# Happy to find this forum, greetings from Ohio



## midtownbistro (Aug 2, 2011)

I stumbled upon this forum a year after researching every smoker design under the sun.  Everyone has different needs and I am happy with my Cookshack investment.  Alas, 6 months later I find myself pursuing the art of bacon.  Summertime heat, perfectly insulated Cookshack, and not being able to cold smoke in a Cookshack (no matter how much ice I use), I've searched again the equipment for cold smoking.

I love to cook for friends and it is easy to just keep making food, so they are my test kitchen.  I also own a restaurant and what I test here, we end up doing at the restaurant.  Test on friends and family first!  haha.

Anyways, I've read many threads here, learned alot already, and happy to share my experiences.


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## fpnmf (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome..

This site has tons of info.

I would suggest you spend some time reading all the different forums and the WIKIs.

Then use the handy dandy search tool for specific interests!!

Take the awesome free E-Course!!!

Have a great day!!!

Craig

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/about-jeffs-5-day-ecourse
 
      Make bacon the easy way!!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/109368/more-easy-made-bacon-with-q-view#post_666451


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## midtownbistro (Aug 2, 2011)

Thanks for the tip Craig!  I have 15 lbs of pork belly curing right now.  I will read read read.  Thanks again, Jeff


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## Bearcarver (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome bistro!!

Some great Ohio Smokers here!!

And a Great "Smoking Ohio Butcher"!!

My MES 30 or 40 don't cold smoke any better than your Cookshack.

I'm in heaven using my AMNS & AMNPS---Cold or hot smoking, with no creosote. Check 'em out !

Later,

Bear


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## venture (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome aboard!  Lots of great people here.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## alaskanbear (Aug 2, 2011)

aboard and DO check out those AMZN Products  you will not be disappointed.

RIch


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## meateater (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome to the SMF. Glad to have you here. Lots of good folks, great recipes and knowledge. Looking forward to  your first qview. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Sounds like you need a AMNS. The link is in my signature.


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## scarbelly (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome and I agree with the folks who steered you to A MAZE N SMOKER. It is way more versitile that anything else on the market. Customer service is outstanding and made in USA


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## midtownbistro (Aug 2, 2011)

Okay okay.  All this advice to try an AMNS!

Today was my virgin run with my Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna.  I was so pleased with my installation, I truly believed I had the perfect set up. 

Okay, I'm registered with this site, people got me enthused, so I figured I'd smoke some cheese.  Simple enough.  Got a slow smoke going, burn rates good...time to relax with a beer.

Fast forward 3 hours.

Talk about CREOSOTE!

Discharge pipe has this glob of creosote almost 3/4's blocking the pipe.  Hotter than tar, stickier than anything known to man.  Ughhh.  Easy to clean out with a twig, but I'm sure when it cools down it will be hard.

Bear, AlaskanBear, Scarbelly, meaneater....you folks are right.  I'm buying an AMNS tonight.  I can't stand going this far and not getting it right.

Couple of questions about the AMNS:

does it add much heat to the smoke chamber since the burning occurs right in the same box?

how do you control the amount of smoke, or do you just let it rip and open up vents?

do you think the Smoke Daddy folks will give me my money back?  It's only 3 days old!!  haha


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## SmokinAl (Aug 3, 2011)

Glad to have you with us!


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## Bearcarver (Aug 3, 2011)

midtownbistro said:


> Okay okay.  All this advice to try an AMNS!
> 
> Today was my virgin run with my Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna.  I was so pleased with my installation, I truly believed I had the perfect set up.
> 
> ...


That's funny---Not funny that you had problems with your Big Kahuna!!!!----Funny that you had the exact same results I had with mine nearly 2 years ago, and again last year, after converting it to the new backdraft design. I didn't want to say anything before you tried it, because I don't like to pick on it, but it puts out more creosote than my Lopi Woodstove!  However my stove is easier to clean. You might want to check with them, before you go drilling holes in it to make it work better. I believe they claim they'll give your money back.

As for the AMNS & AMNPS, Todd can tell you better about a slight heat rise when cold smoking, but the only time I have to add a jug of ice is when cold smoking cheese, and that is mainly because my MES 40 is so well insulated, it holds heat so well. The AMNPS gives off more heat than the AMNS, but like I said, a little ice in with your cheese, and your good to go.

You don't really control the amount of smoke, except by how you light it:

A perfect amount of medium smoke in my MES 40 or MES 30, is lighting either one of them on one end. If I want twice as much smoke, I light both ends. If you wanted twice as much again, you could light the middle too, which would give you 4 burning starts, but then you would be getting back to "too much smoke".

The great thing is, when I light one end, which to me is perfect, you get 9 to 12 hours of smoke, without going near it, unless you physically separate the burning dust or pellets from the unburned ones.

Hope this helps,

Bear


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## jak757 (Aug 3, 2011)

Welcome to SMF Midtown!  As you are seeing, it's a great place -- lots of helpful folks here.  I think you got some good advice above, I can't add much other that to say I concur with it all.  Last summer I bought a AMNS and used it mainly in my char-griller to smoke bacon and cheese.  It worked like a charm.  This summer I got an MES 40 and the AMNPS.  I have not even used the wood chips in the MES, I use the AMNPS -- it's super.  Both work great for bacon in my experience.  Once you have your own home cured and smoked bacon, you will never want to go back to stuff from a store!

Good to see another Buckeye smoker here!  What part of Ohio are you from?

Good luck


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## tjohnson (Aug 3, 2011)

midtownbistro said:


> Okay okay.  All this advice to try an AMNS!
> 
> Today was my virgin run with my Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna.  I was so pleased with my installation, I truly believed I had the perfect set up.
> 
> ...


For your smoker, I would take a serious look at the A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER(AMNPS).  You have a large smoke chamber, and pellets produce more smoke than sawdust.  That said, you can use either sawdust or pellets in the New AMNPS

AMNPS = $49.99

$39.99 + Shipping if you use coupon code "SMF$10" at checkout







Todd


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## africanmeat (Aug 5, 2011)




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## midtownbistro (Aug 5, 2011)

Just got my AMNPS today and doing a test run!.

The hardest part of this smoke generator is to not think too much.  I lit it, got my blue smoke, and been sitting here waiting for something to tweak.  Zzzzzzzz.  Hmm, maybe I'll go cut the lawn.


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## midtownbistro (Aug 5, 2011)

Youngstown Ohio!!  And about the store-bought bacon.... I have 10 or 15 lbs curing now and will smoke it this weekend.  Don't tell any of my friends, but they are all getting bacon this weekend...so I can go make the next batch.  haha


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## alaskanbear (Aug 5, 2011)

<<<Raises hand to be a bacon-receiving-friend of yours....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Rich  LOL


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## Bearcarver (Aug 5, 2011)

midtownbistro said:


> Just got my AMNPS today and doing a test run!.
> 
> The hardest part of this smoke generator is to not think too much.  I lit it, got my blue smoke, and been sitting here waiting for something to tweak.  Zzzzzzzz.  Hmm, maybe I'll go cut the lawn.


LOL---You'll fit in here really good!!!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## midtownbistro (Aug 7, 2011)

First bacon attempt (overnight while I was sleeping):  

To the experienced bacon smokers:  please critique

I (the newbie student) have a few questions:

should I have left the skin on.
do I further leave the skin on and slice it with it on, and cook with it on?
is the smoke color dark enough?  How would I improve the color?
no I haven't tasted it yet, I am making coffee and geez I just woke up!


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## tjohnson (Aug 7, 2011)

*OMG!!!!*

Color looks GREAT!

Kind of a "Mahogany Red"????

Depends on the wood used, but I smoke bacon for 12 hours with Apple.  Hickory has a little "Bite" to it, so 12 hours is too long for me.  It's really up to your personal preference.  The ends and pieces will be a little stronger smoke, and I use them in baked beans.

I remove the skin before smoking, but some smoke with it on

Don't throw away the skin!!!

Cut it up and make some "Smoked Deep Fried Pork Rinds"!!

Look like the AMNPS did it's thing

Fry some up and give it a taste!!

Todd

Todd


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## midtownbistro (Aug 7, 2011)

Hey Todd,

This was Smoke Daddy's Perfect Mix blend (hickory, cherry, apple, maple, and pecan).  (I did a test run with your pure Hickory pellets and their Perfect Mix...the burn rates were nearly the same so I figured both are of the same quality).

And yeah, the AMNPS was flawless.  Seriously this design is fool proof.  The hardest thing about the AMNPS is typing out A-M-N-asngsidnhlryt P-S.

If you think the color is okay for bacon, then I don't need to fuss with temps and double-end burning.  I have friends coming over for breakfast, so I won't be able to report back on the taste until judged.

Jeff


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## Bearcarver (Aug 7, 2011)

I agree mostly with what Todd says.

Your color looks fine. Longer light smoke would make it darker.

If the smoke is light, some people cold smoke for days, and get great results.

I like to keep it within 8 to 14 hours, with a very small amount of heat (90˚ to 120˚) & light smoke for most of that time.

I buy my Bellies without the skin on. I believe if the skin tastes smoky, some of it didn't make it into the part I'm going to eat, but that is just my opinion---Not telling you what to do.

I never made cracklings or Pork rinds---But I'll bet they're GREAT !

Bear


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## tjohnson (Aug 7, 2011)

midtownbistro said:


> Hey Todd,
> 
> This was Smoke Daddy's Perfect Mix blend (hickory, cherry, apple, maple, and pecan).  (I did a test run with your pure Hickory pellets and their Perfect Mix...the burn rates were nearly the same so I figured both are of the same quality).
> 
> ...


If you like PERFECT Mix Pellets you can get the from Chris over at http://www.cookinpellets.com/.  I cut a deal and will stock also PERFECT Mix pellets, but just don't have them upon my website yet.

Making good bacon is a lot of trial and error, to figure out what you like.  I happen to like cold smoking my bacon, and Bearcarver likes to add a little heat.  Bear likes to use Hickory and I like Apple.  It really comes down to your preference and finding a technique to get there.

Glad to hear your bacon was a success, and my little gadget worked to your expectations!!!

THX!

Todd


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## midtownbistro (Aug 7, 2011)

Bear,

Thanks for the "light smoke and longer" tip.  I will just let the AMPSNS3* burn out completely.  I read your Bacon Extra Smoky article and will have to ponder the warm smoking technique.  My first requirement was to cold smoke below 90F, so letting things ramp up to 120F is a shock to my brain right now.

FYI, my butcher in town charges me $1.50 per pound for pork belly.  I think you mentioned $2.65.  Just so you know, there's room to negotiate.  Boston Butt goes for $1.70/lb too, which box stores sell for $2.39 at best.

Todd,  your AMNPS temp rise estimates were right on.   And as I said in another post, the design/operation is fool proof (I can look like a pro and literally do nothing other than stand there).  The only thing I would change is the acronym*.  haha

This forum has helped me (in less than a week) test 2 smoke generators, and successfully cold smoke bacon.  Very effective knowledge-base I'd say.


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