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Post by Gus65 on Feb 16, 2014 14:38:23 GMT 10
Tried to cold smoke some cheese using the Pro Q Cold Smoke generator for the first time and it was a dismal failure.
Couldn't get the generator to stay alight for more than two minutes after the T light candle was removed, even when I gave it a little encouragement from the gas blow torch.
Used She Oak sawdust I bought from BBQ's galore, tipped it in and levelled it off. Tapped it on the table to pack it down and lit the candle, let it get going for about two minutes and removed the candle, it went out.
Refilled the sloping bit above the candle making sure that the sawdust was continuous with no gaps and tried again, same result. Got annoyed and gave it a bit of a blast with the little blowtorch I use for creme brulees, same result.
Tipped it out, replaced all the sawdust as it was a very humid day and I thought it may have picked up a bit of moisture from the air. Tried again with no luck, gave it a long blast with the blowtorch and it went out.
Vents fully open with the generator on the charcoal grate in the Pro Q frontier, top vent fully open. Went out. Vents partially closed, went out.
Got a bit more cranky and cut a beer can in half, filled it with the dust and put a hot heatbead on top, went out.
Have no pictures of either the set up or the dust, too cranky to even bother.
So now I have a heap of questions, is the dust just simply no good? It felt very dry when I opened the bag. If it isn't any good can anybody tell me what is a good all round dust to use in a CSG and where I can get some.
I have a mountain of Ironbark sawdust but it is really coarse, how fine does it have to be and will ironbark work?
I haven't heard anyone on here say a bad thing about the Pro Q CSG and despite being male I did read the instructions before using it instead of like normal to see if I just voided the warranty.
Really want to get his thing into action so any advice will be welcome.
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Post by smokey on Feb 16, 2014 16:40:58 GMT 10
I had the same problem and always found it to be the dust. Although I dont use a tea candle to start. The mini gas burner is better. The full vents open is right. Did you get a little bag of oak with the smoker? That is the consistency needed. It needs a mix of fine to medium but really needs some powder to get working. I found Sheoak powder from galores works, Then I sprinkle some other coarser stuff on top. Sounds like the stuff you have is still too coarse. It gets something like one of those underground peat fires. Look for something powdery fine and mix it in.
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Post by Gus65 on Feb 16, 2014 18:02:48 GMT 10
Thanks Mick
Didn't get any dust with it because I bought it from Chris (UG) and apparently there are quarantine laws that don't allow sawdust to be posted from WA to NSW. Will have a look around while I'm in Sydney this week and source something finer. Other option is to get a spice grinder and make the car sized pile of iron bark dust at home a bit finer and try using that. Didn't think I was doing it wrong but you never know. Didn't help that the 13 yr old wanted to learn a bit about BBQ and it wouldn't work. At least the Gyros on the spit and the snags on the gas worked so my reputation is intact.
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Post by tom harding on Jan 2, 2015 14:48:30 GMT 10
I don,t have the smoker mentioned but use one made from an old small Gas bottle. Found this idea on the web and found it works OK for me in My cylinder, get a small air pump as used in aquariums, attach hose Of some kind and when you light your sawdust place pump hose next To lit section, the out blowing of air adds oxygen to the lit section And hopefully maintains enough heat to keep the sawdust burning. Cheers tom h.
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Post by smokey on Jan 2, 2015 15:16:55 GMT 10
Id like to see your set up Tom, you are spot on. Air flow is key. Kettles and bullet smokers are great for tray cold smokers as with top and bottom vents open there is a Venturi affect. Possibly just placing a fish tank air pump pipe into a bottom kettle vent might assist.
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Post by tom harding on Jan 2, 2015 17:15:15 GMT 10
As I said my cold smoker is a small gas bottle, as used by plumbers for soldering Cut the bottom out with angle grinder,removed valve, cut off threaded attachment On top. Used a small can with tight fit over base, drilled a hole about half inch dia Thru can and cylinder just up from base, drilled a larger hole on opposite side of cylinder Just down from top, maybe 11/2 ". Inlet at bottom , outlet at top, use metal tubing At outlet, or whats lying around. To fill remove can, top up with sawdust, holding cylinder Upside down replace can and I light with blowtorch applied to bottom hole, if not burning OK apply air via aquarium pump, this should do the trick and create heaps of smoke. I made mine for smoking fish. Cheers tom h. PS been trying to register but unable to do so
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Post by smokey on Jan 2, 2015 19:17:08 GMT 10
What is it telling you when you go though the register at very top right?
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Post by tom harding on Jan 2, 2015 20:40:37 GMT 10
I tried to log on to this forum using my user name etc. For another Bbq forum, Naturally I had no success. Now when trying to register starting with my email Address , and then pressing continue ,my email address is shown briefly but Then changes to a jumbled up version of that address, I changed that back to the correct email And the same jumbled address came back again.
I'm aware how to go thru the sign up procedure but having no luck because of Explanation above. Tom h.
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Post by smokey on Jan 2, 2015 21:49:43 GMT 10
Weird, I just let another five members through as per normal. Sorry about the hassle if it's from this end. There are only two IP,s that I'm aware of that are black listed and Your not one of them. Will try to sort it out however I gots a feeling your PC is playing with its dingaling. For now we will call you the ghost rider,,, Yippy eye eh
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Post by tom harding on Jan 3, 2015 11:27:04 GMT 10
As you say smoky ,weird. Will keep trying to register,however the good Thing is , as a guest I can still have some input to the forum, don't know That is the case elsewhere!, and I do like the name ghost rider :-) Cheers tom h.
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Post by hoddo on Jan 3, 2015 12:07:21 GMT 10
Shouldn't that be Ghost Writer
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Post by chrisg on Jan 3, 2015 14:02:03 GMT 10
It's sort of an accident that guests can post really, but hasn't been abused. I'm confused by the registration problem you are having, there's nothing I can think of on the server-side that would do that, makes me wonder if you do not have some very unusual virus, more of a phishing tool perhaps. Perhaps a bit of info and see if I can sort it out ? What anti-virus do you have and what browser do you use ? Cheers
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Post by smokey on Jan 3, 2015 16:25:02 GMT 10
yeh, It's a problem with the pro board freeforums. My mistake for choosing it. I can stop guests from posting but that makes the forum unreadable from anyone unless they log in. No point in shutting lurkers out so I leave it as is.
The good thing is that the the forum is now migratable to a better server. Its a job for this year. now that the forum has proved itself in all aspects from great people, An Identity and a goal, I'm happy, or confidant to shoot for the top. I haven't even written rules Yet! I suppose I'll have to one day but I'm loving the way it is.
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Post by chrisg on Jan 3, 2015 20:54:19 GMT 10
Eh, the world is a very strange place with a very strange way of sorting things out sometimes. We need to have a chat next couple of weeks, I'll explain Cheers
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Post by smokey on Jan 4, 2015 10:37:30 GMT 10
Looks like you made it Tomh
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