# Big Chief smoker for Bacon??



## steelyonfly (Jan 17, 2013)

I have a 2 bellies of bacon that are dry brining now that are in their 5th day.  I have 2 WSM's 18.5'' and a Big Chief smoker.  I am expecting to smoke 3 slabs of the bacon at a time in a week to 10 days or so in the Big Chief and then the other 3 slabs the next day.   I have experimented with it twice for cold smoking temp without any meat inside.  I seem to be able to hold a pretty consistent 75 to 90 degree temp with the lid set on top on 4 pieces of wood at each corner that are about 1-1/2'' high above the body.  Outside temps right now are in the low 30s to low 40s.  Without the wood holding up the lid the temp gets up to 100 to 120.  With smaller pieces of wood the temp gets to 90 to 105.  I have smoked a lot of Salmon in the Big Chief and it has always turned out very good . . . Even when fully loaded . . . But not when it's been as cold outside . . Temp inside seamed to be up to 140 to 160 when doing the Salmon in the Fall.  Has anyone cold smoked bacon in a big chief?  I see that some have used there WSM's.  Any recommendations?


----------



## smoking b (Jan 17, 2013)

If you get an AMNPS from Todd  http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8   you will be able to cold smoke without burning chips in your smoker & worrying about temps getting too high. Everyone who gets one loves it & he has the best customer service on the planet. I cold smoke in my MES with one & also use it for hot smoking to eliminate having to add chips all the time. If you get one you will wonder how you ever got by without it - you can cold smoke in a cardboard box with it if you want!


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 17, 2013)

Sounds like you have a  top loader chief. Do you still have the box that the Chief came in??? That's all you need to make a top loader chief a cold smoker! All the older models were top loader and the instructions show how to use the box with the smoker for cold smoking. I know most don't read the directions before they recycle the box...

My grandma made some of the best lox and other cold smoked goodies in her little chief smoker back in the 70's and early 80's.  Every time we visited she had something smoking away!

I foolishly sold my big chief about 12 years ago. Now I'm wishing I still had it. Was one of the best jerky and smoked salmon smokers I've owned!


----------



## steelyonfly (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks for the replies Smoking B and dirtsailor.  I have read the posts here about the amazen smokers and I just might be interested.  Yes, it is a top loader model.  I don't have the original box, but I did make an insulated cover for my chief and WSM's out of an insulating blanket.  It works well.  Given how cold it's been lately, I think that I need some heat from the heating element as I expect the slabs to keep the temp inside the smoker down until they finally warm up after a few hours.  I might also run the smoker without chips and fully closed for the first hour to warm up the slabs.  Given that they will be laying on the racks, I may need to be on watch for condensation.  I don't think they will fit in the smoker well if I tried to hang them, but I will check this, too.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 17, 2013)

Steelyonfly said:


> Thanks for the replies Smoking B and dirtsailor. I have read the posts here about the amazen smokers and I just might be interested. Yes, it is a top loader model. I don't have the original box, but I did make an insulated cover for my chief and WSM's out of an insulating blanket. It works well. Given how cold it's been lately, I think that I need some heat from the heating element as I expect the slabs to keep the temp inside the smoker down until they finally warm up after a few hours. I might also run the smoker without chips and fully closed for the first hour to warm up the slabs. Given that they will be laying on the racks, I may need to be on watch for condensation. I don't think they will fit in the smoker well if I tried to hang them, but I will check this, too.


Good plan! A friend of mine just bought a big chief. First thing I asked him when he asked me about smoking cheese, "did you keep the box". NO, Dohhhhh!!

The last bacon that I smoked the temps were pretty low. I use the 18" AMNTS for cold smoking and love it. I think that if you can keep your smoker under 70, you will be okay for your bacon.

If you can't get enough smoke and keep the temps down, put a soldering iron in the chip pan, that'll work too. Good luck and show us some Q-view!

here's my last bacon, everything was cold smoked except the CB:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/131123/the-bacon-trifecta-thats-a-wrap


----------



## steelyonfly (Jan 24, 2013)

I just wanted to give an  eval of how my bacon turned out.  It worked very well!  I just finished up with half of my bacon - three slabs from one of the bellies.  Other half is in the smoker now.  Weather is warmer, so smoker temp was a little hard to keep low.  It wasn't really a cold smoke, but it turned out very good - better than store bought that's for sure.  I will be doing this again.  Thanks to all of the posters that shared their knowledge and experiences here.  It made the adventure well worth it.


----------



## smoking b (Jan 24, 2013)

Glad to hear it's going well for ya  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






    Don't forget to post pics of your bacon so we can drool!


----------

