Honest opinion on the slow smoker attachment

[Gym P]

Purchasing the hot/cold generator ( smoker ) I have a used ( 8 year old )  23 Ultimate that has every option but the smoker.   Can I get feedback on getting this or does putting wood on the coals do the same thing ?

Edited August 21, 2020 by Gym P

[Basher]

Gym a lump of timber on the charcoal fire will give you a smoky flavour.
I think you are referring to the cold smoker attachment. This will provide additional smoke flavour and can be used for cold smoking cheese, spices, fish and anything else where you don’t want the heat from a fire.


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[Gym P]

Thank you Basher.

[DennisLinkletter]

It can be used for ALL smoking.. hot or cold.  Throwing wood on the coals will immediately turn all the gas to a thick white/grey vapor/smoke that is bitter and acrid.. It burns your eyes because it's wood alcohol.. The smoke generator uses vacuum created by the aquarium pump to make the wood smolder. Smoldering does not create enough heat to release all the gas and the gas at the point of smoldering is burned up.  Never just throw on chunks.. us a foil pouch with holes on the bottom to burn off the alcohol and volatiles. 

 

[DennisLinkletter]

Here is a video of the generator blowing.. It's cleanest at lower volumes and lasts much longer.

Trust me after a few minutes the grill is plenty full of smoke

 

[tony b]

3 hours ago, DennisLinkletter said:

Never just throw on chunks.. us a foil pouch with holes on the bottom to burn off the alcohol and volatiles. 

Or build Syzygies' cast iron Dutch oven smoker pot, which many of us on here have done and use extensively. Not to dissuade you from the cold smoker attachment, I own one and use it for a lot of different things - mostly cold smoking. 

[DennisLinkletter]

Here is a great review..

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/kkhcsg/kkhcsg.htm 

[tony b]

Interesting that Whiz likes chips over pellets (mainly because of the creosote buildup). Many of us here are in the pellet camp because they stay lit better than chips. YMMV

[Cheesehead_Griller]

My experience was similar to Nakedwiz regarding pellets. I didn't think the smoke flavor seemed very "natural" with the pellets. I also noticed the creosote coming out of the smoke generator. (Note, I was using Lumberjack Competition Blend pellets.) I am going to pick up some wood chips and try those. I'm hoping those provide a better flavor profile. I wish I could make the chips a bit smaller so they burn better. My only concern about chips is what others have stated about their troubles keeping them lit. 

 

 

 

[Syzygies]

The official cold smoker (which I own) and my smoke pot have the same goal in mind.

One best meditates on the difference between careful smoke and "chunks of wood on the fire" by getting stoned out of one's gourd on cannabis.

Actually, twice. Once rolling a joint, and once using a modern vaporizer.

Notice a difference? Same story.

[DennisLinkletter]

I suggest reducing the moisture content of your pellets or wood chips by heating them in the microwave until it stops steaming.

The reduced moisture helps to keep the wood smoldering and not go out..

[Poochie]

Hey Dennis, is there enough heat (and I know it's a cold smoker) to smoke salmon? How about making beef jerky using it?  If so, I'm going to have to add one to my collection. I don't think I can build a low enough fire in the KK to smoke salmon since it requires a temperature of around 170 max. Thanks for any info.

[tony b]

I've done a cold smoked salmon using the smoker attachment. But this was 5 years ago, so don't ask me any questions about how I did it - I've slept since then! LOL

[Bunji]

I’ve only used my cold smoke generator twice thus far. The first time the results were absolutely incredible, despite the fact that at some point during the cool the smoker went out. The second time the results were indistinguishable from a cook without generator because the pellets simply would not stay lit longer than a minute or so. Same pellets both times. I suppose it could be moisture in the pellets but I don’t own a microwave, so I will need to find some other way to dry them out