# How cold is too cold to cold smoke?



## hondabbq (Apr 11, 2020)

I watch the temps a few weeks out to try and plan some bacon smoking as this time of year can be sketchy up here. 
Well the weather changed more than I wanted. I put my 25 lbs of bellies on this morning at 6 am with my AMNPS with dust. 

It’s sitting at about 0c outside. I smoke inside my garage with the big door cracked open a foot or so for air flow. 
I know it varies a few degrees on the plus side just knowing what my truck reads compared to outside the garage. I would guesstimate it’s 2-3 c in there. 
It’s my first smoke with dust. My bellies have zero color so far after 5.5 hours. I look at the pics of previous smokes and 5-8 hours in there’s all have a smoked look to them. Mine are still white. 
I have just reloaded the AMNPS with dust. I think I will go another 4 hours or so with dust then go back to pellets like in the past. 

Any advice on this situation.


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## smokerjim (Apr 11, 2020)

What type of smoker, can you just add a little heat to it.


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## hondabbq (Apr 11, 2020)

smokerjim said:


> What type of smoker, can you just add a little heat to it.


It’s a smoke  vault 24. Lowest I have ever been able to get it is 150f


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## smokerjim (Apr 11, 2020)

Ok. Not familiar with that. Not sure if it's electric, if so can you just turn the heat on for a bit then shut it off. Just to get a little heat in the chamber,


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## bill ace 350 (Apr 11, 2020)

You will be ok as long as it is above 32F.


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## rob g (Apr 11, 2020)

When the temps are about freezing, or below, outside I have a lightbulb socket I plug into my extension cord and a 60w bulb to add a little warmth to the cabinet to help get the draft going. My pellet tray seems to raise the temp about 20F in my cabinet. I use a cheap tin box propane smoker for my cold smoking.


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## Gwanger (Apr 23, 2020)

Honda. I have tried making bacon with amns smoker with dust a number of times with out getting the results that I wanted so I started using a fan to get pellicle to form and went to an elec smoker and would start out at 140* and increase temp 10* every hour till 170* watch bacon bc you don't want fat out and after 6-8 hrs I got really smoky bacon then put in resealable baggie for 4 days, go to Bears advice for complete info


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