winter smoking

[scott craven]

The little chief has been going for 24 hours and the fish is still not done....
have had this problem in the winter months before, it's too cold outside and the heat from the small element is not hot enough.
the fish is thoroughly smoked but not cooked through, so i am finishing it in the oven at low heat.
make sense ? anybody done that before ?

 

[eaglemaniac]

Is it possible after the smoking process to bring the smoker into the back porch or the basement? I've had the same problem as well. I have used the oven before it works fine but can be a little messy, not to mention a little troublesome. I bring my smoker in if it's going to dry overnight. There's a few hounds in the neighborhood that would love a feast of smoked salmon. eman

 

[marula]

Throw an old blanket or cardboard box around it. My little chief came in a cardbox box with I left on for colder weather.

 

[tubber]

I only have a bit of sockeye and 1 chinook left in the freezer for the barby so I bought a pink from Superstore for $1.40lb. I just finished smoking it and some kokanee in a little chief. I only usd the bottom 3 racks (kokanee on the highest one). It took 19 hours in -5 weather. I put a big cardboard box around it. 3 pans of chips during the first 6 hours. I think thick pieces of chinook would have taken at least 36 hours. Never tried to finish it the oven, how did it turn out?

 

[Mongoose]

well if you were to save the box it came in, you could just turn the box up side down and it would keep the heat in better

 

[tubilah]

I have also used the barby to finish off the salmon, on low of course.
I don't like the smell if I do it in the oven.

 

[knotoncall]

I use Fiberglass batts with the aluminum skin over it duct taped to the outside of the smoker in cold weather. I've also thought of buying Styofoam SM or equivilent cut exactly to size & taping to the outer shell so that it can be removed in milder weather. The thermometer should read the proper temp. if not just add more insulation.

 

[victoriaboater]

I have used the BBQ to finish it off too. I turn on half the elements and put the fish on the cold side. On the hot side I use a small tray of of chips. Makes for a good semi hot smoke and finishes it in a very short time so make sure to keep a close eye.

 

[1stLite]

I have always left the smoker(little cheif) in the box when smoking summer or winter and never had the problem of it being under cooked usually smoke for about seven hours with the biggest pieces being about one inch thick.

 

[scott craven]

The cardboard box turned to mush a while back in a rain storm. thanks for the comments, finished it off in the oven at low temp
and it turned out great !

 

[wolf]

A buddy of mine made an insulated wooden box and then used strofoam fm as the insulator and he uses it during the summer and the winter.


Good luck Wolf

 

[the runt]

Hi all,It's been awhile,hoped everyone had a great holiday.Yes craven i had great results in an oven to finsh fish also jerky.I usually smoke for 12-16 hrs. then put it in the oven at 200.finishes off nicely.downside it stinks up the house.Did some deer and fish aroud Oct. this way.Some people use only 2 pans of chips this works ok also. good luck.

 

[John_Reynolds]

If you have an old fridge stick the smoker inside there and it provides great insulation.