That cheap pellet tube smoker surprised me after two years of chip failures

I spent two years fighting with wood chips in a foil pouch for cold smoking cheese and salmon. Every batch tasted like campfire ash and bitter smoke. My buddy in Austin kept telling me to grab a pellet tube and I figured it was another gadget that would end up in the garage pile. Finally gave in last month and used it on a 4 pound block of cheddar and some trout. The smoke rolled out clean and steady for almost 9 hours without babysitting it once. Cheese came out smooth, no harsh bite, and the trout had that deep amber color I could never get before. It takes about 10 minutes to light with a torch and the pellets are cheap at my local hardware store. Has anyone else made the switch from chips to a pellet tube and noticed the same difference?

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phoenixw114d ago

Guessing my cheese used to be 90% ash and 10% dairy, so I'm right there with you. I kept telling myself the foil pouch method was "traditional" when really I was just too stubborn to spend twenty bucks. First time I lit the tube, I actually stood there watching it like it was a science experiment, waiting for it to explode or something. The cheddar I did last weekend tasted like actual smoked cheese, not a fireplace, and my girlfriend asked if I bought it from the fancy shop downtown. I'm honestly a little annoyed it took me this long, but I guess I was just committed to eating bitter campfire bricks.