Cold smoking is the process of adding smoke flavor to food at a low temperature without cooking it. To cold smoke at home, you need prepared food, a cool smoking chamber, a gentle smoke source, and enough airflow so the smoke moves around the food without creating too much heat.
For beginners, the easiest foods to cold-smoke are cheese, cured bacon, cured fish, and pre-cut cured meats. Raw meat typically requires curing, salting, fermenting, cooking, or other suitable preparation steps, so I treat cold smoking as a flavoring and drying stage rather than a complete preservation method.
I have been learning and practicing cold smoking for decades. What started as curiosity became one of the most satisfying food crafts I know, especially once I understood how temperature, smoke, airflow, salt, and drying all work together.
Cold smoking can look mysterious from the outside, but the basic idea is simple. Keep the food cool, keep the smoke clean and gentle, and give the food enough time to take on smoke flavor without cooking.
In this guide, I will walk through how to cold smoke at home, what equipment you can use, which foods work best, how to control temperature, and the step-by-step process I use for cured meat, bacon, fish, and other cold-smoked foods.
What Is Cold Smoking?
Cold smoking means exposing food to cool smoke while keeping the temperature low enough that the food is not cooked by heat. In my own setups, I usually aim to keep the smoking chamber under 20°C or 68°F when cold smoking meat or cured products.
Some guides mention cold smoking below 30°C or 86°F, but I prefer a lower target for home projects because it gives more margin. Fish, fat, and cured meats can all react differently as the temperature rises, so cooler and steadier is usually better.
Cold smoking is different from hot smoking. Hot smoking uses heat and smoke together to cook food to a finished internal temperature. Cold smoking uses smoke without cooking heat, so the food must be suitable for that process before it goes into the smoker.
Why Cold Smoke Food at Home?
Cold smoking has been used for centuries with salt, drying, and airflow as part of traditional food preservation. Today, I think most home cold smoking is really about flavor, aroma, and texture.
Cold-smoked bacon is a good example. Salt, pork fat, time, and gentle smoke create a depth of flavor that is hard to copy with hot smoking or liquid smoke.
I have cold-smoked Hungarian-style salami, bacon, whole fish fillets, cheese, and cured whole muscle meats. Each project teaches you something new about how smoke behaves with fat, salt, moisture, and drying time.
The biggest lesson I have learned is that cold smoking rewards restraint. Too much smoke can quickly dominate the food, while a lighter smoke can support the natural flavor of the meat, fish, or cheese.
My Cold Smoked Hungarian Salami with a pellet tube smoker- Friend and I – collaborating with a smoke generator cold smoker
- Visiting a traditional smokehouse in Slovakia, Eastern Region.
- Calabrin Cold Smoking bin, wood it lit – the room is filled with Smoka – Company is Lavasi
What You Need to Cold Smoke at Home
Cold smoking needs two basic things: a smoke source and a chamber to hold the food while the smoke moves around it. The smoke source can be simple or controlled, and the chamber can be anything from a hooded grill to a converted fridge, barrel, cabinet, or traditional smokehouse.
The main goal is always the same. Create clean, cool smoke away from direct cooking heat, then let that smoke pass gently over the food.
If you are still choosing a setup, I would separate the process from the equipment. This article explains how to cold smoke at home, while my guide to different cold smoker options for home use goes deeper into the equipment side.
Ingredients for Cold Smoking
For cured meat, salt is the base ingredient before cold smoking. Salt curing changes the meat before it ever goes into the smoker, which is why I never think of cold smoking as a shortcut around proper curing.
Depending on the project, you may also use pink curing salt, sugar, spices, or a wet brine. Bacon, cured fish, salami, and whole muscle meats all need slightly different preparation before smoking.
For a deeper explanation of salt types, curing salt, and when each one is used, see my guide on which salt to use for meat curing.
Cold Smoking Devices
Most home cold smoking devices fit into three practical groups. Each can work, but they give you different levels of control.
- Pellet tube or maze-style smokers
- Smoke generators with air pumps
- Sawdust, chips, or wood fuel smoldering in a separate smoke area
A very simple setup can be made with a small amount of charcoal and wood chips, but it gives less control over temperature and smoke quality. For longer cured meat projects, I prefer a pellet maze, tube, or external smoke generator because they are easier to repeat.
Pellet Tube and Maze Smokers
Pellet tube smokers are one of the simplest ways to start cold smoking. You light one end, let the flame establish for a few minutes, blow it out, and place the tube horizontally in the smoking chamber.
They work well in smaller setups like hooded grills, kettle smokers, and simple cabinets. The downside is that they can go out partway through a session, especially if the pellets are damp or airflow is poor.
I have had cold smoking sessions where a pellet tube worked perfectly, and others where it needed relighting. It is worth checking the smoke every hour or two until you know how your setup works.
If you want the mechanics in more detail, I have covered how a pellet smoker tube works separately.
Smoke Generators
Smoke generators are more controlled than pellet tubes because they produce smoke in a separate chamber and push or draw it into the smoker. Many use airflow principles similar to the Venturi effect, where moving air helps pull smoke through the outlet.
I have used smoke generators on gas grills, vertical smokers, kettle smokers, and a wine barrel cold smoker. The big advantage is consistency, especially when the wood size and airflow suit the generator.
The main mistake I made early on was using the wrong wood size. Some generators like chips, some like smaller chunks, and some perform better with specific fuel sizes.
When the wood size is wrong, you get constant relighting, poor airflow, or heavy stale smoke. I now stick closely to what the manufacturer recommends, which saves a lot of frustration.
I wrote a detailed Smokai smoke generator review if you want to see how that style of generator performs in real setups.
Smoking Wood Selection
The wood you use has a major effect on the final flavor. For cold smoking, I prefer clean hardwood smoke that supports the food rather than dominates it.
As a general rule, I use deciduous hardwoods rather than resinous evergreen woods. Apple, cherry, alder, oak, beech, and maple can all work well, depending on the food and the style of smoke you want.
Lighter fruitwoods like apple and cherry are my usual starting point for bacon, fish, cheese, and delicate cured meats. Heavier woods like hickory or mesquite can become strong quickly, so I use them carefully or blend them with milder wood.
A simple blend I like is around 80% mild wood and 20% stronger wood. This gives a bit of depth without turning the food bitter or harsh.
The size and dryness of the wood matter as much as the species. Damp wood, oversized chunks, or dusty fuel can cause relighting problems, dirty smoke, or uneven burn rates.
For more details, I have a full guide to smoking wood types and sizes.
Smoking Chambers and Retrofitting
You do not need a purpose-built smokehouse to cold smoke at home. Many existing grills, cabinets, barrels, and fridges can be adapted if the heat source is separated from the food and the chamber stays cool.
The chamber’s job is simple: hold the food, allow smoke to move around it, and avoid trapping too much heat. Adjustable vents are useful because they let you control airflow instead of letting the smoke sit stale inside the chamber.
For home projects, I prefer to keep the chamber at or below 20°C (68°F) where possible. This is easier in winter, at night, or in shaded outdoor areas.
| Existing Device | Recommended Retrofit |
|---|---|
| Hooded Grills | Smoke Generator, Pellet Tube Smoker/Maze |
| Ceramic Egg Grill/Smoker | Smoke Generator |
| Fridge | Smoke Generator |
| Kettle, Drum, or Barrel Smoker | Smoke Generator, Pellet Tube Smoker/Maze |
| Pellet Grill Smoker | Smoke Generator |
| Untreated Wood Cabinet | Smoke Generator |
| Smokehouse | Tunnel Fire, Smoke Generator, Pellet Tube/Maze |
Most traditional smokehouses use a two-zone design. The wood smolders in one area, and the meat hangs in a separate chamber connected by a tunnel or pipe. This separation is what keeps the smoke cool before it reaches the food.
If you want to build ideas, I have covered several DIY cold smoker ideas and options in a separate guide.
Hanging Food vs Using Racks
For most cured meats, hanging is better than using racks. Smoke can move around the food more evenly, gravity helps with drying, and the surface is less likely to sit against a rack mark.
Rods, S-hooks, butcher’s twine, stainless hooks, and simple hanging rails can all work. I have even used practical, low-cost fixes like expandable shower rods or wooden pieces cut to fit inside a fridge groove.
Fish is trickier because fillets can tear or slide off hooks. For whole fish or delicate fillets, I prefer twine loops, racks, or a setup that supports the weight without damaging the flesh.
metal with grooves
hanging with chopsticks and twine!
Expandable shower racks can be used to avoid drilling
length of wood cut to fix into a groove
How to Cold Smoke at Home Step by Step
The basic cold smoking process is simple, but each stage matters. I think of it as preparing the food first, drying the surface, setting up cool smoke, monitoring the chamber, then resting the food so the smoke flavor settles.
For cured meat, the preparation stage is the most important part. Cold smoking adds smoke flavor and helps with drying, but it does not replace curing, salting, cooking, or fermentation where those steps are needed.
| Step | What to Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare the food | Cure, salt, brine, dry, or chill the food depending on the project. | Cold smoking adds smoke, but it does not cook the food. |
| Form the pellicle | Dry the surface until it feels tacky. | Smoke sticks better to a dry, slightly sticky surface. |
| Set up cool smoke | Use a pellet tube, smoke maze, smoke generator, or offset smoke source. | The goal is smoke without cooking heat. |
| Monitor the chamber | Check temperature, smoke flow, and airflow during the session. | Too much heat or stale smoke can spoil the result. |
| Rest the food | Refrigerate or store the food appropriately after smoking. | Resting helps the smoke flavor mellow and settle. |
Step 1: Cure or Prepare the Food First
Before smoke touches meat, it needs the right preparation. For cured meat projects, this usually means dry curing, equilibrium curing, or wet brining before the meat goes into the cold smoker.
This is where many beginners get mixed up. Cold smoking is not the same as curing. Curing happens first; cold smoking comes after as a flavor, drying, and finishing stage.
Dry Equilibrium Curing
Dry equilibrium curing is my preferred method for many cold-smoked meats because it is accurate and repeatable. You weigh the meat, calculate the salt as a percentage of the meat weight, then let the cure distribute evenly through the meat in the fridge.
For many whole-muscle projects, I use 2% to 2.5% salt, based on the meat weight. Sugar, spices, and pink curing salt may be added depending on the recipe and the style of cured meat being made.
The advantage is control. Instead of burying meat in excess salt and guessing when enough has absorbed, equilibrium curing limits the total salt available from the start.
If you want the full method, I have a detailed guide to equilibrium curing meat.
Saturation Salt Curing
Saturation curing is the older, more traditional approach. The meat is heavily salted, and the salt is rubbed into the surface and crevices.
This method can work well, but it is less predictable than equilibrium curing because salt uptake depends on thickness, fat level, density, and time. I still respect the traditional method, but for beginners I usually prefer weighed salt curing because it gives more control.
Wet Brine Curing
Wet brining uses salt dissolved in water. The meat is submerged in brine so the salt can penetrate it evenly over time.
I use wet brines more often for bacon, ham-style projects, fish, or pieces where I want even coverage around the whole cut. The important part is calculating the salt, water, and meat together rather than guessing by taste.
For a broader comparison, my guide on dry curing vs wet brining explains when each method makes sense.
Step 2: Form the Pellicle
After curing or brining, the next step is forming a pellicle on the food’s surface. A pellicle is a slightly dry, tacky layer that helps smoke attach more evenly.
This step is easy to skip, but I think it makes a noticeable difference. When the surface is wet, smoke does not settle as cleanly, and the final flavor can be less balanced.
The simplest method is to place the cured meat uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight. Air can move around the surface, and the meat will usually feel dry and slightly sticky by the next day.
You can also hang the meat in a cool area below 15°C or 60°F with insect protection. I only do this when the conditions are right, because warmth and insects can quickly make a simple drying step more complicated.
For bacon, fish, and whole muscle meat, I look for a surface that is no longer wet or glossy. It should feel tacky rather than damp.
Step 3: Set Up the Cold Smoker
Once the food is ready, set up the smoker so the smoke source is producing clean smoke before the food goes in. I want gentle smoke movement, not a chamber packed with thick, stale smoke.
My usual target is to keep the chamber at or below 20°C (68°F). Some cold smoking references allow a higher temperature, but I prefer a cooler margin for home setups, especially with cured meat, fish, or fatty foods.
A thermometer inside the smoking chamber is essential. It tells you what is happening where the food actually sits, not just what the outside air temperature feels like.
If you want more detailed ranges for different foods, I have a separate cold smoking temperature guide with tables and practical notes.
Shade also matters. A smoker sitting in direct sun can heat up during a session even if the outside temperature feels cool. I always think about where the sun will move before starting a longer smoke.
Step 4: Hang, Smoke, and Monitor
When the smoke is flowing cleanly and the chamber is cool, hang the food or place it on racks with space around each piece. Crowding the chamber makes the smoke movement and drying less even.
Cool weather, winter, or nighttime usually makes cold smoking easier. If the outside temperature is already below 20°C (68°F), the chamber is much easier to control.
I check my smoker every hour or two during most sessions. Pellet tubes, smoke mazes, and generators can occasionally fail, especially if the fuel, airflow, or chamber draft is not quite right.
Over the years, I have learned that less smoke is usually better than too much smoke. I used to run very long 30 to 50-hour sessions, but for many home projects, that can become overpowering.
For many styles of bacon, cured meat, or salami, 6 to 8 hours of cold smoking gives a good smoke flavor without covering up the meat. Stronger traditional smokehouse styles can use much longer smoking, but that is not where I would start.
Step 5: Rest After Cold Smoking
After cold smoking, I like to rest the food before slicing or serving. Smoke flavor often tastes sharper straight out of the smoker, then settles and becomes more balanced after time in the fridge.
For bacon, cured meat, fish, and salami-style projects, I usually wrap or cover the food and refrigerate it overnight. This short rest makes a noticeable difference, especially with stronger woods or longer smoke sessions.
You can also split cold smoking into several sessions. For example, I might smoke for 4 to 8 hours, rest the meat in the fridge, then repeat the process the next day if I want more smoke depth.
This is much better than forcing one very long smoke session if the chamber temperature, airflow, or smoke quality is not ideal.
Expert Cold Smoking Tips from Experience
The biggest cold smoking lesson I have learned is to keep the smoke clean and controlled. Heavy white smoke might look impressive, but it can create harsh, bitter flavors very quickly.
I prefer a steady, lighter smoke that gently moves through the chamber. If the smoke smells acrid or stale, I adjust the airflow, fuel, or smoke source before letting the food sit in it for hours.
Start with good meat, fish, cheese, or cured products. Cold smoking can add a beautiful layer of flavor, but it will not rescue poor-quality ingredients or a badly cured piece of meat.
For cured meat, weigh accurately, cure properly, form the pellicle, and then smoke with restraint. I have visited traditional smokehouses in Europe where hams are smoked for weeks, but that style can be very intense for home projects.
For most of what I make at home, I would rather have the smoke support the food than dominate it.
Track Weight Loss When Cold Smoking Meat
Cold smoking often works alongside drying, especially with cured meat and fish. Because of that, weighing the food before and after curing or smoking can tell you more than guessing by appearance.
For fish, I like seeing some moisture loss before and during the smoking process. For cold-smoked bacon, I often aim for a noticeable weight loss so the texture firms up and the smoke flavor becomes more concentrated.
Humidity makes a big difference. In damp conditions, food dries more slowly, while very dry conditions can make the outside dry too quickly.
Unless you have a commercial smoking chamber with controlled humidity, weighing regularly is one of the simplest ways to understand what is happening. This is especially useful when making cold smoked bacon or other cured meat projects.
If you want to compare other bacon methods, I also cover different ways to make bacon at home.
FAQ
What does cold smoking mean?
Cold smoking means exposing food to cool smoke without cooking it. The food is usually cured, salted, dried, cooked, or otherwise prepared first, then smoked at a low temperature for flavor and aroma.
What is the difference between hot smoking and cold smoking?
Hot smoking uses heat and smoke together to cook food to a finished internal temperature. Cold smoking uses smoke at a low temperature without cooking the food, so the food must be suitable for cold smoking before it goes into the chamber.
How long should you cold-smoke meat?
For many home projects such as bacon, salami-style cured meat, and whole muscle cured meat, 6 to 8 hours of cold smoking can give a balanced smoke flavor. Longer sessions can be used, but they should be broken into controlled smoking and resting periods so the flavor does not become harsh.
Can you cold smoke meat without curing it first?
Cold smoking does not cook meat, so raw meat normally needs curing, salting, fermenting, cooking, or another suitable preparation step, depending on the project. For beginners, cheese, cured bacon, cured fish, and already prepared cured meats are easier cold smoking projects.
What temperature should cold smoking stay under?
Many cold smoking references describe cold smoking as below 30°C or 86°F, but for home cured meat projects I prefer staying under 20°C or 68°F where possible. A thermometer inside the smoking chamber is the easiest way to monitor this.
Have you tried cold smoking at home? I would like to hear about your setup, your favorite wood, or any questions you have. Drop a comment below.
Tom Mueller
For decades, immersed in studying, working, learning, and teaching the craft of meat curing, sharing the passion and showcasing the world of charcuterie and smoked meat. Read More
I’d love to know more about Venturi vs maze/tube
Hey Julia, it’s a super broad question!
The biggest thing is the pump from smoke generator means control over how much smoke with the variable pump. I see from you email you’re in Australia?. Google https://smokai.com/ – to read about a venturi smoke generator
If you haven’t read, I wrote this about pellet tubes – https://eatcuredmeat.com/how-does-a-smoker-tube-work-cold-or-hot-smoking-guide/
Hi Tom,
I made a smoke generator out of an old 1 gallon propane tank and use an old CPAP machine as a pump to pipe in the cold smoke into my vertical propane smoker (without gas). The CPAP’s air pressure is much more proficient than a portable aquarium pump. I place the briquettes in a minion method and add the wood chunks. I get at least 8 hours of smoke before I need to add more briquettes and wood chunks. It works really well for cold smoking salmon.
Awesome! DIY invention. Sounds very smokey!
I don’t generally smoke over 5-6 hours in one session, so a longer cold smoke isn’t needed.
I love your site I built a new smoke house and plan to use a lot of your records thanks Steve B from Missouri. Have you ever cold smoked a chicken?
Heya,
Nope – but as long as the meat is fresh (chicken seems to develop unwanted bacteria faster than red meats. As part of the charcuterie whole muscle online video course I’m doing, I’, going to be included a cold smoking ebook (currently writing it). Trying to go in-depth as much as possible. I’ll also make the cold smoke ebook available separately, I’ll be emailing out when its done to all emails on this page.
Cheers
Tom
Would it be possible to build a smoker or cold smoker using the exhaust vent from the pellet wood stove in my basement to pump smoke into an enclosed smoker box? any ideas would be greatly appreciated
Definitely! I would think so! Basically, cold smoking is pumping smoke from 1 area to another, or just keeping the smoke under 30C or 86F , but I prefer under about 15C or 40F. Moisture and Airflow helps too!
I’ve seen cold smokers made from fridges, barrels, any wooden box, beehives, gas grills, kettle grills, pellet smoker grills – really it’s just a chamber with airflow through it! 🙂
All th ebest,
Tom
Hello Tom!
I,ve made my own Venturi type smoker. For generating a lot of smoke it´s very effective and the smoke is also cold and that is good because I want to cold smoke. However the smoke is thick and white and the food I´ve smoked so far tastes terribly bitter. The Wood I´ve used is Cherry and it makes the food taste great in my hot smoker. What is your experience of Venturi type smokers, can you get them generating any other smoke than thick White? I´ve looked at a lot of clips when people use them and they all seem to make only thick White smoke.
All the best Patrick.
Nice Patrick! Yeah the theory behind cold smoking is ‘light’ with good airflow and high humidity. So fo me, I always just have a whisper of smoke.
My venturi smoker has a variable airflow pump (fish tank air pump basically). This allows me to choose the smoke amount!
I learned many years ago less smoke is better than. Open up the chamber/area more and go slow on that smoke! I’m going to have a cold smoking ebook as part of the online dry cured course coming out in a few months, here that link. Cheers Tom
Thanks Tom! I have smoking chamber with minimal airflow and a lot of smoke from my smoker. So now I have some things to start fixing. Graet tips, looking forward trying them out!
I´ll look into the course and ebook to, sounds great!
No problemo! cheers Tom
nice article Tom im going to cold smoke a twice smoked ham for xmas my 1st go at cold smoking if i cold smoke cheese or peppers at the same time does it affect the flavor or should they be done separate thanks keith
nope, not in my experience, here’s to the silly season!
Hi Tom, a lot ofGood information here. I am planning on getting your book it is sure to help me has just this article long did. I do have a question: I want to cold smoke Loma, I wish for it to hang for approximately 14 days give or take. It will have a dry rub with curing salt and regular salt to create equilibrium. My question is, how many days should I put this in a cold smoker to smoke and then remove it, to finish the drying process in a 70% humid 50 degree Environment inside the house, that will not be smoking? I want to get some good smoke flavoring but I live in Michigan and it’s pretty cold out so I think cold smoking for a few days?? And then hang inside? Not sure if you’ve had any experience with this but you may have with your years of knowledge please share. Thank you the time you took to write extensively to be honest.
I share my cold smoked bacon recipe in the online course, I like 6-8 hours for a lighter smoke. You could try 4-6 hours, let it rest overnight. Of course, it depends on the thickness of the smoke vapor, airflow etc… it just takes experience with this craft! 😉 Many of bought the ebook and are happy with the content, Cheers T – Like dry curing, there is much more then just a recipe to follow!
Hi, loved the article and the site, congratulations! I’m making homemade pastrami (it’s curing in my fridge right now) and I plan to finish it off in the slow cooker and cold smoke it to add flavor (I live indoors, so I’m using a smoke gun). Should I do it while it’s cooking or only afterwards? Or maybe both?
Hey there, to be honest I haven’t used a smoke gun. I’m using other methods involved with combustion!
If it was me, using this infusion method – I would be doing it after cooking. Seems the infusion of smoke is lost if done before cooking. After smoking, you should ‘rest’ in a container/bag/cookware overnight. This may enhance the smoke flavor and let it permeate. Cheers Tom
Hello, do you think I can use the same cold smoker for Fish and Meat? Do I risk getting the fish taste or flavors pass onto the meat?
Regards
Of course that’s ok! Been doing that for like 20 years!
I converted an old fridge into a smoker box and used a water heater with 2 electric plates dropped in it where i place buckets of chips , a 12 foot 6″ galvanized pipe joins the two so I can get smoke at 75f. I’ve made a salt heavy teriyaki brine to soak my moose meat for 12 + hours in an attempt to make moose jerky. My question is since jerky is drying the meat and smoke is just a flavour enhancer / preserver should I try to place a fan in the fridge to promote air movement
If it was me, I would want some airflow also for jerky, some form of acidity can also be used to preserve, like the ‘biltong’, which south Africans are known for. Acidity has a denaturing effect like cooking.
Also, if it was me thickness of the meat will be a big factor in drying (something like 3 days per inch?), also what salinity the salt brine is of course! hope it works out! Cheers Tom ps. after a 10-20 hr of smoking max, I would be just letting it dry. The hard part of wet brining is knowing that you have fully salt-cured it evening through the meat. More recently I have been injecting meat with equilibrium brine to speed things up (just makes lots of holes!)
Hi Tom
I still can’t find an answer to my question. I had the pork belly for bacon in salt brine for ten days. That’s my father’s advice. But now, I don’t know how long, how many sessions to keep cold smoking and what are steps between and after smoking. Where and how to dry the bacon? Thank you.
Hey, too many variables, it’s not quite that straightforward, for ‘saturation curing’ 1-2 days per 2 lbs/1kg, it depends on the temperature you’re curing, and also the fat/meat ratio (less water in fat).
This is the reason why I am producing a video bacon course right now, should be done by xmas I hope.
I cold smoke for 4-8 hours my house bacon, dry bacon before cold smoking. Also, hope you have exp cold smoking, its quite a few tips. Get my free ebook on cold smoking if you haven’t from the menu.
All the best,
Tom
Like some of the other commenters, I’m curious about doing this in an apartment without a proper smoker. Do you think it would work to cure fish/meat/whatever in a vacuum sealed bag under weights for a week, then pump smoke from a smoke gun into the bag and close it off for a day or so to really infuse the flavors?
Or is the point to let it smoke + oxidize/dry a bit at the same time?
Thanks!!
I think I wrote on smoke guns, the ‘vapor’ doesnt really stick at all to the meat. It’s used in some restaurants as the finally stage. But its really nothing like using ‘real’ smoke. My suggestion, which I have been testing with my new 5 ways to do bacon masterclass – using liquid smoke, buying good stuff means its the condensation from a smoker basically. Putting this on during the curing process is definitely what I would be doing!
You mentioned earlier in the article about humidity with cold smoking. Can you throw a good humidity level to keep if your smoking for like 3 weeks (suho meso). Also is there a low temperature to be aware of? Keep it above freezing? Read something about a dew point once. Thanks
I had to google suho meso! it sounds a lot like pastirma or basturma I’ve made.
Ideally depending on where in the world you are at nighttime is often when humidity is more like 70% – and better for cold smoking. (basically you want conditions similar to dry curing…)
I’ve cold smoked from above freezing to about 15C/60F. For longer cold smoking, I guess you could add a humidifier. Remember cold smoking is really just drying the meat with smoke around it!
3 weeks, is often more like once per day for 3 weeks, not 3 weeks 24 hours from what I’ve learned. Cheers
Is it ok to smoke cheese and steak at the same time?
cold smoke? I do! that wonderful smoke is anti bacterial/fungal etc… Cheers T
Thanks for this article! Just discovered your you tube channel as well. I’m new to cold smoking but have made some delicious cold smoked salmon with WSM and a maze smoker, now want to do white meat fish i.e. herring. When I see videos and articles on herring or cod, they indicate after finishing cold smoke, you still have to cook, poach, pan fry? With salmon, I cured 24 hrs, rinsed (soaked actually) then cold smoked 80 F about 18 hrs then chilled, sliced and ate, nobody got sick. Just brined some pollack, rinsed, then smoked 18 hrs, looked great but I did additional hours at 200 F to be safe, now I have jerky. Is there something about salmon that’s unique? Would appreciate any help. All the best, Cheers!
interesting, I haven’t done herrings or smaller oily fish! but i am waiting for the weather to clear up to get some! its been one my list for a long time
salmon is often salted and dried
herring, anchovies, etc is often salted, cold smoked and oil preserved (probably a reason for that)
salt and drying these small fish could make them too intense in flavor! (i have had that with some wild game, like certain ducks or geese)
If its salt cured properly then it just comes down to drying for preservation, but with salmon gravlax or lox – often its not dried, just consumed inhibited with salt form my exp
All the best,
T
pollack is lean, salmon is fat, this will produce diff outcomes too, fattier fish better for smoking!
I am trying to start cold smoking. Need a lot of knowledge so I start right.
Great, hope what I write helps, All the best, Tom Mueller –
Check out the free pdf cold smoking guide too
What about cold smoking in contrys that the whether is between 28c to 38c? Is it dangerous that the meet can go bad? I hard sam guys that did a cold smoking in temperature of 40c. Is it possible?
Hi, Difficult- non-meat – maybe. Meat no way. Fish starts cooking around 30c. I had a guy comment a few years ago that used a fridge. And pump cold air through the fridge. Or if you ordered a plug in controller, you could cycle the fridge on and off to be around 10-15C. With cold smoker pumping smoke in, and some airflow out of fridge also.
You environment is just not for it. In South Africa, Vinegar and Salt is used to cure/denature meat then dried in heat. Acidity can help alot for preservation. All the best, Tom
Hi. Great article it was a pleasure to read it.
2 thins I’d like to know please.
1. What about places that the whether there is 28c up to 38c? Do you recommend not doing cold smoking?
2. I heard from someone that he cold smoke at 35c and even 45c. Is it dangerous?
1. Answered already
2. Yes dangerous, bacteria growth is rapid between 35c and cooked meat temps!
We have a field stone smoke house 5 foot wide 8 feet deep 6 foot side wall that i need to reroof it . i was thinkn of using smokey joe smoker once i fix it up we live in Grafton Wi . the old barn is 1882 thinking it has to be around same year
Sounds like a great setup, the traditionalists in Europe like to have adjustable vents in some way. Smokey Joe is like a bullet or drum style from memory.
I use Summer Sausage seasoning with cure. I’ve got a 55 gallon barrel that I build a fire in and I ‘ve got a 4″ pipe in top of the barrel 2 foot long running to the 55 gallon barrel on top for the smoke to go in, and I have a hole for the smoke to come out.in front of top barrel and I smoke it for 6 hours and the top barrel never gets to hot you can put your hand on it. And I set and watch it and make sure it doesn’t stop smoking. Then I let it hang for 3 or 4 weeks til it gets the hardness that I want on the sausage is this safe?
Guess it depends on temp control and curing accuracy. Hygiene, meat quality – freshness and how it was handled. Environmental conditions also.
Tom
We plan to host a 4H ham project on our farm our smokehouse needed replacing which we plan to do initially we will have 50 participants each trimming and salting a fresh ham we anticipate more participation with this in mind any information with a simple smokehouse design and a Venturi smoker you could pass along would be appreciated. We’re confident this will be an annual event that said without breaking the bank any ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
what style of ham? whats the recipe? – depending on the style is influences all the thoughts I have for you – all the best, Tom
I have been told that my freshwater trout and salmon from Lake Superior and Lake Michigan should not be cold smoked. I have very frequently hot smoked both with excellent results. However, I really want to try Chinook salmon and steelhead lox or cold smoked. I generally wet brine in salt and sugar for 12 to 20 hours. Then, I rinse and dry until pellicle forms. I have a Bradley smoker which allows me to unplug the heating element. Should the salmon and trout be safe if I cold smoke it for eight hours?
I can’t comment on the quality of trout or salmon in a lake.
But for cold smoking, its not about how much cold smoking, the cold is a just one aspect of the preservation. Its the salt penetration and drying. The salt inhibits the meat and slow the bacteria moving in it, drying also has a function similar to this, less water in meat – less chance of spoilage. All the best, Tom