A system includes a firepot within a cooking chamber, an auger that delivers pelletized fuel into the firepot, and a fan that provides combustion air to the cooking chamber. The fan operates on a periodic basis to maintain the cooking chamber in a state of high relative smoke generation compared to smoke generation that would occur in a steady-state fan operation.

A system for measuring smoke absorption into food products includes a surrogate that reacts to a presence of smoke in air ambient to the surrogate and the food products; and the surrogate is configured to change a state after an exposure to the smoke for a time sufficient to effect a predetermined amount of smoke absorption by a selected food product. A method of making the system for measuring smoke absorption into food products includes placing the surrogate in air ambient to the surrogate in a smokehouse where the food products are to be smoked, configuring the surrogate to change a state after an exposure to the smoke for a time sufficient to effect a predetermined amount of smoke absorption by the food products; and measuring the change of state of the surrogate.

Sensor stations and related systems and methods to monitor and measure properties of food products in food processing structures such as cure rooms, smokehouses, ovens, and related structures. The sensor stations allow real-time, local collection of product properties and their surrounding environmental conditions in order to improve efficiency, reduce product waste and guesswork, and to provide data-based analysis for decision making. Sensor stations can be mounted to food supports and can be in electronic communication with each other and with intermediate nodes that provide a connection to other external computing devices that provide analysis and alerts to users and technicians. Various non-destructive modeling systems for determining water activity and pH of changing products are also provided.

Sensor stations and related systems and methods to monitor and measure properties of food products in food processing structures such as cure rooms, smokehouses, ovens, and related structures. The sensor stations allow real-time, local collection of product properties and their surrounding environmental conditions in order to improve efficiency, reduce product waste and guesswork, and to provide data-based analysis for decision making. Sensor stations can be mounted to food supports and can be in electronic communication with each other and with intermediate nodes that provide a connection to other external computing devices that provide analysis and alerts to users and technicians. Various non-destructive modeling systems for determining water activity and pH of changing products are also provided.

A device for rapidly smoking food that is portable and adapted to accept and contain smoke from a smoke source. The smoking device has a housing with an internal chamber with a rack adapted to hold a food, such as one or more of a portion of solid food and a liquid such as a beverage. The device has a plurality of apertures that are sealable by a cover to contain smoke or other vapor within the device in order to infuse the food therewithin.

An apparatus for smoking food products, comprising at least one kiln which is provided with a drum, which can be actuated so as to rotate about its own axis of extension, and which defines internally a treatment chamber for food products which can be accessed through a loading and unloading opening. The drum has at least one smoke inlet which is connected to a smoke generator device.

An apparatus for smoking food includes a pot having a floor, a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to an upward edge, and an interior cooking region formed within the sidewall above the floor. A tube extends through the floor into the interior cooking region, forming a first opening adjacent the floor, a second opening adjacent the upward edge, and a height from the first to the second openings. A lid has a perimeter edge to engage the upward edge of the pot. The tube height and the lid location above the tube when engaged with the upward edge provides a smoke passageway from the first opening, through the second opening, into the interior cooking region. A method includes cooking food in an alternate cooking apparatus for an initial time period, after which the food is transferred to the smoking pot apparatus. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Embodiments are directed to communicating with and controlling operation of electronically-controlled appliances. In one scenario, a computer system receives a first input from a computing system indicating that an electronically-controlled appliance is permitted to communicate with a cloud computing platform. The computer system generates a notification that is to be sent to a software application, where the software application is configured to control functions of the electronically-controlled appliance. The computer system transmits the generated notification to the software application, where the generated notification indicates that the cloud computing platform is communicably connected to the electronically-controlled appliance. The computer system then receives a second input from the software application indicating that specified functions are to be performed on the electronically-controlled appliance, and transmits instructions to the electronically-controlled appliance to perform the specified functions. These functions are then interpreted and carried out by a hardware controller on the electronically-controlled appliance.

A method of creating a meat piece includes cooking a meat product until it is fully cooked including cooking the meat product until it has an internal temperature of approximately at least 165 F. After cooking the meat product, the meat product is sliced into meat pieces. The method then includes coating the meat pieces with a coating agent with at least cane sugar, salt, liquid smoke, and starch. Then the coated meat pieces are packaged.

A method of creating a meat piece includes cooking a meat product until it is fully cooked including cooking the meat product until it has an internal temperature of approximately at least 165 F. After cooking the meat product, the meat product is sliced into meat pieces. The method then includes coating the meat pieces with a coating agent with at least cane sugar, salt, liquid smoke, and starch. Then the coated meat pieces are packaged.