Miss Betsy's Cold Smoke Generator

Fall is already here, the days are cool and unlikely to push the thermometer over 70F, which means perfect weather to make bacon!

Last time I made bacon I used a pretty complicated arrangement of a stove and stove pipes to cool the smoke and guide it into my smoke chamber; this time I made myself a small and easy to maintain "Cold Smoke Generator".



Materials needed:

16/14 oz. can

36 oz. coffee can

#6 metal screws

8" piece of 3/8" iron pipe

Several brass and copper fittings and pipe (get your idea from the pictures)

1/4" O.D. plastic hose

Some kind of feet (I used 3 shelf brackets) Make sure the apparatus doesn't tip over and set your house on fire!

An old aquarium air pump. (Even a new one isn't too expensive ~ $20).

Wood pellets or Hardwood! saw dust to fire the thing up.



Tools you should have and which will make completion of this project a lot easier -_^



Drill / Drill-stand

Assorted drills

Screwdrivers

Pliers

Hack- Jigsaw

Metal file

I decided to use a 16oz. can as burner chamber and a coffee can as reservoir for the wood pellets. Should be available in every household.

Put the smaller can centered in the middle of the bottom of the coffee can and mark with a pen. I divided the circle in 8 pie shaped pieces and drilled a hole in the middle of this circle. With the help of a jigsaw I cut along the lines so that I could connect these 2 cans. Bend the sheet metal up, set the smaller can on top and use metal screws to secure it.

In order to make the burner work, you will have to drill 3 holes; 2 to push the venturi pipe through, and 1 to ignite the hardwood pellets and provide oxygen for the embers. I used a 9/16" drill which is about the right size for the 3/8" pipe to fit through snug.

I had 3 shelf brackets at hand to use as feet which works great but I am sure there are plenty other ways to stabilize the smoke generator. Just make sure you don't set your house or garage on fire!

In the pictures you see a prototype where I used a drain strainer as bottom for the burner. I found out that this didn't work so well so I made the version with the 3 holes in the burner. This latest version works at least 2 hours  without maintenance which is sufficient.