Smoking Today! Pic heavy warning.

[BruceW]

Thought I'd share my day.
Butchered a pig about a week and a half ago, brined/injected up 4 hams and made a small batch of bacon.  Today it hit the smoker.
Hams on the left, bacon right:


Had a very enjoyable day, although all the Canada geese heading S. makes me wonder about the coming weather.  Missed having my son help, but it looks like he'll be back in time for Christmas.  We'll get out the smoker and do a big batch of ribs then.


Had to try a taste, cooked of course on top of the woodstove, mmmmmmmmmmmmm


They look done to me.


And the finished product.  1 large ham for Christmas, 1 of a size for a small dinner party followed by a rousing game of Canasta.  1 small one for daughter, and another for my wife and I. 


Bacon and eggs for supper at our house tonight!   

[wildmeat]

mmmm....  ill bring the wine!!!!

[walleyes]

Good lookin stuff Bruce.. Can't wait to get set up at my new place and start playing with some of that stuff.. Thx for the post..

[Tuc]

Looks good Bruce. How do you like your smoker? I have one just like it, believe there called a Smokey Mountain smoker.

[nube]

WOW!!!  I am jelous

[BruceW]

Thanks guys. 
Tuc, I like it.  I've had it for I believe about 3 years now.  The heavy cast chip pan takes way too long to heat up and produce smoke.  Instead we use a steel cakepan, and that works great. 

[sheepguide]

Shit now im hungry!!!!!!!   Looks good bud!

[diamonddave]

I wish! that looks awsome!!

[Tuc]

The heavy cast chip pan takes way too long to heat up and produce smoke.

I noticed that too Bruce, I soak my chips in water for an hour or so before I fill up the pan. This seems to produce more smoke and the chips last a little longer. I suppose your cake pan is bigger than the oringinal. Maybe I'll give it a try.

[BruceW]

I also quit soaking the chips.  Instead I just keep a bowl of water by the smoker and when I put chips in the pan I just, "spritz" them 2 or 3 times by dipping my fingers in the water, then stir it around.  The chips may not last quite as long, but they start producing smoke much quicker.
Yesterday I went through about 1.6 storebought bags of maple chips.  (the standard bags everyone sells about the size of a big bag of potato chips)

[Tuc]

Have you ever tried sawdust. I have a buddy who owns a wood working shop and he is going to give me a bag of hardwood sawdust to try, should be interesting. Hope it last longer than store bought chips.

[BruceW]

Funny you should mention that, most of my smoking is done with planer and jointer oak chips/shavings/sawdust!  It works great.  About the only difference from the bigger chunks I find is the bigger chunks take a little longer to produce smoke. 
Sure you'll have great results too.

[badback]

Damn I could smell that food in my office....

[STW]

looks aweseome,

actually picked up the bass pro smoker two weeks ago, the 30" wide masterbuilt smoker, so far done beef jerky and smoked salmon, very tasty.

[BruceW]

STW, did you brine your salmon first?  What temp for how long?  Been wanting to try that.

[STW]

ok, so here is the recipe i did. i would soak for ~4 hours. if u bumped up the salt u could cut the time down. this recipe was perfect amount for 2 costco fillets. so just mutiple as required

2 beer (not for cook)
2 cups H2O
1 tbsp sambol oelek
1 tsp garlic powdr
1 tsp cummin
1 tbsp chili pwdr
1/8 cup seasalt (non idiodized)
1 tbsp wortchestershire
1/2 cup soya sauce
1/8 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar

after marinading for 4 hours let it air dry for about 30 minutes. i used alder wood for the smoking. smoked at 150F for 3 hours, last hour bump up to 180F. i soak my wood  wood for an hour or so. i am of the belief that the smoke does not have to be pouring out the vent as long as u have a bit of smoke being produced over a 4 hour run works very good. i had to reload the wood twice so it still burns it up.

next i am gonna try kippered salmon, which starts with a dry pack of salt and brown sugar overnight, then rinse off in morning, then paint the fish with maple syrup and rum mix for 4 hours. then just smoke for 4 hours.