Lew Newby
R.I.P. 1/26/2024
I have been working on my Beef Stick recipe and cook method for at least 10 months. I think I have it figured out and my reversible conversion to an electric smoker allows me to smoke them for the first few hours at temps from 100 to 150. This phase is low temperature smoking and not cold smoking. Another guy used this method for Salmon in his EX4 so it has applications beyond what I do. I turn on the Smokefire but don't start it and plug my ambient probe into the controller. I use a hot plate and a smoke tube and that gives me smoke and temp from 100 to 150 for the first 3 to 4 hours with rags closing off the 3 vents. After the first hour I add a bowl of boiling water to my setup. For this cook I added a small handheld battery operated fan next to the hot plate to even out the temp from top to bottom and it worked. I then pull that stuff out, except the water, when I fire up the Smokefire on smokeboost. At this point I add meat probes to the setup and I can monitor the entire cook through the app. Todays batch had bite through collagen casings, the taste I like, and just the right amount of heat. I think I can stop changing things. The first pic is the temp reading with the hot plate, 2nd pic is the initial setup, third is final setup showing that I moved the meat on the lower grate to the hotter side to even out the cook time. Finally 4.5 lbs. of Beef Sticks. 
