Cold Smoke Burn Test - Pellets V Wood Chips & Bradley Bisquettes

[@sniffywiffyona]

Thanks for doing this video. I have wondered whether other things would work in the generator. Your video has saved me a lot of time and money. I think I will stick with the dust. Thanks again.

[@Coldsmoking]

Thanks 🙏

[@hammertiming8423]

The way I did it once in a maze smoker, was mixing sawdust with small quantity of plum pallets and wood chips and it worked.. filling maze smoker up to 80% and then put chips and pallets on top without pressing anything down to suffocate sawdust is also working. Pallets need a pallet tube.. but they're not suitable for cold smoking as they produce lots of heat (unless you're burning it away from your smoker and channel smoke through a tube). At the end, for cold smoking food you can burn entire wooden logs if you have appropriate smoke house.. maze smoker is what it is, it needs sawdust.

[@Coldsmoking]

Thanks for your comment. i think i might try a blend of pellets and dust 👍

[@karenwalsh1793]

If you have a Bradley Smoker and don't want to pay the big price for the Bradley pucks is to purchase, or fabricate, the cold smoker attachment for the Bradley. Then you can use the small ProQ in the cold smoker attachment negating need for the Bradley pucks. You use the heat element of the Bradley for the heat when hot smoking. The Bradley pucks only burn for 20 minutes so it can very expensive doing a long smoke.

[@Coldsmoking]

Absolutely correct Karen

[@oldskoollove1001]

For cold smoking, dust is the only reliable option.. I make a blend of apple, cherry, oak, hickory or whatever dust i can get hold of on a deal. .. But i always, always, always plump for about 25% beech in a blend. It might not be everyone's favourite flavour, but it burns evenly and constantly.. Job done...

[@Coldsmoking]

I concur 👍 Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@jomendez6929]

brillent learning channel ... really enjoyed this .

[@Coldsmoking]

thanks 🙏 im pleased you found my content interesting 👍

[@user-zh2mb9xl6o]

I find no matter what type of dust or pellet I use I always put some in the microwave on hi just until I get a whiff of the wood smell & no more.
When you take them out they'll most likely be steaming, turn them over with a spoon until the steam has gone & they've cooled.
I always get a nice consistent burn rate doing this.

[@Coldsmoking]

Good advice

[@karenwalsh1793]

I use pellets exclusively in my ProQ. The technique is to light the pellets and have them actually flame for 10 minutes then blow out the flame and it should smolder till all the pellets are burnt. I fill my ProQ to the top of the rail.

[@Coldsmoking]

Well as did I but there are pellets and there are pellets. i suspect some smoulder more readily than others 👍

[@julianfarquhar]

I use a pellet smoker and use a more powerful gas flame burner and burn it for at least five minutes till it is flaming. Hold the flame for around a minute before blowing it out. That works for me, as I smoke 80+ cheeses a week

[@Coldsmoking]

I have to agree with you and there is another factor to consider here. the volume of pellets was quite low and this may have influenced its ability to maintain a smoulder. Im going to conduct a test with a greater volume of pellets to see if i can get them to sustain a smoulder 👍 Thanks for your comment.

[@RobCanada]

Interesting experiments. My only tiny thought was is there enough air draw when the smoker is at the top. I agree there's not enough heat transfer to the next chip / pellet but wouldn't you usually have the smoke at the bottom and perhaps get more air draw. For the record I've always use dust which I buy from your shop as I'm sure there is no filler or binding agent in there which could taint the smoke. I was booked on the last pork pie making course you were doing as lockdown hit which unfortunately got cancelled. My wife surprised me recently with a pork pie making course as Melton Mowbray so I'll settle for second best :)

[@Coldsmoking]

Hi Rob, i’m glad you finally managed to do the Pork pie course and in the home of the pork pie to boot!
Regards the draw, these smoke generators don’t create a draw as such so its position in the smoker isn’t too important. I have some other experiments planned for the pellets using the smokai smoke generator so watch this space. 👍

[@RobCanada]

@@Coldsmoking it’s all interesting stuff and I enjoy the channel. Now I’ve retired I seem to have less time to play smoking 🤣

[@Coldsmoking]

@@RobCanada Amen to that Rob. i retired 10 years ago. my feet haven’t touched the ground since 😂

[@QuakerJones268]

Good video this. I'm concerned what binding agents are used, (one of the reasons I went with a ProQ smoke generator). If the prodicts with a binding agent burn so does the binding agent and not knowing what that is I don't want it on my food. Dust is a 100% natural product, the pellets and briquettes are not.
I'm happy to stick with the dust.

[@Coldsmoking]

Thanks Mark, good choice and sound advice 👍

[@robinjones6999]

Excellent video, all scientifically presented. I think the problem encountered is one of surface area to ignite. Ive got some thin shavings from a carpenters plane (oak) so that may be a goer - what do you think? Possibly too hot and flammable.

[@Coldsmoking]

I think you may have a point re surface area but i think there are other factors at play as the Bradley bisquettes didn’t smoulder.
I have used shavings before and you have a point. they do tend to burn a little hot.

[@benrevell]

How do you get your ProQ so clean?

[@Coldsmoking]

Check out my 5 tips video th-cam.com/video/56MIq-lO_0A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0C-96ACt7CXFrd2k

[@ColinBrady-ws9ll]

Very interesting to see the issues you had trying to get stable charring with wood chips - I have had exactly the same experience. I like to use clean mixed waste (chips, small shavings and sawdust) from an oak joinery factory for economy, and have found that cold smoking using a labyrinth smoke generator only really works when using material which will pass a 2.5mm sieve, i.e discarding any particle sized larger than 2.5mm.
Like @user-zh2mb9xl60, I also like to microwave the

[@Coldsmoking]

Thanks for your comment Colin. the beech dust i use is graded at between 900 to 1000 micron