Cold Smoked Pork Loin - help.

[Event Horizon]

The other week I made some ham.  I cured a pork loin for 8 days, then hot smoked it until I had a IT of 150°.  On my next go I want to try cold smoking it rolling it in corn meal before freezing it uncooked (would be more like we get in Canada).  I have been doing some reading and I am not sure where, but someone said they cold smoked theirs for 60 hours!  I do not plan on smoking mine nearly that long.  This will be used for a breakfast meat and I just want a light smoke.

Reading here on Cold Smoking with the plate and the A-maze-n pellet smoker (I have both as well as the jerky dryer) it would appear the biggest issue is keeping temps down.  Most reports had people trying to keep temps down for cheese.  With my cured pork loin does it matter as much?  Or do I want to hold off until the fall when it is cooler outside, it’s close to 90°this week.  Is colder better?

Last question.  If am using the ice tray above the cold plate, should I be putting my meat lower as close to the ice as possible? Or is the ice mainly there to dissipate the heat that comes off the cold plate if using the element?

My other option if lack of air is a issue is to use my Little Chief, there would be lots of air in there to keep the A-MAZE-N generator going.

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[NDKoze]

I still occasionally use my Big Chief for smoking fish in the summer, but it has pretty much been relegated to be more of an ornament of the past.

I use my A-MAZE-N AMNPS and AMNTS smokers in my #3 all the time for cold smoking bacon and cheese. For the bacon, the temps with the A-MAZE-N smokers would not be as big of an issue, but you could use some frozen 2-Liter bottles if need be. I prefer the frozen water bottles versus ice because they do not release moisture into the smoker which you do not want for cold smoking.

If you use your A-MAZE-N smoker, remove the smoke box and place the smoker on top of the element brace. I have had better luck keeping my tube smokers lit versus the tray, but looking back on it I think it was more of an issue of me not having it lit well enough. If you have trouble keeping it lit I would add the jerky dryer, but I think I would rest it on top of something like a 1x2 to limit the effectiveness of the dryer. You don't want too much air flow, just enough to keep the A-MAZE-N lit.

If you use the cold-smoke tray, I would definitely use the frozen 2-liter bottles.

When I cold-smoke bacon, I usually smoke for 16 hours (8 hours / rest overnight / 8 hours / rest 2 days before slicing).

For meat placement, I would still place your meat as high in the smoker that you can as the temp will be more stable toward the top and the ice will do its job to cool the entire box.

[SconnieQ]

Awwww...gotta love the Little Chief! Adorable.