Who here owns a smoker?

[fordman84]

I want one. I just have a Weber grill that I've had for about 20 years.

I also have a gas grill that I use for quick stuff like brats and dogs, but I prefer the regular charcoal Weber for everything else. I did a pork butt a few years ago over indirect heat and applewood chunks and it turned out great. Want an actual smoker, though.

How big is the weber? Those in the indirect setup like you said work pretty darn well. Hard to keep a temp steady on a really long smoke though.

 

[fordman84]

After chatting with you, I bought something like this the other day. I started out cheap cause I'm not sure how committed I am to this. I like cooking so there is that.

View attachment 26701I tested it out trying different easy things. I did chicken and then salmon the next night just to get used to it.

Friday night I put on a whole brisket, 13lbs at 10:30pm after watching some youtube video's. Started the grill at 9:00pm. The hardest part was getting the right amount of wood to keep the temps down to 250 but got it leveled off and seemed to pull it off. I had to close every vent and then ended up stuffing aluminum foil into cracks around the lid. But I finally got it there. I took the brisket off and wrapped it in foil at 3:30am and put it back on until 9:00am. And then put it in a cooler until folks showed up. We cut into it at 1:30pm yesterday. That's a long cook.

Had a few over yesterday for the UFC fights and they slaughtered it so I must have pulled it off. I have about 3 pounds left over, but am pretty sure they'll be gone in a day or two. Turns out brisket, swiss, sarachi bbq on a fresh kieser roll is damn good. I didn't like the bark...i thought it softened out too much while wrapped in the foil. I'm going to order butcher block paper to see if that helps me there.

I used frontier hardwood charcoal...it's what sams had. I already have a bunch cut up 4 inch thick hickory limbs i use for cooking in the fire pit, so i cut up one into about 1 inch wafers and added one of those every time i added wood to the hopper.

I also have apple, maple and cherry on the property I may test out in the future. The family loved it...but it's new. And it's a load of work. I know I'll be smoking some this year, but we'll see if I upgrade to an actual smoker. Today I'm cleaning up the mess. Ugh.

Sounds like you got it dialed in. You are doing it the right way, learn how to do it with a cheap-o unit and then if you like it (and the spouse doesn't mind smoky flavor) then upgrade. Then life is even easier because you know how to trouble shoot a good unit which will have less trouble than a cheap one.

Also, I smoke brisket at 225-235. Might be easier for you to maintain that. Take a tiny bit longer, but you are wrapping it so not really.

 

[occupant]

Remember to coat your smoker's inners in Canola before every smoke kids.

 

[fordman84]

Everyone liked it. We almost went through the whole 13 pounds. It was pull-a-part tender. I'm a bit hard on myself here though. I wanted it to be saltier than I had it. I'll probably use a lot more salt and pepper next time. I thought it was a tad heavy in smoke and the bark wasn't crisp which it was before I wrapped it in foil. The bark being soft disappointed me the most I think. It seems many are using butcher block paper instead of foil so I may give that a try next time.

I would warn everyone though....this is like making peking duck. One must be committed. You can't whip a brisket together in a couple of hours.

edit....and you're right on the money with the exhaust vent. Once I got the grill cooled down to the 250 range, if I used the regular vent..even just a little crack, it would heat up too much, very quickly. The key was plugging every crack with foil and keeping the vents closed and then I could make minor adjustments by cracking the smokestack lid.

I almost always use foil, but that is the downside is you lose the bark. I used the brown butcher paper once and kept more of the bark but it didn't bust through the stall as fast as foil. I also add beef broth, just about a half cup, when I wrap in foil to keep it from just baking all the juices out. I let it sit for hours after as well to reabsorb all that.

I just pulled mine about 30 minutes ago. It will sit in a cooler until dinner now, resting and relaxing. When I open that up in 6 hours the meat will still be 190+.

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

I almost always use foil, but that is the downside is you lose the bark. I used the brown butcher paper once and kept more of the bark but it didn't bust through the stall as fast as foil. I also add beef broth, just about a half cup, when I wrap in foil to keep it from just baking all the juices out. I let it sit for hours after as well to reabsorb all that.

I just pulled mine about 30 minutes ago. It will sit in a cooler until dinner now, resting and relaxing. When I open that up in 6 hours the meat will still be 190+.

Smoking isn't about speed. I use foil on pork but butcher paper has really improved my beef game.

 

[fordman84]

Smoking isn't about speed. I use foil on pork but butcher paper has really improved my beef game.

Very true.

 

[Cobrabit]

One thing I do like about my electric smoker is that I can add as much smoke as I want, but continue to keep temperatures without a fire. I believe this helps me maintain a bark without too much smoke when I don't wrap. This is good for my pulled pork that I smoke overnight, but I still like to wrap ribs with butter and brown sugar to help get them done quicker.

Electric fits my current needs, but once the kids are a little older and the wife won't kill me for staying out tending a firebox for hours on end, I may go the stick burner route, just because it's like fishing.....an excuse to drink beer for long hours at a time while you're doing something "important". Then again, I can drink inside and know my temps are consistent.

Never going to be a competition cook and what little difference in taste there would be for an matter when everything tastes great after drinking all day!

 

[dikowt dowg]

Remember to coat your smoker's inners in Canola before every smoke kids.

This is the first I'm reading this as a hint. Like, do you wipe canola on everything (inside lid and sides, bottom) where the meat goes? Or just the grates?

 

[dikowt dowg]

I almost always use foil, but that is the downside is you lose the bark. I used the brown butcher paper once and kept more of the bark but it didn't bust through the stall as fast as foil. I also add beef broth, just about a half cup, when I wrap in foil to keep it from just baking all the juices out. I let it sit for hours after as well to reabsorb all that.

I just pulled mine about 30 minutes ago. It will sit in a cooler until dinner now, resting and relaxing. When I open that up in 6 hours the meat will still be 190+.

What are your thoughts on salt? Do you salt yours up heavy? And what do you use for wood? You said you highlight your flavor with mesquite, but what base wood are you using?

 

[batchaps4me]

Remember to coat your smoker's inners in Canola before every smoke kids.

Anything but pure hawg lard is heresy ...

 

[batchaps4me]

but what base wood are you using

I hate to interrupt and will let fordman answer but I just want to caution you that wood from any kind of nut bearing tree can make the meat bitter tasting. Just be extra careful with hickory, pecan, walnut, etc. I am not saying that you cannot get a great BBQ from them, just that you have to be more careful than with fruit wood.

 

[dikowt dowg]

I hate to interrupt and will let fordman answer but I just want to caution you that wood from any kind of nut bearing tree can make the meat bitter tasting. Just be extra careful with hickory, pecan, walnut, etc. I am not saying that you cannot get a great BBQ from them, just that you have to be more careful than with fruit wood.

Yeah...I agree here. Living in the North East though...it's what we have. Maple is by far the most abundant tree in the woods here used for cooking, but it burns up faster than the hickory. I went with the hickory for my local hint of flavor (I always must have my natural and local wood for my cooks) on my first try because I knew it would last longer. I didn't want to keep opening the pit to add in the maple. I probably was overthinking it. But I'm interested enough that I know I'll be experimenting for a while. At least until the bottom burns out of this unit.

I know what your saying about too much smoke which is why I'm asking what ford (and anyone reading) is doing for wood. I hate spending the money on store bought wood so I have spent a lot of time mixing regular charcoal and wood from my property in the fire pit, trying to balance out the taste. But this real smoking thing is new for me so I'm wondering where most people are getting their wood.

Fire pits...smoker ... the kitchen oven ... with tweaks, they are all the same to me.

And interrupt anytime you want You've always been a person of reason.

 

[fordman84]

What are your thoughts on salt? Do you salt yours up heavy? And what do you use for wood? You said you highlight your flavor with mesquite, but what base wood are you using?

I've stopped using mesquite on beef. I use hickory and then pecan for flavor. I'd say its about 75/25 hickory/pecan.

And I salt mine up pretty good. But after the years of experimenting I have learned that spending 15 minutes measuring out the rub I used to make then running through a spice grinder...just not worth it. So now I use kosher salt, light ground black pepper, then garlic powder dusting and with yellow mustard holding it all to the beef.

 

[fordman84]

I hate to interrupt and will let fordman answer but I just want to caution you that wood from any kind of nut bearing tree can make the meat bitter tasting. Just be extra careful with hickory, pecan, walnut, etc. I am not saying that you cannot get a great BBQ from them, just that you have to be more careful than with fruit wood.

For sure. My buddy that does competition uses oak as his fire then puts pecan on it, but the oak is just overpowering to me. It's what judges like, but not me. I avoid peach and apple with beef for what you listed. My basic rules are hickory/pecan for beef, mesquite/very light pecan for pork but sometimes throw some peach in there if I have it on hand, and then apple or cherry for poultry and fish. Wife doesn't like fish, so don't smoke it hardly ever. Did salmon once, she didn't care for it.

 

[dikowt dowg]

I've stopped using mesquite on beef. I use hickory and then pecan for flavor. I'd say its about 75/25 hickory/pecan.

And I salt mine up pretty good. But after the years of experimenting I have learned that spending 15 minutes measuring out the rub I used to make then running through a spice grinder...just not worth it. So now I use kosher salt, light ground black pepper, then garlic powder dusting and with yellow mustard holding it all to the beef.

For this, I stuck to basic salt and pepper but I backed off too much. I was looking at a few different video's so I went with the more cautious approach this time. Too much salt can dry meat out, but I see a brisket is booming with fat. You've confirmed what I suspected, so I'll hit it much heavier the next time.

I was whipped yesterday after the night of cooking. You seem to holding up well. I have much practice to get close to your level.

 

[fordman84]

For this, I stuck to basic salt and pepper but I backed off too much. I was looking at a few different video's so I went with the more cautious approach this time. Too much salt can dry meat out, but I see a brisket is booming with fat. You've confirmed what I suspected, so I'll hit it much heavier the next time.

I was whipped yesterday after the night of cooking. You seem to holding up well. I have much practice to get close to your level.

Yeah I had a late Friday with work, early Saturday with baseball, and then long night with the smoker. But having a kiddo has taught me how not handle being tired.

Most of the salt will sweat off as it cooks, that's an issue it took me forever to figure out.

 

[occupant]

This is the first I'm reading this as a hint. Like, do you wipe canola on everything (inside lid and sides, bottom) where the meat goes? Or just the grates?

Anything but pure hawg lard is heresy ...

it helps build up the “patina” inside your smoker, might only be applicable to horizontally-oriented smokers? I use water alone to clean out the smoker after use. Let it completely dry before applying any coatings. I use Canola as it has a higher burn point than most other oils/lard. I coat the entirety of the inside of the smoker, and will apply to the exterior before long storage times.

 

[Cobrabit]

Type of wood and the amount of smoke can make or break a cook. Avoid fruity woods with beef, but oak, maple, and hickory go well. Let the beef flavor stand on its own, hence the reason simple rubs of salt, pepper, and maybe a couple other small additions is best. Essentially, don't get cute with beef.

Pork likes apple, peach, cherry, etc. Pecan is also nice, but as an accent. Pork can take several different flavor profiles with seasonings, but hard to go wrong with a brown sugar base, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic, onion, and mustard.

The key is to understand when the smoke flavor penetrates the meat and when it becomes overwhelming/bitter/burntnif the smoke continues. Get that flavor profile and color in at the beginning and either wrap or back off the smoke to bring to temp. If you wrap and still want a bark, you can unwrap for the last 15 minutes or so to dry out.

I don't think I can emphasize this enough, but what you cook is most likely going to taste great, especially after enjoying adult beverages all day. Add/subtract for the next cook to dial in your own style, but there is no set and forget recipe or procedure to guarantee success, as countless competition cooks can attest. Each outing is a new experience/challenge, but even if we fall short of our goals, the product is likely still going to get compliments!

 

[batchaps4me]

Yeah...I agree here. Living in the North East though...it's what we have. Maple is by far the most abundant tree in the woods here used for cooking, but it burns up faster than the hickory. I went with the hickory for my local hint of flavor (I always must have my natural and local wood for my cooks) on my first try because I knew it would last longer. I didn't want to keep opening the pit to add in the maple. I probably was overthinking it. But I'm interested enough that I know I'll be experimenting for a while. At least until the bottom burns out of this unit.

I know what your saying about too much smoke which is why I'm asking what ford (and anyone reading) is doing for wood. I hate spending the money on store bought wood so I have spent a lot of time mixing regular charcoal and wood from my property in the fire pit, trying to balance out the taste. But this real smoking thing is new for me so I'm wondering where most people are getting their wood.

Fire pits...smoker ... the kitchen oven ... with tweaks, they are all the same to me.

And interrupt anytime you want You've always been a person of reason.

We use locally cut fruit woods but the vast majority of what we smoke is pork and as I said earlier, the womenfolk in our household just bitch too much about any seasoning/rub other than salt and pepper. If we go with beef, it is normally spare ribs only. The source for our wood is that there are several people in our area that sell firewood to the spring and fall race campgrounds. Normally they will have some kinds of fruit tree wood set aside for us. Apple and oak are especially abundant but we can always find a stray peach and pecan in their woodpiles ... cherry is more rare and a luck thing. I would imagine that in your neck of the woods there are many still augmenting their heating with firewood. That is as good a place to start looking as any.

 

[batchaps4me]

For sure. My buddy that does competition uses oak as his fire then puts pecan on it, but the oak is just overpowering to me. It's what judges like, but not me. I avoid peach and apple with beef for what you listed. My basic rules are hickory/pecan for beef, mesquite/very light pecan for pork but sometimes throw some peach in there if I have it on hand, and then apple or cherry for poultry and fish. Wife doesn't like fish, so don't smoke it hardly ever. Did salmon once, she didn't care for it.

For me, hickory is great for open and whole hog pits. The smoke seems to be so much lighter in those setups that they are a different topic than smokers on the whole, IMHO.