Thread: Popping smoker fix?

Been playing with smoking some jerky in the elcheapo SS fish smoker I had lurking in the garage, works ok but the bloody thing always does a big ‘pop’ when the sawdust tray hits a certain temperature and throws sawdust up onto the meat. Damned pain in the ass, going to put a layer of foil down under the meat rack, any other easy fixes beyond getting a better smoker?

Try pre heating your smoker. The popping will be caused by expansion of the metal

Originally Posted by Harryg

Try pre heating your smoker. The popping will be caused by expansion of the metal

That's a good idea.
Our smoker started doing the "pop" as it got older and out of shape (much like me!). The expansion causes the bottom surface to "pop" from being very slightly concave to being slightly convex.
Another possible fix is to give the bottom a few hits with a hammer to change the shape and the stresses.

Tinfoil over chips, rack will hold it down

I know what you mean. A good mate got married and I was in charge of smoking the salmon. Tray popped flicking sawdust chips all over the fillets. Took me ages picking them off. Part way through the night I had a feed of said salmon and chewed down on a un-seen bit of sawdust and split a tooth.
Had to put up with the pain for a day or two then a long drive to get tooth sorted and a heap of dollars.
I will never use one of those shit smokers again.

Originally Posted by longrange308

Tinfoil over chips, rack will hold it down

This^^^

Good advice there chaps. Was trying a light smoke to just get some smoked flavour, 5-10min in the smoker then in the dehydrator came out ok. any longer and it lost all texture once dehydrated.

To turn your hot smoker into a cold smoker.

Cut hole into bottom of smoker and fit some flexi exhaust tube. off set it to the heat / smoke source so the heat is further from the meat. I did this for a few years from an outside Clondike cast iron pot belly stove that had no chimney.

Until I made a little cold smoker rack.

Stainless perforated sheet. Folded into a small square with raised edges of about 25 mm (Whole thing about250 x 150 ) so made from a sheet 300 x 200 Spot weld in some L shapes to form lanes and feed with fine sawdust.
Or buy one of course.


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