jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 26, 2014 18:28:07 GMT -5
I am not so sure that smoking is much different than moonshining conrock. This man's system is probably generations old. Becoming an art form. The long pipe in the ground must have a cooling or stabilizing effect. Maybe to let ashes precipitate out or dwell long enough to burn off. Bet there was a good reason. Thinking the vertical drum is a good smoke retainer. Cost effective and long lived. Never thought about the cold air effecting the process.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2014 21:38:30 GMT -5
I am not so sure that smoking is much different than moonshining conrock. This man's system is probably generations old. Becoming an art form. The long pipe in the ground must have a cooling or stabilizing effect. Maybe to let ashes precipitate out or dwell long enough to burn off. Bet there was a good reason. Thinking the vertical drum is a good smoke retainer. Cost effective and long lived. Never thought about the cold air effecting the process. Yeah, the europeans like to smoke with the pipe in the ground. I am with your analysis for cooling the airflow. Makes it so a fire wont overheat the fish. The barrel is cheap to replace too!
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Post by connrock on May 27, 2014 8:38:13 GMT -5
When I was a kid,,,,maybe around 1951,,,1952,,,,one of my Uncles(Nick) wanted to build a small butcher shop and grocery store with a smoke house out back.Back then families always helped each other so my dad and the rest of the guys in the family helped build the shop and smoke house out of cinder blocks,,,,not concrete blocks.Cinder blocks were cheep and even some home foundations were built with them here back then. Being that the entire family was of Polish descent,,,except for the Uncle who had the shop,,,,he was of Russian descent,,,,they named the shop "The Kielbasa Shop"! Uncle Nick did most of the prep work and smoking except for around Holidays when they "guys" would come and help,,,and have a little (or more) liquid "libation",,,,I guess so they didn't get dehydrated??? LOL As a kid I wasn't very interested in making kielbasa,Italian sausage,etc,etc,etc but I wish I knew how my Uncle smoked all of the great meat and fish he did through the years! The smoke house is gone and the Kielbasa Shop is now being used as a Power Equipment sales/repair shop. Many of the ways and traditions that came from European immigrants are being lost and some of the greatest recipes and ways of cooking and smoking are gone forever.
If I didn't have all the Chinook Salmon smoked by my co-worker and friend(Kez Baranowski)I would have never even given a thought to have a "smoker" like he does! For what it's worth,,,,,,,,,,Kex couldn't make it as a Chef in this Country so he became a millwright. I KNEW Kez was a great Chef and when my son was getting married I asked Kez if he would do me the honor of cooking a prime rib dinner for the 235 people attending the wedding!He agreed and had 2 other Polish guys help him.When I asked Kex how many waiters and waitresses I had to hire he got VERY upset with me and said ,,,in his Polish accent,,,,"Tommy,,,,I fix everrrything,,,you no worrrry"! Well,,,he did "fix everything",,,servers,all the dinnerware,etc,etc,etc,,hor devours,appetizers,deserts and the best prime rib dinner I ever ate! When I tried to pay Kez he said,,,"Tommy,,,you say tank you and is good"!
So sad to see so much knowledge and talent lost forever! connrock
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on May 27, 2014 10:25:27 GMT -5
The immigrant mentality is lost in this country. Those folks had a brutal work ethic and a desire to do for others. Three Russians in our hunt camp cook everything and consider it an honor. Now they won't let us see what all they put in the stew pot. we know some interesting parts go in the stew. But the flavor is to good to complain. They are a great motivational influence for us Merican boys.
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Daniel Green
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2009
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Post by Daniel Green on Jun 3, 2014 19:36:59 GMT -5
My two favorite woods to smoke with are Pear and Oak.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2014 20:57:34 GMT -5
I use a lot of apple. Also love to use Mesquite coal. The wood is too strong for my tiny bbq.
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on Jun 5, 2014 22:32:56 GMT -5
hey nice pics.
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hope
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2008
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Post by hope on Jun 6, 2014 22:10:37 GMT -5
I use to frequent junk yards when I was just a young in. It was the only way I could afford to keep my car on the road. Lol
Hope
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
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Post by jamesp on Jun 7, 2014 11:20:17 GMT -5
I use to frequent junk yards when I was just a young in. It was the only way I could afford to keep my car on the road. Lol Hope Nice living close to the big city. The slickers are always putting stuff to pasture. Junkyards of all kinds stay full around Atlanta. one mans junk is another man's pleasure.
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Post by radio on Jun 8, 2014 15:38:08 GMT -5
I use a lot of apple. Also love to use Mesquite coal. The wood is too strong for my tiny bbq. when you go to the hills out there, cut yourself some Manzanita and let it dry. (make sure to follow BLM rules ) I'm doing some smoked Salmon today and will be using Manzanita that found it's way to Missouri from California
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Jun 8, 2014 19:03:26 GMT -5
You may have alder on the edge of lakes and creeks. It is sweet like fruit wood. Lots of branches, easy to cut to smokable sizes. Whole green hickory and pecan nuts are rich in flavor. Other green nut are used too. Green hickory nuts are full of dampness and spicy flavor, as are pecans.
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thehp
having dreams about rocks
Member since July 2014
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Post by thehp on Jul 31, 2014 22:14:12 GMT -5
For smoking wood I like a mix I have been making for a few years.
I have a lot of peach and apple trees. I like to take cuttings aboutt he size of a silver dollar in thickness and rake my radial arm saw and cut them in about 1 inch thick biscuits. I put them in plastic milk crates and stack in the shop to dry for a season. Once good a dry i will remove a goodish amount and fill a plastic tub about double the size of a shoebox about half deep - and then fill with cheap as I can buy bottom shelf bourbon and let soak for a month. Take these out, dry on a table for a day or two and then back into a separate milk crate.
Come smoking time I'll use a hand dull of regular peach, a hand full of regular apple, and a handful of the bourbon .
I use a home built smoker that is little more than a glorified cabinet and coal box, with a cast iron pan in the bottom for chips and a stainless bowl above full of water / beer / wine depending on what I am making.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2014 4:13:02 GMT -5
For smoking wood I like a mix I have been making for a few years. I have a lot of peach and apple trees. I like to take cuttings aboutt he size of a silver dollar in thickness and rake my radial arm saw and cut them in about 1 inch thick biscuits. I put them in plastic milk crates and stack in the shop to dry for a season. Once good a dry i will remove a goodish amount and fill a plastic tub about double the size of a shoebox about half deep - and then fill with cheap as I can buy bottom shelf bourbon and let soak for a month. Take these out, dry on a table for a day or two and then back into a separate milk crate. Come smoking time I'll use a hand dull of regular peach, a hand full of regular apple, and a handful of the bourbon . I use a home built smoker that is little more than a glorified cabinet and coal box, with a cast iron pan in the bottom for chips and a stainless bowl above full of water / beer / wine depending on what I am making. Sounds like a plan. One of the RTH members uses a card board box hp. Fruit woods are par excellence. Hard to come by here, so Alder, and it is similar in flavor. I use the limbs too, and cut them on a table saw; it cuts them like butter. Smoking is easy w/good set-up. Learned to brine and slowed down on the smoking. How much is a handful of bourbon ? ha
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 9:42:10 GMT -5
How much is a handful of bourbon ? ha Me thinks a handful of bourbon is between 2 and 3 dram.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2014 10:35:44 GMT -5
How much is a handful of bourbon ? ha Me thinks a handful of bourbon is between 2 and 3 dram. I had to look that unit of measurement up, 1.77 grams or 60 grains. Curious on alcohol measurements. "Officer, I only had 4 drams...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 11:41:56 GMT -5
I was being purposefully obtuse. Actually Dram is in itself a bit obtuse. I have seen definitions ranging from your 1/16 ounce to 1.5 ounce to 16 ounces when used to describe whiskey. I think the 1/16 ounce one is in current favor. Just a taste of whisky without the legal problems. Truthfully a handful is more like 20-30 drams. My bad...............
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Post by fantastic5 on Aug 1, 2014 12:06:19 GMT -5
For smoking wood I like a mix I have been making for a few years. I have a lot of peach and apple trees. I like to take cuttings aboutt he size of a silver dollar in thickness and rake my radial arm saw and cut them in about 1 inch thick biscuits. I put them in plastic milk crates and stack in the shop to dry for a season. Once good a dry i will remove a goodish amount and fill a plastic tub about double the size of a shoebox about half deep - and then fill with cheap as I can buy bottom shelf bourbon and let soak for a month. Take these out, dry on a table for a day or two and then back into a separate milk crate. Come smoking time I'll use a hand dull of regular peach, a hand full of regular apple, and a handful of the bourbon . I use a home built smoker that is little more than a glorified cabinet and coal box, with a cast iron pan in the bottom for chips and a stainless bowl above full of water / beer / wine depending on what I am making. Sounds like a plan. One of the RTH members uses a card board box hp. Fruit woods are par excellence. Hard to come by here, so Alder, and it is similar in flavor. I use the limbs too, and cut them on a table saw; it cuts them like butter. Smoking is easy w/good set-up. Learned to brine and slowed down on the smoking. How much is a handful of bourbon ? ha James - I have a very old apple tree that we have been nursing back to health. We already have prunings seasond for our use and have no need for last winters wood. On the coral trip next week I can bring you as much apple wood as you would like.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
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Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2014 12:39:57 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2014 12:42:31 GMT -5
I was being purposefully obtuse. Actually Dram is in itself a bit obtuse. I have seen definitions ranging from your 1/16 ounce to 1.5 ounce to 16 ounces when used to describe whiskey. I think the 1/16 ounce one is in current favor. Just a taste of whisky without the legal problems. Truthfully a handful is more like 20-30 drams. My bad............... I think it is an apothecary measurement. Around here, alcohol is often measured in pints and quarts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 15:09:36 GMT -5
In Scotland whisky is ordered by the dram as well. And the apothecary dram is different than the scotch whisky dram.
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