-
1
Soak wood chips in your favorite liquid (water, beer, wine, etc.)
-
2
for 3 hours.
-
3
Fill the can with 1/2 cup of wood chips at a time and place in the firebox of your offset smoker on it's side.
-
4
Insert the tip of the soldering iron into the can, underneath the wood chips, to the back of the can.
-
5
Plug the soldering iron in and turn it on.
-
6
The time it takes to begin seeing wisps of smoke depends on the wattage of the soldering iron.
-
7
I used the 40 watt setting on my iron and began seeing smoke in about 5 minutes.
-
8
After 15 minutes, there will be smoking embers.
-
9
Turn off or unplug the soldering iron.
-
10
Keep the firebox vent open by a quarter and the smoke chamber damper by an eighth.
-
11
I was very pleased how well this worked.
-
12
1/2 cup of wood chips generated copious amounts of smoke for about 1.5 hours.
-
13
The ambient temperature outside at the time of testing was 75F and the highest temperature the digital thermometer recorded inside the smoke chamber was 79F; well within the acceptable range for cold smoking.
-
14
Now that I have proved to myself that this actually works, going to try out a recipe tomorrow.
-
15
If you try this method, be sure to share how it went and any suggestions.
-
16
*Safety Concerns: When using an old soldering iron, it is probably best to replace the soldering tip.
-
17
Solder contains lead and there is probably a small buildup of solder on there and you certainly don't want that ending up on your food.
-
18
Would there be enough to make someone sick?
-
19
I don't know but why take a chance when a new soldering tip is only about 5 bucks.
-
20
Also it is important to note, some metal food cans have a protective layer on the inside.
-
21
I am not sure if when heated it would give off anything poisonous that could be carried in the smoke.
-
22
Always look for a can that does not have that layer.
-
23
Pros of this method: If you already own an offset smoker, the this is an inexpensive hack that works fairly well.
-
24
Cons of this method: If you don't already own an offset smoker, then it isn't an inexpensive hack anymore.
-
25
Since you don't want to go above 86F you are restricted to late fall, winter, and early spring for cold smoking.
-
26
(Depending on your geography) The embers can sometimes die early so you may have to turn the soldering iron back on to finish them.
