How many of you ever cold smoke your venison.

[Texas Dave]

I knew an indian fella once that gave me some venison jerky from one of the Minnesota Indian reservations. I was the best jerky I've ever eaten, and to this day, I've decide at some point to experiment with making jerky by using a smokehouse of some sort. I know some of your are wondering how I could do this seeing how I don't even have a house anymore, but I think I can convience TextRon to give me an opportunity to set one op at his place. lol
I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of the best and most practical way to set up a smoke system. I'm not sure it these indians used a cold smoke method or not, but to descibe the way this stuff tasted would be hard to do. It had a sweet almost molassis or maple syrup-ish taste at first and the more you chewed on it, the full flavor came out as a well seasoned pepper taste.
It was good stuff.

[AR hunter]

Well I was cold and wet and my uncle was smoking while we were cutting up that deer this weekend. Does that count? :rotfl)

Just giving you hell man. You must be a good planner, I am too dumb to think about processing the meat until I have one on the ground!

[Buck-Slayer]

im with AR on this one hehe you know taht closing sat and sun in gun season usually is a cold bastard ;) and we get in thta shed and cut like there's no tomrrow :)

[CJ]

Most jerky is actually cold smoked. The temperature usually is around 110 in my smoker. The trick is to pump your heat off while pouring smoke onto the venison, salmon, cheese or whatever else you have in there.

Going to google will give you many plans on how to build a smoker, but they just about all include a seperate heat box with vent on top with a fan or similar design to blow the smoke through a pipe or tube into the smoker.

The indians weren't as sophiscated, just put their meat on drying racks to dry in the sun and lit a nearby smoky fire to keep the flies away and discovered the smoke added additonal flavor to their jerky.

[Sirhuntsalot]

I like to put my jerky in my Webber smoker for about an hour or two then take it out and finish it in the oven or dehydrator. I use mostly hickory in the smoker. This gives a great smokey taste.

[slowjimbo]

Here is a cheap little cold smoker in several variations.

List of what you need:

-one 2'x2'x3' cardboard box
-one big cardboard box (refigerator, oven, or dryer boxes work best and are free from Sears, HH Greg, etc., just call and ask).
-one single burner hot plate ($20 at Target or Wally World)
-one aluminium pie plate
-a bunch of 1/4" dowel rods
-flexable metal dryer vent hose

Trim the flaps off one end of the small box (this will be the bottom) and some small vent holes around the bottom base. Cut a door in the side of the small box to allow you access to the whole inside. Make a little handel latch to close it back during the smoking process. Do the same to the large box, except make vent holes in the top. Make racks in the larger box by poking holes on opposite sides and running the dowel rods through. Place the boxes where you plan to smoke and run the dryer hose from the top of the small box to the bottom of the large. The metal dryer vent hose will help cool off the smoked air from the hot box to the cold box.

To smoke, place the hot plate inside the small box and fill the pie pan with whatever wood chips you want. Place the pie pan on the hot plate and turn on just high enough to get a good smoke.

This will give you a true cold smoke, but might not drive off enough moisture for what you need. Sooo...

Cold Smoker II

Same as above, but just use the large box and place the hot plate in the bottom of it (meat and hot plate in same box).

Cold Smoker III

Basically, you can just keep decreasing the size of the box, but eventually you cross the line to hot smoker.

Meat prep
If you are cuting the meat up into 1/4" thick strips or less, there should be no problem with long term storage. Larger pieces may need to be refrigerated or frozen. Put what ever cure (brine, sugar, spices) on and let the meat sit for a while to marinate. After this is done, pat the strips dry with a towel. Either get a dowel rod towel rack or use the larger box from above and drape the strips over the dowels. Get out that old box fan and turn it on the strips for about twenty minutes till a tacky skin forms over the meat. This skin will help hold the smoke flavor. Start the smoker and remove when done, just make sure the moisture content is down.

PM me if you need anything.

[Texas Dave]

Good lord Jimbo, you are a walking book of knowledge! Thanks a plenty!