First run in the PK100

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher looks great

[lkrfletcher]

twilliams you were very right. Pro smokers are awesome. Thanks for all your help with mine.

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher no problem, glad i was a good help for you and happy you are happy with the pk100

[Chef]

lkrfletcher Those look as professional as I’ve seen. Great job.

[lkrfletcher]

Chef I saw snack sticks at a sporting goods store here called scheels. Half of the weight per pack was $15.99. Crazy, and probably no where near as good. And theirs had no hi temp cheese in them.
Maybe when I retire again (second time) I will start a small business in this hobby. Probably worth looking into.

Thanks for the comments.

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher i have a guy at work that buys the stuff i make. He say what the heck are you doing here, told me to quit my job, buy a mobil concession trailer and sell out of it…lol. Not as simple as it sounds. We already have a guy here in town and doesnt do very good, but hes only open on fridays i believe.

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher the ones at scheels are probably beef and pork. Cost gets pretty steep using that. Also all the nasty stuff to make them shelf stable.

[lkrfletcher]

twilliams I was thinking farmers markets might work well. You have to get a food license and off ya go. I can’t tell you how many people have asked me to smoke things for them. They buy the meat (or whatever) and I smoke it for a fee. So a little advertising and there is another angle to try. TBH. I could do this with my smoked cheese exclusively. Well time will tell. I got like 6 years before I retire. Again

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher goid point on farmers market. Never thought about that avenue

[lkrfletcher]

twilliams can you imagine a tent with jerky. Snack sticks. Smoked cheese. Brats. Smoked almonds and a few canned goods. You would kill it. Absolutely kill it. Better have plenty of samples.

[twilliams]

lkrfletcher now you got me thinking for next year. Our markets will be ending shortly.

[lkrfletcher]

twilliams
Let me know how it goes. I may send you some almonds to sell. If you haven’t tried that recipe I posted. You definitely need to. Incredibly good.

[Chef]

lkrfletcher twilliams I’m selling a bit of sausage, but only by word of mouth. The product we make and with the great seasonings available at Walton’s are so superior to the store bought stuff. We even have two large smoke houses within miles of me that make jerky and sausages which is a step up from the supermarket, but still there are those customers that just want the best. It’s great when you can make money and have this much fun. They say if you do something you love to do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

[Jonathon]

twilliams It isn’t as simple as it sounds but that doesn’t mean it is undoable! If you decide to go ahead with it our commercial salesmen are a great resource, the head of that department is our Application Specialist who went to school for meat science and is always taking courses and increasing his knowledge, plus he was raised in the industry so he knows the challenges and some pitfalls. It isn’t a cheap thing to step into though!

[5BADDAYS]

lkrfletcher said in First run in the PK100:

After cold water wash down

Excellent color

Really great looking sticks, my i ask what your total in the smoker time was ? Thanks 5BD

[lkrfletcher]

5BADDAYS
1 HOUR AT 125 - NO SMOKE - DAMPERS WIDE OPEN FOR DRYING
1 HOUR AT 140 - START SMOKE
2 HOURS AT 155
SET TO 175 TIL INTERNAL TEMP READS 160.

[TexLaw]

I’m also a big fan of that PK 100. It’s really something, the amount of smoke flavor you get from one bowl of sawdust. I’ve learned that I actually need to be careful about that, because it’s easy to overdo it.

As for selling meat products at a farmer’s market or tent, everyone better check out your state’s “cottage food” laws (as well as anything more local). I know that Texas’s cottage food law does not allow the sale of ANY meat products, even if it’s shelf stable. I’m pretty sure that’s because of USDA regulations. If that’s true, then no state’s cottage food law would allow it. In other words, you’ll need an inspected facility and meet whatever other requirements are out there.

[lkrfletcher]

TexLaw - Yep. Colorado inspection is a stainless steel commercial kitchen. They are for rent all over the city. That being said, it is a one time inspection to get your food license, which is accepted by Farmers markets. I had a lawyer check this out a few years ago when I retired from the Navy. It is possible things have changed since then.

[Chef]

lkrfletcher TexLaw the sad thing is that we who are dedicated to this process is often better sanitized that the big boys. Of the two major smokie houses near me, both that do a lot of private labeling products, have gotten much more people sick, 6 in the last two months, while my little sales to friends have not had anyone get sick. People are learning, but unfortunately lobbies control things way more than they should.

[twilliams]

Chef 6 in the last two months i would think the state would step in and shut them down til they figure it out. I agree with cleanliness. I wear latex gloves constantly watching what i touch, wash and sanitize equipment and surfaces in between each animal (no batch mixing). Only down fall i have is i dont have a stainless steel cut table but do have a typical kitchen counter top that gets the 60 second hard surface sanitize and temp controlled facility so im constantly putting in fridge or freezer when im at a stall point. Also dont process unless temps are around 60° or less outside.