# storing meat without canning or dehydrating ...



## Zman41 (Apr 3, 2012)

Have any of you experience cold smoking meat? I think you use salt too but remember seeing something about an old guy down south who after he salted and cold smoked a whole pig he said he cut and had eaten meat off of it something like 2 years later...anyone know how?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I remember my great grandfather having a smokehouse and in the fall he would butcher hogs and smoke them, not all in one piece though. 

Unfortunately, I was too young to remember how he did it so I have passively been gathering info and am going to try my hand at it when I feel confident enough(and after I build a smokehouse).


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

This is a very good pdf. I had gotten the link from someone on here originally. Can't remember who to give the credit to.

giles.freehostia.com/Docs/Meat%20without%20Refer.doc

Copy and paste it in to your browser.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

Let's try it this way:

http://giles.freehostia.com/library.htm

It is the first one on the page


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## Zman41 (Apr 3, 2012)

I did end up getting it thanks just had to use the old brain a bit...lol


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## Zman41 (Apr 3, 2012)

Btw I did go to the sight it was great info!!! thanks!!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

mdprepper said:


> Let's try it this way:
> 
> http://giles.freehostia.com/library.htm
> 
> It is the first one on the page


Thanks mdprepper,

I'm going to add those to my archive.

And a thanks to you Zman41, for this thread.


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## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

Thank you mdprepper for the link. Looks like a lot of good info there. :2thumb:


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## urbanprepping (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks excellent resource


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## JoKing (Mar 11, 2012)

G'Night Johnboy!


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

JoKing said:


> G'Night Johnboy!


:dunno: is this even in the right thread? :dunno:


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## Zman41 (Apr 3, 2012)

I wonder if there are any plans out there on how to build a "cold" smoke house?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Here be one what I built outa a old refrigerator, ya wanna make sure the inside be enamel metal though.




























Uses a electric dryer heatin element an the smoke comes from the smoke generator there on the side. Ain't all that hard ta make one up.


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## Zman41 (Apr 3, 2012)

Can you kind of outline how it works looks like a great idea not sure how to make what I see in those pics


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## Riverdale (Oct 31, 2009)

Zman41 said:


> Can you kind of outline how it works looks like a great idea not sure how to make what I see in those pics


OCH, do you have a smoke generator on that?

Do you use saltpeter for you nitrate?


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

OldCoot, very creative designs. Can't wait to build one for my home some day. You'll have to post some plans.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Riverdale said:


> OCH, do you have a smoke generator on that?
> 
> Do you use saltpeter for you nitrate?


I use what they call cure #1 er prague powder #1, same thing an lots safer ta use then saltpeter.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Gonna be awfull busy this week, but next weekend I'll post up some how to on the smoker. An yup, that be a homemade smoke generator.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Here be one what I built outa a old refrigerator, ya wanna make sure the inside be enamel metal though.


Dang that is complex an hi tech. Old refrigerator cold smokers I've seen just had the frideg raised up a bit and a old webber on the outside with venting plumbed into the bottom of the fridge providing the cold smoke from the webber


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## Halfpint (Jan 23, 2011)

Sir, I was reading tring to get educated and found your cooker. If I may, with the dryer element what temps were you able to maintain? The reason Im asking this I am woking on a curring oven and would like to use one of these elements. (5400 watt, 220) I can not find anything on what I could expect out of tempature range. I need to maintain 325F. I have tested the hop plate one build on you tube but my oven is 14X14X 60 ish(old single wall locker). With two of the hot platesI got 300F but after 2 hr. The reason Im looking at the dryer elements is that the oven elements are too large.The dryer elements are 6X10 and can be wired on 110. Im usind a PID temp controller w/ssr. Any info would help. Thanks and God Bless


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yall ever get side tracked an ferget ta come back an do sumtin? I blew this clean off!

My cold smoker will run upta about 275° with a dryer element operatin on 110v. Ifin ya was ta run it on 220v I'm perty sure ya could get inta the 300's. Ifin need be ya could use two elements. I run mine on 110 cause I don't wan't the high temps fer doin ham, bacon an sausage. Part a it will depend on the size a the cabinet.

So the basics: enamel lined fridge (think 50's era) PUll the insulation outa it, cut a 6 inch hole in the top an add the chimeny. Besure an put a damper in there ta help control the smoke an air flow. Cut a 4 inch hole in the door an add a flapper (ifin ya used a hole saw fer the top, the 6 inch piece from that works real well. The door hole be yer air flow.

I used aluminum angle iron an screwed it ta the interior walls. These make yer shelves an also a place fer rods ta hang stuff from. The shelves I got came with the fridge an I got some extras from the appliance store. They gave em ta me from junked out fridges.
The dryer element be designed fer 220v but I operate it on 110v cause I don't wan't high heat. I use a alto sham prime rib cooker thermostat ta control temps. It'll go from bout 80° ta 250° ifin I remember right.

The smoke generator be built outa auto exhaust pipe an a couple a fence post caps. Ya put a screen in the bottom a it (I drilled a bunch a holes in a electric box cover an burnt the galvanized offin it in the wood stove in the shop) ta use it ya put one er two charcoal briquets in there with yer wood chips on top. I light it with a propane torch. When it gets ta smokin real good I put the lid on an the smoke goes inta the box. Once upon a time I used a fish tank pump an pumped the smoke inta the box. Found out I really didn't need it, natural flow will do it just as well.

That be the basics. Yall got more questions just ask. I'll try an answer a bit faster this time!


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Yes you can cold smoke meats, and that link has great info. The meat will be extremely salty and will require soaking before eating (normally).


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> That be the basics. Yall got more questions just ask. I'll try an answer a bit faster this time!


As I recall my friend had a similar set up but used no power. Chimney up top of a gutted fridge hole at the bottom that he plumbed a Weber into. Controlled the smoke from the Weber made the BEST cold smoked salmon ever. Literally melted in your mouth and spread like butter. The entire salmon was better than any lox I have ever tried.


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