Question for the sausage makers

[Grizzly1]

Today was the first time to build a fire in my smoke box to “break in” my smokehouse. I have no meat in the smokehouse. I have two thermometers going because I wanted to see what kind of temps it would hold and how it would fluctuate. I know you want to keep the temp around 160-170 for the slow cooking process. I built a decent size fire (this may have been my problem) and the inside temp jumped to 230-250 degrees quick. This will basically start the cooking process of the meat. I also had my firebox closed up which was forcing all the heat into the smokehouse. In the past on a friends smokehouse We usually smoke for a couple of hours then use a burner to maintain the heat for the rest of the time.
I’m thinking I need to leave my firebox open so the heat can get out and this will help my problem.
*After opening my smoke box door and cracking the main door a touch my temp is sitting at 160*
Is this initial heat a very bad thing as long as it doesn’t stay there for to long? What do you guys do to keep the heat from the fire overheating your smokehouse initially?
Thoughts and suggestions?

[Grizzly1]

Here is my set up

[panhandlehunter]

I cold smoke so my smokehouse doesn’t have any heat in there. If you’re cooking it I wouldn’t imagine it would make any difference.

[Smart]

Cold smoker here too my smoker box rarely gets over 90-100 deg....and I agree with panhandlehunter



If you want less heat build a smaller fire or crack your door some .

[BrandonH]

I've done both hot & cold smoke, so have dealt with your issue. Just cracking the door was enough for me to regulate the temp. Personally I prefer cold smoking, otherwise your just heating up leftovers when you eat it[emoji51]

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Smart]

Personally I prefer cold smoking, otherwise your just heating up leftovers when you eat it[emoji51]

Same....

[Grizzly1]

I think I got it now...I opened the firebox door a good bit and the temp came down and had been sitting at 174. My fire was obviously to big and having the firebox closed sent all the heat inside.

Can someone explain the cold smoke process...how do you send smoke to the meat without getting the heat?

[Smart]

I think I got it now...I opened the firebox door a good bit and the temp came down and had been sitting at 174. My fire was obviously to big and having the firebox closed sent all the heat inside.

Can someone explain the cold smoke process...how do you send smoke to the meat without getting the heat?

Small fire....good vents. Cool/Cold days


A firebox that pipes the smoke in from a distance helps as well like below. The folks we learned from in the 70s built a small fire in a tire wheel and place it in the smoke house.

[S-3 Ranch]

I think I got it now...I opened the firebox door a good bit and the temp came down and had been sitting at 174. My fire was obviously to big and having the firebox closed sent all the heat inside.

Can someone explain the cold smoke process...how do you send smoke to the meat without getting the heat?

Good question, we always use a fan to circulate the smoke and air
In the smoke house and use a small fire

[bboswell]

I have done both and now prefer to smoke at 165-170*. To do that in my smoke house I build the fire outside and just have the smoke drawn in.