toggleswitch2
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OOPSIE DIDN'T SEE THAT.
Drying Cabinet
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oldhouseman
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Toggle look close
that is meat wood-smoking. See the contents on the racks?
I have seen refrigerators converted llike this before. Somewhat common in rural areas in the south, it replaced the smokehouse.
that is meat wood-smoking. See the contents on the racks?
I have seen refrigerators converted llike this before. Somewhat common in rural areas in the south, it replaced the smokehouse.
runematic
Well-known member
Nah, I'm just using a regular oven surface burner. I removed all the other stuff (fans, heaters, etc.). If you notice, the "chimney" is a whirlpool 29" dryer heating element enclosure.
I rigged this thing up to run on 220V and I have an oven thermostat installed to keep it at the temp I want.
"So, what DO you use it for?" Hot smoking & cold smoking. I could've used the crude reply of: "to smoke my meat" but decided against that.
I rigged this thing up to run on 220V and I have an oven thermostat installed to keep it at the temp I want.
"So, what DO you use it for?" Hot smoking & cold smoking. I could've used the crude reply of: "to smoke my meat" but decided against that.
ooops
we posted at the same time...
I haven´t seen the second and the third pictures.
we posted at the same time...
I haven´t seen the second and the third pictures.
toggleswitch2
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Enquiring minds want to know...
I'm sorry but being a city-slicker I have no idea how a smoker works. Feel free to hijack this thread. I insist. *LOL*
The top-burner is heating wood. Does it combust an-aerobically? The teperature of *what* is maintained? the enclosure? Really clueless here.
Once your meat is smoked (OY VEY!) does it need refrigeration?
I'm sorry but being a city-slicker I have no idea how a smoker works. Feel free to hijack this thread. I insist. *LOL*
The top-burner is heating wood. Does it combust an-aerobically? The teperature of *what* is maintained? the enclosure? Really clueless here.
Once your meat is smoked (OY VEY!) does it need refrigeration?
Drying Cabinets
Were very popular here until the mid 70's when the tumble dryer gained some ground. They were what people were used to compared with drying cupboards.
My Choice reviews report them to be slow, leave clothes very stiff and most of them were very dangerous if something fell off the racks over the fan enclosure at the bottom. From memory it took 19 minutes for the most dangerous one to catch fire with something over the fan outlet.
My grandfather collected them up during the 80's, put shelves in them and used them to store anything in pretty much.
Tumble dryers in AU all vent directly into the room anyway, so the humidity out of these would've been nothing by comparison.
Were very popular here until the mid 70's when the tumble dryer gained some ground. They were what people were used to compared with drying cupboards.
My Choice reviews report them to be slow, leave clothes very stiff and most of them were very dangerous if something fell off the racks over the fan enclosure at the bottom. From memory it took 19 minutes for the most dangerous one to catch fire with something over the fan outlet.
My grandfather collected them up during the 80's, put shelves in them and used them to store anything in pretty much.
Tumble dryers in AU all vent directly into the room anyway, so the humidity out of these would've been nothing by comparison.
runematic
Well-known member
Toggle, when I referred to the temp, I meant the temp of the box. (not going there) The wood (hard wood like hickory, oak, mesquite, maple, apple, etc, not soft wood like pine etc) is used two different ways: as a preservative or as a flavoring. The meat will require refrigeration when it's done.
Basically, the smoker can operate 2 ways:
1) cold smoker, temp of the box is kept below 150*, usually down to about 80-90*, uses: smoked cheese, salmon, jerky, some sausages. The meat will have a cure in it (like nitrates/nitrites) to prevent bacterial growth.
2) hot smoker, temp of 200-250*, usually pork shoulders (in the box for 12-15 hours), beef brisket (18-20 hours), ribs (4-8 hours) (that's what's in the above pix), other types of sausages, fowl, etc. More like barbquing without the gas flame or charcoal.
Now, when I make my own bacon, I'll start the smoker at a low temp for a few hours to get a good smoke flavor and then I'll gradually increase the temp of the smoker until I get the bacon up to about 165* where it'll be considered finished.
I really did not intend to hijack the thread, I was just commenting on your above referrence to a boogered up refrig.
Basically, the smoker can operate 2 ways:
1) cold smoker, temp of the box is kept below 150*, usually down to about 80-90*, uses: smoked cheese, salmon, jerky, some sausages. The meat will have a cure in it (like nitrates/nitrites) to prevent bacterial growth.
2) hot smoker, temp of 200-250*, usually pork shoulders (in the box for 12-15 hours), beef brisket (18-20 hours), ribs (4-8 hours) (that's what's in the above pix), other types of sausages, fowl, etc. More like barbquing without the gas flame or charcoal.
Now, when I make my own bacon, I'll start the smoker at a low temp for a few hours to get a good smoke flavor and then I'll gradually increase the temp of the smoker until I get the bacon up to about 165* where it'll be considered finished.
I really did not intend to hijack the thread, I was just commenting on your above referrence to a boogered up refrig.
filter-flo_rob
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... make my own bacon
Runematic ... what cut of meat do you use? I love smoked food and have smoked pork, chicken, turkey, and cheese. One of my favourite flavours is the smoke from freshly cut apple wood.
Rob.
Runematic ... what cut of meat do you use? I love smoked food and have smoked pork, chicken, turkey, and cheese. One of my favourite flavours is the smoke from freshly cut apple wood.
Rob.
runematic
Well-known member
Rob, I use the pork belly, which is what most commercial bacon is made from. Some people make what they call butt bacon, which, not surprisingly, comes from the pork butt. Now, that's not the part of the anatomy that some are thinking. The butt, or "boston butt", is actually part of the shoulder. I prefer the fat cap of the belly, though. It makes a much better bacon. as far as woods, I had a lot of apple from a friend. I loved that stuff. I just finished going through a lot of maple that we had to cut down when we built our garage at home a few years ago. I just had a peach tree go down, so now I am seasoning that wood, so next year I'm going to be peachwood somking alot of stuff.
filter-flo_rob
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peachwood somking
Never tried that, and I'll have to -- thanks for the info. (and the cut of meat, too)! If I'm in a hurry and I have steaks, or pork ribs on the grill, I'll cut some fresh apple wood and put them right in the gas grill. Gives a great smoky flavour.
Never tried that, and I'll have to -- thanks for the info. (and the cut of meat, too)! If I'm in a hurry and I have steaks, or pork ribs on the grill, I'll cut some fresh apple wood and put them right in the gas grill. Gives a great smoky flavour.
toggleswitch2
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dang-nab-it i'm hungry now!
Thank you runematic. I think you misread my comment. I was encouraging you to go forth fearlessly! Good stuff all this info!
Thank you runematic. I think you misread my comment. I was encouraging you to go forth fearlessly! Good stuff all this info!
If We Can Please Get On
Topic, that is! *LOL*
Drying cabinets have been around since about the turn of the century, following not too long on the heels of electric power being introduced to homes.
Basically such devices were imporvements over hanging one's laundry over the AGA and or in a heated room to dry. Since one wasn't heating up an entire room, things were a bit more comfortable to use, especially in warmer months, and also saved space.
Hospitals, large manor homes, and the like would have had drying cabinets, but as another poster stated, once tumble dryers came on the scene drying cabinets went out of fashion quickly. Often units can still be found in old laundries, or grand homes, since most if not all units were often built in, removal would have been a huge project. Better to just seal off the thing and or forget about it.
Depending upon the heat source, (IIRC some units used gas), and conditions, laundry dried in drying cabinets could take on a yellow cast, indeed as all laundry not dried outdoors in fresh air and sunshine. Most preferred to dry their laundry out doors if possible, but if the amount of laundry made this impossible, and or weather did not permit, drying cabinets were the next best thing.
Topic, that is! *LOL*
Drying cabinets have been around since about the turn of the century, following not too long on the heels of electric power being introduced to homes.
Basically such devices were imporvements over hanging one's laundry over the AGA and or in a heated room to dry. Since one wasn't heating up an entire room, things were a bit more comfortable to use, especially in warmer months, and also saved space.
Hospitals, large manor homes, and the like would have had drying cabinets, but as another poster stated, once tumble dryers came on the scene drying cabinets went out of fashion quickly. Often units can still be found in old laundries, or grand homes, since most if not all units were often built in, removal would have been a huge project. Better to just seal off the thing and or forget about it.
Depending upon the heat source, (IIRC some units used gas), and conditions, laundry dried in drying cabinets could take on a yellow cast, indeed as all laundry not dried outdoors in fresh air and sunshine. Most preferred to dry their laundry out doors if possible, but if the amount of laundry made this impossible, and or weather did not permit, drying cabinets were the next best thing.
