ProQ Cold Smoke Generator

I have a ProQ Cold Smoke Generator which I use in the base of a Cobb BBQ in place of the coals.

My problem is that I can not get a supply of Oak shavings/sawdust that I have free from a carpenter to smolder in the ProQ CSG.

I have kept the original sawdust sample that came with the ProQ CSG to remind me how fine the sawdust needs to be.

The irony is that additional sawdust that I bought from a different supplier will smolder in the ProQ & burn for 8 hours as it should do but the free 100% Oak sawdust will not!

I understand from the carpenter that the oak is untreated and 100% oak.

I have ground the Oak in my kitchen blender into different fineness - won't burn.

I have tested both the free Oak and the purchased sawdust for its moisture content with a moisture meter & they are both the same - dry.

In the ProQ you start the sawdust smouldering by placing a small tealight candle underneath the sawdust at one end & leave the candle there until the sawdust is alight enough to burn itself.

The purchased sawdust lights within a minute whereas the oak goes out the minute you remove the candle?

When I do get the wood smoldering in the ProQ CSG it works very well and such a small amount burns for so long - about 8 hours. The setup I have, using the ProQ in a small Cobb bbq, minus any coals, works very well for cold smoking small amounts of food. The last item I smoked was a pork belly that I had given a panchetta cure - very nice.

Why won't my oak smolder & keep itself alight?

I thought of warming the oak in the microwave oven prior to using it next time?

Any other ideas please.

BAV

You could try baking it in an oven @80C for an hour first but if you're sure it's dry then it should smolder ok. By the way, I get anything from 12-15hrs on one burn with the CSG.

Hi,

After a year of cold smoking, I've given up with Oak! I find that any oak dust I've bought from any supplier is too coarse and won't stay alight. I now stick to apple for cheese and beech for meats.

BTW, I was also told that the CSG needs to be cleaned regularly to keep the mesh clear. I use a small single-burner camping stove - I simply burn off the residue by placing the generator on it for a couple of minutes right way up and upside down. This burns off the carbon without the need for wire-brushing.

Keith