# Bear’s New Christmas Toys  (and Smoked Salmon)



## Bearcarver (Jan 29, 2018)

*Bear’s New Christmas Toys  (and Smoked Salmon)*

So Bear Jr got me a couple new Toys for Christmas, and I finally got around to trying them:

The first is *“The Smoking Gun”*, by Breville, and a whole bunch of their wood chips.
As you’ll see below, I gave it a try, and I gotta try some more, because the first try was somewhat of a “Flop”.
I read everything, and watched a bunch of YouTubes before I tried it.
Then I patted 5 small Salmon fillet pieces dry, and put them on a wire cooling rack in a foil pan (so smoke could get underneath the pieces too).
Then I covered the Pan with Saran Wrap, filled the Gun with Hickory Chips, stuck the end of the hose in the pan, and fired it up.
I filled the pan with as much smoke as it would take, and shut it off.
Then when the smoke cleared somewhat, I lit it again. I did this again & again, much more than the YouTube Videos did.
I started thinking maybe that’s too much, so I stopped.

*Then I put the pieces in two Vac Bags & sealed them up, along with some of my other Christmas Presents—Stainless Steel Balls.*
Bear Jr got me a bunch of Stainless Steel Balls to put in the bags to weigh the packages down, so they don’t float up out of the water.
They worked Great !!
I had tried a Butter knife a couple months ago, and it slid down the package & poked a hole in it.
So I was talking to Bear Jr about it back then, but I forgot all about it until Christmas, and he remembered & got me some @ 3/4” and some @ 1/2”.

*So back to the Salmon:*
I put the Salmon in my Sous Vide Supreme @ 140° for 1 hour, which worked Great the last time.
Then I patted them Dry, and Seared the Skin side in my Fry Pan.

I gotta say these were real good, but very close to ZERO Smoke flavor.

*NOTE: As of Today, I am not Recommending the Smoking Gun, but the Stainless Steel Balls Work Awesome!!*

Next time I try this Smoking Gun on something, I’m gonna have to hammer it a lot more than I did this time!! I'll also try Smoking after SV, instead of before SV.


Thanks For Stopping By,
Bear


My New Christmas Toy (from Bear Jr.):







Inside the Box:






More Presents from Bear Jr.---Stainless Steel Balls to weigh down my SV bags:






Salmon Pieces:






Skin Side Pics:






Pieces on wire rack, in pan, and covered for smoking:






Outside, pumping smoke into the pan:






Salmon Vacuum Sealed with SS Balls:






Searing the Skin side in a Pan:






Add some Curly Fries, and it's time to eat:


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## tallbm (Jan 29, 2018)

Interesting and good looking fish!

I bet the issue was that you weren't using medical grade wood chips with that fancy bong... I mean smoke device :P


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## oddegan (Jan 29, 2018)

Not sure about the Smoking Gun. The SS balls for the sous vide is something I'm going to try though.


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## ab canuck (Jan 29, 2018)

Cool toys, I have heard of the smoke guns but have never seen one around. I believe Mr T. had one at one time was explaining it, But I still have yet to see one around here.


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## gmc2003 (Jan 29, 2018)

Going high tech. on us. That smoking gun looks interesting, and I'm sure you'll have it figured out in no time. BTW the salmon looks real good. 

Chris


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## gary s (Jan 29, 2018)

Looks good Buddy Must have been a Male Salmon :D
I had seen those before but didn't know anyone who had one , Now I do

Love that Salmon  Great Job

Gary


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## biaviian (Jan 29, 2018)

What was your average weight needed to sink the bags?  I have some SS ball that I haven't used.  I just use a binder clip and a serving spoon.


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## crazymoon (Jan 29, 2018)

Bear, you have to love toys to experiment with,they both look like great additions to your smoking arsenal!


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## Bearcarver (Jan 29, 2018)

tallbm said:


> Interesting and good looking fish!
> I bet the issue was that you weren't using medical grade wood chips with that fancy bong... I mean smoke device :p



Thanks Tall !!
LOL---At my age I barely know what that is, but I never got into any of that. Pure Country Boy here.

Bear



oddegan said:


> Not sure about the Smoking Gun. The SS balls for the sous vide is something I'm going to try though.



I gotta be more careful though. I heated a piece up the next day, and I didn't notice there was a Steel ball that worked it's way into the fish. My Nuke didn't act up, but I sure hope I didn't hurt it. $600 Unit.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jan 29, 2018)

ab canuck said:


> Cool toys, I have heard of the smoke guns but have never seen one around. I believe Mr T. had one at one time was explaining it, But I still have yet to see one around here.




Thank You AB !!
I gotta work on that---I did more to get smoke than the YouTube Videos, but I couldn't taste the smoke.
Maybe I'm too used to Smoke from an AMNPS??
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jan 30, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Going high tech. on us. That smoking gun looks interesting, and I'm sure you'll have it figured out in no time. BTW the salmon looks real good.
> 
> Chris




Thanks Chris!!
I'm thinking I gotta try the Smoking Last, instead of before the SV.

Bear


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## tallbm (Jan 30, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> I gotta be more careful though. I heated a piece up the next day, and I didn't notice there was a Steel ball that worked it's way into the fish. My Nuke didn't act up, but I sure hope I didn't hurt it. $600 Unit.
> 
> Bear



You could always vac seal the balls separately in pairs and then when you go to use them you just toss them in with the fish.  I believe it would also make the steal ball packs dishwasher washable for an easier clean up :)


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## Bearcarver (Jan 30, 2018)

gary s said:


> Looks good Buddy Must have been a Male Salmon :D
> I had seen those before but didn't know anyone who had one , Now I do
> Love that Salmon  Great Job
> 
> Gary




Thank You Gary!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## johnmeyer (Jan 30, 2018)




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## dls1 (Jan 30, 2018)

> I'm thinking I gotta try the Smoking Last, instead of before the SV.
> Bear



That's a good start.

I've had "The Smoking Gun" for around 6 years and have found it a very handy tool in certain circumstances. Many new users are initially disappointed as they may have a misunderstanding or preconceived opinion as to what the gun can do, or not do. The hurdle to come to an understanding what the gun was developed for and it's intended use, as well as it's limitations. One thing it is definitely not is as a replacement for any type of traditional smoker.

I look at it as a seasoning or finishing device to infuse a moderate amount of smoke on what ever it's being applied to as a compliment to that items flavor, and not a dominant amount that overwhelms the final product. Once you come to that understanding, it's uses are almost limitless. For example, a couple weeks ago I decided to make a pot of pasta e fagioli, the Italian pasta and bean soup with a few additional vegetables and seasonings. Traditionally, the soup is made without any meat but I decided to add some diced pancetta I had left over from another meal, around 1 1/2 cups. I fried the pancetta a few minutes to crisp it a bit then hit it with the gun 3 or 4 times over a 45 minute period while the soup was simmering. When the soup was finished, I added the pancetta, stirred, and served. The final result was excellent with just a subtle hint of smoke in the background.

I've used the gun on more things that I can remember, more often than not on the spur of the moment. Nuts, cheese (small cubes), salt, softened butter, sauces, soups, chili, etc.

A restaurant I have an interest in has  developed a very strong craft cocktail program over the past couple years, and I lent the bar manager the gun to infuse certain drinks and dark spirits such as bourbon, rye, and scotch. They were using it so much that I just donated it to them and purchased "The Smoking Gun Pro" 3 months ago. Essentially the same tool but with an all aluminum barrel, a slightly larger base, and  an adjustable smoke flow.

BTW, my preferred smoke is with the Pitmaster Blend from Todd.

Good luck. You'll figure it out.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 30, 2018)

dls1 said:


> That's a good start.
> 
> I've had "The Smoking Gun" for around 6 years and have found it a very handy tool in certain circumstances. Many new users are initially disappointed as they may have a misunderstanding or preconceived opinion as to what the gun can do, or not do. The hurdle to come to an understanding what the gun was developed for and it's intended use, as well as it's limitations. One thing it is definitely not is as a replacement for any type of traditional smoker.
> 
> ...





Thanks for the info, dis.
I will be trying a lot of the things you mentioned---Salt, Pepper, cheese cubes, etc.
However I was hoping it would work coupled with my Sous Vide Supreme, but as you can see it wasn't so good smoking first, but I'll be trying it after SV & doing it harder.
We don't drink hard stuff, so the infusing drinks won't help, but I'll keep trying other things.

Whenever I make Ribeyes, I have to grill them, because Mrs Bear doesn't want hers smoked. Nowadays we share a steak, so I figure I'll SV a Ribeye, then cut her portion off, and Smoke mine with the Gun before I sear them both.
That plan sound like a Good plan to you???

Well, Thanks Again,
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## petehalsted (Jan 30, 2018)

I was going to mention cocktails, my son is a bartender and he has created some really interesting drinks with a smoke gun. You can also do smoked ice cubes with it.

I don't do SV, but the ball bearings sure seam like a slick ideal to me!


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## SonnyE (Jan 30, 2018)

Yep, pretty hard to float a ball bearing. :)
Ball Bearing Salmon. Makes me think of torpedo juice.

I was going to add you needed Todd's wood for a proper smoke.
I ran across these smoke guns a while back. Never tried one, and you are the first I've seen to try it.
I recon it's one of those "Looked good on Paper" things.
But for real smokers, it's hard to satisfy that real deal we are use to.
I wouldn't give up yet though.

Hook up a Mailbox modification to it... :confused: :D


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## GaryHibbert (Jan 30, 2018)

I'm pretty sure Mr. T uses a device similar to yours.  Seems happy with it.  Maybe just a learning curve to it.
Gary


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## Bearcarver (Jan 31, 2018)

biaviian said:


> What was your average weight needed to sink the bags?  I have some SS ball that I haven't used.  I just use a binder clip and a serving spoon.



I never weighed anything, but I like the weight of the 3/4" SS balls best.
I had been laying big spoons on the pkgs, but they often slid off, and I don't like to put clips on the meat, so that just leaves small edges to clip to.

Bear




crazymoon said:


> Bear, you have to love toys to experiment with,they both look like great additions to your smoking arsenal!



Yup---Another challenge to try to master.

Bear


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## dls1 (Jan 31, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> Thanks for the info, dis.
> I will be trying a lot of the things you mentioned---Salt, Pepper, cheese cubes, etc.
> However I was hoping it would work coupled with my Sous Vide Supreme, but as you can see it wasn't so good smoking first, but I'll be trying it after SV & doing it harder.
> We don't drink hard stuff, so the infusing drinks won't help, but I'll keep trying other things.
> ...



Bear, I've used the gun many times after cooking ribeyes, and other types of steaks, as well as chops SV. I've tried it both pre-sear and post- sear, and the latter produces better results. For the best results, I slice the meat as I would just prior to serving, hit the slices with for about 10 seconds with the gun, then cover them, and put them in an oven pre-heated to 185F for 5-10 minutes to keep them warm. Works well.

Always remember that the gun was originally designed by PolyScience to be a seasoning/finishing tool, and not as a primary smoke source.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 31, 2018)

dls1 said:


> Bear, I've used the gun many times after cooking ribeyes, and other types of steaks, as well as chops SV. I've tried it both pre-sear and post- sear, and the latter produces better results. For the best results, I slice the meat as I would just prior to serving, hit the slices with for about 10 seconds with the gun, then cover them, and put them in an oven pre-heated to 185F for 5-10 minutes to keep them warm. Works well.
> 
> Always remember that the gun was originally designed by PolyScience to be a seasoning/finishing tool, and not as a primary smoke source.




OK---Thanks Dis!! Like.
I was steered wrong by my favorite SV guys on YouTube "Sous Vide Everything". The leader did a blind test for two of them:
One Steak was no Smoke, One was Smoked Before SV, and Once was Smoked After SV. They like the smoked ones best, but they couldn't tell the difference between the before & after smoked.
I should have gone by my thoughts on that one, because I thought after would be best, but I did the Before because I didn't want it to get cold while smoking it with the gun, and since they said it didn't matter.
So now I'm smoking After SV, and I'll be trying the 185° for 5 to 10 minutes.

Thanks again Dis,

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jan 31, 2018)

tallbm said:


> You could always vac seal the balls separately in pairs and then when you go to use them you just toss them in with the fish.  I believe it would also make the steal ball packs dishwasher washable for an easier clean up :)




I thought about that, but it's easier to wash the steel balls, and it's less inside the bags to get in between the Meat & the bag. I like the meat against the inside of the bag & the Hot water against the outside, with no air or extra plastic between them.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Feb 1, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Yep, pretty hard to float a ball bearing. :)
> Ball Bearing Salmon. Makes me think of torpedo juice.
> 
> I was going to add you needed Todd's wood for a proper smoke.
> ...




LOL---Yeah these Ball Bearings don't float worth a darn!!
I'm just going to have to limit what I use this Smoking Gun for & how I use it.
My Mailbox will always stay where it belongs---Out by the road, across from my Driveway.:D

Bear


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## SonnyE (Feb 1, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> LOL---Yeah these Ball Bearing don't float worth a darn!!
> I'm just going to have to limit what I use this Smoking Gun for & how I use it.
> My Mailbox will always stay where it belongs---Out by the road, across from my Driveway.:D
> 
> Bear



And.... I'd bet those ball bearings are dishwasher safe!

The Mailbox was a thought about how to get a longer smoke out of the little feller.
I even looked for a picture of a toy mailbox to post...

My mailbox will stay where it is, too. Unless I jackhammer it out of the brick pillon it's built into.


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## Bearcarver (Feb 1, 2018)

petehalsted said:


> I was going to mention cocktails, my son is a bartender and he has created some really interesting drinks with a smoke gun. You can also do smoked ice cubes with it.
> 
> I don't do SV, but the ball bearings sure seam like a slick ideal to me!




The Ball Bearings work Awesome!!!

However the closest thing to cocktails for me has always been Beer.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Feb 1, 2018)

GaryHibbert said:


> I'm pretty sure Mr. T uses a device similar to yours.  Seems happy with it.  Maybe just a learning curve to it.
> Gary




Thanks Gary!
I'll figure it out. Gotta separate the good from the bad on YouTube.
Plus 'Dis" gave me some good tips.

Bear


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Feb 5, 2018)

Awesome lookin salmon Bear, I'm liking those stainless steel balls for the SV!  Be watching future cooks to see how you like the smoking gun after some more use... looks interesting.  I've seen them, but have no experience with one.  Again, tasty lookin meal!


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## Bearcarver (Feb 5, 2018)

waterinholebrew said:


> Awesome lookin salmon Bear, I'm liking those stainless steel balls for the SV!  Be watching future cooks to see how you like the smoking gun after some more use... looks interesting.  I've seen them, but have no experience with one.  Again, tasty lookin meal!




Thank You Justin!!
Might be awhile---I got too many toys---They have to get in line!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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