Smoking tips

Natural smoking

• The longer the smoking time, the greater the loss of moisture, which will consequently result in a higher proportion of salt. The product becomes drier and saltier, but has a much longer shelf life.
• A moist air supply is required during smoking, which is typically controlled by an opening valve on the smoker. The smoke output also needs to be controlled by an exhaust cap or wood particles or soot may begin to accumulate, affecting the appearance and taste of the product.
• Another condition of the smoking chamber and probably the most important of all is the humidity on the surface of the product at the time the smoke is applied. A damp surface absorbs smoke much better than a dry surface; consequently the relative humidity in the smoke chamber is critical. This will affect the color of the smoke and the intensity of the smoky flavor. A moist surface resulting in a darker, more intense smoke color. However, excessive surface moisture will produce a muddy brown color or even shades of black color and sometimes streaky colors if surface condensation occurs during smoke application.

  

• Practically all smoking processes include a first step of drying the product at the beginning of the cycle. This is done to remove condensation from the surface. A suggested general rule is that the surface of the product should be tacky before applying smoke. If greater smoke deposition is desired, it is more effective to begin smoke application earlier in the process. The wetter the product, the greater the color intensity.
• The main advantage claimed for natural smoking is an authentic and complete flavor. Disadvantages include air pollutant emission problems resulting from smoke exhaust and the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Some of the PAH compounds, particularly benzopyrene and dibenzanthracin, are carcinogenic. These compounds can be reduced in natural smoke smoking by controlling the smoke generation temperature (ideally between 315°C and 345°C) and are reduced into liquid products or liquid smoke condensates. Recent research has also described filtration technology as reducing 90% PAH without significant loss of aroma components.
• The higher the smoker temperature, the shorter the smoking time and the shorter the product's shelf life.
• The lower the smoker temperature, the better the smoke penetration and the longer the smoke will have to be. This results in better flavor and a long shelf life.

  

• Different types of wood result in different flavors. If possible, try mixing different types of wood to create unique flavors. Avoid wood that contains resins or any chemical treatment, such as varnish or paint.

  

• Leave the meat or sausage uncovered to dry in the refrigerator overnight before smoking. With less moisture flowing through the product, the smoke will penetrate more easily and form a much tastier outer film. Very moist products also take on flavor, but with less intensity.

Liquid smoke

• Many meatpacking plants have begun using liquid smoke or “condensed smoke” products. They are produced from natural smoke by controlled pyrolysis of wood and collection of the smoke, followed by condensation and filtration to remove impurities such as PAH. The result is smoke condensed into liquid form that contains the same functional compounds (carbonyls, phenols, acids and alcohols) as natural smoke.
• Liquid smoke has several positive points that have led to its increased use. Flavor intensity, for example, is easily controllable and is consistently reproducible. Additionally, liquid smoke can be mixed or injected with other ingredients during processing to provide a more uniform flavor in the product. This approach may also provide an antimicrobial impact on potential pathogens including Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli and Staphylococci.
• There are also advantages to liquid smoke in the variety of application methods. The color of the product surface, for example, can be obtained by dipping, spraying, atomizing or using smoke wrappers. Atomization is the generation of a very fine mist and is applied in a closed chamber in a manner not unlike natural smoke, while immersion and spraying are methods that work well in greenhouses/smoking chambers. For smoke casings, liquid smoke is incorporated into the casings during manufacturing and transferred to the product after casing.
• Another advantage of liquid smoke is that greenhouses and smoking chambers accumulate fewer ash deposits on walls and duct surfaces, which are more frequent problems when using natural smoke.