# Very new to smoking!!



## louisprose (Sep 15, 2015)

Hi there i am Louis based in the UK. I am very new to smoking meats but i am seekin some advise! Hope to be in the future smoking briskets on a semi commercial scale for a food business. Need a smoker that can be left alone (electric) but also can handle 4-5 briskets at a time. I had my eye on a cookshack sm070 (sm066 in usa) but dont want to rush into buying one espcially because of the costs. Also have seen the beelonia smokers like the f2 70 which are cheaper. But are they just as good? Any help would be appreciated as i am very new to smoking!! Thanks


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## smokin monkey (Sep 16, 2015)

Hi Louis, Welcome to our "Family" and "Addiction"

Will drop Wade a PM he can advise you on the Cookshack.

Plenty of good folk on here, ask any questions you can think of, and you will get your answers.

Please take time to look at the UK Smokers Forum,

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/3161/uk-smokers

And introduce your self on the UK Roll Call

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/229926/roll-call

Which part of the UK are you in and how did you hear of SMF?

Smokin Monkey [emoji]133660013031[/emoji]


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## wade (Sep 16, 2015)

Louisprose said:


> Hi there i am Louis based in the UK. I am very new to smoking meats but i am seekin some advise! Hope to be in the future smoking briskets on a semi commercial scale for a food business. Need a smoker that can be left alone (electric) but also can handle 4-5 briskets at a time. I had my eye on a cookshack sm070 (sm066 in usa) but dont want to rush into buying one espcially because of the costs. Also have seen the beelonia smokers like the f2 70 which are cheaper. But are they just as good? Any help would be appreciated as i am very new to smoking!! Thanks


Hi Louis

Welcome to the forum. There are a growing number on here from the UK and we had our second annual meet in July. We are now getting things ready for out 3rd one next year.

It is good that you are considering trying it commercially - several of us on here are commercial or semi-commercial for various BBQ meats or BBQ related products. One question I have though is regarding your choice of electric for your smoker? Have you ruled out pellets? These are also programmable and can be left to smoke unattended. I recently bought a Cookshack FEC-120 and this model is in use in many restaurants here in the UK. I am in Kent and so if you wanted to see one in action you would be welcome.

Looking forward to seeing your posts and also your smoking photos - we like lots of photos on here 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Cheers

Wade


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## louisprose (Sep 16, 2015)

Hi there smoking monkey & wade.
Thanks for the fast responses and the warm welcome. 

Smoking monkey- i am from london starting my own business and just stumbled across this site! Will definately look at those links you have given me too. 

Wade- deffinately not ruling pellets out its proberbly my lack of knowledge in the subject! I guess the main reason i am looking into the cookshack sm070 and beelonia models is the price. The sm070 being the top end of my budget. So i guess for the price and what essentially i am looking for there doesnt seem to be much choice. I am open to getting electric or pellet but the FEC-120 for example is out of my budget i think. I also like the idea of somehow using wood for the smoke which i know you can in the sm070. May have to take you up on your offer to see it though beacuse i guess i can still learn a thing or two from it. 

Many thanks again for your responses. Really appreciate it.

Louis


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## smokin monkey (Sep 16, 2015)

You are welcome Louis, Wade will give you a Demo on the Cookshack, but as he has pointed out,  a pellet smoker like the GMG a JB Bowie, with the extra rack, should turn out 5 Briskets. Just got to calculate the price of Pellets into the cost. Both Cookshack and GMG available from The American BBQ Company.


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## louisprose (Sep 17, 2015)

I will have a look at them. I was avoiding the smokers that looked like traditional bbqs/residential just because i will be using it inside my flat and it feels like they would let out a lot more smoke and need more maintainence than a commercial looking smoker.
Thanks
Louis


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 17, 2015)

Louisprose said:


> I will have a look at them. I was avoiding the smokers that looked like traditional bbqs/residential just because i will be using it inside my flat and it feels like they would let out a lot more smoke and need more maintainence than a commercial looking smoker.
> Thanks
> Louis


Welcome and good luck with your venture. I hope UK Laws are more relaxed than in the States...Here it is difficult to get licensed to work out of a private residence and forget about a rental apartment. Most restrict operating a business and many now have fire ordinances that limit grilling and smoking. I had to get special permission to have an electric smoker and the neighbors made so much trouble about the smell of smoke that I only could use it at night, while all slept. Really a Pain in the A$$...JJ


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## smokin monkey (Sep 17, 2015)

Was that a typo mistake? Using inside your Flat? 
I do not want to seem negative but have you considered the following.

Have you considered, even if used outside, the effect this will have on your neighbours?  I live in a Cul De Sac, and had complaints about smoke. I have to take wind direction etc into consideration. I know Wade has also had some issues. 

How many times a week are you thinking of smoking?

Are you looking to sell the product? If you are have you got correct Preperation area? You will be inspected.

Have you contacted your local HSE.

Have you a HACCP Plan.

Do you have Insurance.

These are only some of the problems you will come up against.


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## wade (Sep 17, 2015)

Be they electric or pellet/wood they will still produce significant quantities of smoke that will require extraction/ventilation. 


Chef JimmyJ said:


> Welcome and good luck with your venture. I hope UK Laws are more relaxed than in the States...Here it is difficult to get licensed to work out of a private residence and forget about a rental apartment. Most restrict operating a business and many now have fire ordinances that limit grilling and smoking. I had to get special permission to have an electric smoker and the neighbors made so much trouble about the smell of smoke that I only could use it at night, while all slept. Really a Pain in the A$$...JJ


Hi JJ

It is not too difficult to do that over here but I would strongly advise Louis to chat with his local Environmental Health or Food Standards Officer before going too far though. They are there to help and advise with such ventures just as much as to police food safety. They will be able to advise on the suitability of the apartment and may save a lot of wasted time and money.


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 17, 2015)

Looks like the UK and the US are not that different. Lots of the same laws, restrictions and similar govering agencies...JJ


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## louisprose (Sep 17, 2015)

No I did say flat! Thanks for the info. In terms of my preperation space I have a large room in my flat which I plan to completely clean up and kit out ready for inspection. The flat layout is not traditional though, in terms of they are side by side, no flats above or below and they are not connected on the inside. Hard to explain. But obviously will take that all in to consideration as it is just a plan at the moment. But the flat does have a balcony which is an option also I do have a garden but at another property. Plus the room I plan to use opens on to the balcony and has already got some sort of extraction fan in the room. But will defiantly look into all those things. In terms of haccp plan and insurance they are yet to be sorted but are in my mind. But will look into what we have discussed will defiantly not rush into anything! 

Thanks again


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## smokin monkey (Sep 17, 2015)

Hi Louis, that's what we are here for advice and bounce ideas off each other.


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## louisprose (Sep 19, 2015)

Thanks for all the advise guys! Still going to a bit more research but the cookshack looks like a good fit for me because of money/practicality/maintainence/volume. I'm speaking to my local EHO at the moment. But I think my course of action is to buy the cookshack as there is a 7-8 weeks waiting time! Test it out see how much smoke it outputs and then work out a perfect place for it (whether it is my flat! Or shed etc..) 

will let you know how it goes and post pics as soon as I have some of me smoking!!

Thanks guys

Louis


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