# When to add or remove smoke?



## doongie (Dec 23, 2020)

I‘ve always started my smoke before putting any product in the smoker, and removing smoke is an easy one, if you want a lighter smoke don’t keep adding chips, or only fill the amnps partway.  I’ve always been happy with my results.

I’ve read a few things where someone might start the cook without smoke, and add smoke at some point later.  What might be the benefit of this?  Is it more or less beneficial on various products, beef, pork, fowl?  

It stands to reason cold smoking fish or cheese or stuff like that it would be a constant smoke, but when cooking or hot smoking, what might be a reason to start cooking and add smoke later?


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2020)

doongie said:


> . What might be the benefit of this? I


I do it to dry the surface of sausage . Sometimes with whole muscle meats too , but not always . 
Cured stuff like hams or Bacon , I dry first then start smoke .


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## SmokinAl (Dec 23, 2020)

Well it really depends on what kind of smoker you have. I happen to have a Lang stick burner, so your going to get smoke as long as you are getting heat. Same with my WSM, but with my Smoke Vault I could stop adding chunks and cut the smoke, but why? The only time you would not want to add smoke is if your making sausage & need to dry the casings for an hour before applying smoke. Or if you don’t like smoke flavor then just use smoke for a couple of hours, then just heat.
Al


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2020)

Once I start the smoke I go the whole time .


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## zwiller (Dec 23, 2020)

I am with 

 chopsaw
.  It's for drying.  Wet meat + smoke = creosote.  Do a search for pellicle and there is more info.


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## Bearcarver (Dec 23, 2020)

I use an AMNPS in my MES 40, and it smokes whenever there is uncovered meat in the Smoker.

Bear


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## doongie (Dec 23, 2020)

SmokinAl said:


> Well it really depends on what kind of smoker you have.



I have an old MES30 with a mailbox mod.

It totally makes sense to dry something for a bit first.  

Thanks!


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 23, 2020)

I understand the benefit of drying the sausage casing before adding smoke...BUT...What did the Old Timers do when the Only heat and smoke came from Wood?  I suppose a Block or Stone smoke house could be heated, remove the fire, dry the Sausage, then get another fire lit...But I  dont see that happening during a busy day on the Farm or at a big two day Boucherie.  Wood Smoke Houses would not hold heat. 
I have to think the whole Dry the Sausage Casing,  is a Modern practice that has filtered down from Commercial Sausage makers that want a Pretty Product...JJ


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## SmokinEdge (Dec 23, 2020)

Dying product to form a Pellicle prior smoking is a good thing. However I remember Pops stating a couple different times in threads that his dad always went straight from the vat to the smoker. I have not done that, but I have smoked a lot of meat just patted dry, and it’s fine. When I make sausage I hang the hoops as I stuff them. They hang  for around an hour while I clean up and ready the smoker. I then do a once over with a paper towel on the low sections where water droplets form then to the smoker with smoke. No ill effect for me. I will add that I do set my hams and bacon, patted dry, on cooling racks with a fan on them until the surface is tacky, pellicle formed, then smoke.


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