Uses for my smoker box if I don't end up using it in my Weber smoky?

[BAPyessir6]

I have a steel smoker box (just a metal box, flat un-perforated bottom, hinged door on top with holes in it) that I bought alongside my charcoal grill, (also some wood chips of several flavors), and I'm wondering if I should use my smoker box in my 14 in Weber smoker or just scatter a handful of chips on top of my charcoal. So, if I don't use it in my smoker, is there something else I could use my smoker box for? I can't think of anything at the moment. Could I smoke a piece of food inside the box? Or maybe that's silly.

 

[caseydog]

I have a steel smoker box (just a metal box, flat un-perforated bottom, hinged door on top with holes in it) that I bought alongside my charcoal grill, (also some wood chips of several flavors), and I'm wondering if I should use my smoker box in my 14 in Weber smoker or just scatter a handful of chips on top of my charcoal. So, if I don't use it in my smoker, is there something else I could use my smoker box for? I can't think of anything at the moment. Could I smoke a piece of food inside the box? Or maybe that's silly.

I'd use fist size wood chunks in the Weber smoker.

Those chips are great for cold smoking. I have used them in the past to cold smoke cheese. Fill that smoke box with chips, and stick a cheap soldering iron through a hole in the smoke box and let it smolder. I use something different now, but I got great results cold smoking cheese with wood chips and a soldering iron.

CD

 

[taxlady]

I'd use fist size wood chunks in the Weber smoker.

Those chips are great for cold smoking. I have used them in the past to cold smoke cheese. Fill that smoke box with chips, and stick a cheap soldering iron through a hole in the smoke box and let it smolder. I use something different now, but I got great results cold smoking cheese with wood chips and a soldering iron.

CD

Have you cold smoked other stuff? Like maybe meat or fish?

 

[caseydog]

Have you cold smoked other stuff? Like maybe meat or fish?

I have not. I want to cold smoke some fish. I just haven't gotten around to doing it... yet.

CD

 

[taxlady]

I have not. I want to cold smoke some fish. I just haven't gotten around to doing it... yet.

CD

Please let us know if you do get around to it. I wouldn't mind cold smoking some fish. I would also love to cold smoke a pork loin that has been cured. That's how a Danish ingredient is made. I have the ingredients and instructions, but the instructions assume that one already knows how to cold smoke food. Do you mind explaining how you went about cold smoking the cheese?

 

[caseydog]

Please let us know if you do get around to it. I wouldn't mind cold smoking some fish. I would also love to cold smoke a pork loin that has been cured. That's how a Danish ingredient is made. I have the ingredients and instructions, but the instructions assume that one already knows how to cold smoke food. Do you mind explaining how you went about cold smoking the cheese?

I actually have cured and smoked a pork loin, but I don't know that it would qualify as a cold smoke. It was about 190F, which was as low as I could get my smoker using typical methods.

I cold smoke cheese in the dead of winter, when the temperature outside is below freezing. I took a large steel can, peeled the paper label off, drilled some holes in the sides near the bottom. I stuck a cheap soldering iron through one of the holes, and put a couple inches of wood chips in the can.

Then, I put that in my smoker (actually a WSM like BAPyessir6 just bought), and put my cold cheese on the cooking grate. You can use any enclosure. Alton Brown uses a similar method for cold smoking in a big cardboard box.

The cheese smokes without melting due to the cold outside temperature. It takes 30 minutes or less, because the cheese soaks up smoke like a sponge. I use about five cheeses, cut into 1-inch thick chunks. My favorite has been Swiss/Emmentaler cheese. Gouda is another one I like. I don't care for the results on sharper cheeses, like a sharp cheddar. The smoke and cheese flavors fight each other.

I took a picture of my tin can setup once, but lost the picture.

CD

 

[Badjak]

Please let us know if you do get around to it. I wouldn't mind cold smoking some fish. I would also love to cold smoke a pork loin that has been cured. That's how a Danish ingredient is made. I have the ingredients and instructions, but the instructions assume that one already knows how to cold smoke food. Do you mind explaining how you went about cold smoking the cheese?

I cold smoke bacon.
I think it is a Northern European thing. I do struggle in my climate so I smoke in winter, and nights only.
It's not difficult, but make sure you read up properly on the use of sodium nitrite (curing salts).
A good book is Adam Marianski "home production of quality meats and sausages" and their website and forum https://en.wedlinydomowe.pl/index.php?sid=2a4091ad57c1edae6e498622f0f74688 and https://www.meatsandsausages.com/

Back to the smokerbox
I wouldn't use it on the wsm. Just chunks on the charcoal will work fine.
If you modify it into a cold smoker, you can use the wsm as a housing for it (no charcoal in it, just the structure).

You could naybe use your smoker box on the stove for stovetop warm/hot smoking?

 

[caseydog]

If you modify it into a cold smoker, you can use the wsm as a housing for it (no charcoal in it, just the structure).

When I did it on my WSM, the smoker only served as a housing, as you said. The cold smoke was provided by my tin can contraption.

I would think a smoker box would work in place of the tin can, if you can find a way to provide a heat source, like the soldering iron I used.

CD

 

[caseydog]

I wouldn't use it on the wsm. Just chunks on the charcoal will work fine.

Just like you said, I used a mix of charcoal and wood chunks on my WSM. The charcoal provides relatively stable heat, and the wood chunks provide the smoke.

CD

 

[Sweetbun]

When it comes to smoking food inside a box, it's worth noting that without specialized smoking pits or equipment like Weber smokers, it can be tough to get the desired outcome. This kind of experiment might just end up drying out or burning the product, rather than giving it that traditional smoky flavor.

 

[caseydog]

When it comes to smoking food inside a box, it's worth noting that without specialized smoking pits or equipment like Weber smokers, it can be tough to get the desired outcome. This kind of experiment might just end up drying out or burning the product, rather than giving it that traditional smoky flavor.

It worked for Alton Brown.

How to Build Alton Brown’s Cardboard Box Smoker - Alton Brown

Alton Brown shares how to build his homemade cardboard box smoker: A tried-and-true method for smoking fish, poultry and even sauce at home.

altonbrown.com

CD