Author Topic: My new smoke shack  (Read 14918 times)

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Offline Wingman

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My new smoke shack
« Reply #-1 on: November 08, 2013, 01:05:05 PM »
I have always wanted to smoke in the garage when it’s rainy or cold or windy or whatever the circumstances were.  You know the times I’m talking about.  You plan this nice smoke, get all set up and a big ole storm cloud rolls in.  Or it’s like winter comes and all smoking stops.  I wanted a controlled environment.  To achieve this required overcoming some obstacles.  The major one was that I didn’t have a garage.  We remedied that last year so now, how do we get the smoke out?  Well, I looked on Craigs List and found this guy selling brand new Broan range vents for $40.  He had gotten stuck with a dozen of these on some failed construction project.  So, I recently completed the setup and yesterday was shakedown cruise day.
We smoked some salmon for holiday gifts, if it’s good.  I’m still struggling with salmon (if anyone has a great brine recipe I could use one).  Anyway, it went really well; everything worked as designed.  The vent is 2-speed and low is very quiet but still does a great job exhausting the smoke.  I see no reason to ever use high. 
I’ve dedicated the OBS to salmon, mussels, and cheese after seeing photos of grease fires in a Bradley so the threat of fire is greatly reduced.  I will be trying my WSM 18.5" and baby bullet in this spot.  I don’t see why it wouldn’t work and be relatively safe.  Any thoughts on that?  I do intend to put a sheet of metal on the wall before using charcoal here.  Not shown but just out of view to the left is the mini fridge with adult beverages  :) and the garage does have heat  ;D

Anyway, here's some proof and thanks for looking -

3.5 lb. of Atlantic Salmon with pellicle on



The new setup -



Salmon in process with apple smoke -



Ready for the deep freeze -


« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 01:22:27 PM by Wingman »
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Offline GusRobin

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Re: My new smoke shack
« on: November 08, 2013, 01:09:10 PM »
Either you had problems posting the pics, or I have problems getting them, but so far none show up when I view the post.
Why couldn't Noah have swatted the 2 mosquitoes?.

Offline drholly

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 01:15:34 PM »
Very cool - great idea!
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Offline HighOnSmoke

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 02:11:48 PM »
Great post and beautiful looking salmon Wingman!
Mike

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Offline Wingman

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 03:23:47 PM »
Great post and beautiful looking salmon Wingman!

Thanks, but the salmon is nowhere near as nice looking as yours.
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Offline Smokin Don

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2013, 03:49:04 PM »
Looks like a great setup and the salmon looks good too!!! Don
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Offline pz

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2013, 04:14:16 PM »
Looks like a great setup and the salmon looks good too!!! Don

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Offline smokendevo

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2013, 04:20:49 PM »
Hmmm  something in that picture looks very familiar  ;D
Nice set up

Offline muebe

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2013, 07:44:37 AM »
I have use Kummok's brine recipe with great results...

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?105-Excellent-BRADLEY-Smoked-Alaskan-Salmon

Your Salmon does look really good!

And here is how I made some Lox if you are interested in making that...

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=1539.0

Now about your setup in the garage. Having any cooking appliance in a garage can be unsafe. Now with a Bradley it is rare to have a fire but it does happen. If there is excessive grease, the water pan runs dry, the v-tray is not properly installed, or the grease runs down the back wall and hits the element. These are all things that can create a fire! So I highly suggest that if you are smoking over extended times to keep a very close eye on it. It is one thing to burn up your Bradley on your patio. It us another to set your garage on fire and burn down your home. And keep a fire extinguisher near by. Never throw water on a grease fire. If you suspect a fire in your Bradley do not open the door. You will feed more air to the fire. Close the air damper and unplug it if you can. Standby and see if it smothers itself out. If it gets out if control use a fire extinguisher rated for grease fires to put it out.

Also have it on a rolling cart so you can quickly roll the Bradley out if the garage if there is a fire or problem.

And it is NEVER safe to use charcoal in a garage even if ventilated. The amount of CO that comes off if charcoal is enormous and you can quickly be overcome by it within seconds if the concentrations are high enough! We had a call about a fire captain who nearly died in his garage because he was overcome with CO. He decided to run one of those kerosene garage heaters. He had the garage door partially open and still ended up passing out. Thank god his wife found him in time! This was a fire captain who should know better!

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Offline Wingman

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Re: My new smoke shack
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2013, 09:31:43 AM »
I have use Kummok's brine recipe with great results...

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?105-Excellent-BRADLEY-Smoked-Alaskan-Salmon

Your Salmon does look really good!

And here is how I made some Lox if you are interested in making that...

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=1539.0

Now about your setup in the garage. Having any cooking appliance in a garage can be unsafe. Now with a Bradley it is rare to have a fire but it does happen. If there is excessive grease, the water pan runs dry, the v-tray is not properly installed, or the grease runs down the back wall and hits the element. These are all things that can create a fire! So I highly suggest that if you are smoking over extended times to keep a very close eye on it. It is one thing to burn up your Bradley on your patio. It us another to set your garage on fire and burn down your home. And keep a fire extinguisher near by. Never throw water on a grease fire. If you suspect a fire in your Bradley do not open the door. You will feed more air to the fire. Close the air damper and unplug it if you can. Standby and see if it smothers itself out. If it gets out if control use a fire extinguisher rated for grease fires to put it out.

Also have it on a rolling cart so you can quickly roll the Bradley out if the garage if there is a fire or problem.

And it is NEVER safe to use charcoal in a garage even if ventilated. The amount of CO that comes off if charcoal is enormous and you can quickly be overcome by it within seconds if the concentrations are high enough! We had a call about a fire captain who nearly died in his garage because he was overcome with CO. He decided to run one of those kerosene garage heaters. He had the garage door partially open and still ended up passing out. Thank god his wife found him in time! This was a fire captain who should know better!

Thanks, Muebe.  That was the kind of feedback I was hoping for.  My first go at salmon 3 years ago was with Kummok’s recipe.  It came out inedible, way too salty.  I was so disappointed that I didn’t even try it again for a year.  You can see that attempt in my OBS gallery - http://www.deansmiley.com/Gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1151 . He brines for 12 hours with little pieces of salmon and I know everyone on the Bradley site loves it, but it was just too much for me and all those that I had try it.  Right now I’m using a brine that has equal amounts of salt and sugar, plus other stuff, with a 6 hr. soak.  Others like it but I’m still tinkering because I’ve had better and that’s what I want.  I have never dry brined so I might try HOS’s method.  His salmon looked pretty darn good and he smokes away at 170° with no fat rendering.  He must get a great pellicle.  I’ve been using a 5 and 6 step ramp to 170° and still get some boogers occasionally.  Anyway, I enjoy the tinkering.  I never get too far from the Bradley.  I’ve had everything that could go wrong with it, go wrong, some more than once.  The white thing 6 inches below it is an extinguisher.
The garage setup was designed with the OBS in mind.  I never considered using charcoal until I saw how well that fan vented.  And I know the dangers of carbon monoxide.  As with many things like this it comes down to ventilation.  If adequately vented it would work but I will probably just open the garage door and wheel the WSM over to the door and cook there.  That way I don’t have to wonder about that word “if”.  It will be a rare occurrence anyway.  The MAK and gasser will stay on my deck throughout the winter and be used the most.  I have considered converting the WSM to electric and installed a 230 v. outlet near the vent for that purpose.  So far I haven’t found an adequate heating element but haven’t given up on the idea either. 
Again, thanks for the feedback.  I appreciate it.
"You will thank us for smoking."

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