Last year I made a cold smoker for smoking malt. I used a Webber Smokey Joe grill for the smoke box. It worked great but was too small. I could only smoke about 4 lbs of grain at a time. So I made a new bigger, better, smoke box that will totally collapse for easy storage. The lid, sides and bottom all slip together and are held in place with rabbit cuts in the top and bottom pieces.
Here are a few pics.
Smoke box disassembled
Box assembled
All hooked up
Test run
I think I can smoke 20lbs of grain at a time.
In the next couple of days I’m going to peat smoke some barley malt with Irish “peat” Turf that a member “JimyDee” sent me last year.
I’ll post a few pics of the smoker in action.
Thanks for your time
JBC
JBC, now thats a class job, collapsible and all. Well done, hopefully it will save you time with the amount it can smoke. Make sure to give us updates as to how it goes. JD
The Baker wrote:If you had made it a bit bigger;
It could smoke more grain, and
You COULD use it as a coffin when you go to that great distillery in the sky.
Geoff
Creosote keep the ants at bay I spect. Agh I read the title and though plz don't let this be some miser repurpose post like that champ that wanted to know if the second hand crematorium mill stones would be ok for gristing, talk about skin creeping.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.Benjamin Franklin
Ok
I’ve got 20 lbs of malt barley smoking away. The smoke is Irish peat logs cut into chunks and put into the cold smoker. I’ll spritze the grains with a water mister and turn the grains every 30 minutes or so for 6 hours. I used it he same procedure with my old smoke box and it worked great. I live in the mountains here in California and we’ve had the worst fire season. Seems as though 1/2 the state is burning. So I put in a call to our local fire station letting them know I was cold smoking some “meat” Incase someone calls them and says they smell smoke.
And if I ever catch a leprechaun and take his pot of gold I can use the box to bury him in. Perfect fit. Essence of leprechaun and peat.
JBC
The grain is about an inch thick. I move the grains around every 30min or so. I just finished smoking about 1/2 hr ago. I’ll give it one day in the box to dry out. Then store it for a month before using.
JBC
Great job. Being able to pack it away is a huge bonus.
When I was standing in the peat kiln at Laphroaig, I asked how high the barley was piled. Its at least a foot deep.
So naturally I asked how often they turned it. They don't.
Perhaps its not necessary and perhaps having a range of peatiness within the batch gives some nuance? I won't know till I do it myself, but it did surprise me.
SaltyStaves wrote:
When I was standing in the peat kiln at Laphroaig, I asked how high the barley was piled. Its at least a foot deep.
So naturally I asked how often they turned it. They don't.
Perhaps its not necessary and perhaps having a range of peatiness within the batch gives some nuance? I won't know till I do it myself, but it did surprise me.
So I’m not drying the malt, I’m flavoring it. That’s why I lightly mist and turn the grains, so the smoke will stick to them. There is no heat. By the time the smoke gets to the grains it’s cool. Because of this the grains won’t denature and the dp is not affected. If I ever try malting grains I’d have to make a whole new drying box. I’m good with what I’ve got.
JBC
Little late to the party, had a very similar setup with 4 racks with screens in a box fed with cold smoke from Cherrywood. Did a great job, but had to repurpose the shelves. So this week I just made a new rotary smoker out of 1/2" plywood (glue and brads) on a 3/4" tube with holes drilled in it that holds about 33lbs comfortably. Have 100lbs of 2-row, and figure I'll do 33lbs smoked with Applewood for my next all-grain whiskey. I could motorize it, but for now I'll just give it a spin every 20 minutes or so.
4" 4-plate flute and 2" 1.5m packed column, both with BOKA / VM head. Many stainless kegs of various sizes and configurations - TIG is my friend!
Looks like a winner Copper
The pic is a little blurry. Can you explain how the smoke is delivered to the smoke box and if the wood is ignited with electricity or flame?
Thanks
I'll do a full write-up when I get a chance. Pretty standard cold smoke rig from new paint can, holes in bottom, air pump and homemade venturi up top, feeds into tube leading to rotating box. Light with torch from bottom of can half full of Applewood chips. Once it starts smoldering, it will produce smoke until the wood is spent.
4" 4-plate flute and 2" 1.5m packed column, both with BOKA / VM head. Many stainless kegs of various sizes and configurations - TIG is my friend!
Incase someone calls them and says they smell smoke.
I’m good with what I’ve got. 
