# The Great Smoked Salt Experiment



## xutfuzzy

I had been purchasing smoked salt for a while now, and wanted to try my hand at smoking my own.  Research on this site led to a lot of conflicting advice and results, so I decided to try a somewhat scientific approach to the matter.  I purchased 1 pound of sea salt from my local spice shop and decided to cold-smoke half of it, harvesting every 4 hours to monitor the results.  I would then hot-smoke the other half using the same harvesting times.

But first, I would need something to hold the salt.  Research here showed a lot of techniques and devices, but I decided to build my own using scrap materials found in my basement.  I had some wood left over from a project a while back, as well as some window screen. 

I started with a basic frame with a support running down the middle to reduce "tug" on the screen from the weight of the salt.













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I used simple overlapping flap joints.













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Then I got happy with my crown gun.













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Finally, to ensure salt didn't fall off the side, I added some basic trim around the edges.













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If I need to, I can also flip this over and ensure separation of ingredients, like if I wanted to smoke salt and peppercorns at the same time.













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So here we go, it was smoking time!  I would harvest every 4 hours.













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Here we are in the MES40.













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Bagged and tagged!













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Here are the final results:













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I was actually very surprised at the different results.  To be honest, I had anticipated there being no difference between cold and hot smoking salt.  It is, after all, a rock.  It's not like the "pores are going to open up." 

I waited a day to taste the results as I had read in some posts that people noticed that the smokiness dissipated after a day.

Cold-smoked for 4 hours = subtle smoke taste, really just a hint of smoke

Cold-smoked for 8 hours = vast upgrade from the 4 hour, a good beginner time for someone who has never had smoked salt before

Cold-smoked for 12 hours = now we are getting somewhere, good smoky flavor, but without that "burnt" taste that over-smoked salt can have

Hot-smoked for 4 hours = almost the exact same as the cold-smoked 12 hour version.  A good shortcut and a good starting point for people who like moderate-smoked salt

Hot-smoked for 8 hours = Getting into the heavy-smoked salt flavors, you can really start to notice distinct flavors based on wood type

Hot-smoked for 12 hours = Awesome  :)

Specs, for those people who like them:

MES40 with AMNPS

Pellets were 50/50 blend of hickory and oak

Cold-smoked using AMNPS only, MES40 was unplugged, ambient chamber temperature was around 90 degrees

Hot-smoked was at 275 degrees

Washington State solar-evaporated sea salt, I paid a little less than 8 bucks for one pound

Anyone got advice on smoking peppercorns?  This was a three-day process that I don't want to go though again if I can help it.  :)  Thanks!


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## scarbelly

Very nice - loved the documentation.  I have done the hot 4 and 8 but have not done the 12 hour smoke. You have inspired me to try it.  Being a salt junkie with 15 varieties including truffle, 3 Hawaiian salts and Tahitian vanilla this was very interesting 

Thanks for taking the time to share the experiment


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## chef jimmyj

Very cool. I have been wanting to try this but had little idea how long. This a great guide for Salt Newbies...JJ


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## smokinhusker

Very nice! I've cold smoked coarse sea salt for about 6 hrs in my MES40 with excellent results. I put it on one of those grease splatter screens.


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## sound1

What kind of screen did you use?? Aluminium would eat through and impart a bad taste, Galvanized..a big no-no, does fiberglass hold up to the heat?? I have always used a SS skillet splatter screen but they don't hold enough.


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## xutfuzzy

Sound1 said:


> What kind of screen did you use?? Aluminium would eat through and impart a bad taste, Galvanized..a big no-no, does fiberglass hold up to the heat?? I have always used a SS skillet splatter screen but they don't hold enough.


The screen was fiberglass, which has a melting point of a few thousand degrees.  If my MES40 hit that point, I promise I would record a video and post it here.  :)


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## dragonmaster194

Nice experiment, and very informative.  I have never tried smoked salt, and this will be on my short list to try.  Thanks for the info!  Steve


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## hotpit

wow!!!  thanks for all the great info!!!!!  very interesting!!


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## forluvofsmoke

xutfuzzy said:


> Sound1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What kind of screen did you use?? Aluminium would eat through and impart a bad taste, Galvanized..a big no-no, does fiberglass hold up to the heat?? I have always used a SS skillet splatter screen but they don't hold enough.
> 
> 
> 
> The screen was fiberglass, which has a melting point of a few thousand degrees. _* If my MES40 hit that point, I promise I would record a video and post it here.  *_*:)*
Click to expand...

LMAO!!! That would be a sight to watch that melt-down!

I can't offer any experienced tips on temps/times and smoke wood for peppercorns, only theories. I'm just getting interested in smoked salt and peppercorns myself...well, and a few other dried spices and herbs. Some of what you described here is close to what I would have expected, only I hadn't thought about that high of temps for smoking salt, spices or herbs.

I would suggest starting at the mid-point you used for the salt, say 6 hours, only around 200* or below, instead of 275*, as the peppercorns may begin to roast if exposed to that high of temps..which you may not want, as the natural oils will begin to breakout and release the aromas and flavors at some point from exposure to heat, and render the pepper much weaker in it's encapsulated natural flavor (hence, fresh ground is always more intense than store-bought ground pepper). This could be a bad thing when the peppercorns are used for open-grate or pan-seared cooking. If used for dry rubs, the additional heat during open/exposed cooking may dissipate the flavor. With heated sauces, this may be fine...on the other hand, if they were heat-treated/roasted, and this releases some of the oils, it may be beneficial for additional flavor as a post-cooking seasoning, or for cold preparations such as salad dressings, marinades and brines.

If you consider how coffee beans are roasted, they peak in flavor intensity at a certain temp/time for a given type of bean, and coffee roasters know from experience what the temp and time required for their particular beans will peak at. For the peppercorns, maybe a 150* start-up for 4 hours, then bump to x* for another hour or two if you want to use them for cold food preparations such as described above, and keep temps lower if used for dry rubs for grilling, as the higher heat from open-grate grilling does the rest for you. If used as a dry rub for low & slow smoking, maybe finish the peppercorns somewhere in the mid-point for smoke temp? Where the breakout-point for the peppercorn oils is in regards to temperature, I have no idea. If I get a chance to do some research on this, I'll let you know what I find.
Nice analytical write-up of your process and the results. Straight forward and easily duplicated. I'll have to get after this quest of mine one of these days soon, especially after you've done all the leg-work for us with salt.

Great work-up and documentation!

Eric


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## pops6927

Excellent tutorial!


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## pipesdaddy

Wow! very nice! This is very informative information.


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## gnlsr

been thinking about making some...now I am a bit past thinking...great tutorial... now I have to shoot my procrasternator alter-ego...tomorrow...


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## jarjarchef

I made some at work the other day. I used cheese cloth to spread out the salt. Did not have the time to smoke for that many hours, but it tasted amazing on watermelon and tomatoes.

Great tutorial!


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## smokeydokey

Thanks for the post, I did a similar experiment with different kinds of salt, and my favorite by FAR, was smoking Mauldon Salt. If you not familiar with it, it is French sea salt that is processed by the Brits, and it is ever good. I use it as a finishing salt as it has huge crystaline formations and really pops flavor on most any dish. For this purpose, it takes smoke very well, and is a very nice addition to your larder.

-SD


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## hotpit

I went to DK machine and got a piece of hardware cloth in mild steel. It is 18 gauge wire and 18 wires per inch. Just need to rinse off oil coating and then I'm ready for smoking some pepper corns and some sea salt!!!!


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## oldschoolbbq

Very good, post it in the Articles section...


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## josh morrison

Thanks for doing the experimenting for me. Hopefully, next weekend I'll get my own salt going.


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## cbrhunter

awesome post! thanks for all of the info...any issues with the smoke flavor diminishing shortly after smoking? just curious if you ran into this issue


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## Bearcarver

Great post !!!

I love smoked salt----Mine seems to keep the great flavor for a long time.

The times to get smoky are similar to smoking bacon----Takes a lot longer to get good color & flavor when cold smoking compared to warm smoking (110 to 140), but it gets there eventually.

Thanks for a Great post !!

Bear


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## xutfuzzy

CBRHunter said:


> awesome post! thanks for all of the info...any issues with the smoke flavor diminishing shortly after smoking? just curious if you ran into this issue


Over a couple of weeks, the effect is similar to cheese...the smokiness mellows but also improves, if that makes sense.  I've learned to use it as a finishing salt, like stirring it into a soup just before serving.  Otherwise, the effect is lost.


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## denverbri69

I want to thank you for sharing your scientific process on attacking this project and your diligence for the comprehensive tutorial.


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## beuler

Why and what do you use smoked salt for? I have not heard of this. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Thanks, Joe


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## jarjarchef

beuler said:


> Why and what do you use smoked salt for? I have not heard of this. :icon_question:
> Thanks, Joe



I use it as a finishing salt.


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## xutfuzzy

Yup, I primarily use this as a finishing salt, so that the smoke flavor doesn't get cooked away.  It adds terrific depth to a soup when stirred in after pouring the soup into the bowl, for example.  It's nice on hard boiled eggs (which you can also smoke, but that's another story), vegetables, etc.


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## inkjunkie

Thank You Sir


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## bama bbq

Some pizza recipes call for smoked salt to add complexity to the formula.


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## beefy bill

Great work!


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## jarjarchef

I made a smoked siracha salt at work that turned out pretty good. We used it on house made chips.

1# Maldon sea salt flakes
3 TBL siracha (can add more if you like more spice)

Smoked at 250 for 3hrs and allowed to sit in MES over night as it cooled. I loded a 12" AMNTS half way with oak and allowed it to burn out from the start.


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## welshrarebit

jarjarchef said:


> I made a smoked siracha salt at work that turned out pretty good. We used it on house made chips.
> 
> 1# Maldon sea salt flakes
> 3 TBL siracha (can add more if you like more spice)
> 
> Smoked at 250 for 3hrs and allowed to sit in MES over night as it cooled. I loded a 12" AMNTS half way with oak and allowed it to burn out from the start.



That sounds really good!!! You ever make gaufrette chips? I do them occasional to compliment an amuse bouche...


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## gary s

Man that looks great, I'll have to do some of that

Gary


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## jarjarchef

Welshrarebit said:


> That sounds really good!!! You ever make gaufrette chips? I do them occasional to compliment an amuse bouche...



I have but not lately.


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## mevdog

Can I just say thanks for a great write up! It is pretty much exactly what I was looking for as I am just about to start my smoking life with a proq cold smoke generator. I really like the experimental scientific method applied to this and would love to see some similar articles on other foods, but I can't seem to find any?
Are there any other write ups like this with varying smoke times and their effects noted? Also the rest time after smoking to allow the flavour to absorb and mellow?
I will definitely try to do some myself but as I am just starting out and my time with my smoker is limited at best I don't really want ruin my first batch... 
I plan on doing a meat and fish free first run with cheeses, butter, garlic, salt and chilli but can't wait to start smoking everything!


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## xutfuzzy

mevdog said:


> Can I just say thanks for a great write up! It is pretty much exactly what I was looking for as I am just about to start my smoking life with a proq cold smoke generator. I really like the experimental scientific method applied to this and would love to see some similar articles on other foods, but I can't seem to find any?
> Are there any other write ups like this with varying smoke times and their effects noted? Also the rest time after smoking to allow the flavour to absorb and mellow?
> I will definitely try to do some myself but as I am just starting out and my time with my smoker is limited at best I don't really want ruin my first batch...
> I plan on doing a meat and fish free first run with cheeses, butter, garlic, salt and chilli but can't wait to start smoking everything!


 You're welcome!  As for other articles done this way, I recall seeing something about making pastrami out of three different meats but using the same method, but otherwise I'm just not sure.  As for resting times, I've also seen some posts here regarding cheese and what happens if you try to eat some cold-smoked cheese right out of the smoker (hint: don't do it).  But again, not too many come to mind when thinking back.  Otherwise, just research a bit, and narrow your searches to articles instead of posts.  Those are more of the "tried and true" methods.  Best wishes!


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## travisty

Just attempted my own smoke today and sadly it didn't turn out too well. :'( 
I had it in my char Griller with a homemade cold smoking method I've used for cheese dozens of times (a soldering iron in a stainless cup filled with chips) and after 4 hours the color was indistinguishably different , which was strange since I also had some cheese that looked nice at that point. I also had some Rosemary going (which I plan to mix in with some of the salt and jar it up for Christmas gifts) and the Rosemary had a fairly decent and sufficient smoky aroma too it after the cold smoking. 
So after reading this post I decided to add some heat, so I threw in some charcoal and chips in the fire box and gave that 2 hours (all I had left in me for the night) and though the salt started to take on some color, there is no distinguishable scent or flavor. 
Anyway, I think I'll try sticking she batch into my MES when I have some time next week, as a control I'm also going to start a new batch at the same time. 
As a note I am using 2 stainless steel fine wire mesh strainers to hold the salt.


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## oregon smoker

beuler said:


> Why and what do you use smoked salt for? I have not heard of this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, Joe


Why would you use it?    because smoked salt adds another dimension to anything, I have been known to use it as a finishing salt on my salad.

What would you use it on? Use it on fish, Meats, Anything. finish off a fried egg and you would swear it came right off the camp fire.

Keep on Smokin,

Tom


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## oregon smoker

Travisty said:


> Just attempted my own smoke today and sadly it didn't turn out too well. :'(
> I had it in my char Griller with a homemade cold smoking method I've used for cheese dozens of times (a soldering iron in a stainless cup filled with chips) and after 4 hours the color was indistinguishably different , which was strange since I also had some cheese that looked nice at that point. I also had some Rosemary going (which I plan to mix in with some of the salt and jar it up for Christmas gifts) and the Rosemary had a fairly decent and sufficient smoky aroma too it after the cold smoking.
> So after reading this post I decided to add some heat, so I threw in some charcoal and chips in the fire box and gave that 2 hours (all I had left in me for the night) and though the salt started to take on some color, there is no distinguishable scent or flavor.
> Anyway, I think I'll try sticking she batch into my MES when I have some time next week, as a control I'm also going to start a new batch at the same time.
> As a note I am using 2 stainless steel fine wire mesh strainers to hold the salt.


What I have found is that with salt you need a large surface area so you have more area for the smoke to contact and you need to stir the salt to bring salt from the bottom of your container to the surface. the deeper (salt amount) the vessel is that you are using the more often you would want to stir the salt up. I use paper plates (two - three stacked for strength) to put my salt on and run a fork thru it every hour or two .

Tom


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## forluvofsmoke

> Originally Posted by *Oregon Smoker*
> 
> What I have found is that with salt you need a large surface area so you have more area for the smoke to contact and you need to stir the salt to bring salt from the bottom of your container to the surface. the deeper (salt amount) the vessel is that you are using the more often you would want to stir the salt up. I use paper plates (two - three stacked for strength) to put my salt on and run a fork thru it every hour or two .
> 
> Tom


Stainless Steel Spatter Screens for stove-top skillet cooking work great for kosher salt...haven't tried them with table salt, but the mesh-size may be a bit too large. With screens, there's no fuss...cover with a thin layer and smoke away. Screens work great for dried spices, peppercorns and other smaller items, as well.

Eric


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## travisty

Yeah, I was using 2 large fine wire mesh strainers, ive seen others use these successfully. I thought about grabing the spatter screens instead, but seemed like it may be to hard to not make a mess. I stirred up the salt about every 30 min or so, but like mentioned I didn't get anything but burnt salt, which I think may have also lost its savor. I am planning to throw a fresh batch info the MES 30 this week and let it run for 6-8 hours until im happy with the color, may go up to 12 since I really want this to be a unique and smoky Christmas gift. I was trying it in my charcoal first on cold then on heat but it was just too hard to control, and I guess I didn't go into it with enough commitment to see it through since it was freezing and snowing outside.


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## forluvofsmoke

Yeah, with screens, you need to place it with the wire ring/frame up, and the screen-side touching the grate. When loading with salt or other material, spread from the center outwards. Start with a smaller amount than you think you want, and when you add more, again, add to the center and spread outwards. keep your material slightly away from the edge for the possibility of potential upsets...handle gently, keep it level (plumb) and you won't have any spills. With salt and other finer particles, a layer of about 1/8" or less will smoke in just a few hours without any stirring or movement. The smoke will migrate through the tiny gaps between the particles, given enough time. The bottom and top portions will get more smoke, yes, but you will be blending this all together when you package it up for storage/shipment. Unless you're going to use just a few grains from a particular sample, you won't notice any variations in the density of the smoke which adhered to the material. It's pretty much a load, it smoke, it enjoy it process. Multiple screens offer you the opportunity to smoke multiple materials simultaneously, or, load them all with the same thing for a larger batch.  You just have to embrace the fact that, yes, your batch sizes will be at least a little bit smaller than if you placed a bowl/pan/foil/tray in the smoker loaded somewhere between 1-4" deep...which requires some continuous maintenance for relatively uniform smoke application by stirring/folding. With screens, little to no mid-smoke maintenance is required. Vertical cabinet smokers are somewhat advantageous for projects such as this due to their ease of access to the smoke chamber grates, smoke wood, etc, but for those willing to smoke salt and such, you already knew that...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Eric


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## travisty

Alright!

My second attempt at smoking salt went well! Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures as I had planned too, but it was a busy day and I did at least take a few.

I started with my MES at 100 degrees, and started an AMNPS with hickory dust but I could not keep it going (but that is for another discussion later, I just haven't figured out how to work the thing yet), and the heat wasn't enough to keep the chips smoking in the MES, so I ranked her up to 150 an had to leave for a volunteering event I was doing for a few hours. I came back 4 hours later and she was actually still smoking (thought the chips would have burned through already). The salt had a nice color on all the outsides so I mixed her up and then it had a cool calico effect to it.

Refilled some chips and again tried to get the AMNPS going this time with pellets (again, another issue for another post later, but it has been suggested that I should use the tube instead of the maze due to my elevation), and again I couldn't get it to stay lit. So I cranked the smoker up a bit more this time to 200 and left it there changing chips again for the next few hours. I alternated between Hickory and Mesquite.

I had some issues with being able to tell if it was getting smoky at all and was going strictly on the coloring to determine my stopping point. This was due to the fact that me, my house, my clothes and everything were all very smoky, so I think I just could not tell. I ended up pulling the salt out at 9pm, so it was in for a total of 11.5 hrs. Again, I wasn't assured that it was sufficiently smoky, band just wanted to make a note of this in case others are having the same concerns, perhaps I could try a trick in the future like they do at the perfume stand at Nordstrom to smell some coffee beans between each scent.

So, after the smoke I jarred the salt up into these little jars I found at a craft store for $1 per, and to test for smokiness I brought one with me to work today (the following day) and opened her up mid day. She is very nice! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  It has a pretty strong and nicely flavored smokiness to it, and again the color is good, but not as dark as I thought it would/ should be for having been in for so long on warm. Especially considering the post "the Great Salt smoking experiment" and the results he had.

So I bottled up 5 jars of salt, and im going to jar up five more mixed with onion powder and some rosemary I smoked last week, giving to 5 people the 2 smoked seasonings!













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smoked in fine mesh strainers and stirred occasionaly













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I found this furniture dollay at Lowes for $20, makes for an easy wheel base for the MES!













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Final Coloring













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All ready to go out for Christmas! (you like the nativity stable I made?)













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 was a jar of smoked salt my sister brought me back from Paris. It is norweigian smoked salt, and it is very good! I was hoping the taste would come out like this, but I think they must have used some flavoring or something.


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## danvf101

Hello all, new guy here. Got a Smoke Hollow 30162E electric smoker for Christmas. Getting exactly what I asked Mrs. Claus for is a rarity, and I'm pretty doggone happy. I'm new to the forum and to smoking, so I wanted to start small and not have to worry about ruining meat on my first attempt both at smoking, and getting familiar with a new piece of equipment. I came across the salt idea from this thread, and figured it would fit the bill. I did the curing procedure per the manufacturer's instructions the other day, and finally have the time to put the smoker to use. I am, at this moment, smoking pink Himalayan sea salt and a mix of black, green, white and pink peppercorns (salt and pepper are not mixed, they are in separate containers). As far as time and temp, I'm doing 6 hours at 225F. I read several posts on many sites about peppercorns, many recommended this temp for them, so the oils don't roast out. Also, I'm using apple chips, I also read several posts that said fruit wood gives better flavor to both salt and pepper than oak, mesquite. etc. I didn't find the time to craft the screens, so I used large stainless steel fine-mesh strainers (without plastic or rubber on the handles) that I found for $4 a piece at the grocery store. Since the salt and pepper aren't lying in one flat layer, I have been stirring every 45 min or so. Also, pretty happy that I'm able to maintain steady heat and great gobs of smoke at our current outdoor temps, 31F with maybe only a 2-4MPH wind, smoker must be very well insulated. Next purchase will be wireless meat thermometers. And meat. Any suggestions on what meat I should try first? Something that is a little forgiving for someone new to smoking? I like any and all meat, so no restrictions there. I picked up some whiskey-barrel oak chips, and am planning on using that for my first meat attempt. Thanks!


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## travisty

DanVF101 said:


> Hello all, new guy here. Got a Smoke Hollow 30162E electric smoker for Christmas. Getting exactly what I asked Mrs. Claus for is a rarity, and I'm pretty doggone happy. I'm new to the forum and to smoking, so I wanted to start small and not have to worry about ruining meat on my first attempt both at smoking, and getting familiar with a new piece of equipment. I came across the salt idea from this thread, and figured it would fit the bill. I did the curing procedure per the manufacturer's instructions the other day, and finally have the time to put the smoker to use. I am, at this moment, smoking pink Himalayan sea salt and a mix of black, green, white and pink peppercorns (salt and pepper are not mixed, they are in separate containers). As far as time and temp, I'm doing 6 hours at 225F. I read several posts on many sites about peppercorns, many recommended this temp for them, so the oils don't roast out. Also, I'm using apple chips, I also read several posts that said fruit wood gives better flavor to both salt and pepper than oak, mesquite. etc. I didn't find the time to craft the screens, so I used large stainless steel fine-mesh strainers (without plastic or rubber on the handles) that I found for $4 a piece at the grocery store. Since the salt and pepper aren't lying in one flat layer, I have been stirring every 45 min or so. Also, pretty happy that I'm able to maintain steady heat and great gobs of smoke at our current outdoor temps, 31F with maybe only a 2-4MPH wind, smoker must be very well insulated. Next purchase will be wireless meat thermometers. And meat. Any suggestions on what meat I should try first? Something that is a little forgiving for someone new to smoking? I like any and all meat, so no restrictions there. I picked up some whiskey-barrel oak chips, and am planning on using that for my first meat attempt. Thanks!


Nicely done on the Salt! how did it turn out? I haven't done pepper, but in my experience Salt needs longer than that to get a strong flavor, ive done about a dozen batches so far (because various family and friends keep asking for it) and have done mostly with a mix of Hickory and Mesquite and that turns out a nice flavor. I was contemplating trying apple for my next batch, so I think ill try that to see how I like it!


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## dennyman100

I tried hot smoking some pink salt over the weekend for 12 hours.  Not much color change in the salt.  My question is should there be some moisture?  I have seen a post where they say you need to spray the salt lightly ever few hours for the smoke to "stick." should I do this or add a small moisture plate.  Anything thoughts or ideas?


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## forluvofsmoke

dennyman100 said:


> I tried hot smoking some pink salt over the weekend for 12 hours.  Not much color change in the salt.  My question is should there be some moisture?  I have seen a post where they say you need to spray the salt lightly ever few hours for the smoke to "stick." should I do this or add a small moisture plate.  Anything thoughts or ideas?


If you add water directly to the salt you could effectively dissolve the salt. Have you tried a cold or warm smoke chamber instead, around 100-120*? In the absence of moderately high humidity, cold items will attract more smoke than hot items.

Eric


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## gary s

The last salt I smoked was Cold smoked using my AMNPS I smoked it fir about 6 - 7 hours  Not a whole lot of color change (Some)  but you could really taste and smell it. I keep it in an air tight jar and every time I open it you really get a good smoke smell

Gary


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## fatwood

Thanks for all the info.  I am going to smoke some salt for the first time tomorrow and I knew I find some good info here.  Always do.

I had planned to cold smoke, but now I think I'll put some heat to it.  I'm also planning some ribs for dinner tomorrow, so I think I'll just do them together and see what I get.  225-230 for around 6 hours sounds like I'll get a good flavor to the salt.


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## oregon smoker

The biggest issue you might have by doing them together is if you have an issue with humidity inside the smoke box. Your salt might "cake" so stir very often and you may have to dry the salt. I have been putting my salts in with all types of smokes for years with very little issues, usually it is the fine grind salt that gives me the most trouble if any. Just my opinion. good luck with this

Keep on smoking, 

Tom


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## fatwood

Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye out for moisture


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## hillbilly jim

At the risk of dredging up an old thread.....

This thing about the difference between heat and no heat in the same time frame has got my curiosity up. Why would the presence of heat intensify the smokiness of the salt?


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## forluvofsmoke

Hillbilly Jim said:


> At the risk of dredging up an old thread.....
> 
> This thing about the difference between heat and no heat in the same time frame has got my curiosity up. Why would the presence of heat intensify the smokiness of the salt?


Technically speaking, cold smoking should allow more smoke to condense on the product than warm or hot smoking. I say should, because you also have to account for the fact that cold air carries less moisture than warm or hot air does. In recent years I've learned that there is a lot more to smoking than just temps. Higher humidity allows smoke to stick more readily, therefore, in the absence of high humidity you will need more time to acquire the same amount of smoke on the product. What is more difficult to explain (and actually control) is the type of smoke you produce, and, the type of smoke that condenses on the product. The best tasting smoke doesn't have creosote (any of us with experience know this), so you don't want it entering the smoke chamber, let alone being produced inside the smoke chamber. This is where a remote smoke generator to produce smoke along with piping to transmit the smoke can really change your game. It allows the heavier smoke particles to condense in the piping before entering the smoke chamber. Basically, it's using the very same method for smoking as was/is used by artisan smokers for hundreds of years. Those ancient smokehouses you see in photos, or even on old homesteads throughout the US and other countries...they knew it worked, so they did it...and they didn't change the use these smokehouses with remote smoke generators because it worked.

Much of the current generation of smokers seem to have lost some of this knowledge with all the mass-produced portable smokers in use these days. These units are easy to use, with the compromise in finished product. This transition is partly due to the use of smoke being mainly for BBQ meats, where hot-smoking of meats has taken over the majority of the smoking community. But if we consider how the smokehouse works for everything other than hot-smoking, it makes a world of sense. If we consider the smokehouse approach with a in-chamber heat source for hot smoking...well, it leads you right back to the same basic principle of getting rid of the nasty smoke before it enters the smoke chamber.

Hope I didn't stir-up mass-confusion.

Eric


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## hillbilly jim

Thanks, Eric.

Not only did you not stir up confusion, I know more now than I did a minute ago.

The aspect of humidity is interesting. Now, I'm beginning to understand some of the mechanics of smoking, such as why a pan of water in the smoker is desirable at times.

Thank you for taking the time to write a lengthy explanation for me. That helps a lot.

Jim


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## forluvofsmoke

You're most welcome!!! If I didn't confuse you, then, I did something right.  In case you missed this thread, and judging from your response I think you haven't read it yet...this is a very good thread which will explain much of what you seem to be searching for and includes his investigations and trials along the way. I highly recommend it.

Understanding Smoke Management

Eric


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## vidar halvorsen

hi there.. i know this is SEVERAL written years ago, but i wonder if This is possible with just any smoker ?

 I borrowed a smoking box/cabinet from a buddy a few weeks ago, in the hope of making good smoked Salts.

Fair disaster .. tar went everywhere, and i ended up throwing aboutn 4 lbs of what should have been great salts...

now - im considering a smoker, the A-Maz-n squared thingy or similar .. im wondering if that, in an enclosed environment, smoking for 12-18 hours, will give those fine dark salts ?


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## travisty

Vidar Halvorsen said:


> hi there.. i know this is SEVERAL written years ago, but i wonder if This is possible with just any smoker ?
> 
> I borrowed a smoking box/cabinet from a buddy a few weeks ago, in the hope of making good smoked Salts.
> 
> Fair disaster .. tar went everywhere, and i ended up throwing aboutn 4 lbs of what should have been great salts...
> 
> now - im considering a smoker, the A-Maz-n squared thingy or similar .. im wondering if that, in an enclosed environment, smoking for 12-18 hours, will give those fine dark salts ?


Wow, not sure what could have happened to make tar everywhere? did you use a water pan? may have been too much moisture or something.

Ive smoked salt and other spices now more times than I can count on a combination of smokers. The most common and best method I have come to is using an Amaze pellet product and just cold smoke in the chamber of really any smoker for 12 hours or so, but also making sure to stir up the salt regularly. Personally I actually made a little rig using a rotisserie machine by charbroil ($20 at walmart) and a container so that the salt actually rolls the entire cook, I only made this rig cause I was selling the salts for a while and needed something to get a more even coat and require less attention to the mixing.

Anyway, just make sure you have no source of moisture, not even soaking chips or anything. Another tip is that for some reason if you do hot smoke (still don't want to go over like 250) the salt will take the smoke more, and get a darker color. For example, if I cold smoke for about 12-14 hours they get a nice medium dark amber color which is achieved in only about 5-6 hours at 235. And 12 hours at 235 produces a very dark amber color.

Hope some of that helps. Like I said, ive smoked over a hundred pounds of salt and other ingredients, and tried a myriad of methods and smokers.


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## vidar halvorsen

yeah . its the a-maze-n smoker im thinking about ... saw some youtubes of ppl smoking in cardboard boxes - hoping that will work for now :P


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## travisty

Vidar Halvorsen said:


> yeah . its the a-maze-n smoker im thinking about ... saw some youtubes of ppl smoking in cardboard boxes - hoping that will work for now :P


Ive don't it in a plastic tote, but I imagine a cardboard box could work about the same.

The first time I ever cold smoked cheese, I used a soldering pen, and a ceramic mug full of chips in a rubermaid tote. This was before id heard of the AMNPS.


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## travisty

Vidar Halvorsen said:


> yeah . its the a-maze-n smoker im thinking about ... saw some youtubes of ppl smoking in cardboard boxes - hoping that will work for now :P


When you get a chance, stop by the roll call and introduce yourself. lots of helpful and great people on here!

Another note is to be aware of your elevation. If your lower the square maze will work great, if you are at a really high elevation they recommend the tubes which is what I use here in Utah, as my Maze wouldn't work here as well as it did when I was in Alaska.


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## nani85

scarbelly said:


> Very nice - loved the documentation.  I have done the hot 4 and 8 but have not done the 12 hour smoke. You have inspired me to try it.  Being a salt junkie with 15 varieties including truffle, 3 Hawaiian salts and Tahitian vanilla this was very interesting
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to share the experiment


 please if you could give me some tips on smoking salt? been trying it for quite a while. thank you


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## GaryHibbert

I smoked some coarse sea salt for my salt grinder about a year ago.  Set my MES 30 as hot as it would go, filled my AMNPS with hickory, and hit smoked the salt for 6 hours.  Got some nice color but the salt had absolutely NO SMOKE FLAVOR OR AROMA.  I thought maybe it had to age so I sealed it up for 2 weeks.  Still nothing.  Just salt.  No idea why.
Gary


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## travisty

So I started smoking salts quite a bit, and was selling them for a short time on Etsy until I didn't feel like doing it anymore.

I had the same issues with the MES at first and was trying to find a balance of time and heat. Anyway, for me at least the AMPTS was part of the solution, and worked out pretty well, but I started doing smoke in both the chip tray AND the AMPTS, it needs to be REALLY smoky in there to achieve a good result. I also found that a level of moisture helped a lot, I know it seems weird to introduce moisture into there with salt but just a little bit at occasional intervals (what I would do was only about 1/4 cup water in the pan during the first part of the cook). You also need to stir the salt around every now and again to make sure its even. I even started to work on making a sort of "cement mixer" attachment for a rotisserie but never finished it.

All of that said, I did have results just doing the AMPTS in the smoker at 275 for a full 12 hours, so if you have the time it does need it. I think its just a "results vary" situation. If you have a charcoal smoker it really works a TON better, at the tail end of my selling it, I tried a few batches in my UDS with extra chunks of hickory and oak and those came out really nice after a much shorter time.

Another thing to consider is a smaller grain salt, or a flaky salt. I was selling only course sea salt for the first couple months, and it really was not very smoky even trying the above stuff. So if you can get some flaky salt, or some "fluer de sel" it will hold the smoke a lot better, and also looks nicer for gifts.

One last thing to think about is to "cheat" a bit, maybe not a bit, possibly a lot, but basically I purchased some "hickory powder" from a spice company online, and would put a tiny bit into the salt, shake it all around and sift out whatever would settle to the bottom. I never did that with any I sold, that was just an experiment, and I did do that for the stuff I gave as Christmas gifts cause I knew the people who wanted it wanted it really smoky.  

Anyway hope some of that helps. I too was surprised at the poor result of just doing it in an electric smoker alone. especially considering the coating the smoker was getting on the glass, I thought it would adhear better to the salt.


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## julian flax

xutfuzzy said:


> Over a couple of weeks, the effect is similar to cheese...the smokiness mellows but also improves, if that makes sense.  I've learned to use it as a finishing salt, like stirring it into a soup just before serving.  Otherwise, the effect is lost.


Do you know why it improves ?


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