Little Chief Smoker Not Hot Enough...... :( Help!

[fish stalker]

I know what you mean. I had planned on throwing mine out too. Once it ***** up a batch you swear youll never use it again. bradley is the way to go. I have to try that cold smoke. mind you I still am going to make homemade one. I think one that you can hang the fillets from. Some guys ive seen use tooth pics. I used a really long wood skewer and laced a piece between each tine on the smoke rack so they hung down. With your fish I think I would get it up to kill germ temp in the oven then can it. You either have to get up to germ kill temp or freezing kill temp. Im not sure what the actual fish gets to during processing in a canner.

 

[Labman2]

I've got the Bradley 6 rack. Out here, sometimes it doesn't get hot enough even!
I try for the 140 - 160*, but in Oct. - Nov. when I'm doing most of my smoking, it's a lot colder than it ever gets on the West coast.
If I can't get it to hold the temp., I will finish it off in the oven, 220 for about 45 minutes is plenty good enough, going to can it after anyways.
I do the same with wild game sausage, but it really doesn't matter with sausage, unless your going to eat it right away, freezing it takes care of any bacteria problems, and most people thaw the sausage and then cook it anyways.
I have a couple of Harvest Canners that I use for fish, mostly Kokanee's, 15lbs pressure for 90 minutes is what works for me.
It stays semi moist, not quite as wet as the store bought ****, never bite into a bone and I can add whatever I want, tobasco peppers, lemon wedges, tomato paste, black pepper corns...............

 

[eaglemaniac]

I prefer the Big Chief top loader. I started smoking with a little chief top loader but found it to small. Front load smokers always lose the heat, not good. There are so many smokers as well as smoking techniques out there. There all good, just find one that works for you and go for it. eman

 

[Wwunder]

If anyone is throwing out their little chiefs I could use the racks... I dug my dad's old one out of the basement and it has worked ok for me except the racks are getting too rough to use.

 

[spring time]

a problem of not enough heat is was it plugged into and extention cord that will do it all the time

 

[fish stalker]

I've got the Bradley 6 rack. Out here, sometimes it doesn't get hot enough even!

It stays semi moist, not quite as wet as the store bought ****, never bite into a bone and I can add whatever I want, tobasco peppers, lemon wedges, tomato paste, black pepper corns...............

Interesting! and omg never thought of canning with pepper corns, lemon etc! awesome!!

Thats interesting Eagle. Its mty little cheif that is top load but my big chief is front load.

Only place ive seen burners or racks for chiefs is CT in Naniamo and Capital Iron in Vic.

 

[vetteman]

a problem of not enough heat is was it plugged into and extention cord that will do it all the time

Bingo! If you need to use an extension cord as I do when I've got 2 or 3 smokers going, use an heavy gauge extension cord. I've made up a couple of 10 gauge cords just to use with my smokers.
Dave

 

[juandesooka]

I dunno...I guess you go a little on a "wing and a prayer" on these chiefs. I've had no problem. I was super paranoid about it not being "cooked" too, until you consider what cold smoking is....no heat at all, just smoke flavour. If you've brined it well enough, it's already cured. Could just store it like that and it'd be fine. Smoker isn't really intended to "cook" the salmon ... and in fact, if you have bubbling fat on top, I think your smoked fish will be super dry ... as the moisture has been cooked out. Same if you "finish" it in the oven or bbq....that's baked/grilled fish, not smoked.

If you smoke in summer, I find you get a lot hotter smoked fish than if you do it in winter. I do it about 12 hours in summer, and about 24 hours in winter. Haven't been sick yet.

From what you've said, I think you aren't brining enough. Mix 1 cup coarse salt to 3 cups sugar, 1 cm layer of mix, then fish, then 1 cm layer on top, repeat til full. In a few hours, will have sucked all water out of the fish. Stir it around, move some from bottom to top, leave 12 hours minimum...or up to several days from others on this forum. After that, the fish should be firm if a thin piece or nicely jellied if thicker. If you have thick pieces, cut them in 1" strips down to the skin, so that the salt can get to the middle -- or cut them in half lenghwise (sharp knife!).

I also agree that canning should take care of bacteria ... 200 mins at 15psi means "boiled the crap out of" ... can't see what could live in that?

WWunder: go to local dump, find old stove or fridge, and take out old racks...cut to fit, and perfecto, new racks!

 

[Big Green Machine]

a problem of not enough heat is was it plugged into and extention cord that will do it all the time

But you can use a heavy duty 14a cord as long as its not too long.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Actually, I think most of us kind of do a hybrid between hot and cold smoking. Cold smoking is usually 70-90F for two to three days after a good brine to cure and preserve the meat. The fish will be more like lox, which is not smoked but cured in a fridge.

A hot smoke, with a decent smoker, is 220F for 2-3 hours.

From what I have gleaned from previous threads here and on the web, we do something in between like starting the smoker at a very low heat like 120 F for the first couple of hours, then bump it up to 140 for the next couple of hours and then go to 170 for the remainder. Your times will vary because everyone has a different smoker so I check for firmness after 4 hours. This makes great snack food.

If you want a meal and don't have time for a long smoke, use a hot smoke technique and increase the temperature to 225F and smoke 2-4 hours depending on how much meat is on the racks.

 

[adrianna3]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned on this thread yet or not. I haven't read the whole thing.

A trick that I learned form my grandparents, who used a little chief smoker, was to wrap the smoker in an old winter coat, or an old sleeping bag. They had an old uniform coat that my grandfather had, and they saved it for just that purpose. It kept enough heat in to boost the internal temperature for a nice hot smoke.

Dave

 

[capt hook]

cooked or smoked?

I started smoking a batch of salmon yesterday. After a 8 hour smoke it wasnt even close to cooked. I put it in the fridge over night.
I left 90% of the fish in the fridge today with the plans of canning it this evening. But there was two pieces I got smoking again this morning. After another 6 hours this morning the two pieces still arnt cooked in the middle! I just went and measured my temp beside the fish on the lowest rack and it reads 115-120 ish.
Is my fish Bacteria ridden now
Im not as worried about the 2 pieces in the smoker as we speak, but theres probly 10lbs of the meat in my fridge ready for canning tonight. I dont want to can all that fish if its going to make me sick.... What do I do....

what do you want ? smoked salmon or smokey flavoured bqq' cooked salmon?
myself , and our gang do a very cold smoke. no bacteria risk if you cure it properly at first.
float a potatoe in salt and brine it well until firm and then rinse well,
dry it and put your special touch to it , eg. rum , brown sugar or maple syrup ,
repeat this several times and let soak in overnight then into very cold smoke for a long haul....
thank me later

 

[the fog ducker]

extension cord length and wire thickness can also be an issue , Voltage drop ,
i try to plug in as close to the outlet as possible , if using an extension cord , use the shortest , heaviest gauge you can get !!

My Chief smoker days are somewhat behind me now , never did get ta post pics on my new custom Smoker ! wait ta ya see this new tank bad boy ,
Cold Smoke for us only now !! pics ta come soon..

gd lk

fd

 

[Lipripper]

The first time I've seen this thread.... It's funny

 

[lure-washer]

I`ve had 2 little chief smokers, and have always used 1 inch styrofoam insulation which I cut to fit the sides, and hold them in place with a length of elastic. Works great and if it gets too hot during summer smoking, just take off a couple of pieces. Keep the cord as heavy and short as possible and your good to go.
I have never taken longer than 8 hours to smoke the thickest pieces.
Lure-washer

 

[fish stalker]

I tired a space blanket a month or so ago, fast, cheap. Wrapped it and used a piece of electrical tape to open and close without ripping worked like a charm.

 

[MsMarmot]

Little chief needs his hat

I always put the box back over the smoker and it was toasty enough to smoke properly every time... make another bigger one than that with duct tape etc and add another layer... Good luck!

I know what you mean. I had planned on throwing mine out too. Once it ***** up a batch you swear youll never use it again. bradley is the way to go. I have to try that cold smoke. mind you I still am going to make homemade one. I think one that you can hang the fillets from. Some guys ive seen use tooth pics. I used a really long wood skewer and laced a piece between each tine on the smoke rack so they hung down. With your fish I think I would get it up to kill germ temp in the oven then can it. You either have to get up to germ kill temp or freezing kill temp. Im not sure what the actual fish gets to during processing in a canner.

 

[Cuba Libre]

If I'm smoking to "can" fish I just smoke for 3-4 hrs anyway. You just want the smoke flavor, the canner does the cooking. I just brine and smoke like normal and take out and in to jars and into the canner. Done it that way for years and never a problem or a complaint.

Yup-- that works well

 

[Cuba Libre]

I dunno...I guess you go a little on a "wing and a prayer" on these chiefs. I've had no problem. I was super paranoid about it not being "cooked" too, until you consider what cold smoking is....no heat at all, just smoke flavour. If you've brined it well enough, it's already cured. Could just store it like that and it'd be fine. Smoker isn't really intended to "cook" the salmon ... and in fact, if you have bubbling fat on top, I think your smoked fish will be super dry ... as the moisture has been cooked out. Same if you "finish" it in the oven or bbq....that's baked/grilled fish, not smoked.

If you smoke in summer, I find you get a lot hotter smoked fish than if you do it in winter. I do it about 12 hours in summer, and about 24 hours in winter. Haven't been sick yet.

From what you've said, I think you aren't brining enough. Mix 1 cup coarse salt to 3 cups sugar, 1 cm layer of mix, then fish, then 1 cm layer on top, repeat til full. In a few hours, will have sucked all water out of the fish. Stir it around, move some from bottom to top, leave 12 hours minimum...or up to several days from others on this forum. After that, the fish should be firm if a thin piece or nicely jellied if thicker. If you have thick pieces, cut them in 1" strips down to the skin, so that the salt can get to the middle -- or cut them in half lenghwise (sharp knife!).

I also agree that canning should take care of bacteria ... 200 mins at 15psi means "boiled the crap out of" ... can't see what could live in that?

WWunder: go to local dump, find old stove or fridge, and take out old racks...cut to fit, and perfecto, new racks!

Check out this vid.. note the temps for cold smoking.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTWOzLJ-ctU

 

[capt hook]

I started smoking a batch of salmon yesterday. After a 8 hour smoke it wasnt even close to cooked. I put it in the fridge over night.
I left 90% of the fish in the fridge today with the plans of canning it this evening. But there was two pieces I got smoking again this morning. After another 6 hours this morning the two pieces still arnt cooked in the middle! I just went and measured my temp beside the fish on the lowest rack and it reads 115-120 ish.
Is my fish Bacteria ridden now

it sounds like you are wanting COOKED salmon with smoke flavour?
real cold smoked salmon should not be cooked , but cured...
if you cure it long enough in salt , and then rinse then no need to cook it to kill bacteria and it wont go bad as long as refridgerated..
we cold smoke it for 12-24 hours depending thickness and it is buttery loks ......yummmy
experiment , but you need to brine it for hours , then rinse. put ur signature on it , like maple syrup or rum or ???
good luck with it. try it cold and slow smoked.