Weird smoke smell

[jrockoford]

Got my Model #1 two weeks ago and I'm loving it. First two attempts were smashing successes (beef ribs, 225, 2 hickory dowel pieces, 3-2-1 method, and then Boston butt, 225, 5.5 ounces of apple, 21 hours to internal temp of 195, yum!).

Then I decided to cold smoke cheese. Read and watched everything I could here and elsewhere. Kept it simple, used the cold smoke plate, ice, 1 hickory dowel piece, several pieces of Gouda, Mozzarella, etc. Started with 120 temp, 20 minutes to smoke, off for 40 minutes. The smoke died very quickly and when I checked the dowel was black but solid. Decided to have another round with higher temperature. Did 170 temp to smoke, turned off for an hour.

The smoke was acrid, charcoaly, chemical; I wish I could be more specific. The dowel remained black and solid. The cheese smelled like it was dropped in ashes. I wrapped it and put it in the fridge for almost a week. I threw it our today because it still smells awful. The smoker kept this chemically smell too. I'm burning some pecan trying to re-season it and fumigate it.

What went wrong? Bad piece of wood? Perhaps green, unseasoned? I've never smelled smoke that was this disagreeable (and I drink Ardbeg, so I'm pretty tolerant of smoky odors and flavors). Did I do something wrong?

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[jrockoford]

Forgot to add: The cold smoke plate was sticky when I took it out to wash. Like with tar and got on my hands. Is it normal?

[DivotMaker]

Sounds like you may have had combustion of the wood.  Kind of unusual in the #1 (smaller element), but can happen with an extra-dry piece of wood.  When I cold smoke in the #1, I turn the element on full until I see good smoke, then turn it off.  That usually takes less than 15 minutes.

Check your wood, and use good quality wood.  A lot of folks like chips or pellets for low-temp cold smoking, but I use chunks.  I just split them into smaller (thinner) chunks, and turn the element off as soon as good smoke starts.

[Limey]

I suggest using chips and an external smoke generator. That way you can get smoke without heat in your SI and the insulated box does a great job of keeping out the ambient temperature.

[jrockoford]

Finally! Figured it out: Instead of using the drip pan that came with it for the ice, I used a coated pan I already had. Bad idea. Somehow the coating interacted with the smoke and created the acrid smell. Once I replaced it the smell disappeared -- although I'm still trying to master cold smoking cheese; my last attempt ended up with too much smoke and the cheese started to melt but at least the smoke aroma was normal.

[DivotMaker]

Good find!  I guess I just assumed you were using the stainless drip pan.

[greg7878]

i just picked up an A-MAZE-N 12" tube smoker for cold smoking cheese, salt, garlic, etc.  i wrap a bottom rack in tin foil and put the drip pan full of ice and covered with foil on it on the bottom level.  i then put the tube in the bottom next to the wood box.  it'll smoke up to 4 hours with very little heat.  have used it twice and the cheese was eaten before i really got to taste it!  it's cheap, easy, and puts out very little heat.  you can get one from amazon full of wood pellets for about $35.  you can try that if you don't want to have to play with the temp control nob every few minutes.

[DivotMaker]

Good tip, Greg.  Several folks have used the Amazen products, as well as some external smoke generators as an alternative.

[Barrel99]

Interesting Greg. I think you are the first on this site to not complain about the Amazen going out. That's promising.

[coachB]

I used the amaze-n with the cold smoke plate to smoke 8 lbs of pork belly and a combination of different traeger pellets.  This was the second time using the amaze-n pellet smoker and it did produce a lot of smoke.  I used it this time with the Jerky Dryer and it did stay lit, but burned much quicker than their instructions claim.  I had a complete fill of the unit and it burned for 3-4 hrs.  The Jerky Dryer pulls the air flow through the box really well,  the box temp stayed consistently low (credit the Auber keeping the element down), and the final results were what I was looking for.

It seems that the amaze-n tube works.  The amaze-n pellet smoker (5x8) needs the Jerky Dryer to stay lit through the entire smoke but uses a greater amount of pellets.

[NDKoze]

Rather than using a tray filled with ice, I would recommend using some frozen 1 or 2 liter bottles. This will prevent moisture from coming into the box which you definitely do NOT want. Or at least make sure you tightly foil your pan to prevent moisture released from the ice.

[NDKoze]

I used the amaze-n with the cold smoke plate to smoke 8 lbs of pork belly and a combination of different traeger pellets.  This was the second time using the amaze-n pellet smoker and it did produce a lot of smoke.  I used it this time with the Jerky Dryer and it did stay lit, but burned much quicker than their instructions claim.  I had a complete fill of the unit and it burned for 3-4 hrs.  The Jerky Dryer pulls the air flow through the box really well,  the box temp stayed consistently low (credit the Auber keeping the element down), and the final results were what I was looking for.

It seems that the amaze-n tube works.  The amaze-n pellet smoker (5x8) needs the Jerky Dryer to stay lit through the entire smoke but uses a greater amount of pellets.

I have both an ANMPS 5"x8" and an 18" ANMTS tube smoker and have had better luck keeping the tube smoker going. I will say that I have had better luck in general with pellets verses the dust. FYI, you can use both saw dust and pellets in the ANMPS.

[coachB]

I know that Greg, but since I have a supply of pellets (110+lbs--I know, overkill) I will have to live with that.  Cabela's had 20lb bags on sale ($20ea) and I ordered a bunch before I realized how long that will last.  I know amaze-n claims long burning times, but it won't stay lit without the Jerky Dryer.  With the Dryer they burn well, just fast.  A full tray lasted about 3.5 hrs.  The good thing is the box temp is fine for cold smoking.  And I do have a lot of pellets.