Homemade Sausage Making

One of my biggest obstacles in smoking is time. I never seem to have enough and the foods I'm smoking seem to need a lot. I'm considering investing in the large a-maze-in smoker so that I can light it up and go to bed and let it cold-smoke overnight. Does anyone have any safety concerns with letting their a-maze-in smoker go unattended for extended time?

Love to hear your thoughts....

For those unfamiliar with the product I'm asking about here's a link to their website: http://www.amazenproducts.com/default.asp

JerBear wrote:Does anyone have any safety concerns with letting their a-maze-in smoker go unattended for extended time?

I have both the smaller (dust) and the larger pellet amazen. I use them both-which one is often dependent on what fuel I have available (dust or pellets). Both models generate adequate smoke for either long (8-12 hours) or short (2-4 hours) depending upon how much fuel is added. Smoke amount can be increased for a more intense short smoke by lighting both ends of the fuel trail.

The longest smoke I've done is about 14 hours (cold-smoke bacon) using the pellets. This was done overnight, 'practically' unattended. I did check on it once in the middle of the night and it was just fine, producing a steady stream of blue smoke.

If I had to choose between the two fuels, it'd be tough. The dust lights quicker than the pellets, so its easier to get the smoke rolling. The pellets take a bit more prepping (i.e. time) to establish a good burn & smoke. The dust tends to burn quicker so for short smokes, its fine. But for longer burns/smokes, the pellets are the choice.

I've also had the pellets 'die' on me from not getting enough oxygen. The pellets can be more 'finicky' regarding placement and airflow in my smoker. In my masterbuilt, the amazen pellet smoker functions best if it resides close to the bottom vent where the burner enters the box. Good airflow there. If I put it off to the sides, its more likely to go out. The dust does just fine pretty much anywhere I put the amazen.

I try to keep an ample supply of both the dust and the pellets on hand so I have options.

hope this info is helpful to you.

Kevin

Amazen Pellet Bacon:

It just so happens that I ordered the "NEW" A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER, and will be picking it up from a warehouse across the border on Thursday. I hope to use it for cold smoking, smoking when a long thin smoke is called for, and overnight smokes as well. I have a Bradley so I also hope to cut down on costs, since those pucks do add up.

You guys are making me like my wood burner better all the time. My wood is free for the hauling and the burn time is several hours per load.

Great info so far, thanks! To add to the question has anyone used pellets/dust from a different manufacturer? Traeger pellets are readily available locally for me and I'm hoping they might work in the a-maze-in. Here's a link: http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/pellets

Did some additional google searching and found that Traeger pellets will work in the a-maze-in smoker.

ssorllih wrote:My wood is free for the hauling and the burn time is several hours per load.

That's an ideal situation.
I'd love to have a store of woods at my disposal, but alas, in my section of suburbia, I don't have the room for a stockpile of hickory, applewood, pecan, oak, cherry, mesquite, alder, plum, peach, maple, etc.

With the pellets and dust, I can keep all of these varieties well-stocked in a single cabinet by my smoker.

Kevin

I bought one of the large ones, but haven't used it yet. I bought it for cold smoking salmon and cheese. I'll do some in a couple of weeks, just too busy lately.

NorCal Kid wrote:

ssorllih wrote:My wood is free for the hauling and the burn time is several hours per load.

That's an ideal situation.
I'd love to have a store of woods at my disposal, but alas, in my section of suburbia, I don't have the room for a stockpile of hickory, applewood, pecan, oak, cherry, mesquite, alder, plum, peach, maple, etc.



Kevin

I wonder if you can accurately distinguish between some of those woods. I have no doubt about the difference between apple and mesquite but cherry peach and plum smoke coming off my table saw are much the same.
I have apple, pear, mulberry, maple, hickory and oak. the total is only a few wheelbarrows full.

I have both the smaller sawdust unite and the larger sawdust/pellet unit.
They work great!
I couldn't be happier!

I too can get all the free smoke wood I want, but the a-maze-n generators allow me to smoke unattended for very long periods of time at a consistent smoke level and temperature, that's something that isn't easily possible with other ways.

I'll third or 4th the endorsement for the amazing pellet smoker. You'll definitely need a propane torch, the type one would use to solder copper water pipes with, in order to get the pellets lit and smoking. I hold the burning propane torch to the pellets in the smoker for about 45 seconds until the pellets are burning and then let them burn for another few minutes. By then, they are glowing enough to keep themselves lit and smoking. Filling the whole smoker with pellets would probable give you about 8 - 12 hours of smoke, or at least that's been my experience.

Love how you don't need electricity to keep the smoke going. Plus, the pellets are WAY cheaper than those darn super expensive Bradley pucks (which require electric power).

Big Guy wrote:I bought one of the large ones, but haven't used it yet. ..... I'll do some in a couple of weeks, just too busy lately.

Funny, that's why I want the a-maze-in, allowing me to smoke when I'm busy doing other things. I'm sold, I'm ordering on payday.....

Thanks... you guys rock!!

New to smoking. I have an A-maze-n-pellet smoke box. I have been told that I can cold smoke ribs and other meat for a couple hours before turning up the heat. Also I have been told that the raw meat takes on the smoke flavor more intensely. Don't want to get in any trouble doing this.
Need more school housing.

Remember the importance of "cold" in cold smoking. Last week i was doing some sausage and the daytime temperature was 104 F even with my remote fire box I was running 160 in the smoker.

I didn't have my thermometer hooked up on my last run but I typically only run a few degrees over ambient. I'll hook up the thermometer when I smoke on Sunday with the 'Maze and report back.