slow cooker

[Thunderbelly 7]

I was going over some of my earlier posts (they're way back on page 30 )

And since then I have found a manufacturer of cookers from your side of the water. ProQ is a manufacturer of vertical water smokers I have had good success with. When cooking tough meat, like the squirrel recipes, the key is to cook the meat low and slow you need to keep the moisture from boiling out. Since there isn't alot of moisture in h\game meat, wrap them in bacon to help you out a bit.

 

http://www.foodsmoker.co.uk/equipment/proq.htm

 

I use vertical water smokers almost as often as I use my offset types, but that is too big for the average person.

[Jim Grant 4]

I use the fire bowl and the water bowl from ProQ smokers in my home made smoker. The smoker started life as a four drawer filing cabinet. Take out the drawers and take off the fronts. Cut of the top and bottom dividers from the carcase. MIG weld two fronts and one divider together, same for the others. Get six hinges, three per door, predrill the new doors and the side of the carcase. Get a couple of those swing cabinet door latches, predrill to suit. Use self tappers and you have a two door smoker. I use an old Habatchi BBQ thing with the fire plate above it for the sawdust/chippings. Put the water bowl above that. A couple of old Fridge racks/trays and you are away. Hot smoke at bottom, cold smoke at top. The two doors allows you to check the fire (I use briquettes), dust and water without loosing too much smoke.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Jim Grant

[devon flighter 421]

I use the fire bowl and the water bowl from ProQ smokers in my home made smoker. The smoker started life as a four drawer filing cabinet. Take out the drawers and take off the fronts. Cut of the top and bottom dividers from the carcase. MIG weld two fronts and one divider together, same for the others. Get six hinges, three per door, predrill the new doors and the side of the carcase. Get a couple of those swing cabinet door latches, predrill to suit. Use self tappers and you have a two door smoker. I use an old Habatchi BBQ thing with the fire plate above it for the sawdust/chippings. Put the water bowl above that. A couple of old Fridge racks/trays and you are away. Hot smoke at bottom, cold smoke at top. The two doors allows you to check the fire (I use briquettes), dust and water without loosing too much smoke.

 

JIM ,do you find the top section cool enough for cold smoking? thats something i am looking into building myself in the near future !and sounds ideal if it can do both ! do you have any detailed pics of your setup ? particularly the habatchi fire plate and fire bowl/waterbowl part of your set up ! .

[Jim Grant 4]

I forgot to add that there two variable vents in the bottom and a smoke vent on top. The top vent is one of those balanced flues for a tumble drier. I will dig out the old camera when I get a moment and see if I can post them.

 

It will give a good cold smoke at the top. Just make sure that the fuel briquettes have a good covering of ash. There are no sections, I didn't put in a smoke spreader.

 

The habatchi is one of those small BBQ things, the top is about 10" square and has a multiple adjustment for height above the fire. An old steel tray with some wet dust, and get it just smouldering. Shut down the vents. And you will get 2-3 hours smoke.

 

I use the ProQ fire bowl if I want a hotter smoke and just add dust to the fire.

Edited September 24, 2008 by Jim Grant

[Thunderbelly 7]

why the briquetes? Have you tried lump? Once I tried the lump I never went back.

As far as cold smoking, if you have the ProQ, add another stack to it and you will get lower temps higher up, I find even with the vents open I can hardly get 250 out of mine (which is good, because I want 225-230). Another option is a chamber extension, like Traeger has or I have seen home made ones using Dryer venting and duct tape.

Jim, stop using the water, and line your bowl with aluminum foil, then about 1 to 2 inches of play sand from a sand box ( follow the shape of the bowl). Place a second layer of foil on top of the sand. This will save you the hassle of heating the water before you put it in the bowl.

What kind of temps are you getting in each of the zones?

Devon you could do a similar thing with a 45 gallon drum, if you want surf you tube there are some good videos there, search for bigmista, he's pretty good at the home made stuff.

[Jim Grant 4]

Thunderbelly.

I find that the briquettes have a slower burn than the lump.

 

I thought of buying one of those 3 section ProQ's (thicker steel one) but there is something about building your own. Plus if you have a shop bought one then there is no excuse for making a pig's ear of it.

 

If I am cold smoking I can just manage to keep the temp down to around right at the top. Hot smoking which I only do to finish off certain fish it can manage around the 170 on the bottom rack.

[mattydski 560]

I'd love to see pic if you have the chance jim.

Have had the idea on the back burner for some time

Matt

[Thunderbelly 7]

Jim, the briquetes seem to be the key to your low temps . I find the lump burns hotter, and shorter, just like you did. But the most common thing I smoke is a pig, or pork shoulder, large cuts of meat that need to be up around 200- 225 cooking temps.

Sounds like you have an amazing setup for cheese, and or jerky. If you try the sand trick, you will find you make some really good jerky.

Here's a link to one of my cookers with some snacks on it

http://brantfordbarbecue.com/

[Jim Grant 4]

Thunderbelly and Matt. Having gone through the temp control thing and the adjustments reuired to hold temps where they are required I decided that I would give it a real blast to really season the thing, kept it going for several hours with plenry chips being chucked on, totally gummed up the tumble-drier flue. Cannot control the vent in it now. That's into the bin and another type of flue will be pop-rivetted on as soon as I get a spare moment or two.

 

[Thunderbelly 7]

I have had no troubles controlling my temps, however I use my cookers a lot more than most The best thing I can tell you is to use your cooker a ton, once you learn where it can get to in regards to emps, you will know what you can cook.

Jim, has great results with low temps, I think because he uses briquettes.

Any pics of what you are trying to do?

I think two of my cookers, have no control over the vent ( no just one has no control, I dont use the other one) and the rest all have some kind of control.

Just leave the vent open, and regulate temps with the intake of fresh air.

See what temps you get doing that and if you can work with them.

Edited October 4, 2008 by Thunderbelly