# Maganda Umaga, smokin' in philippines....



## smokensweet

Hello, sorta new to smoking, started home business making bacon and baking cakes and cookies.  Living in the philippines is difficult to source many items, but with persistence i have found the essentials at least.  I built a custom smoker/grill out of hollow blocks and tubular as well as angular steel, with stainless steel racks.  The smoker is presently going through and expansion to allow for smoking up to maybe 100 kilos(220 pounds) of bacon at one time.  That may sound a little excessive but in the first month of business i was making 15 kilos a batch and it wouldn't last a day after i packaged it.  So i have decided to ramp it up a bit and see if i can really keep up with the demand.  I will have to also get more refrigerated space it seems.  The smoker is about 6 feet tall, by maybe 7 feet wide and 32 inches back to front, I use racks and just turn the bacon slabs on the side.  i also precut my slabs into four inch wide slabs for ease of removal of skin after smoking and ease of using in the slicer.  i found a source of charbroil applewood chunks and chips, also mesquite and tabasco chips, there is whisky barrel and jack daniels whiskey barrel also available but haven't tried those last two yet.  I cure with brown sugar, noniodized rockseasalt and pink salt at 3 percent nitrite.  usually a five day cure then a four to six hour pellicle formation depending on the humidity, with six to eight hours of cold smoking less than 95 degrees f using mainly apple wood and a little mesquite and white oak thrown in to round everything out.  When i do get more refrigeration i will be expanding to hams and turkey deli meat, may do a little roast beef just to try it out pretty soon.  Anyone in the neighborhood hit me up and will be happy to answer any questions you may have that i can.


----------



## applewood76

hi w i have been smokin for a while now but cant find a constant supply of wood chips. where do you buy your wood chips?


----------



## jrod62

:welcome1:


----------



## s2k9k

to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 40,000 members and over 800,000 posts so you should be able to find almost anything you want to know. Remember the search bar at the top can be your best friend for finding answers fast!

Would you do us a favor and update your profile to include your location, Thanks!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-course it will teach you all the basics and a whole lot more!


----------



## s2k9k

applewood76 said:


> hi w i have been smokin for a while now but cant find a constant supply of wood chips. where do you buy your wood chips?


Where are you located? It will help us find where you can get some chips.

I see this is your first post here, when you get a minute would you do us a favor and go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we can get to know you and give you a proper welcome, also would you add your location to your profile, we like knowing where you are when we talk to you, Thanks!


----------



## smokensweet

applewood, i am assuming you are in the philippines being that you have asked me where i get my chips and my post stated i was from there.  That being said i am in metro manila.  I source my chips from two places at the present time.  Gourdo's provides smoke trays from canada, they work ok if you monitor your heat well.  Some groceries and hardware stores will carry the wood chunks you want, i get my directly from an importer of microbeers who has a shipment each month of materials and microbeers with his own shipping container.  I am also being cautioned by wifey for good reason not to give out my sources due to limited supply, so i will be a little vague as to where specifically i get my emergency stock, if there is a run on the materials my business is kinda screwed.  I can inform you of this though i did check with customs and quarantine, if you write a letter to the head of agricultural quarantine informing him of your intentions of what you want to bring in or have sent in ahead of time, and how much and what it will be used for then you will be able to have it shipped here.  let me know where you are specifically and i will be able to let you know more specifically where you can get it.  That is kinda code for if you are nowhere near me or my supply i will tell you where you can get it... wife is paranoid... its understandable though, its my business here and so far a pretty good one fetching about 15k pesos a week.


----------



## applewood76

smokensweet, thanks for the informative response. i am located also in metro manila. i have been sourcing my wood chips in a few hardware/grocery stores. unfortunately its very limited to mesquite and hickory. yes bec we live in a place with very limited sources to produce the food we want i understand its confidential where you source your supplies. its nice to hear youre doing good with your business. i assume you get awhole bunch of wood chips based on the money you spend just for shipping. im just wondering where i can get some applewood chips and a constant supplyfor the coming Christmas season for cooking. btw, where do you sell these smoked bacon? maybe we could try it out soon.


----------



## smokensweet

Ok applewood, wifes in the shower so i can tell you quickly where i get some apple chunks and they may have chips also.  True Value hardware, they have a number of different woodchips etc.  depending on your smoker one bag should last a while.  I bought a bag of mesquite and apple wood chunks two weeks ago and still have half of each after smoking 40 kilos of bacon.  My smoker isn't so efficient so i lose a lot of smoke right now but it is presently going through a modification to hopefully capture more of that sweet sweet flavor.  At present my products are only available directly from my wife, We can't seem to keep it in stock and we are charging 500 pesos for 500 grams.  I know it seems a little criminal but they are going crazy over it and i have to keep it at that price just to be able to provide enough for those who want it.  I am also doing smoked salmon, its a little different for the local taste here, they aren't sure what to do with it really, You can text me if you like my number is 09083680430, if you really want to try some of the bacon i can have my wife set aside a bag for you or two.  She is a hearing officer at LTO on east avenue and you could just stop by and pick it up there.  She should have about 20 kilos on friday.  but whatever you do if you meet her, don't tell her i told you were to get the chips.  As for them running out, i saw a post online dated 2009 stating that was where someone was getting their chips so i checked it out, so for the last three years it seems they are resupplying the shelves and the price is pretty reasonable compared to having it shipped.  Enjoy the holidays and let me know if you need anything.


----------



## smokensweet

Did you get your hands on any applewood?  hope you were able to get some for the holidays and have a wonderful holiday season.


----------



## applewood76

Smokensweet, thank you so much for the info. I was actually getting my chunks from the same hardware but I was trying to find chunks from suppliers selling it out at a lower price. Last week I was trying to find apple wood from the hardware but no luck that time. I passed by this weedend, and good lord there was some available. Anyway, I will try to pass by and try out your product if I get to have time to go to Manila. I am currently in the province right now for work purposes. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season too!


----------



## rtbbq2

Welcome..............
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Sounds like your business is doing well....


----------



## smokensweet

ahh ok apple, as for chunk prices, i doubt you will find much cheaper here especially for applewood unless you happen to find some local fruit grower with some down trees.  but i don't think they grow here, i have heard crabapple is similar but i don't know, i haven't tried it, i usually use a blend of woods when smoking anyway because they all give such different characteristics.  good luck, keep my number and let me know when you're back in town.

RTBBQ2 thanks for the welcome, as for the success of the business, by normal american standards i don't make so much, maybe 300 bucks a week, from bacon, but that amount of money here is significant.  I just completed a modification to my smoker which will allow me to smoke up to maybe 200 pounds at a time, although my lack of refrigeration space severely limits that to only about 50 or so.  My wife here has a great job, she would be lucky to be a secretary in the states, she makes decent money even by american standards, what money i make is just a bonus and keeps me occupied.  Again, thanks for the welcome, happy smokin....


----------



## smokensweet

I still haven't figured out how to post photos on this site, however, to update my progress.  In the 3 months or so i have been doing this i have sold over 100 hundred kilos of bacon.  Hurray for me... we have started doing ribs and packaging those for sale also, sold more than 20 kilos already.  I found a butcher here who's idea of american ribs is the cut the skin off the belly and cut it into rib shape.  I tend to get the baby back portion and generally my ribs before cooking start out at least 2 inches thick with a massive layer of fats on the outside perfect for long long smoking and maintaining juicyness.  For anyone interested in trying them that is local you can contact me, as with any good drug dealer.... first one is free... usually we will cut up one rack and package pieces individually to hand out so people can have an idea how its packaged and what they need to do to reheat them.  I do a simple rub on my ribs, then smoke them with mesquite, apple and hickory.  near the end a few brushed of my personal sauce, one mustard based or the other ketchup and balsamic base.


----------



## alyabk

Hi guys,

Just moved to Manila in Oct, haven't really done much smoking up until now but I came across a good deal on a Kamado grill in HMR, have started messing around with that a bit. I know you can get wood from the hardware store, which is fine, but ideally would prefer to try finding some local wood to use. Better in terms of cost, environment, and just general preference to try to do things locally if possible. Have been hearing that woods like acacia and rambutan are good for smoking, would imagine that many of the tropical fruit trees would also work well. But no idea where to find this kind of wood locally short of buying a chainsaw and trekking through the jungle. Perhaps acacia I can find at a construction supply shop, but then I don't know that I would trust that it hasn't been treated with anything. Any ideas? I see smoked bangus in the stores all the time, what wood do they use for that, and where do they get it? They surely aren't using imported applewood...

Cheers, Alan


----------



## smokensweet

Alan,

Regarding local woods, I have tried a couple of different ones, with little success, Avocado, nasty heavy lavender flavor, Crabapple, kinda hard to describe on that one, nothing i was used to or wanting to repeat.  My thoughts, although unconfirmed regarding local sources or uses is that many of these who smoke fish here the daing, tuyo, bangus they are using coconut husks, Its in a healthy supply here and its a flavor they are used to having.  I have a business selling smoked bacon and ribs along with many other things, I choose to use the applewood, hickory, mesquite that is imported and chemical free from reputable manufacturers to obtain a more uniform smoke and frankly to obtain a different flavor of smoke then most here are exposed to. I strongly support the use of local ingredients etc, if its for your personal consumption and thats what you prefer then knock yourself out, if you are going to try and resell it, its a tough market to break into if you are providing the same flavor they can get cheaper somewhere else.  I also tried something i doubt i would recommend and that is cinnamon bark, I found a supply briefly of some cinnamon bark cheap enough to experiment with and I don't think i was so impressed with what i came up with, I even tried it both dry and soaked in apple juice and it just didn't impart what i was looking for, seemed overly bitter to me.  Anyway, best recommendation is just to experiment if you have a small smoker find some local trees around you with dead limbs, mango, jackfruit, whatever, plenty of fruit trees around, maybe find a tree trimmer in your area who can supply you with what you would like to experiment with..?  Good luck, Enjoy your stay in manila, keep one hand on your wallet....


----------



## junkcollector

howdy fellas. i'm getting ready to come back to philippines to visit family and wanted to ask yall a few questions. 

1  can i get cure 1 easliy there or should i pack a 1 pound into my bags before i come?

2  is it possible for yall to direct me to a outlet in manila to pick up a few bags of hickory

   chips? all my inlaws are on the north end of mindinao. i won't be stepping on anybodys toes in manila smoking/cooking etc..... just wanted to grab some   chips to take on down south with me since it is obvious you have  outlets to get them there. once i get at least one bag/box, then my inlaws will have the package to find them down around cayagan de oro. 

3 does kitchen aid sell mixers over there? if so, any idea right off on the price range? is that something id have to pick up in manila or is CDO big enough to have a dealers down there?  If kitchen aid isn't over there, is there a comparible mixer available for home use?

Thanks in advance

Louie

a.K.a. JC


----------



## smokensweet

JC,

I get my chips from True Value hardware.  there are a few locations in the metro.  Also i get some smoke trays for smaller smokes at a gourmet shop called Gourdo's.  smoke trays are only about 60 pesos, and depending on your smoker they last a couple hours at most.  The chips are chunks, charbroil brand.  5 pound bags about 500 pesos if you get lucky they go on sale sometimes.  hickory,applewood, mesquite.  They also have some of the tabasco barrel chips and whisky barrel chips.  As for kitchen aid mixers, you can find them at western appliances or gourdo's, price is about 30k pesos, for the high end mixer, the smaller "pretty" machines with less power will run you about 25k.  As for cure 1, am not really sure what percentage nitrite that contains, i didn't start until i got here on smoking and curing.  I personally use this pink salt i got from MGM Foods, sort of a food chemical warehouse, located near SM Megamall.  If you have experience with cure 1 and are travelling back and forth regularly then you may as well try to bring it... something about powder in plastic i try to avoid when travelling personally.  The pink salt i use is 3.75 percent nitrite so it gets the job done.  Back to the mixers... the recent trend is actually away from kitchenaid, personally i don't subscribe to that, they seem to like Breville brand now, its more electronic then the kitchenaid, thats my thing against that i guess, electronics and powders and liquids just don't seem to be a great idea to me.  They are also about 30k for the base model and no idea what bells and whistles they have available.  If you have any other questions feel free to hit me back.


----------



## junkcollector

Thanks for the info man. I really appreciate it. There is a SM on the way into CDO from the airport so we can just stop there and pick up the chips and a few other nick nacks we want to get. 

I've already got cure 1 that I'm planning on bringing with me. 

WOW, $30k for a mixer!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  I do believe that we'll just kneed pizza dough and bread by hand for the time being. 

I truly don't remember, is the herb/spice selection pretty good over there or should I figure on bringing my own bratwurst/italian/kielbasa seasoning from here?

Thanks a lot!

Louie


----------



## tatoosh

Hi, glad to hear there is another smoker in the Philippines!  And super to hear about your bacon business!  I love the bacon and make it twice a month.  I started out using the trays you talk about, found at Living Well in SM Mall of Asia, which is owned or associated with Gordo's.  Local woods would be great but ... and a big but ... Filipinos have a whole different set of agricultural and arbor practices, often involving bunches of pesticides.  Not saying all of them, but I've been warned off Mango by numerous sources for that reason.  If you can find guava and pili nut wood, those work well, I am told.

I thought bacon would be a big hit here, but I don't seem to get much demand for mine except within the family who love it. I think your being in the NCR/Manila area with a strong economy and wider group of people with exposure helps.  And I can only admire your smoker.  I do mine in a standard Weber kettle which means much much smaller batches.  Like you I do different woods, apple, cherry, and hickory.  Hickory is my favorite, I tend to use the other woods for fowl (chicken/turkey) or fish which I did for my first time - Cream Dory which is a trade name for an Asian catfish came out nicely. 

Pink Salt is available if you hunt for it here.  Problem with it is they NEVER know if it is Pink Salt #1 or #2, at least where I live. I've gone around with the clerks, managers, etc etc and always came away utterly baffled.  My guess is that its #1, but that is the rub.  It's a guess!  They repackage stuff here all the time and never transfer the labeling. So you just don't know for sure.  I bring my own over from the States and have another 5 pounds coming next week. Just so I know what I actually have.  I love doing cured pork chops too.  Just got 3 kilos of bone-in chops that I'll cure, then warm smoke until 130F.  I'll vac bag them and finish to 145F in a water bath for safety.  To serve, I finish them on a grill, but they come out so juicy!  And we can stuff them if the urge hits us! 

Protecting sources is almost a requirement here.  It may be a bit better in Manila, but stuff here shows up on the shelf and then disappears, not to be seen again for months, sometimes years!  I went two years without seeing Dijon style mustard.  Then it was everywhere!  Now not so much.  That's life in the province. 

Mahbuhay Brothers and remember ... Banana Ketchup is NOT barbecue sauce!


----------



## smokensweet

JC, - not sure if there is true value hardware on your way at that SM, really not sure where the other true values are here, there are only a few of them.  just do a quick google search for them when you get here am sure there is some around alabang, yeah the mixer is kinda pricey, even buying used equipment here they are asking for brand new price, but if you are just getting a mixer for bread and pizza dough, you may not need such a large mixer, you can do the majority of both those mixes with a small mixer then stir it and knead by hand for sure though.  As for herbs and spices, most commonly they are mccormick brand but if you look around you can find some places that sell some pretty obscure items its just a matter of having the time and inclination, i haven't spent any time in the province really so i don't know whats available out there, but here in the metro there is plenty of hidden spots to find what i need.  Good luck, hit me up if you need any assistance... also read on for information regarding mustards...

Tatoosh-

Thanks for the info, heard the same about mango, wonder why though, if you have a mango tree in your yard i wonder if its a problem as long as you don't use heavy pesticides on it.. still yeah i stay away from it.  One thing i found from my local wood experiments, i would rather buy the chunks of proven smoke than experiment.. that avocado i did was really really bad... You should try smoking some salmon... a six hour smoke, starting out at 100, for two hours, then 120 for two hours, then 150-160 for two hours... turns out awesome for salads, pastas, dips... Regarding knowledge of locals of products they are selling, yeah its kinda frustrating, they are happy to just have a job and have memorized what to say when asked questions, they don't really know what they are selling unless you really find a good source.  I never would have thought about cured pork chops... for some reason i always thought you don't cure on the bone, but i guess ham you do so i don't see why it wouldn't work, Lately i have been seeing Dijon mustard in SM in the import section in a squeeze bottle, pretty good stuff well known brand just can't remember it now, also grey poupon available at market market or Santi's but santi's is ridiculous prices, they actually have some european mustards but again they can be kinda pricey.  Currently i am in crisis mode, my slicer bit the dust today and i am sitting on 30 kilos of bacon waiting to be sliced... two days to rewind the motor and hoping it works... if not time for a new slicer... probably time for a new one anyway... but yeah, business is solid because of my wife's network, she works in LTO and knows many many people, surprisingly most of my regulars orders are orders cause the kids of those ordering love it.  One guy walked straight up to me with tears in his eyes almost, he was so worried about his daughter who wasn't eating much and he knew she was undernourished, the first packet of bacon he cooked up she stuffed herself and asked to take the rest to school with her.  I never imagined my food would have that sort of impact on anyone, but its kinda nice to know.... good luck with yours also in the province...


----------



## tatoosh

Slicer I have, but just the one.  Kind of small but it does the job.  I just need to chill the bacon before I go at it.  I just put 9 plus kilos of maple cure bacon (green weight) in the fridge.  I have an order for one and am playing around with my maple cure recipe.  Also doing some honey cure with maple extract to see how that effects the taste.  I do fairly short smokes - 3 or 4 hours until I get to the 150F internal temp for safety.

The pork chop recipe I ran into on a different forum and they initially used Morton Tender Quick which I did the first time, but Tender Quick is a bit too pricy to be toting across the ocean, so now I do it with my own formula.  Comes out nice after 2 or 3 days in a wet brine.  If the chops are cut thick, over an inch, I do inject them to be sure the center cures as well.  Have to be sure they are completely submerged.  Had one sticking up just a hair and it went bad ... so 4 kilos of pork chops were out in the garbage last year.  That hurt on a couple of different levels.   When they are done right they are superb.  I take them to 145F internal so they stay juicy.  Doing another 4 kilos later this week, very thick cut, so I can stuff them with blue cheese or whatever.  Yum! Yum!

McCormick brand is good and we use it a lot, Also we hunt the Indian stores for their spices since they have a lot of great stuff if and when you can find it.  A bit of hunting and the Tagalog/local names or Indian names start to stick and it gets easier.  Fresh dill is due in the market soon, I hear.  Looking forward to that big time!  Also, sometimes you can find a good bread machine which will do a decent job of making dough for pizza and such unless you are a Peter Reinhart sort and go the artisan approach.  We found an Aussie market one, so it works on 220v.  Handy and turns out a pretty decent loaf of banana bread.

Mabuhay Bro's ...


----------



## junkcollector

Smoken,

Yeah, there's a true value for sure, i was in it about 8 years ago. I don't imagine it closed down but I will verify it before I count on it. 

Was thinking about the mixers cause it makes life a bit easier with breads, sausage grinding, meat mixing etc. Mamma-in-law wants me to teach her how to bake cakes, bread etc,etc,etc.... so that's why I was considering getting a mixer. She's getting on up in years, 55 or more by now. Shoot, I don't even know her actual age but, so in the long term after I leave, baking would simpler for her and hopefully make a few extra $$$ selling them out of their little store. Probably just end up sending her a mixer after I get back home. I can pick up a KA pro600 for $350 new in box here. I ***might**** even pick it up on the way to the airport if they still have it in 2 more weeks and let it sit in the trunk of the car till i get home and am able to pack it up. 

I'm already planning in bringing a jug of mayonase, AMERICAN ketchup and with yall talking about it, going to get a few mustards to bring also. You are speakin the truth man, banana ketchup IS NOT bbq sauce. is plain old fashioned yellow mustard readily available? Want to travel as lite as possible but I already know I'm going to fail miserably. 

thanks

louie


----------



## smokensweet

Tatoosh-  So you do a hot smoke on your bacon... how long do you cure for again?  I do a cold smoke on my bacon, best to keep it under 80 degree's but if i can manage to keep it under 100 the whole time i am doing pretty good, it takes a longer time for sure, at least 8 hours, but i don't lose any weight from the fats melting out.  There are some great spices available at SM Megamall, grocery store, they had a nice rack of hard to find spices, also in Market!Market! there is a spice shop near the food court, they have some dried chili's that you might be into and i haven't seen anywhere else.  I just finished my own maple cure experiment also, until slicer is repaired i can't try it out though, i guess i could just slice off a couple of chunky slices and give her a go but i like the suspense. I saw fresh dill on the shelf two weeks ago, its such a short season it seems for that though.... I miss the good sour cream that is thick like cream cheese, hard to find here and expensive when i do, used to make such great ranch dressing but its tough to do here. 

JC-   As for your true value definately check on that would you... most major shops like that stick to one major mall owner, and the true value i go to is in an Ayala Land Property, A competitor of SM property group.  Ace hardware is definately in SM but they have nothing or at least the ones i have been in have nothing for smoking.  As for mayo, you don't really need to bring any, the brand i use is Lady's choice mayo, its as good as any i remember from the states, you can also find some of the more popular stateside mayo's here, not sure about the province though..  As for mustard, French's ok with you?  thats at SM and quite common here, you might be hard pressed to find mustard powder though, Also as i was telling Tatoosh earlier, A deli called Santi's you can find some european mustards that i have never even heard of if you are looking for something truly authentic, they can be a little pricey though.  As for you getting a KA mixer, you definately save money getting there and carrying it over, however i will caution you, dont just send it over, one thing i have learned here, most people here aren't used to such things, and they are absolutely horrible about reading directions, so unless you are there with them to show them how to use it and it is actually quicker and easier than doing it by hand, its probably going to go to waste or turn around and be sold.  If its sausage stuffers you want, you can get a decent sausage stuffer/grinder here for around 100 bucks, bread machines maybe around the same price... problem with the one you get there is when it comes here its not 220V need to make sure they know that.  When i started my baking/smoking business... we purchased some industrial mixer from some repair shop in Quiapo, paid about 17k pesos for it, but it holds like 3 gallons or something like that, massive mixer and weighs a ton... I used it quite a bit at first, but then later i switched to a hand mixer because moving around that big bowl just kind of got to be a pain.  I still want a KA though, but with my smoking business taking off the way it is i don't get much chance to bake anymore so its on a back burner for a while.  Good luck and Take care.  as always let me know if you have any other questions...


----------



## junkcollector

Smoken,

Thanks for the heads up on the ace possibly not having wood chips. Well, I had ol lady call ace in CDO, they don't have any chips. How far is your ace from the airport in manila? We're landing monday evening and headed out tuesday to CDO. How far away from the airport is your ace? Maybe I can get over to it before I catch my flight. To make things harder, we're arriving monday on holy week. Last time i was there i remember how the country shut down for holy week.  I rekin i wont mess round bringing mayo etc. makes more room in my bags for other stuff. Got our room at microtel mall of asia manila. 

Thought of bringing a KA in my bags but we're both afraid that customs will tax us more than we paid for it. had that happen a while back on a camera we were dumb enough to send over. Any thoughts on a KA in luggage? The 220 isn't a issue for me. I have already sent over 110 outlets, few tools and multimeter in a BB box a while back. Going to wire in some real 110 plugs. Sent a stuffer over back in january. She's set up pretty good so far.


----------



## smokensweet

JC,

Yeah thats what i was telling you before but its easy to lose track... Ace hardware does not have chips, True value hardware does, they don't have true value hardware in SM department stores, http://www.truevalue.com.ph/StoreFinder/tabid/72/Default.aspx you copy that info there and paste it into the address bar, it shows the location of all the true value hardware stores in metro manila.  As for the KA, no idea what they would do with customs at the airport.  it would vary from inspector to inspector for sure and how crooked they are.  Holy week here is definately a completely different world, but most things are strangely open on saturday and sunday of holy week, but closed for thursday and friday.  you are looking ok leaving on tuesday, if you put it off a day though you are going to be in some nasty traffic getting out of the city at least.. Good luck and hope you find what you are looking for.


----------



## junkcollector

Smoken,

Good lord I need to get myself a better proctologist. Evidently the last one didn't completely remove my head. Now that you point it out, I have no idea why the heck i kept calling it a ace. found one that appears to be pretty close to my hotel. Wifes cousin is married to a cab driver so he should be able to get us there n back i'd hope. 

Was thinking about calling the PH embassy in DC thursday and see what they have to say about me bringing a KA in that is new in the box. If it sounds encouraging and they can point me to something concrete on a embassy or PH gov. website I can print out, I might go ahead and try it. Lots will depend on what they say tomorrow. If I have a print out of the law/requirement as far as taxes from a official website, then i'll show it all to the wife and let her decide. she's the one who will be arguing with them in tagalog, or getting me a supervisor who speaks english. if there is nothing i can get to back me up, I'll just ship it in a BB box. I'll let ya know what they have to say. 

AAAHHHHH, Holy week. That is a experience unto itself. When I visited PH to meet my wife way back whenever it was, I was there for Holy week. Best as I can remember, pretty much everything in/around CDO was closed. But to me, its a very refreshing concept. Well looking back now it is. Then, I kindly thought it sucked. 

Thanks for the link to the ********TRUE VALUE****** 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  store locator. I really appreciate it.

Thanks

louie


----------



## smokensweet

JC, 

i noticed your going to CDO and looked it up on the map, there is a true value in davao i think? and although it isn't really close to you it might be closer than having to come back to manila.  good luck on the KA mixer, enjoy the province, never been there as i tend to stand out wherever i go and i don't like to be that noticable when in an area that is that dangerous.  never really thought of myself as tall but here at 6 feet and noticably different features from most as well as probably carrying about 40 pounds of extra fat i think i will stay far from the southern philippines.  Besides wifey has already said she won't pay the ransom for me anyway, and after i cook a little for them they may not want me to go anyway... so yeah good luck down there.


----------



## junkcollector

HAHA, Davao is one city that I will NOT be visiting ANYTIME soon. Like you, I do worry about my safety. Davao is over 6 hours driving from where I'm going. I'm going to be just outside to the east of CDO right on the northern coast. Everything I know from reading and talking to my dealers over there, the south and west is where they have the biggest issues with the religions. Rebels are everywhere but not so bad up where I'm going from what i've been told. Ransoms, gosh you had to bring it up and put it in the front of my mind. It's a chance ya take most anywhere, some places though, its much more likely. Wife has worried about it. I try to forget about it, the tickets are bought and we're going. I can either fret and worry which will just ruin everything or have faith and forget about it. I try to choose the later till somebody reminds me of it. GEEEZZZEEE, whatta pal. thanks man!!!HHAHAHAHAHAHA
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Unfortunately, when the majority of the population is under 5 4 or so and dark skin, most others just stand out. When I walked through the mall and there's 15,000 lil white eyeballs looking and pointing UP towards SOMETHING and I'm in the center of all the pointing, I'm going to say I'm the source of interest.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Nope, I'll get my chips in Manila. Her cousin is going to meet us at the airport and pick us up. He's going to talk to his boss and see if he can use the boss's van. His taxi is a toyota car. Maybe we'll have the van, maybe wife n cousin will tie bags on the top of the, heck if i know thats for the wife to worry about. Flight tuesday doesn't leave till after 3 so we have a few hours in the morning to mess around. I don't believe we'll have any issues getting over to **true value**. 

Haven't gotten through to the embassy on import taxes etc yet, bums don't open till 9am! I'll let ya know when i do.

Anything ya need I can throw in my bags for ya when I come? 

Louie


----------



## junkcollector

Well, 3pm and I finally got a call back from the embassy. They said to go ahead and throw the KA into my luggage and don't declare it. If questioned about it, tell em its for personal use. Also going to print out the tax free section on the PH gov. customs web site stating so. Wife and oldest daughter can bring back 20Kphp before there is taxes on it. 10K each. So it appears that we're covered. 

louie


----------



## smokensweet

JC,

Sorry to bring up the whole ransom thing, CDO should be fine though, i haven't heard of anything really from that area in the 5 years or so of me being here. Thats great news on your KA, i just hope whoever is going through your bags follows that protocol also, As for me, there are quite a few things i miss from the states, but can only think of the little things like halfnhalf, for my coffee, hard to find here and usually have to just mix it myself or pay 300 pesos for the high end stuff.  yeah, the little things and the intangibles that don't fit into a bag... snow falling on a dark night in the woods, with the smoke slowly rising from the chimney and hanging in the air.... i appreciate the thought and offer to bring something but you have your hands full worrying about everything else..   Enjoy the province and if you can't find chips i could maybe send some via lbc or whatever to the province after you get there to save the trip..


----------



## junkcollector

Smoken,

No biggie on the ransom, I was pullin your leg. All in good fun. Like you said though, where I'm gonna be at is fairly safe. Its down south towards Davao and west towards illegan is where it gets bad.  I'm figuring on printing off a copy of the tax free section from PH customs web site to take along with us. Wife says she is happy to stay there as long as it takes arguing with them. Between my oldest daughter and wife, they can bring a total of 20K. You know how a filipina can be once she's pissed off, so I'm more than happy to let her take care of it all.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





If there's something I can bring ya, its no biggie. They have already packed up 2 bags already and repacked them at least 2 times each. Problem is, I'm going to have to pack everything myself in another 2 weeks. They are ok at it, but I got em beat 100 to 1, I do all the order shipping at work. Amazing what I can stuff into a BB box. Wife has been completely amazed. So, final packing is on me, if you need something or a few somethings, got 2 weeks. I assume you prefer liquid half n half? I'll look as I go through town saturday and see what my restraunt supply house has just for grins n giggles. 

Got everything lined up on KA. Wife's was a christmas present so there's no way we're taking ours over there and leaving it. God bless or curse (haven't decided which yet) craigs list, found a new in the box KA pro600 platnum colored i believe for $200!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





As long as she sticks to her work, we're meeting her half way saturday to get it. She seemed legit when I talked to her today. She began talkin like making a overnite trip with her daughter out of the meet up so it appears I have struck gold again... Good grief how things come together. 

Thanks, I really appreciate the offer to send me some chips, but I'm sure as long as true value is open tuesday morning, we'll get over to it long before we have to leave. If for some reason their out, there's a 2nd location in makati that doesn't look like its over a mile or 3 away. Don't have to be to the airport till after 1pm so I don't think we'll have any issues getting over to get em.

Mabuhay Bro


----------



## tatoosh

Junk, Balik Bayan the KA mixer, only way to go. Pack it with wood chips from your favorite local source, preferably commercial because you don't wanna bring any buggies over with the wood, we have enough already. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Maybe a couple of rib racks, depending on what your plans are.   I've not posted my Weber Kettle Turkey recipe/procedure here yet, but after Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, it is my go to approach for moist turkey without tying up the kitchen oven.  A specific pair of rib racks play a pivotal role.  I'll elaborate in a separate thread in a few days. 

Smoken,  I do hot smoke mine, not really having a good cold smoke setup, though that is a pretty lame excuse on my part, since they are so easy to make, even a cardboard box will suffice in a pinch.  I cure for roughly 7 days, using a basic cure, though I've recently switched to doing a Maple Cure which uses maple sugar (sourced in the States) instead of the local stuff.  Not as cheap as canning salt, but it has a nice flavor kick.  

I'm doing a dry rub for my bacon, though I've done it with a brine before.  How are you doing yours?  I haven't tried Market Market yet, but have heard about it and definitely want to visit there.  We just scored some spices for sausage making at a local Indian shop in the market.  Usually better prices than McCormick, but sometimes they buy the McCormick, repack and sell it at a higher price, so its a "caveat emptor" sort of thing.  Still we've found some nice coriander, mace, fennel, and so on.  Did 7 kilos of fresh sausage last night.  Mostly Italian and a bit of Garlic & Fennel with a St Paddy day twist by adding a fair amount of fresh parsley. 

Tatoosh

_To quote Mork from "Mork & Mindy" ... "Nano Nano!"_


----------



## junkcollector

tatoosh,

any lil things you need since i'm coming over? aint no biggie to throw something in the bags for ya. would love a thread on that chicken. is that rib rack something i can buy over there or is it a custom fabbed piece?


----------



## smokensweet

JC-

I appreciate the offer for a piggyback of goodies, but don't bother with the halfnhalf, needs refrigeration for the good stuff, the thing i miss the most is probably good beer, i used to be a homebrewer and sold all my stuff when i left, regretting that now, microbeers here are hard to find and kinda insane prices.  I found a guy who stocks them and even offered to add a kit to his next shipment from the states but am so busy with everything else i really don't have time to sort out the details.  Craigslist is great, when you get here you can switch to using Sulit.com they are a local version that i have found is usually pretty good as long as you aren't doing the send me the money first kind of thing, meetups are the way to go in a safe public place... bought two slicers now from there and both are awesome, sold my car there also, took a couple of months but got a decent price.  As for making it to true value, if you don't make it the first night with your flight leaving at 1 the next day most of those places and especially in makati don't open til at least 10 am and in makati sometimes they don't open til 11 am if i remember correctly.  maybe true value has different hours but the malls there open later and stay open  later typically.  Also, i have seen ribs racks here, not too expensive, or if you have welding experience or know a decent welder you can probably make them yourself.  just use stainless steel roundbar and you should be golden.  just remembered... you might want to grab as much peanut oil as you can possibly carry.... its nearly impossible to find here... and if you can, its about 200 pesos for 200 ml. 

Tatoosh,

Since i am doing such a bulk sort of thing, I do a dry rub, simple brown sugar, local rock/sea salt, curing salt, pepper.  doing about 6 slabs of 6 or 7 kilos each i stack em up in a large tupperware that fits perfectly on a shelf in my ref, then once a day i rotate them, so of course the juices come out and those on the bottom are sort of brining i guess and those on top are sort of aircuring, rotating them daily gets them all exposed to the same sort of conditions, i started with a six day cure, did some experiments and went down to a three day cure, that one you could tell didn't cure all the way through, now i try to go 4-6 days and typically only 4 day cure, then take em out, rinse em off, set them on the racks to form the pellicle and after 6 hours or so start smoking for at least 8 hours with the chunks keeping the temp below 90 for the most part.  they come out beautiful, if you are ever going to be in the area of East Avenue in quezon city let me know a day or so ahead and will leave some at the parlor for you.  I love turkey, i brine mine in salt overnight... hardest thing to find here is peanut oil.... yet i see them selling peanuts cheap and on the street... coco and palm oil industry seem to keep that down pretty tight...  too bad.. i miss me some deep fried turkey.


----------



## junkcollector

smoken,

im a half way competent self taught welder. won't have my welder with me in PH though. don't know if i'll have room to build one and put into bags. wanted to build a chicken beer can holder but don't know if ill have room. only allowed 1 bag to check flying with united, then PAL is limiting me to 15kilo to my checked bag. once i get back, it'll be something to make up and throw in a BB box. 

Thanks for the heads up on the opening time for true value. Going to get wife on phone to verify what time they open and make sure that location has chips. if they have em now, probably get cousins to pick up a few so their sitting there waiting for us. hate to arrive and they be out. i have discovered sulit. WOW, multicabs are CHEEEEEEP if i don't mind going to cebu. didn't realize they were that cheap. maybe one will make it onto the shopping list while i'm over there. who knows??? I like to be able to get up and go when i want, not have to go flag a taxi every time i want to go to town. 

sorry i wasn't clear on my flight leaving Manila. It actually leaves 320 or 345, don't remember which. I figure i want to be to terminal by 1-130. Been flying since i was barely out of diapers. I ALWAYS make sure i have time. Missed only 1 flight in my life but that was cause my flight to Holland left JFK 45 minutes late, coupled with crappy weather etc.etc.etc...., missed my connecting flight into Ukraine. Talk about a chain reaction of events. Ended up with 1 lost luggage and 1 that had arrived in Kiev almost 2 hours before. Now THAT was a interesting trip. 

thanks a lot man. i really appreciate it.

louie


----------



## smokensweet

I was thinking more of you manufacturing the rib rack and beercan chicken rack when you arrive, they have long stainless bars here for i dont know maybe 3 or 400 pesos for 20 feet, find a guy around where you are going to be with a welder and rent that for a day at maybe 500 pesos and have your fun... its how i had my racks made for my smoker and cooling my baked goods.  good to know you allowed plenty of time for your flight, should be good weather so most likely no delays.  safe trip and enjoy the province.


----------



## junkcollector

Hadn't thought about renting a. Do  welder. you think I could truly rent one that  cheap???? Momma inlaw knows a welder or 2 over there. Recently had window bars made and a cage for the new aircon the wife wanted for herself. So I might be able to  do exactly what you say. I saw a twin beer can chicken holder on fleebay a few weeks ago made out of expanded steel and angle iron. Angle iron looked like 1in. Had a 3inch all cup made from flat bar stock to hold the cans. Couldn't believe it was biidding over $18!!!!!


----------



## smokensweet

Well,

I just had a guy come over and weld up some more racks for me just flat racks to add to my smoker stack, like you would find in an oven.  He's a great guy does most of my little repairs and ac cleaning and recharging stuff.  he rented a machine for 200 pesos.  So i know i said 500 a day, but if you find the right person who isn't trying to get rich quick off you then you should get a fair shake, up to 500 a day at the most.  they sell these thrown together welders for cheap here maybe 5k pesos so don't let them take too much advantage of you.  Being in the province it may be harder to find and more expensive, here its everywhere, i have that advantage of being able to shop around that you may not find there.  Just ask around, find a guy nearby who will treat you right and keep going to him, throw him some little jobs here and there and have a friend for life.  Good luck.


----------



## junkcollector

Cool. If he can rent it for 200 a day, then my momma inlaw can too. But she also has her guy she has used in the past too. I dont mind helping out the poor guy trying to make a living, but like you said, I dont want him to make his whole living off of me!! I'll have her shop around and see what we come up with. We aren't that far out in the sticks, Balingasag, probably 20 kilometers out of CDO. CDO will have everything i can want. Can't shop around like you can up there, but I also don't mind a ferry ride to Cebu either if it gets too bad.

Another quick question, fishing poles/rods, i'm bringing a older saltwater reel with me to go fishing since her neighbor has a boat and we're spittin distance off the coast. Are 8-12ft fiberglass poles and line readily available over there?


----------



## smokensweet

Hmm....

I used to fish quite a bit, never much saltwater though where i was from, I have seen guys selling fishing rods on the street but that really doesn't mean much, pretty much anything is available here if you know where to look for it.  I can keep my eyes open for you if you have trouble finding it there, i have no reference as to price here or anything, but am sure there are cheap chinese knockoffs of everything, don't get me wrong, some of that chinese stuff is pretty good, I bought a complete set of golf clubs with bag for about 150 bucks, i am a pretty hard hitter and they have held up pretty well.  its kind of a luck of the draw sort of thing sometimes though.


----------



## junkcollector

i can get some nice ones here, but even broke down, their 4ft long or so. plus wife already has 4 bags for checked luggage. no way for me to get a good saltwater pole over on the plane. found out yesterday that bro inlaw is in manila now doing some work for his former employer so going to try to get him over to true value to get those chips so i don't have to worry bout it when i land. i don't remember seeing any when i was in CDO, but i've never been a fisherman either. Figured i'd try it out since im going to be spittin distance from the ocean. Just going to leave rod/reel for inlaws after i leave. So with that in mind, scored a used penn 320gti off ebay for $25. The reviews i got on it all said it was a great real so i went ahead and bid. Luck had it, I won. Now gotta find a rod for it. Thought a collapsable rod from walmart, but am VERY hesitant. If I lived in maimi fl and the walmart were there, i'd be a bit more inclined to get one. too far out in po-dunk nowhere here to get what **appears** to be a saltwater pole. Wife is going to check with ace in CDO, also going to have her inquire at true value in Manila. 

Don't have to convince me about *some* of that chinese stuff. The pitsburgh brand wrenches that harbor freight sell here have been holding up better than my stanley's and craftsmans at a fraction of the cost. Just got 2 screwdrivers at HF for a buck a piece. Comparing them to the stanleys I just bought at walmart, all i can say is the stanleys are going back for a refund. Amazing at how good *****SOME****** of the quality is. Others are still typical garbage.


----------



## smokensweet

Yikes... Its official i am a complete idiot. For the past two months i have been operating under the assumption that this week was holy week... making plans and all kinds of stuff... formed all around the question i asked wifey, when is holy week, she said right after her bday, her bday was yesterday... Have had numerous conversations with her since then regarding plans for this week, closing her parlor and repainting, ordering and installing new signs for her parlor... when to take the truck in for maintenance... etc... until two days ago i was still asking if people wanted to work thursday and friday to repaint the parlor... then someone said holy week is the end of the month... messaged wife.. when is holy week, "end of this month." .... Ugh... she even went on to add i told you it was right after my birthday.... again, her birthday was yesterday.... So my apologies if anything i have put out there on this site referenced holy week being this week...


----------



## junkcollector

aint no biggie on holy week man, its all good. bro inlaw is going to a truevalue today (your time) and picking up a bag of mesquite. gonna get ol lady on phone with another one or 2 to see if she can get hickory & apple located. the one she called at 3am my time only had mesquite. in your defense though, it is *right* after her birthday. my wifes too, her's was the 11th. then a week or so after easter is my youngest birthday. so we're going to celebrate easter and a birthday over there. Gonna be great.


----------



## junkcollector

Ms Cha,

How many Kilos do I receive for P85? My wife is coming back to PH in August or September to oversee the finishing of the addition/remodeling of our house. I really hope to be moved over by the new year or shortly after. Do you have little chips or are they chunks? 

Thanks

Louie

a.K.a. junkcollector


----------



## hey joe

Pleas Do tell your source of Mesquite, Apple wood and White Oak and if you know of a source of Hickory Live in Ozamis, About 4 hours to your west, and can not find any decent wood for Smoking meat. I will gladly pay for quality  Smoking Logs, I can Chip myself.


----------



## smokensweet

Hey Joe,

check out true value hardware, the cost is higher than you were probably thinking, but you can get already chunked stuff there, they have tabasco white oak chips also that give a little kick if you like.  If you are looking for a much larger batch of wood, i think you may check alibaba.com or something like that which deals in large imports of pretty much anything.  That being said my local true value is presently out of stock of my chunks and i need to go on a search for some more even though i still have stocks.  there are some companies who ship to here also but the shipping cost for that is kinda outrageous, it might be a good idea to have it shipped to a friend in the states and when you go back for a visit to toss it in a balikbayan box or something i dont know i haven't tried that yet.  but if you are looking for cheap, high quality wood, good luck, i haven't really found any.


----------



## smokensweet

Thanks for the inquiry from Erick de Guzman via text... I hope you enjoy the bacon and let me know if you prefer the thin or thick sliced.


----------



## randy ifi

Where in the Philippines are you located at? Are you selling your bacon in any of the food retail shops? Please send me a text message of your contact number because I'm interested in starting a food venture. Thanks!

Randy Ifurung  +63 916-232-4734

                         [email protected]


----------



## eattruth

you wouldn't know anyone who is selling their fruit or nut trees would you? preferably mango?


----------



## eattruth

also, I have been reading, and I found out that there are some species of oak in the Philippines. If anyone has any knowledge on that, it would be much obliged.


----------



## eattruth

do you guys know where to get a good bbq thermometer? I cant seem to find one and my new smoker is almost done. I am in Laguna area. one jeepnee away from alabang.


----------



## junkcollector

eattruth

are you wanting a stick and leave old school thermometer, or a remote probe thermometer. I'm currently in Tennessee but I'm packing my stuff to move to CDO. We arrive there in Manila the 27th. if you want to order one here, i'll thow it in my stuff and ring it to you.

Louie


----------



## eattruth

I have a probe thermometer with a timer for when the meat reaches the right temp. but i am lookin for a stick and leave. If you could bring one, that would be great. I was reading that a candy thermometer is used sometimes, so I picked up one of those the other day.


----------



## junkcollector

wish i'd seen this post 5 hours ago. i stuck the last 4 i had on the shelf into a lbc box too be shipped. NOOO WAY am i going to cut it open and attempt to locate them. i'll see if i can pick up a extra  or 2 and throw in my checked bags. are in manila area?


----------



## eattruth

I am mostly in Laguna, but manila is just a bus away.


----------



## junkcollector

i'll shoot ya a message when i get to manila. gonna be there for a few day but going to be running like a cat on a wood stove.


----------



## marjorie li

hi anyone knows where i can buy some wood chips here in quezon city or manila?

coz im gonna try stove top smoking :D


----------



## junkcollector

Marjorie, above, post #57, true value hardware. the ones i got last year were mesquite (very heavy smoke flavor) chunks. i believe you will have to split them down into smaller pieces to use them on a stove top.


----------



## marjorie li

thank you very much , ill try to smoke meats soon :D


----------



## junkcollector

Marjorie,

Your welcome. Glad I can help. If you haven't smoked on a stovetop before, I'd suggest doing some quick searches for stovetop smoking. Lots of good reading out there that will make a successful smoke. i'll send you a private message with a link.

when you get a chance, please stop in the *roll call* section and introduce yourself. Lots of VERY helpful folks on here that'd be glad to meet ya.. If you can't find the answer to a question searching, throw up a question.

Welcome aboard.

Louie


----------



## roger williams

where can iget some of these mesquite woodchips  i have home in caloocan in kiingstown would love to cook with some . im in arizona at the moment but heading there in august . great aricle you have there


----------



## junkcollector

I'd strongly suggest throwing what you want in a balikbayan box ((i use LBC)) and ship over what you want. I am now in Philippines, northern Mindinao just outside of Cagayan de Oro. US woods are obviously all going to be imported and are VERY VERY expensive. True Values in Manila area. My true value down south doesn't have them. 

Louie


----------



## tropics

Wife and I have a place in Pasay. Probably going back for a visit next year.

Richie


----------



## roy harrison

smokensweet said:


> Hello, sorta new to smoking, started home business making bacon and baking cakes and cookies.  Living in the philippines is difficult to source many items, but with persistence i have found the essentials at least.  I built a custom smoker/grill out of hollow blocks and tubular as well as angular steel, with stainless steel racks.  The smoker is presently going through and expansion to allow for smoking up to maybe 100 kilos(220 pounds) of bacon at one time.  That may sound a little excessive but in the first month of business i was making 15 kilos a batch and it wouldn't last a day after i packaged it.  So i have decided to ramp it up a bit and see if i can really keep up with the demand.  I will have to also get more refrigerated space it seems.  The smoker is about 6 feet tall, by maybe 7 feet wide and 32 inches back to front, I use racks and just turn the bacon slabs on the side.  i also precut my slabs into four inch wide slabs for ease of removal of skin after smoking and ease of using in the slicer.  i found a source of charbroil applewood chunks and chips, also mesquite and tabasco chips, there is whisky barrel and jack daniels whiskey barrel also available but haven't tried those last two yet.  I cure with brown sugar, noniodized rockseasalt and pink salt at 3 percent nitrite.  usually a five day cure then a four to six hour pellicle formation depending on the humidity, with six to eight hours of cold smoking less than 95 degrees f using mainly apple wood and a little mesquite and white oak thrown in to round everything out.  When i do get more refrigeration i will be expanding to hams and turkey deli meat, may do a little roast beef just to try it out pretty soon.  Anyone in the neighborhood hit me up and will be happy to answer any questions you may have that i can.


Hello I just joined and would love ot know where you are located so I can drop by and buy some meats,.I would also like ot ask what wood you use for smoking your meats here in the Philippines


----------



## smokensweet

Roy, Thanks for your interest, I don't have a shop set up anywhere, you can check out what i have to offer at facebook, if you just type into the facebook search window [email protected] my page should come up.  For smoked meats I just have bacon and ribs right now, the bacon i cure for 5-6 days and then i cold smoke it for 8-12 hours depending upon the weather conditions and how well the smoke is sticking.  The ribs are rubbed with a basic rub, with a little something something that you probably can't even tell its there but then i hot smoke those for 8-12 hours as well.  The wood i use is a mix of apple, hickory, mesquite, and oak.  If you are interested to purchase some, i can deliver it free anywhere between sm fairview and East Avenue during the week.  I am running a little low on ribs right now but i still have a couple of racks, it comes with my own barbecue sauce as well.  feel free to message me on my cell 09083680430.  but definitely check out my facebook page and you can see whats there.  Thanks again.


----------



## smokensweet

Roger, sorry i haven't checked in on this page for a while, i get mesquite at true value, but stocks are hard to come by, i wouldn't recommend cooking solely with any woodchips you do come by here because it would be quite expensive.  Also at true value and SnR membership shopping they have kingsford mesquite charcoal if you want to use that, its not too expensive.  sorry for way late reply but hope it helps.


----------



## smokensweet

For those looking for small scale smoking options like stove top or just a kilo or so of bacon, there is a gourmet shop called gourdo's which used to carry these little smoke trays with hickory or mesquite flavored shreds in it, they work great for small scale and even on large scale if you use enough of them, and they are reasonable at 50-60 pesos last time i checked.  someone asked about local woods, i haven't really tried many of them, i tried avocado one time and that was a massive mistake, whatever i smoked came out tasting a lot like lavender soap.  and i have it stuck in my head that mango is bad to be used for smoking?  not sure on that though but it might bear checking up on.  I am terrible about checking in on this site, i always rely upon it to notify me in an email when someone posts, but that doesn't always happen.  For those i have helped, i hope i really did help, for those i missed out on helping, sorry about that, will try harder to keep an eye out for where i can help.  feel free to check out my facebook, add me up, if you are nearby, you are welcome to come by and check out my setup.  might even feed ya.


----------



## smokensweet

Roy Harrison said:


> Hello I just joined and would love ot know where you are located so I can drop by and buy some meats,.I would also like ot ask what wood you use for smoking your meats here in the Philippines



see previous comment... :D


----------



## bookhead

I have been looking all over, not just to find the woods I want on the island of Luzon (apple and hickory), but to find substitutes that are indigenous to the Philippine Archipelago. Have had little to no success on either account except that I have found a type of hickory that is indigenous to China. Can't be sure if it would have the same qualities for smoking as the North American variety. Looking forward to hearing more from you about the sources you have found. I am wanting to start on the other end of the equation from where you have started, although that may not be practical from a financial perspective. I want to be able to control the supply side, and as such to minimize material costs while maximizing quality controls by having my own farm before beginning production. As I said though, it is looking more and more as though I will have to create direct relationships with the farms and contract the production requirements in return for guaranteed purchases each month.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you and discussing your line of products and my plans for my own line. I am so happy to have found somebody with a passion for the art of charcuterie and for bringing quality products to the people and the expats of the Philippine Islands...

Jared Sewell (Bookhead)


----------



## smokensweet

Jared,

First, Welcome to the Philippines, secondly, if i understand your approach is that you are looking to secure your sources of both smoking materials as well as a reliable source of meat, ideally you are wanting to have a farm where you supply your own?  If you have that sort of income it can certainly be done, it might take a long time to make back your investment though and as i am sure you are aware you cannot actually own anything under your name here.  So the person you have as the owner of both the business and the land would have to be very trustworthy as this is a rather large investment.  That being said, Control over the entire process from source to table is ambitious and will be a mountain of work, if you are up for it and that sort of thing is important to you then go for it.  Initially i did try searching sites like alibaba for large quantities of wood for smoking and stuff like that because i was having such a hard time finding apple and hickory, i even looked into have bags shipped from canadian and american companies. and the shipping was outrageous.  like 50-100 bucks for a 5-10 pound bag, and that didn't even include customs bribes it would take to get it out of customs and bribes to the dept of agriculture as well.  After searching along those lines for a while i finally gave in when i ran across a 5 pound bag of apple chips next to a 5 pound bag of hickory chips in true value hardware, each bag was priced at less than 10 bucks.  and as an added bonus that made me feel like i was doing something right, when i cashed out at the register they both happened to be on sale for half price...  I promptly gave up my lofty ideas of nose-tail and beyond control of product, and having done similar research into local farms regarding high quality meat i found the price was again prohibitive, you can find farmers willing to cater to your supply control demands, but it will cost two or three times what you pay at the grocery store, and having researched the large chain grocery i found their meat was consistent in fat ratio as well as flavor and price is pretty steady, they cut the rack how i want it as many as 80 racks in one week i have been able to obtain from this one grocery.  All their meat was imported from europe, verified by the stamps on the meat, the boxes they unload, the meat inspection certificates they post and by doing a little in depth research online.  Will all that in mind, i had invested a couple thousand bucks into this already building the smoker and trying different meats and woods, i just decided to use a consistent source from the grocery for the meat, and the hard part is still getting wood chunks from the hardware because sometimes i go and they have plenty and others they have none.  My advice for you is this, if you are to build your own smoker, build one that is very airtight, something that will hold in both the smoke and the heat thereby you will maximize the amount of smoke you are producing.  Personally i supplement the heat source with local uling when doing my ribs to get to and maintain temperature.  and i simply use foil pouches filled with soaked chips slightly above the coals to produce my smoke, you have to ensure with this method that your charcoal/uling is high quality, meaning dry and not just partially charred wood.  that way the only smoke generated is from your custom wood chunks you decide to use.  I had a solid business with these ribs for more than a year, Circumstances beyond our control have made that drop off significantly but last christmas alone i sold over 100 racks of ribs in one week.  If there is anything i can help you with i am glad to do so, regarding local woods, i tried a couple just on a lark, one being avocado, i posted about it, don't bother trying it, meat comes out tasting soapy lavendery in a bad bad way.  they say mango is supposed to be bad, and i realized that for centuries others far more knowledgeable than i have been smoking meats and they have likely already narrowed down the best woods for smoking and those are what is out there already.  I would love to get my hands on some cherry wood just to see if it helps though... :D  good luck and i think i posted my number on previous posts, but check out my facebook [email protected] type that into the search and it should come up.  don't sell much smoked meat anymore, but i still do it for personal use.


----------



## bookhead

Thank you so much for the kind words and the great wisdom and advice you have shared me. Please forgive the lateness of my reply. I have been overwhelmed with projects and only just now was able to find my way back to the forum by searching through my browser history.

Your advice is solid gold and I want to get a running start the moment my feet hit the ground again in Manila. That will be in about 2 weeks. I want to eventually do all those great things, like having my own farm where I can grow my own pork, beef and poutlry to my own standards, but it is in now way practicle to start off trying to do everything to that extrem an ideal. As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing is getting started, no matter how small the operation, or how limmitted my understanding of the market. Getting started is always the hardest part of any enterprise and its also the best way to learn what works and what doesn't! On the job training so to speak.

The farm can wait, but getting my hands on a smoker, or building my own is critical to my immediate goals. I won't have any capital to invest, so I'm going to be extremely limmitted in what I can spend money on. I have worked out a thousand different methods for creating cold, concentrated smoke, and I have decided to go with a very low tech, and easily built smoke cylinder! I like the idea of buying from the grocery store to begin with. I have always been a bit wary of the fresh markets and the vendors have the silliest ways of pricing meat. More often than not, they will charge the same whether you are buying brisket or loin.

So you found 5 lb bags of the two most important woods in the smoking world at True Value Hardware! That is so awesome. With a cold smoke cylinder, I can get 2 to 3 hours of smoke from a few ounces of chips and saw dust. So a 5 pound bag is worth its weight in gold to me.

What are you doing with your smoker? Would you be willing to sell it to a young entrepreneur on a monthly payment basis at a set price, or lend it to me for a percentage of the profits? I have a place to build a small stationary cold smoke closet, but I could make a killing with a hot smoker for cooking with smoke such delicacies as ribs and sausages and turkey breasts and chickens and ducks... OH MY, the GOODNESS!!!

I'm looking forward to meeting you when I get to Manila. I hope you and yours are all happy and healthy and enjoying paradise.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch...

Jared Matthew Sewell

(AKA - Bookhead)

[email protected]


----------



## berry

Hello, 

I have lived in the philippines going on 6 years mostly away because need to work and everyone knows nearly impossible to make a great living here no matter what all the blogs say. As for BBQ I am a native texan (west) Texan and meat is in our blood, I have been desperately for years been trying to get my wife away from their so called meat, little blobs that are 98% bone pppfff. spend more time digging bone out of my teeth than enjoying the taste. I read a few comments here and although they said mesquite chips. I am needing trees, do the phillipines even allow them to be grown? I am sure the spaniards have brought them back when but, I havnt seen any??? I would be more than happy to plant a few hectares with them and throw a few head of cattle in to speed the process but in my experience

Filipinos hate progress they absolutely despise it, me and my wife just got in a fight because she said this is the philippines why you always trying to change it. I told her I wasnt just trying to make it better, told her that the philippines is the only 3rd world asian country left and it didnt end well.

My plan long term is to bring long horn cattle and actually have a good beef market they have beef but you go to the market and a tiny little slice pathetic I want beef a brisket, a round but havnt seen any yet.

My mom and dad came here a few months ago and my mom made some homemade chicken fried steak the steak wasnt any good but passable and noone ate it besides us, they looked at it like how i look at bolut. to them a BBQ means chicken feet and pork fat on  stick they wont even acknowledge the thought of having a second grade smoked t-bone.

Any suggestion..


----------



## bookhead

Hello Berry,

I feel you brother. The only way to make the change in flavors and quality demanded by Filipinos, is to do so gradually. The tastes here have been conditioned into the locals over the course of hundreds of years, and not by choice, but by necessity. You put meat flavored chemicals in a can and call it corned beef, and before long, the real thing is as alien as the canned crap was when first introduced. Necessity breeds contempt for the good, natural, wholesome products that the locals simply cannot afford. Add to that pattern, the fact that the political dynasties and the Catholic Church maintain their power over the citizens only by ensuring that they never rise above their poverty, and you have a recipe for never-ending adversity and hardship. While the powers that be get wealthier every day selling low grade dog food to the masses and charging as much or more than it would cost to give them the high quality, nutritious foods enjoyed by the ruling and religious classes...

I am making bacons and hams and like you, I am looking forward to making some corned beef, pastrami, fresh sausages, salami, and much more. My wife's family is already warming up to my gastronomical creations, and are beginning to see dollar signs in my food. They are encouraging me to start a restaurant or a food van or a catering business, but such ventures are much easier planned than delivered. So until I can have what I really want, I am looking at starting small and slow and building up to my dream. Like you, I see the farm as a critical part of being able to control quality and production levels from the get go. But I am as poor as most of the people around and so, again, I will build up slowly and continue to work on perfecting my recipes and dishing out my passion for food by the cup, the plate and the bucket until it ignites a fire in the bellies of the locals and one by one, they begin to demand more!!!


----------



## smokensweet

Suggestions... the arguments are echoes of similar experiences i have myself, as well as what i have seen in those around me.  I am far from an expert, however, sometimes i do have luck by planting seeds, similar to growing trees, with ideas i mean though, i find if i plant little seeds of an idea and let her eventually come up with the idea herself it works out much much better.  However, if i make it too obvious she knows what i am doing and shuts down, then like six or ten months later she suggests the same thing we argued over like it was her idea all along..  I know that wasn't the suggestion you were looking for, but to address that here we go.  I completely understand your desires to control the quality of your meat by growing your own.  From my extensive knowledge of meaningless stuff, i can say i think you could probably get away with just about anything here as long as you grease the right people.  I saw some references before regarding chili's and there was a rather large group of chiliheads importing and growing their own varieties down in cebu or davao.  But try to find a chili other than the little thai chili's or the scotch bonnets if you are lucky here and you have found some gold, or the long thin green ones i guess also.  The similarity i am guessing would be the plants, you want mesquite trees to provide cover and something for the longhorns to rub against?  I am not even sure they will grow well in this climate that would be something to look into first i guess.  Secondly finding the land available in an area with a climate that will let them thrive at a price that you can afford.  well i guess that isn't second, second would be to find out if its possible to import the seedlings or whatever.  then the land, then regarding the longhorns, i know little of raising cattle other than they are pretty tasty if fed properly.  the saying you are what you eat applies to what we eat for sure, and you might run into issues with what will you feed those longhorns if you do find land and are able to grow the mesquite and import the cattle?  That all being said, i find the problem with the local meats being they let little fat develop and what few rancher/butchers i have found who grow their own the brisket's they end up with are only about half the size you want with very little fats. 

I am horrible about paragraph breaks and proper sentence structure so please forgive me.  One way to win your wife over and it won't be cheap, is take her to some higher end restaurants that actually do have high quality imported beef, let her taste the difference.  You need to get in with some up and coming young chefs who will be your network in the future, Know the uses of the entire nose to tail of the longhorn and create your own demand i guess, this is all after you start the ranch. 

Jared, starting at the bottom is tough, we have spoken about it a couple times.  Even now after 7 years or more here i still have some really dry times with orders, build a loyal base, crazy some of my best most loyal customers are under the age of 10, i had a 6 year old call me the other day regarding a birthday cake he wants in the shape or with something to do with a rowboat, I have never met him, his grandmother buys a kilo or two of bacon from me each week because if she doesn't this kid will be mad at her.  This is kinda a story for both of you i guess, there are people out there who appreciate the different flavors that we are used to, find them, provide for them, and hopefully you will succeed.  Good luck, let me know how your ventures go for sure, if i can provide any other advice or support, let me know.


----------



## smokensweet

Berry,

I had another thought, if you have the funding to do so, a supplement to that funding instead of just having your return be from the high quality beef you produce could be to make it a sort of Texas style resort where the wealthy can stay and live the life of a cowboy or something like that for a weekend or something.  Maybe even if you found some surrounding feeding areas to have a cattle drive like city slickers or whatever, it could be a great draw and you could even appeal to the government bodies with that sort of thing.  When you are going through this process it will be important to ensure you do not offend anyone, they are easily offended here and also they easily offend, they can say some of the most horrible things about their own, but if someone else does it look out.  It must be presented as a High quality alternative, not a replacement because you think what is here is poor.  My wife and i struggle over similar concepts also sometimes, and she is slowly seeing things in a similar light to me, she has great taste though, so it helps when i am being "picky" about meat quality and similar things.  She now understands the importance of having quality ingredients when before she would just get it at the local market now she looks for marbling and consistency.   I also forgot to mention that in my searches i have found there are some high quality producers and importers of meats, one thing to look for is every year they have "expo's" usually near mall of asia that last for a few days where you can go and meat others in the industry and there will be a few people you want to get to know at those for sure, processers, packers, producers, etc.  Keep an eye on those, go to them and keep an open eye because even at those the gems are hidden sometimes.  But they have agriculture expo's, meat producer expo's, even food expo's you will find suppliers and people interested in obtaining high quality supply.  I know there is a meat supplier that imports some good meats from the pacific northwest, i think there website is alternatives.ph or something like that.  Again, let me know if any of this helped or if you have any other specific questions that i can address with an amateur opinion.


----------



## pjunzen

Hi I'm new here and new to smoking also. I would like to ask if you can use Palochina wood shavings for smoke? Thanks!


----------



## smokensweet

Welcome Pjunzen,

I would have to say not to use palochina wood, I am not exactly sure what it is, but if i am not mistaken it is typically used for crates and boxes and likely heavily treated with chemicals.  even if its a version of pine wood or whatever i would say to stay away from it.  Regarding local woods to use, i still do not know enough about them to venture too far, but if you are into experimenting keep in mind that you must let the wood "season" meaning, when you cut it from the tree it must have a couple of months to dry out.  Be careful what you are experimenting with, some woods will create toxic smoke you don't want anywhere near anything you are smoking, that being said, i have seen coconut husks being used for smoke.  Look around at those smoking fish and see what they are using if you don't want to use the imported stuff.  I also saw a program where they smoke sausages on a large scale and their method of smoking is something to pass along, they have a motor basically with the shaft spinning and a 4"x4" post pressed against the spinning shaft creating friction and plenty of smoke, i think its a genius idea especially for cold smoking and may look into finding the pieces of wood needed to try that, but it kinda requires some special modification to my smoker.  anyway, welcome pjunzen and stop by and see me at Sidcor Centris Station Sunday market, i just opened up a food stall there this last weekend and its going pretty well.


----------



## smokensweet

Roy,

an update, we have recently started a food stall at Sidcor Sunday market located near centris station in quezon city, we operate from 6 am to 1pm every sunday.  I have my smoked ribs and mashed potatoes every weekend, smoked roast beef, bacon when its in stock, but it goes so fast and best to reserve ahead of time.  I also offer some of the best cupcakes you have ever had even if you don't have a sweettooth these are pretty damn good, and i smoked some pecans and walnuts the pecans for a pecan pie and walnuts for carrot cake.  Also offer SunBrewed Iced tea which seems like a fairly new concept here as people are going kinda crazy over it.  If you get a chance stop on by, introduce yourself and remind me you saw me on smoking meat forum and i will likely let you have a free sample of the ribs.  hope to see you there and will update you if we start up somewhere else also.


----------



## familyjuice

smokensweet said:


> Roy,
> 
> an update, we have recently started a food stall at Sidcor Sunday market located near centris station in quezon city, we operate from 6 am to 1pm every sunday.  I have my smoked ribs and mashed potatoes every weekend, smoked roast beef, bacon when its in stock, but it goes so fast and best to reserve ahead of time.  I also offer some of the best cupcakes you have ever had even if you don't have a sweettooth these are pretty damn good, and i smoked some pecans and walnuts the pecans for a pecan pie and walnuts for carrot cake.  Also offer SunBrewed Iced tea which seems like a fairly new concept here as people are going kinda crazy over it.  If you get a chance stop on by, introduce yourself and remind me you saw me on smoking meat forum and i will likely let you have a free sample of the ribs.  hope to see you there and will update you if we start up somewhere else also.


I will drop by one of these days when I get enough courage to get through the traffic going there :)


----------



## karlopena

Hi smokensweet,

I'm a Filipino and grew up here in the Philippines but was fortunate to travel and ate food from different part of the world. One of my favorite is smoked meat/american barbeque. I grew up from a family that loves to cook that tries to make our own version of good food we had in restaurants. I wanted to try making my own smoked barbeque. I searched the internet and I'm here reading all your post in this thread. I will drop by to your stall in Centris  this weekend. I hope I can get there early to try your bacon and ribs.

Thanks.

Karlo


----------



## tropics

karlopena said:


> Hi smokensweet,
> 
> I'm a Filipino and grew up here in the Philippines but was fortunate to travel and ate food from different part of the world. One of my favorite is smoked meat/american barbeque. I grew up from a family that loves to cook that tries to make our own version of good food we had in restaurants. I wanted to try making my own smoked barbeque. I searched the internet and I'm here reading all your post in this thread. I will drop by to your stall in Centris  this weekend. I hope I can get there early to try your bacon and ribs.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Karlo


Karlo welcome to SMF Here you will find info on any type of smoker or recipe. Use the search bar don't be afraid to post question.My wife and I have a place in Pasay.


----------



## smokinrsh

Hi All,

Havent been on for quite a while but my impending move to the Philippines is coming soon.

So really looking at some advice from anyone that wishes to help.

First I wanted to know if it is worth shipping a smoker to the philippines as i know you can't really get them.

I have read about making them too but to start I think i will look at a pre-made one.

Any suggestions on what smoker would be good.

I currently have a weber charcoal smoker which does the job.

I am also looking at the Bradley Original smoker which uses flavored bisquettes.

My concern would be when i run out of these what I can use for this.

Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks in Advance

Rick


----------



## tropics

SmokinRSH said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Havent been on for quite a while but my impending move to the Philippines is coming soon.
> 
> So really looking at some advice from anyone that wishes to help.
> 
> First I wanted to know if it is worth shipping a smoker to the philippines as i know you can't really get them.
> 
> I have read about making them too but to start I think i will look at a pre-made one.
> 
> Any suggestions on what smoker would be good.
> 
> I currently have a weber charcoal smoker which does the job.
> 
> I am also looking at the Bradley Original smoker which uses flavored bisquettes.
> 
> My concern would be when i run out of these what I can use for this.
> 
> Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in Advance
> 
> Rick


Rick the Weber would be good their, you would have to have the bisquettes shipped. The Weber you can also make a mini for that Good Luck


----------



## marjorie li

Hi there again [emoji]128515[/emoji] I was wandering where can I buy weber kettle grill in the Philippines or other kettle grill? I wanna try american style bbq [emoji]128515[/emoji]Thank you very much


----------



## familyjuice

Marjorie Li said:


> Hi there again [emoji]128515[/emoji] I was wandering where can I buy weber kettle grill in the Philippines or other kettle grill? I wanna try american style bbq [emoji]128515[/emoji]Thank you very much


Hi Marjorie, I've been looking for a weber kettle grill before to start my smoke but, webers are hard to find here. S&R has a stainless steel kettle grill selling for 3999PHp. Easy to clean too. True Value also has vertical and off set smokers, but they are pricey. 













IMG_4455.jpg



__ familyjuice
__ Apr 25, 2015






This is the one from S&R


----------



## marjorie li

Familyjuice said:


> Hi Marjorie, I've been looking for a weber kettle grill before to start my smoke but, webers are hard to find here. S&R has a stainless steel kettle grill selling for 3999PHp. Easy to clean too. True Value also has vertical and off set smokers, but they are pricey.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG_4455.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ familyjuice
> __ Apr 25, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the one from S&R



Thank you. Will defenitely buy that one when I got back in ph I'm excited hahahah [emoji]128515[/emoji]


----------



## zidd

i made a Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) here in Dumaguete..Cooks baby back ribs and taste great. Taste Great. Better the so called "Texax Style BBQ" meat here in Dumaguete.

I normally cook about 3-4kilos at a time with the UDS.


----------



## familyjuice

http://www.olx.ph/index.php/view+cl...h+Ranking,Position,1-2,2#advertisementDetails

Someone is selling smokers, in case someone is interested, since it's so hard to look for smokers here.


----------



## zidd

I'm in the process of building my first offset smoker here in Dumaguete, using 3mm metal plate


----------



## houdini

Hi guys newbie here who loves to eat ribs. Recently tried cooking ribs using my oven and the result is just so-so and doesn't smell like ribs done in restos'). Searching for answers in the net I found this website and read in your discussions about smoking ribs? Would really appreciate if someone can give me advice on starting and where I can buy not-so-pricey smokers. Thanks in advance!

-eli


----------



## summergirl

I read your forum. can you kindly help where I can buy the wood chips you mentioned. thanks marissa


----------



## zidd

here is my finished "unpainted" reverse smoker that I built here in Dumaguete.













monday2.jpg



__ zidd
__ Aug 26, 2015


----------



## judcargile

Hi, I am back in Manila and am interested in smoking as I have no taste for the local fare. Is your # still good?


----------



## smokensweet

jud, my number is 09083680430, feel free to text me a msg.  for those interested in building their own smoker, there are plenty of resources online to guide you through such a process.  for those wanting to buy, SnR does have the green egg, although the price is ridiculous at 60k i think.  there is also a shop called HMR over in megamall/shangrila area which i visited recently which had a couple of little cabinet smokers for under 5k.  As for woodchips, i think i have posted my source earlier, there are other sources also but wife will kill me as there are times my main source has dried up and i am left spinning trying to get what i need.  As for shipping a smoker, and using imported briquettes, true value has some flavored briquettes as well as hardwood charcoal the cost is a little much but if you can afford it then go that way.  there is a local uling which makes a decent smoke flavor from acacia trees, i think at least.  personally i use kingsford charcoal to get some local uling going, and the charcoal gets it going pretty well with raising the heat as well.  then i use an old number 10 can to put my chips in and cover that and place it on top of my heat, my smoker is large enough to do about 50-70kilos of meat at a time and maintain the temperature at 220F.  My experience will not likely translate well to what you are using because of the size of what i am doing.  our food stall is still up and running sunday mornings at sidcor sunday market, near centris station, in quezon city.  Sunday morning traffic isn't too bad and if you want to try my stuff it goes pretty quick, meaning get there before 9am.  i don't bring more because after 9 or 10 the business slows way down, better to run out then take it home and lose profit.  i have recently converted my beef operations to wagyu, smoked my first brisket last week and it was gone in an hour, i have met quite a few people from this site, and i try to help out as many as possible, but keep in mind, i will not do all the work for you, some information you ask  of me i cannot give out as it could affect my source of supply, and that is my business lifeline.  i have no problem being a friend or cheerleader even, just keep in mind i also run a business and have to protect my own.  especially here where if you are succeeding someone will come along and do exactly what you are doing and do it cheaper right next to you and while i don't think that has happened yet it could.  i think i have answered as many questions i have missed as i could, and yes do stop by, tell me you are from smoking meat forums, add me up on facebook, jack ruivivar.  if i am not crazy busy at the market i will answer what questions i can and if you have something you are proud of by all means bring it on by and i will try it out and give you an opinion, i can't guarantee you will like that though...:D


----------



## bigfootmanila

Got myself a custom built Backwoods competitor clone, can't wait to start smokin.


----------



## bigfootmanila

Got myself a BWS competitor clone.


----------



## bigfootmanila

I had it custom built by a welder friend, with plans downloaded from this forum. 2 inch rockwool insulation, 2mm steel plate on most parts, some thin gauge stainless on the inside. Holds temp very well, but still needs to get the feel of it. First time using a smoker also.


----------



## zidd

UDS_V1.jpg



__ zidd
__ May 16, 2016






my first smoke....a barrel. Cooks fine













UDS_V1_rib.jpg



__ zidd
__ May 16, 2016






pork ribs ( baby back ribs, they  call the cut here)













P7120312.jpg



__ zidd
__ May 16, 2016






Here is the smoker that I fabricated myself..note the crappy weld beads. But, works great for my purpose...


----------



## carlo olivares

applewood76 said:


> smokensweet, thanks for the informative response. i am located also in metro manila. i have been sourcing my wood chips in a few hardware/grocery stores. unfortunately its very limited to mesquite and hickory. yes bec we live in a place with very limited sources to produce the food we want i understand its confidential where you source your supplies. its nice to hear youre doing good with your business. i assume you get awhole bunch of wood chips based on the money you spend just for shipping. im just wondering where i can get some applewood chips and a constant supplyfor the coming Christmas season for cooking. btw, where do you sell these smoked bacon? maybe we could try it out soon.



True value has the best price. 

Else theres Ace Hw but marked up a bit more...

I know a couple other BBQ addicts who smoke using mango wood... And you find that all around the metro. Oh and coconut husk from the palengke


----------



## carlo olivares

ZiDD said:


> UDS_V1.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ zidd
> __ May 16, 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my first smoke....a barrel. Cooks fine
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> UDS_V1_rib.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ zidd
> __ May 16, 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pork ribs ( baby back ribs, they  call the cut here)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P7120312.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ zidd
> __ May 16, 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is the smoker that I fabricated myself..note the crappy weld beads. But, works great for my purpose...



Thats awesome! I brought in a weber smokey mountain 18.5... But i know a couple guys who built smokers too. But gotta say.. Yours is pretty awesome


----------



## carlo olivares

bigfootmanila said:


> Got myself a BWS competitor clone.



Beauty pare. Charcoal at the bottom?


----------



## carlo olivares

SmokinRSH said:


> Hi All,
> Havent been on for quite a while but my impending move to the Philippines is coming soon.
> So really looking at some advice from anyone that wishes to help.
> 
> First I wanted to know if it is worth shipping a smoker to the philippines as i know you can't really get them.
> I have read about making them too but to start I think i will look at a pre-made one.
> 
> Any suggestions on what smoker would be good.
> I currently have a weber charcoal smoker which does the job.
> 
> I am also looking at the Bradley Original smoker which uses flavored bisquettes.
> My concern would be when i run out of these what I can use for this.
> 
> Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in Advance
> Rick



Rick, i shipped a weber smokey mountain 18.5 using a forwarded (check out LBC Shipping Cart).

I use regular coal (now) but started using kingsford. I bought kingsford at a couple hardware stores.. There are really only 2 stores-- ace hardware and true value.

Dont worry about smoke wood... Theres way more wood than there are buyers. 

Enjoy!

Carlo


----------



## kayab

Hi guys! I've just finished reading all the pages in this thread. Last post was almost a year ago.  I wonder how everyone is with their smoking. I have finally ordered my smoker and will use it as soon as it arrives (June 10) and I am so excited to finally try it.  Good thing I found this forum, and finding a thread with Pinoys is even better!


----------



## kettlesmoke

Been reading this forum for a while just joined up.. I live in Manila and use a Weber Kettle. Been a while since I smoked anything but gearing up to get going again.. Looking at making my own bacon soon...


----------



## jsterr1

i will definitely be in need of your services. I am moving to PI(quezon) in 10 days. I also plan on smoking some meats for a carry out business i plan on starting. definitely could use a heads up on where to find wood chips. in its absence, i may be interested in discussing prices if i can buy in bulk from you, once i get the ball rolling.


----------



## smokensweet

jsterr1 said:


> i will definitely be in need of your services. I am moving to PI(quezon) in 10 days. I also plan on smoking some meats for a carry out business i plan on starting. definitely could use a heads up on where to find wood chips. in its absence, i may be interested in discussing prices if i can buy in bulk from you, once i get the ball rolling.


Haven't been able to log in lately for some reason.  If you are in town look me up on fb. Jack ruivivar or smoke'n sweet.  Shoot me a msg or think i have posted my number on here somewhere also.  Busy time of year but i try to make time.


----------



## NewbieShark

Hi good day to every meat smoker out there! Im new to this part of cooking. There is just one thing that is stoping me to start smoking meat. Its the wood chips.. Any advice where to see one? Or substitute of local wood?

Location: cebu ph.
Age: 26
Skill in smoking: zero ( but doing some research) but i know how to bbq and grill.


----------



## Heitynn

Hi All, 

Newbie here and an occasional smoker.. just started to smoke last year. Was able to do this only when I come home to the Philippines during my annual vacation. Im having a hard time lookin for a constant supply of wood chunks. Im based in Laguna and fortunately my supplier delivers it to me for a decent charge. 

Anyone on planning to purchase woods online and share the total expenses?

Good day to all!


----------



## Deeez

smokensweet said:


> Ok applewood, wifes in the shower so i can tell you quickly where i get some apple chunks and they may have chips also.  True Value hardware, they have a number of different woodchips etc.  depending on your smoker one bag should last a while.  I bought a bag of mesquite and apple wood chunks two weeks ago and still have half of each after smoking 40 kilos of bacon.  My smoker isn't so efficient so i lose a lot of smoke right now but it is presently going through a modification to hopefully capture more of that sweet sweet flavor.  At present my products are only available directly from my wife, We can't seem to keep it in stock and we are charging 500 pesos for 500 grams.  I know it seems a little criminal but they are going crazy over it and i have to keep it at that price just to be able to provide enough for those who want it.  I am also doing smoked salmon, its a little different for the local taste here, they aren't sure what to do with it really, You can text me if you like my number is 09083680430, if you really want to try some of the bacon i can have my wife set aside a bag for you or two.  She is a hearing officer at LTO on east avenue and you could just stop by and pick it up there.  She should have about 20 kilos on friday.  but whatever you do if you meet her, don't tell her i told you were to get the chips.  As for them running out, i saw a post online dated 2009 stating that was where someone was getting their chips so i checked it out, so for the last three years it seems they are resupplying the shelves and the price is pretty reasonable compared to having it shipped.  Enjoy the holidays and let me know if you need anything.


Hi Smokensweet. I just got to Manila and found your post hear. I tried calling you,  but I couldn’t through. Would to get some more insight about sourcing local wood. 
I have a bullet smoker and my friends wants to try low n slow cooking so we are using his yard to smoke by the pool. I would be more than happy to try your place as well.


----------



## Deeez

Heitynn said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Newbie here and an occasional smoker.. just started to smoke last year. Was able to do this only when I come home to the Philippines during my annual vacation. Im having a hard time lookin for a constant supply of wood chunks. Im based in Laguna and fortunately my supplier delivers it to me for a decent charge.
> 
> Anyone on planning to purchase woods online and share the total expenses?
> 
> Good day to all!


Hi Heitynn,
I’m in makati, how we work it out?


----------



## Deeez

Hi everyone, just returned to Manila and shipping my Napoleon bullet smoker back and looking forward to smoking here.  Any tips on wood products, great meat source(usda) pork and beef ribs and belly as well beef belly, would be highly appreciated. I’m happy to share my contact, just PM me. Thanks again everyone.


----------

