Warm Weather PBC cold smoke attempt.

[Chief Mac]

PBC cold smoke attempt.
I have been working with my PBC to make it an effective cold smoker. Using an AMZ Tube smoker I was able to smoke by laying  the AZTS in the empty charcoal basket and get successful 4 hours + of smoke for 3 separate sessions of smoking cheese. Well as the weather warmed the heat buildup over 90 degrees and I was constantly trying to dissipate the heat and prevent the barrel temps from exceeding 90 (the melting temperature of the cheese I was smoking. I found that as the daytime temperatures increased throughout the day the higher the PBC temps climbed and I was constantly venting ( opening the lid to scrub off the heat ) and then the pellets wanted to burn faster and added a few more degrees to the over temp situation. Plugging or covering the rebar holes had very little effect maintaining the PBC temperature, matter of fact it increased the temps.   So, on a 47 degree day I was able to keep the PBC around 90 degrees by opening the lid. Barrel temps never exceeded 124 degrees, but again too high to smoke cheese without my manual venting of the heat. So I would vent the heat and the PBC temps would drop quickly to 70 degrees and start a slow climb above 90 in 20 -30 min.  About 2 hrs. Into the smoke I pulled the cheese out of the PBC and tented the tube smoke with heavy duty foil double folded, to help dissipate the heat. It did help somewhat the temps stabilized at about 98 deg.  After monitoring the temps for an hour holding steady at 98 degrees I returned the cheese to the PBC and finished the cheese smoke at 3.5 hrs. Short of my target time of 4.0 hrs.  I was convinced with a bit more work and other configurations I may be able cold smoke cheese year round  not only when the outside temps are at or below freezing. 
After doing a little research on line and looking at my next step I am pleased to say that I am prepared to cold smoke about 10 lbs. of cheese this Saturday the 6Th of June.  This past week I ran a 5+ hour trial smoke test. I ran this test smoke under which I considered to be worst case conditions. I started the test at 11:45 AM outside temperature was 89 deg.  Winds 10 -12 MPH, humidity 60%, skies partly cloudy.  The sun was beating down on the PBC. The new configuration has a hot chamber for the pellet tube smoker to burn pellets, the smoke flows up out of the chamber through 3” drier vent tubing and into the lower inlet hole of the PBC.

New configuration.

I started the smoke rolling and the temperature of the PBC climbed to 129 deg. F and held steady. I covered the rebar holes and the PBC temps started to climb to 140 deg. OKAY, remove covers over the holes and opened the lid momentarily and the PBC temp dropped to 118 deg. and smoke was rolling. Lid reinstalled and the PBC temp. rose back to 128 degrees and stayed at that temp. Shadows starting to move toward the PBC and the outside temperature is 92 deg. at 1:20 PM.  I was interested what would happen once the PBC was in the full shade.  At about 2:00 PM my wife said the outside temp was now at 94 deg. humidity =58% Winds 10 – 12 MPH and sky remained partly cloudy. Half of the PBC is now in the shade and the barrel temp is at 119 deg.   At 2:30 PM the PBC is almost 90% shaded and the PBC temp continues to drop to 108 deg.  3:00 PM the shadow is covering the PBC and a portion of the incoming smoke tube, the PBC internal temp is 97 deg. and holding steady.  Outside temp is at 95 deg. Winds, humidity and sky info has not changed. 

PBC Temp reading once the shade covered the PBC

A 2 degree temperature difference between the inside and outside PBC temperatures and holding. It held at these temps until I stopped the smoke at 4:55 PM. I was very encouraged by the results of this set up and the temperature results.
So why can’t we cold smoke with PBC temps under 90? If the smoke needs to flow for 4 hours, why can't the smoke process start early in the day or latter in evening when temps are below 80 deg. F and no sun directly shinning on the PBC?  I guess will find out the answers this Saturday.   
CM

[Chief Mac]

Warm Weather Cold Smoke in the PBC Completed
Saturday was my planned day to use all my knowledge from the previous tests that I ran for cold smoking in the PBC.  The day didn’t start as I had planned, not getting out of bed at 5:15 AM to unwrap the 5 cheese types and removed  from the refrigerator to let them sit and air dry for 2 hours.  So, 6:20 I decided if I was going for a 4 hour smoke I better get moving. 
Plan for today’s smoke: 4 hours of continuous smoke. Keep PBC temps as low as possible and do not exceed 90 deg. PBC temp for any length of time.  Keep cheese dry and do not let it melt.
06:30 AM --- Cheese out of the refrigerator, unwrapped, and rest in the open air at room temperature to form a skin. 5 Cheese types to be smoked: Sharp Cheddar, Sharp Provolone, Mozzarella, Gouda, and brick American cheese.
Set up the mini grill, filled the AMTS with pecan pellets, positioned the PBC and opened the vent and put attached the smoke hose.


Kingsford 14" Charcoal grill and the 12" AMTS.

08:10 AM --- Lit off the AMTS.
08:25 AM --- Cheese placed in the PBC.  Smoke rolling. PBC barrel temp = 71 deg.  Ambient Temp = 69 deg.  Humidity= 70% Winds= West @1 MPH  Skies =  Cloudy.


Start of the Cheese smoke.

09:30 AM ---  Smoke rolling. PBC barrel temp = 72 deg.  Ambient Temp = 73 deg.  Humidity= 68% Winds=  WNW  @1 MPH  Skies =  Cloudy.


PBC Temperature.

10:35 AM --- All Cheese rolled over.  American cheese showed signs of sweating wiped cheese dry and returned to PBC.  Smoke OK. PBC barrel temp = 76 deg.  Ambient Temp = 75 deg.  Humidity= 68% Winds= West  @6 MPH  Skies =  Cloudy, sun is trying to break out.


All cheese rolled over for better smoke penetration.

11:30 AM --- Smoke rolling OK.  PBC barrel temp = 81 deg.  Ambient Temp = 78 deg.  Humidity= 66% Winds= West  @1 MPH  Skies =  Partly Cloudy.
12:30 PM --- Smoke rolling. PBC barrel temp = 84 deg.  Ambient Temp = 81 deg.  Humidity= 67% Winds= North  @10 MPH  Skies =  Partly Cloudy.
12:45 PM ---  Planned 4 hour smoke complete, all cheese  removed from PBC.  All cheeses showed signs of sweating and the American cheese showed signs of settling (indentations) on the surface of cheese from the PBC food rack.  Cheese wiped again and rested in the house at room temp again for 35 minutes. Then all cheese individually wrapped marked, vacuum sealed and placed in the refrigerator for at least 30 days.


Finished product heading into the house to rest and wrap.

Observations:  I should have started and hour earlier, PBC temps would have been lower and probably would not have had the grill marks in the American cheese and probably no cheese sweating.  Under these conditions air and PBC temps should not be above 82 degrees for an hour or longer--- so earlier or later in the day should help that situation. I am satisfied with the outcome.       
Added note: The modifications I made to the cookers will take no more than 10 minutes to restore them to their original condition. Other than the AMTS, which I bought earlier for other smoking opportunities, the modifications to perform this smoke cost me less than $40.     
CM