoke generators, I will be living in the MES 30 on the back porch... BUT, it's good to know what options are available... Like smokers, everyone's needs are different....

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em...


Dave
I know what you mean.  Just yesterday I heard, don't you have enough thermometers?

The nice thing about these little things is that they can do what other generators simply cannot. My handheld smoke generator is the most versatile unit I have.  Plainly put with this unit, if it can be consumed, it can be smoked, indoors. You name it, a layer of smoke can be applied in mere minutes. It is primarily for cold smoking, of course, and it cannot replace the deep penetration that longer hot or cold smoking creates, but it can give a good smoke flavor and aroma to anything. 

For example, It's freezing outside and you are sitting on ice one mile off shore trying to charm a fish up through a small hole.  Chilled, you begin to get hungry and think of the soup you brought with you that your wife had heated earlier.  You pour yourself a cup and the aroma hit's you, it's smoked.  She had added a shot of smoke while warming it  knowing it would put a smile on your face.  You think, that in itself was worth the price.

Ho Ho Ho, Santa's coming.

T
 
If I get any more smoke generators, I will be living in the MES 30 on the back porch... BUT, it's good to know what options are available... Like smokers, everyone's needs are different....

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em...


Dave

I'd be in the same boat if I buy anymore smokers, or equipment! I think the GOSM has a bit more square footage than the MES though!
 
You know, when someone linked that hikers little fold up smoker the other day, I thought at first it was an auxillary smoker, It had that little TP top on ot and would have been perfect to hook a hose or vent like to and send the smoke to a smoker/pit/enclosure. 

But currently I am still enamored with both the Amps 5x8, and the MES coldsmoker. Both you could just stick to a cardboard box and smoke. I always laughed and thought about using an MES box (The container it comes in) and hooking up one or the other aux. smoker to it and then come here and complain about not getting good temperatures.

LOL

Then furnish a picture when someone asked cause they can't understand whats wrong.....LOL
 
 
You know, when someone linked that hikers little fold up smoker the other day, I thought at first it was an auxillary smoker, It had that little TP top on ot and would have been perfect to hook a hose or vent like to and send the smoke to a smoker/pit/enclosure. 

But currently I am still enamored with both the Amps 5x8, and the MES coldsmoker. Both you could just stick to a cardboard box and smoke. I always laughed and thought about using an MES box (The container it comes in) and hooking up one or the other aux. smoker to it and then come here and complain about not getting good temperatures.

LOL

Then furnish a picture when someone asked cause they can't understand whats wrong.....LOL
So many things to smoke and so little time.

Wonder how your Jambalaya would be if you smoked the water used in it, or added smoke to the whole pot of gumbo.  Think it might taste like it was cooked over a open wood fire?

T
 
So many things to smoke and so little time.

Wonder how your Jambalaya would be if you smoked the water used in it, or added smoke to the whole pot of gumbo.  Think it might taste like it was cooked over a open wood fire?
 
T

Dangit, Mr T. Now you got me thinking. Could you smoke the chicken before you use it in the gumbo? Or maybe the rice? Has anyone ever tried to cold smoke rice before adding it to your bowl of gumbo? Now I am gonna have to make another pot of gumbo....purely for experimental purposes of course.

Smoke it up.
William
 
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Dangit, Mr T. Now you got me thinking. Could you smoke the chicken before you use it in the gumbo? Or maybe the rice? Has anyone ever tried to cold smoke rice before adding it to your bowl of gumbo? Now I am gonna have to make another pot of gumbo....purely for experimental purposes of course.

Smoke it up.
William
I have never made gumbo, I let the neighbor do that.  I would like to try it though if I could get the proper guidance. (hint) 

You can easily smoke pulled or parted chicken buy placing it an a container with a tight lid or cling wrap, fill it with smoke then let it rest.  ​As far as rice, I have smoked it simply by adding a shot of smoke to the cooker before service.

Hope this helps. Have fun, there are no limits.

T
 
I have never made gumbo, I let the neighbor do that.  I would like to try it though if I could get the proper guidance. (hint) 

You can easily smoke pulled or parted chicken buy placing it an a container with a tight lid or cling wrap, fill it with smoke then let it rest.  ​As far as rice, I have smoked it simply by adding a shot of smoke to the cooker before service.

Hope this helps. Have fun, there are no limits.

T
Here is a link to the last pot of gumbo I made. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/237121/cooler-weather-gumbo#post_1481355
 
I have been making smoked gumbo's since tasting my Mom's, as wee little kid. Our Christmas eve meal is always smoked turkey gumbo before the bonfires on the levee . Its made from the left over thanksgiving.

And historically jambalaya is cooked outside over wood.

Jambalaya pots?


Those two are twenty-fives on legs, most use 30's.

Heres the little one that I get teased about.


So smoke is really not too new........
 
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Foam,

I would think that gumbo would have originally been cooked over an open fire and that is the taste I would want to duplicate rather that one cooked without smoke in a kitchen.

Hopefully, I could use you as a crutch on that journey.

T
 
Lets face it nearly everything started on a fire. Some meals just didn't take much of that smokey goodness.Wet and damp foods just don't absorb that much smoke.Well you know that, but unless you use smoked foods to produce the finished product.

I have been saving turkey cooking down Thanksgiving turkey leftovers most of my life. AND now at a dollar a pound, if I could just find them in the grocer's more often (I did put two in the freezer).

That beautiful broth I cleared and reduced off that turkey last week I made soup with today. Turkey veggie. All that apple smoke OMG! what a great tasting .....I hate to call it a broth, it has much too much gelatine to be a broth. I'll call it a comsumee. The soup its completely over the top. I decided to do soup instead of gumbo with it this time. 

So there is lots of smokey taste in the gumbo. And I am sure hamrhead would agree, all the best jambalaya's are cooked outside and in quantity. you should walk thru the rows of large pots at the Jambalaya festival, or the church benefits or the sports team's benefit, weddings receptions (if its not crawfish season), etc etc.....

Realize there are over 100 entrants usually, this is just the end four. You've got to make a good jambalaya if you expect to get your pot emptied. I think its now up to 7.50/plate for charity.


Here's what the champions cook.


It gets a little smoke flavor, but not too much, you have to cover it to cook the rice.
 
 
The nice thing about these little things is that they can do what other generators simply cannot. My handheld smoke generator is the most versatile unit I have.  Plainly put with this unit, if it can be consumed, it can be smoked, indoors. You name it, a layer of smoke can be applied in mere minutes. It is primarily for cold smoking, of course, and it cannot replace the deep penetration that longer hot or cold smoking creates, but it can give a good smoke flavor and aroma to anything. 

I'm in 100% agreement with you Tom. I don't know which handheld units you're referring to, but I've had the Smoking Gun from PolyScience for around 3 years, and it's frequently in use . Primarily for items where it wouldn't be practical to start up either the hot or cold smoker.

Most recently, it was for a couple dozen fresh oysters that were used in Thanksgiving's oyster dressing. Put the oysters in a Ziploc freezer bag, closed it except for a small opening to insert the gun's hose, hit it with smoke for about 15 seconds, then sealed the bag for 20 minutes. Repeated the process a couple more times over an hour. The result produced an outstanding dressing.

I did the same a couple weeks prior  with a couple Chilean sea bass fillets my wife brought home, and prior to that, the same with some large sea scallops. Whenever I make gumbo or jambalaya with chicken, the gun comes out. A while back, I made up a large batch of Bloody Mary mix and inserted the hose into the mix with great results. I also often use it with prepared vegetables when making soups or stews.

Again, when the mass of the item(s) you want to apply smoke to is not large, and it's not practical to start up the traditional smokers, the gun, for me, is the way to go.
 
 
Dls1,, do you have a pic of the smoking gun?? would like to see it,, sounds interesting,,, I could see it on some hard boiled eggs in the morning before work,, or some tiny shrimp to go into a salad with the eggs YUMMMMMMM

Thanks, 

DS
 
 
dls1

Well now let's figure the operational cost of smoking those oysters.

Cost of a zip bag + @ 1/5th of a gram per load. The cost of 3/5ths of one gram of dust if you reloaded each time, which I doubt.   Hope you didn't break the bank.  
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