Hot Dogs and Brainstorming.

[mintee]

So I just ground up 25lbs of short rib meat last night, and started the quick salt cure to make hot dogs.  They need to "cure" for 24-48 hours in the salts, then be blended with spices and stuffed into sheep casing.  That's the easy part for me as I have a pro sausage stuffer.

My problem is in the smoking.  I have a CharGriller Pro barrel type smoker, and no honest way of handing the dogs to smoke.  I don't want to put them on the grates, but I haven't determined a good way of hanging them inside.  The only thing I can think of is build some kinda small rack that will set inside the smoker, but I can't weld, and don't know anyone that does.  

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[masterofmymeat]

Sounds to me you're on track with the custom rack idea. You may want check around

though, there's got to be a mfg'd product out there.

There are some guys and gals on here that are great at this stuff...they'll be along shortly.

Have fun and keep us posted on your success..James

 

[alelover]

Since you won't be hot smoking them why not build it out of wood. Some 2x2s and some dowels oughta do it.

 

[mintee]

They will be hot smoked actually.  They need to be cooked to 147F.

 

[alelover]

Wood should still work. Just don't let any flame get at it.

 

[masterofmymeat]

Wood should still work. Just don't let any flame get at it.

X2...147* is not going to catch anything on fire if it is not direct flames.

Still, if you feel more comfortable with something metal, you could probably

find rods and mesh to bend and fashion to your smoker at a local hardware

store or big box store. Just thinking outside the welding arena...James

 

[alblancher]

Depending on how handy you are you can take Master's idea a bit further and pick up some flat steel and steel Rod at Home depot.  Drill the flat steel large enough to insert the rod or tap it to fit the threaded rod.  You can also thread the rods and secure them to the flat steel with nuts and washers.  Just fashion some feet for the flat steel or find a way to wedge them in your smoker. 

 

[mintee]

Ya, I might go with some Slotted Angle Steel and rebar, and paint it all with some High Temp paint, then wrap the rebar itself with foil.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Sound like an idear?

 

[alblancher]

Not sure about the zinc plating

I would still recommend the flat bar and steel rod.  easy enought to thread the rod and put a couple of nuts on it.  Unless you can find the angle iron with out zinc

 

[turkey mama]

I just did Hot Dogs for the first time and my hubby cut me some pieces of wood out of 2x4's to fit across the top of my grate holders and they worked great.  Pictures on my Q view.  Simple and easy.  Good Luck

 

[mintee]

Well, I started building a rig, and got $100 into it and realized I could maybe buy a cabinet smoker for that much, then I realized I'd have to season it.  Then it dawned on my.  A buddy had an old cabinet smoker he hadn't used in years, so I called him up and he let me borrow it, so I returned all the supplies for the rig I was going to build, cleaned his up and got to smoking.

(I'm not going to bicker about how much of a pain it was to stuff in the sheep casing, no, seriously, I'm not going to complain.  I won't even begin to say it took me hours and hours.  It was fine, despite the patience and years of life it took off me, really, it was ok!!!  :P)

QView Time!

 

[boykjo]

Not sure about the zinc plating

I would still recommend the flat bar and steel rod.  easy enought to thread the rod and put a couple of nuts on it.  Unless you can find the angle iron with out zinc

Zinc will only hurt you when it becomes a gas or you injest it........ with such low temps i wouldnt worry, but have you known someone to steam oysters in a burlap bag on a piece of galvanized tin roof over a fire...........seen it done all the time ......not a safe practice but anyone who eats oysters probably has ate some .....and yes, if there are oysters that being cooked on a piece of tin I will be first in line for an oyster..........

You probably have it all figured out but a cheap way to go is rebar..... just foil the rebar at every use... makes for easy cleanup

 

[pops6927]

I did a lot of hot dogs and polish sausages, chickens, etc. on my vertical using a length of dowel rod thru the barrel!

 

[exhaustedspark]

Get some S hooks or shower curtain hangers and hang from the grill.

Works great and you dont have to weld or drill

Happy smoken

Karl