Smokers

[Salmonsmoker]

Originally posted by Bushwhacker:
I do some fish smoking, mostly lake trout, and you can't beat eating some smoked fish, warm just out of the smoker. Was just wondering if you built your own smoker or use a commercial one?
Bushwhacker

Bushwacker, Over the years, first, I built a wooden smoke hose. It burned down one day when it got too hot. Then, I bought an electric smoker. That worked great for several years until the element quit. Then, I boght a second electric smoker. Again, that worked well for several years until the element burned out. Then, I built a smoker out of a gas oven. That worked well for about 4 years until it rusted so bad that the door fell off. This last christmass, my wife bought me a new Brinkman Pitmaster smoker that works for either hot or cold smoke. I have used it for making smoked cheese, eggs, venison roast, and a Tom Turkey that my wife got this last spring.

[Erik]

Hey SS,
I just got my second smoker, a char broil h20 charcoal type. I use to have one just like it but it wore out. It does the job and I've never had anyone complain, but yours sounds much nicer. Wear did you happen to get it from? Maybe I can talk santa into bringing me one for christmas! I've been good,,, really!

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Phish

[Salmonsmoker]

Originally posted by Erik:
Hey SS,
I just got my second smoker, a char broil h20 charcoal type. I use to have one just like it but it wore out. It does the job and I've never had anyone complain, but yours sounds much nicer. Wear did you happen to get it from? Maybe I can talk santa into bringing me one for christmas! I've been good,,, really!


Erik,

The Brinkman Corporation
4215 McEwen Road
Dallas, Texas 75244 www.thebrinkmancorp.com (http://www.thebrinkmancorp.com)

In their catalog the Brinkman Pitmaster Horizontal Smoker is listed for $379.95. However, my wife found one at K-mart (now that they dropped "Rosie" as a spoksperson, my wife shops there again) on a closeout for $149.

Also, I get a lot of my smoked food supplies from:

The Sausage Maker Inc.
177 Military Rd.
Buffalo Ny, 14207

Once you are on the mailing list for either of the above, you will get plenty of information about their products.

Another source of supplies is
BPE, Inc.
890 Road 160
Emporia KS 66801

I met this guy at the Deer Hunting Expo in Lansing last Feb. They sell the "Jerkey Shooter" - a neat device for making jerkey from ground venison.

As for the heat source, you stated that you have a char broiler. Two years ago, I had an opportunity to go to the National BBQ Competition in Paduka Ky. It was a fantastic experience. Everyone there used their own characoal made from wood that they burned on site (no gas fired or electric cookers). The best flavor comes from characoal. The best characoal is from partially burned hard woods that you make yourself.

For any time you are using a gas grill, If you take a piece of metal screen and place some wet sawdust (cherry or hickory works well because they are strong-flavored woods and will impart a smoke flavor in a short time while grilling) and pack it onto the screen, then place that screen on the lava rocks, you can get a good smoked flavor.

Let me know how it works.

Salmonsmoker

[This message has been edited by Salmonsmoker (edited 07-22-2000).]

[Erik]

Interesting what you said about charcoal you make yourself. One of my favorite ways to smoke anything is to start a nice camp fire first. (I just happen to have a little camp site set up on my property, compleat with nice large fire pit) Then after the fire has been burning long enough to develop some good coals I use a small shovel and put them in my smoker. It takes a bit longer this way but the taste is like unreal. I've done venison ribs this way (from a young one), and people swore they were spare ribs. I usually dont care for ven ribs, I use the meat for burger. The key factor is being there ready to eat them straight from the smoker. A bottle of harps in one hand and smoked venison in the other. Man life dont get no better!

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Phish

[Salmonsmoker]

Originally posted by Erik:
Interesting what you said about charcoal you make yourself. One of my favorite ways to smoke anything is to start a nice camp fire first. (I just happen to have a little camp site set up on my property, compleat with nice large fire pit) Then after the fire has been burning long enough to develop some good coals I use a small shovel and put them in my smoker. It takes a bit longer this way but the taste is like unreal. I've done venison ribs this way (from a young one), and people swore they were spare ribs. I usually dont care for ven ribs, I use the meat for burger. The key factor is being there ready to eat them straight from the smoker. A bottle of harps in one hand and smoked venison in the other. Man life dont get no better!


Erik,

Sounds great. Another use for ribs, neck, and all bones (we don't freeze bones - just clean meat) - I use my wife's large pressure canner - put all of the rib,neck,trimmed bones (saves on butchering time since we don't have to trim so carefully) into the cooker, and cook at 15 lbs for an hour. After the stuff cools, pick out the bones, grissle, and let it cool. Take off the fat. Pour off the liquid for soup stock and use for soup stock. The meat (usually several pounds) makes excellent bbq venison sandwhiches, pizza topping, meat for soups, flavor for caserole's - in short, any place that you would use other left-over roasts. The meat freezes well - or can be canned.

In the store a one pt. can of boned beef sells for over $5.00. We make our own boned Venision that is better.

Salmonsmoker

[Airoh]

Hey Salmonsmoker! Lots of good stuff here. Thanks for sharing. I cut all my deer myself, but it sounds like you get more out of them than I do.

Airoh

[Salmonsmoker]

Airoh,

Glad to hear that you do your own butchering. If you have ever been to a Deer Processing place and looked carefully at how they work, you will know how much potentially good venison is waisted by their need to hurry (I also question who's meat I got back in some cases). They are doing production work. When we butcher, we are in the first steps of preparing good food.

Part of our goal is to maximize our utilization of the resource. When we are done, about all that's left is the skin, head, feet, and bones.

The problem with doing our own butchering is the time involved. That is why we cut meat by muscle and freeze it in whole chunks (No bones. They do not freeze well flavorwise.) By cooking the remaining meat off the bones, we further minimize butchering time.

With deer season soon to be here, maybe we need to explore field-dressing techniques that will improve meat flavor. What do you think.

ss

[Salmonsmoker]

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