Croatian Cold Smoker 5 Metres High

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Ant
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Croatian Cold Smoker 5 Metres High

Post by Ant » Wed Mar 18, 2015 04:40

Hi, I reposted this topic as I now know what it is and the art in which to use it.

I just sat down with my friend for hours and talked all about his technique of smoking. While we chatted I ate pork that had basically been cured outside on a plastic picnic table with a tea towel.

I have been blown away with what I learnt today. Not only how and when to select the animal you are going to kill but the best cuts and how to cure it without any heat, in just a cold smoker. I take my hat off to anyone that can feed me pork that hasn't seen heat to cook it. He also gave me a rundown on the delicacy of eating half cured/smoked sausages which they do every time they smoke sausages.

Not only did I learn the basics of this art but also when\where\how etc. I learnt what ingredients to put in and what not to. He is going to teach me how to cook this way and take me under his wing.

Please forgive me if I use the wrong names/terminology for things but only have ever cooked on charcoal, never smoked a thing.

Here is his smoker. It has 102 butcher hooks up top. I look forward to posting my first time ever pics in smoking meat.

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Post by redzed » Wed Mar 18, 2015 06:25

Ant, what a great post! You are lucky to have made this guy's acquaintance! He definetely takes his craft seriously to build something the size of a forest fire watchtower. Wonder what the neighbours think? :grin: Take lots of notes, pics and relay them on to us! Sure wish I could join you in visiting him.
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Post by Ant » Wed Mar 18, 2015 08:29

Hey Red, will do.

Just one or two things I have learnt today. As I'm a virgin I'm not out to make arguments or debt on what I have been told (Nor could I) :) Wether it is right or wrong, as with everything in life - "Each to their own". Some comments come from someone that breeds his own cows/pigs/chickens etc. Also I'm not sure if it just applies to cold smoking or smoking in general. Everything that was said to me was in broken English and I may have misunderstood or we guessed the wrong word as we chatted. Lol :)

1, Don't use cows that are 2 years old or younger as they retain too much water in the meat. You will find air pockets in your sausages and find your sausages shrink heaps. The best cow to eat is one that has had 3/4 births as their meat has just become the best to eat.

2. Never use black pepper if you plan to freeze your sausages, as the black pepper will go acidic over time. Although you can still eat the sausages, apparently it is really bad for your stomach.

3. Never kill a pig while in heat. Once you see the pig is not interested in sex, this is the time to kill it.

4. Male pigs are ok to eat as long as you castrate them 4-6 months prior to killing.
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Post by Gulyás » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:39

Hi Ant,

There are many ways to build the "same thing", limited only by ones imagination. In today's "modern-times" we know those things as furnace/fire place. They were built into their houses, and they used them for lots of things. Like heating, cooking, baking bread/pastries, and sometimes smoking meat.
Some pictures for you. One can spend lot's of time looking at them, wondering our past.
When we were smoking, we soaked the whatever we used in water, so it burned very slow, producing smoke. It was cold smoking, not hot/cooking. Hay, corn, etc.....

https://www.google.com/search?q=b%C3%BA ... 67#imgdii=_
Last edited by Gulyás on Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:14, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Gulyás » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:54

Red,

I think the 2 treads could be combined.
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Post by Ant » Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:05

Hey Gulyas, they are very interesting setups.

In George's smoker the sausages rely on the wind passing through it to dry them and the smoke to kill bacteria. The wood/smoke is only used very sparingly. The way he explained it to me is that when they are checked (very regularly) and depending on what is happening with the sausages he may smoke for an hour or ...............

I guess I will be able to explain more once I've done it with him but he would be lucky to burn 8x4 piece of wood a metre long. Even then he has a flu control on the back so he can regulate, let's say 10% of the smoke, up the flu.
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Post by Gulyás » Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:13

Yes Ant,

That is hot smoking, it gets cooked 'til ready to eat. (Or preparatory if you want it just to flavor it)
Sometime they built a box (made it wider) in the chimney (high up), so they had lots of space. There were doors/dampers there to direct the smoke to different directions, limit air flow etc.....
Like I mentioned I was a little kid at that time, not paying attention to detail.
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Post by Shuswap » Wed Mar 18, 2015 20:02

Ant wrote:2. Never use black pepper if you plan to freeze your sausages, as the black pepper will go acidic over time. Although you can still eat the sausages, apparently it is really bad for your stomach.
I'd like to know if this is fact or fiction - any opinions :roll:
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Post by Ant » Wed Mar 18, 2015 21:31

I was also told cold smoked fat is very good for you, it is only bad when fat is heated and cooked.
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Thu Mar 19, 2015 20:53

Ant wrote:I was also told cold smoked fat is very good for you, it is only bad when fat is heated and cooked.
Please explain....
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Post by Ant » Thu Mar 19, 2015 21:05

rgauthier20420 wrote:
Ant wrote:I was also told cold smoked fat is very good for you, it is only bad when fat is heated and cooked.
Please explain....
Any fat that is hot smoked or grilled (sausages/burgers/steaks) etc. turns the fat into bad cholesterol and is bad for the heart, liver etc. If cold smoked, non heated it has no cholesterol and will not damage the liver, heart.
If you have a heart attack the Drs suggest you eat this kind of fat.

This is the short version and how it was explained to me. He did have a heart attack and his daughter is a theatre nurse. This subject came up when taking a short course for heart attack patients.
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Post by Maxell » Fri Mar 20, 2015 11:32

Image
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Post by StefanS » Fri Mar 20, 2015 13:44

Not everybody speak polish so supplement to Maxwell's post :
Lithuanian wooden smoker.
High - 18', width 6'
1/ Front side view
2/ Back side view
a/ entry door
b/ burning chamber
c/ smoke exit
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Post by Maxell » Fri Mar 20, 2015 22:56

Out of habit, pasted in language Polish. Sorry. :D
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