Newbie and his electric smoke box

[mymeatsonfire]

I'm new to the group, not to Pure Michigan.  A couple weeks ago I bought a second-hand Little Chief smoker box on a whim. It was a smoker box that I'd used years ago. My first smoke session with salmon was on the coldest night of this Spring a couple weeks back, but it worked after wrapping the smoker box in a moving blanket, and I finally finished at 2AM.  My second smoke session was yesterday and my DIY cover helped a lot.  My history with smoking started when I lived in Alaska three decades ago, where I smoked a whole lot of fish because fish was plentiful there. Back then I used a simple apple juice brine, and me and my buddies kept the smokers going day and night whenever we were back at the base.  Now, I want to learn how to smoke cheese and make jerky, but decided to start small, hence the second-hand smoker. 

BTW, is second-hand smoking safe? 

Ha Ha

Anyway, happy smoking (food).

 

[mymeatsonfire]

Photo May 03, 10 31 13.jpg

• mymeatsonfire
• May 3, 2015

's smoke session in my Little Chief electric smoker.  The pic shows the salmon and pork loin steaks at the second chip fill. Oh, I created a cover from extra stuff to insulate the smoker a bit and keep the wind off it.  I'm in the process of modifying a wooden smoker cover that had been disassembled, so this cover is temporary. That's a pan of water on the bottom that I found to help hold the temperature when I remove the smoker door and check on the meat.  I use a Maverick 733 wireless digital thermometer to remotely monitor the smoker internal and external temperatures.  I also use a digital probe to check the meat temp.

Photo May 03, 12 47 54.jpg

• mymeatsonfire
• May 3, 2015

 

[handymanstan]

Welcome to the Forum and the Michigan Group mymeatsonfire.  Nice smoker and it sounds like you are on your way to great BBQ.  Your fish looks good and tasty.  How did the pork loins come out? 

Stan

 

[mymeatsonfire]

Well, the salmon turned out great, but the pork loin steaks were dry.  I should have removed the pork much earlier as eight hours in a smoker is way too long.  I'll just chop up the pork and use it in some chili or something.  My smoker mod is almost done and that will provide an 1100 watt adjustable heating element in the box.  I plan to add a digital temperature controller to regulate the temperature automatically to help keep me from burning anything up.

 

[handymanstan]

 
Well, the salmon turned out great, but the pork loin steaks were dry.  I should have removed the pork much earlier as eight hours in a smoker is way too long.  I'll just chop up the pork and use it in some chili or something.  My smoker mod is almost done and that will provide an 1100 watt adjustable heating element in the box.  I plan to add a digital temperature controller to regulate the temperature automatically to help keep me from burning anything up.

Sorry the pork was dry but the chili sounds like a good idea. Loins are so lean.  Have you looked into a PID controller for temp control.  There cheap on ebay and easy to hook up. Will keep your temps within a degree or two.