dcarch
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Posts posted by dcarch
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This is the kitchen gadget I dreamed of for years. A built in vacuum cleaner that takes care of the dirt once you have swept it from your kitchen floor. -------
I would be very concerned.
A vacuum's filter is not very effective. Most of the harmful fine particles (germs) pass thru the filter and blown in air for you to breath in. Also, the smell around the garbage can is not exactly pleasant to recirculate.
dcarch
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I am happy with my way of smoke "sous vide".
Basically, my smoker is a PID temperature controlled circulating hot air (sous vide by moving hot air instead of hot water) cooker with an external smoke generator. After smoke/cooked, the meat spends a few minutes on a hot charcoal grill to get a crust.
dcarch
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----------Cold smoke for a couple hours, chill, grind, patty, sous vide, sear. Seems like a ridiculous amount of work for a burger when I've never had issue with just grilling a burger but I'm curious about the sous vide burger thing so I figured I might as well go all-in when I try it.
A few drops of Liquid Smoke? :-)
dcarch
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Forget it. Don't do it. I know famous chefs do it, but I can't understand why.
In physics, there is a phenomenon called the "Observer Effect", which means the act of observation changes the nature of the observed.
Do this experiment with your best thermometer. You can even do it with your famous Thermapen.
Wrap a piece of paper towel just a little above the measuring tip of the probe. Now pour some boiling water over the paper towel. You will see how fast heat from the paper towel can travel to the tip in a few seconds thru the metal shaft.
Assuming you can in fact insert accurately the tip of the probe inside the meat at the exact center of the thickest and coldest part, leaving the probe inside for a long time will completely distort the temperature you are trying to measure because the metal shaft of the thermometer will even out the temperature along the shaft by thermal conduction.
IMHO, get a fast and thin probe, measure quickly and in several places to get a better idea of what you are trying to measure. Don't leave the probe in the meat.
dcarch
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OK, thanks. I wondered because the smoke looked white like steam, rather than blue smoke, and appeared to be falling rather than rising. Is that standard for pellets? Were the chips or pellets wet?
In my video in post #24, that is a model to test out the various controls and to find out proper size for all components. The final stainless steel generator, with adjustable air supply, and air output, the quality and quantity of smoke is completely controllable from a blast of high density smoke to ultra thin smoke.
If I'm not mistaken that falling steam was the ultrasonic humidifier at work.
Indeed, in my video #35, that is my ultrasonic humidifier in operation.
dcarch
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Ok thanks! I think I have a ceiling fan speed control. Would that work? Seems that aquarium pump idea might make the pellets burn faster?? Was reading on another forum that you want only a small amount of air to permit combustion but not too much?? I like the charcoal idea too.
Thanks!
I am not sure a fan speed controller can work for a soldering iron. While the wattage is about the same for a fan motor and a soldering iron, the fan control is for inductive load, and the soldering iron is a resistive load.
You can, however, us a motor speed controller for a universal type of motor or DC motor, such as a router. a light dimmer can work also.
If you have an air pump, there will be no need for the soldering iron. you can light up the pellets or wood chips with a torch, the air pump will keep the amber going nonstop.
In my system, it takes a few seconds to light up the smoker, and it can keep going unattended for more than 24 hours.
dcarch
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Dcarch, what is the source of the smoke?
In my post #14, you will see a 4" dia. stainless tube, that is the burner of the system. The system works is explained in post #24. It burns pellets and chips.
I am very pleased with the operation of the system.
dcarch
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And my second soldering iron is dead... Why? One was relatively new, the other 30 years old
Get a router speed control, or a dimmer (high enough wattage) to plug your soldering iron in. You can lower the voltage slightly.
dcarch
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It is Phillips stand rotisserie from the 1970.ties or 80:ties, it was found at a Charity shop and it wasn't used either, still in its plastic wrapping. I never seen one before . The glowing part in the middle is a metal coil and get super hot and the spits turn on their axle. I am not sure how safe it really is but it makes the meat so tender and lovely. It makes a mean Tandoori.
If the photo actually shows the heating coil glows that bright, then I think it is burning way too hot and that heating element will not last long. Food gets burned and not cooked. I think that is a typical heating element for a domestic hot water boiler tank.
If you have some electric skills, I would re-wire the coil to a voltage controller ($20) to reduce the heat. This way the heating coli will last forever and you can have a great deal more flexibility in what you can cook with it.
dcarch
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This should make sense, but everything and everyone I know tells me it doesn't make sense.
Virtually all of my friends are in the hospitality industry, and virtually all of them have "gave up" on food network TV, they don't watch it. And the hospitality industry is a large one....-------------------------------------
Don't underestimate the pervasive digital tracking system's power. Billions of $$$$ are spent each year to track consumer preferences. Your likes and dislikes may not represent the profile of the general public. Your "everyone" is not everyone else's "everyone".
Mmmm.. Did you ever consider that people want what the media tells them to want?
I agree with you. "As Seen On TV" can sucker in lot's of people to buy anything. "If you call now, we will send you a free one. You pay only S&H".
dcarch
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Not the fault of the programmers.
Not the fault of Guy,
It's all about supply and demand. The population demands, the producers and the performers supply.
The problem is the culture we are in. They demand that kind of programming.
dcarch
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Make yogurt.
dcarch
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Why not just buy some and compare?
dcarch
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Dcarch I looked at the pic of Chris' fridge. The interior has the original lining. Assuming that yours does as well? I know certain types of plastic such as HDPE can handle high temps but this does seem worrisome concerning the upper ranges.
To me its about preservation as opposed to cooking- "hot-smoking" is done at 150-165F and a "cold-smoke" is 50'ish and below. Well within the limits of a fridge's interior hopefully.
What's the maximum temps used with this particular unit?
To make sure that everything would be OK, I poured boiling water into the refrigerator and let it sit for hours. Nothing happened.
For hot smoking, I don't need "the smoke ring" and "burnt ends", I don't want "bark" either, just meat at the most juicy temperature. It's like sous vide by moving hot smoky air, controlled by a PID controller. There is really no need to go over 160F. I do grill the meat after smoking, sometimes.
Something nice about smoking a pork butt at "TBS" smoke at 145F for 24 hours indoors when it's snowing crazy outside.
dcarch
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I'd like to see an interior pic of the hot/cold smoker.
Please.
Actually, it looks about the same as Chris Hennes' " Curing Chamber Development" refrigerator. About the same size. Kind of empty inside, except mine also has this humidifier when I need to increase moisture:
dcarch
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That's pretty crazy stuff DARCH!
I am not quite sure how you can do this indoors though. Seems it must recirculate the smoke? Hard to get a grip on how everything is plumbed. I have too many projects going at the moment, but if I ever decide I need to to this I'll know who to ask.
What kinds of food do you make in that, and do you have any photos you'd care to share?
TD
My first post you will see a black tube on the top, It blows the smoke out the house thru a hole in the wall.
In addition to hot smoking all kinds of meat, I can cold smoke salmon and cheese on the hottest day in the summer. Rain, snow, hot, cold, nothing stops me from smoking.
dcarch
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dcarch - Fig leaves? Perhaps you could comment further - e.g. why fig leaves, why they were done that way, etc.
Why ? because they taste good.
Fig leaves impart a very subtle yet distinct flavor to food. I have a fig tree in a large pot. Young fig leaves are very tender.
I am not very good in the study of religions. I thought fig trees has some religious significance.
dcarch
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Looks good dcarch! What is the veggie (?) underneath the sous vide lamb in the first pic?
Thanks Shelby.
That is roasted zucchini.
dcarch
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Just have been really busy. These were actually made for Passover and Easter. Sorry!
dcarch
SV leg of lamb
Passover jelly beans with Easter eggs
Matzo ball soup
Smoked leg of lamb on fig leaves
Smoked drum sticks on fig leaves
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-------------- but saying zero skills is ridiculous since she's able to do much more than you or I when it comes to forging, shaping and sharpening. --------------------------
Oh, I think she has good hobby knife making skills, but as I said, 0 professional knife making skills. I did look at her work closely, not very good.
Yes, I do make my own knives, but it will be another 10 years before I possibly can be a professional maker.
dcarch
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There is no question that she will sell knives, she is very skillful in PR.
But to call her a knife maker is an insult to all the other female knife makers. Chelsea Miller has 0 skills in making professional knives.
Check out knives made by Judy Gottage, Dellana Warren, Dellana Warren, Dianna Casteel, Mary Jane Cashion, Audra(Sharp)draper --------------------.
dcarch
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Skinny asparagus
Fat aspargus
Asparagus with crispy bacon
dcarch
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I consider a smoker is an essential appliance which can add a lot to eating pleasure. So I decided to put a little effort into coming up with a smoker which can deal with many of the common short comings of a typical smoker.
1. I want a smoker which can cold smoke and hot smoke, year round.
2. Flexible control of smoke quantity and quality.
3. Minimum creosote generation.
4. Easy to light.
5. economical to operate.
6. minimum supervision, Long running time.
7. Precise temperature control.
8. Good humidity control.
9. Most importantly indoor smoking!!!
As it turned out, it was not that difficult to accomplish all the above.
Using a 4.5 cu ft operating refrigerator, a PID controller, a heater, a motor driven blower with a speed controller and an ultrasonic humidifier, I was able to get things done.
The smoke generator using a speed controlled blower ( B) gives me much better smoke control, much better than a Venturi aquarium air pump.
The smoke passes thru a standard brass accordion pipe which cools the smoke as well as condenses a lot creosote into a bottle (A - cancer-in-a-bottle). Thru a two-way valve (D), the smoke passes thru a viewing port (E) which has an LED light to show quantity of smoke without having to open the smoker to check. If I have to open the smoker to check the food, I would turn the two-way valve (D) and turn on exhaust blower ( C ) to evacuate all the smoke inside the smoker to outside, this way I would not smoke the whole house.
The smoke generator is a 4" stainless steel tube with a variable air intake port. One pound of pellets can last about 24 hours burn.
So far, everything has been working well for a few years.
dcarch
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Inverted sugar?
dcarch
Disinfecting the Kitchen: [How] Do You Do This?
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
For one thing, dust mite droppings can pass thru many vacuum filters. There are people allergic to dust mite droppings.
dcarch