Kitchen Essential

Hot smoking kilns Pressure smoking

The first piece of smoking equipment I had any experience with was the Abu Smokebox, which is manufactured by Abu Svangsta of Sweden, a famous firm of fishing tackle manufacturers. The Abu measures about 12 x 7 x 4 in. deep and on account of its small size, the potential is very limited. The Abu works on a different principle from other smoke units, and is said to ‘pressure smoke‘. A bed of fine sawdust is spread on its floor, and a combined drip tin and wire rack placed over the sawdust, on which is placed the food to be smoked. A small methylated spirit burner under the Abu supplies instant heat, and the sliding lid fits fairly tightly into place. Here the process differs from other smoking techniques, which allow for the free passage of smoke out of the top of the sides of the unit. The smoke has to force its way out of the sides of the lid, causing smoke pressure inside. High temperatures are generated within the Abu and the food cooks in the time it takes for the meths to burn out, which is usually about 20 minutes.

I have no idea just how much heat is generated during the process, but the food smokes and cooks at a far higher temperature than occurs in any other form of hot smoking. Those who deal in mechanical smoking equipment tend to be somewhat contemptuous of the Abu, stating that it is impossible to achieve adequate smoke penetration with it. While I do have certain reservations about the Abu, I consider that it produces tolerable smoked trout and sausages and is quick and foolproof in operation; but there is one job for which the Abu is unrivalled, which I will go into when discussing smoking quail.

I have described Abu smoking for, although its possibilities are limited, you can have a great deal of fun with this device and it does illustrate the basic principle of all hot smoking units, having a container for the sawdust, a drip tin to catch the drips and so keep the sawdust clean, a rack to support the food, and a source of heat to ignite the sawdust and heat the chamber sufficiently to cook the product.

The outside temperature is not a problem for hot smoking kilns as, should the weather happen to be hot, the kiln will simply require less fuel to maintain its correct temperature, which, in my own case, simply means turning the gas down. For trout, mackerel, eels and sometimes quail, pheasants and domestic ducks, I use hot smokers constructed from new, unused galvanized dustbins. The bins are bored at intervals so that 3/8-in. steel rods may be inserted. The first pair of rods support a dripping tin, and higher up three more pairs of rods support moveable wire netting trays. Alternatively, articles can simply be suspended from rods placed across the top of the bins, which are then covered to retain the heat and smoke. Before use, the bins must have smoke passed through them for at least 12 hours, so that tar deposits can settle on the metal, which will prevent the first batch of food from becoming metal-tainted. The bins stand on a hearth constructed of two concrete blocks, standing on their edges. Four bricks inside the blocks support a piece of sheet metal, in my case corrugated iron beaten flat and perforated. It is on this tin sheet that the sawdust is placed. The fire is started by placing the gas ring under the metal plate. The sawdust, which is placed in a neat pile, about half a biscuit-tinful, soon ignites, and then the gas ring is transferred to the top of the plate, directly under the bottom rim of the bin, this bottom having been well perforated with a cold chisel. It is not necessary for the gas ring to be placed dead centre under the bin to ensure an even heat distribution, and in any case the centre of the plate is covered with sawdust, so it is quite in order for the head of the gas ring to rest just under the bin’s edge.

Smoke rises upwards through the perforations in the bottom of the bin, and the gas ring heats the interior, but the dripping tin protects the food from the direct heat of the gas flames. A thermometer, protected by a metal case, is introduced into the kiln via a hole bored in the metal near the top of the kiln. When the required temperature is reached, and the food is placed in the kiln, the temperature will drop, then mount again as the food heats through. You must watch the temperature carefully after about an hour, as by this time the sawdust will be smouldering well and will contribute a certain measure of heat, so the gas must be turned down. This is particularly important in the case of fish, which must never cook too rapidly or at too high a temperature. With flesh or fowl this is by no means so important. If racks are used, the food on the top rack will be ready before the stuff on the lower levels. The top rack must be removed and the lower ones brought up a rung. On account of this, I much prefer to suspend the food than place it on frames, since when suspended it all cooks evenly. A dustbin smoker can accommodate four Aylesbury ducks or 11/2 dozen trout or 4 dozen quail if racks are used. Trout can be smoked on racks but, being soft and impressionable, take the imprint of the wire mesh which does not detract from their palatability but mars their appearance.

As I do a certain amount of commercial smoking from time to time, I sometimes want to smoke a larger quantity of food than my two dustbin smokers can accommodate. As I was handling a fairly large quantity of ducks, quail and pheasants at one period, I formulated an idea for a cabinet smoker. I submitted plans to two companies and I was given estimates of £150 and £250 — the price of steel, I was told. Not requiring gold-plated smoking kilns, and as I could have bought a 56-lb capacity mechanical kiln for £350, which would have dealt with both cold and hot smoked products, I decided the estimates were a little steep, so I acquired a disused oil cabinet for £2. A blacksmith burned or bored holes where I required them, to allow the exit of smoke, to take supporting rods for racks and dripping tins and to enable me to introduce my ubiquitous gas ring to the interior of the cabinet. The structure was covered, inside and out, with a cellular paint which I burned out by pouring a quantity of methylated spirits into a tray and igniting. Two-thirds of the way up the cabinet was a most convenient shelf, which took four bricks on which I was able to stand a thin steel plate where I could pile my sawdust. A few inches above there was room for dripping tins, then, higher still, shelves constructed of gridweld on which I could place the articles to be hot smoked. The gas ring stayed put beneath the steel plate and its sawdust, and ignited the sawdust and heated the smoking chamber. This is a most efficient piece of equipment and can quickly be heated to quite high temperatures if required. It is particularly economical to use and will function on a very low flame, doubtless assisted by the close proximity of the smouldering sawdust to the product. It will take eight ducks or sixteen pheasants comfortably.

Altogether, I would say my cold and hot smokers have cost about £10 in cash to construct, plus a good deal of labour and a certain amount of ingenuity.

There are doubtless many other things from which a hot smoker could be constructed. Wooden barrels are traditional for the production of Arbroath smokies, and I dare say an old electric oven into which some ingenious person has introduced a stream of woodsmoke could be a useful tool indeed. If it is hot enough and smoky enough, you have got yourself a hot smoker.

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