What's in your smoker?

[fxpose]

Mike, them ribs look good. Foil or no foil? Looks like you pretty much got it dialed in with your OTG.
Oh, and I heard you polished off the entire slab all by yourself...:p :D

[ucla695]

Mike, them ribs look good. Foil or no foil? Looks like you pretty much got it dialed in with your OTG.
Oh, and I heard you polished off the entire slab all by yourself...:p :D

Thanks. Yeah, I used foil and I did polish it off. :D

[T.G]

Wes, those flanken ribs look killer, I need to find a butcher out here that will cut them like that (leaving more of the meat attached - they carve them pretty thin across the face out here :td).


Keith, great looking meatfest!


Mike, great looking Q. Looks like you're getting the hang of the firebricks pretty quickly.

[Hot Stuff x]

Regarding Flanken Style ribs....

That's the stuff Piggly Wiggly keeps on putting in the reduced rack, but for some reason they cut them in 3/8s inch slices
and for some reason they are high priced even reduced, (for what they are). But maybe they'd sell better if they would
stop freaking slicing them.


Do you have Koreans in your area? These ribs sliced at 3/8" are what the Koreans use for L.A. Galbi, a very popular (among Koreans) dish. The ribs are marinated in a sweet soy marinade then grilled over hot coals. Served with rice and Korean side dishes. Delicious!

http://bitealot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Galbi.jpg

[Mr B]

Very nice lookin' Ribs...all of you guys.

[fxpose]

Yeah, those sliced beef ribs are perfect on a hibachi. The only way to do them. They just don't look right grilling them over a Weber, for instance...:p

I get them at my local Asian market for 3.99/lb and they usually slice them to about 1/4" thickness.

[OLS]

There's a lot of every nationality here...but I have to agree that these things on the
grill are fantastic. I have just shied away cause of the price. And by the time
they are reduced, I am not too happy with the color of em, lol. Also I think they
need to change the blade on the band saw as they can be a little gritty in the bone
department. No one likes that. I tell you, if I find a few packs today I will get em.

OK, headed up to the mountains again next week, so this weekend is mondo rib smoke
weekend. Gonna do 4 racks to cool and freeze. Then gonna thaw them and flash heat em
on the grill before serving. Last weekend I did a small butt and pulled it to really nice
effect and froze that. Usually I slice a butt, but decided to pull instead. My pic is at home
in the cam, so flay away on me. So one day next week in the Smokies I will be having
reconstituted BBQ.

[BigAsh]

OK, headed up to the mountains again next week, so this weekend is mondo rib smoke
weekend. Gonna do 4 racks to cool and freeze. Then gonna thaw them and flash heat em
on the grill before serving. Last weekend I did a small butt and pulled it to really nice
effect and froze that. Usually I slice a butt, but decided to pull instead. My pic is at home
in the cam, so flay away on me. So one day next week in the Smokies I will be having
reconstituted BBQ.

Brad....have you spoken to NASA about that?? :D

[cricky101]

If I can get a day to myself, I'm hopefully going to try my first pork butt (or 2) this weekend.

I think I've smoked about everything else (chicken, ribs, brisket, chuck roast, etc ...), but for some reason haven't tried a pork butt yet ...

[Mr B]

I got plans for smokin' 3 slabs o Ribs and BBQ Beans on Sat. :dr

[fxpose]

I've got plans for smoking 2 racks of beef back ribs and a rack of spareribs in my WFO on Sat...:tu

[T.G]

Fired up the POSECCB smoker and just put a bunch of various peppers on about an hour or so ago.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=521&pictureid=4473

Fresnos, habeneros, some form of Thai peppers, cayennes, a couple of jalapenos, an Anaheim and some sweet peppers that I ended up growing by accident because the seeds got mixed up.

Oh, and an egg.

[T.G]

****.

Temps went too high.

Anyone want a good deal on some slightly burnt chipotles?

[ucla695]

****.

Temps went too high.

Anyone want a good deal on some slightly burnt chipotles?

That's a great idea. Too bad they didn't turn out.

What type of wood did you use? What temp and for how long are you supposed to smoke them?

[bigdix]

Beginning tomorrow, the annual pig roast. That'd be one whole hog, stuffed with whole chickens and vegetable. Plus a couple of briskets to eat while we're waiting on the pig. Some good friends, good scotch, and a herf-worthy collection of cigars to smoke...got about 24 hours to kill so why the hell not, right? Besides, my new Palio got here so I have to try it out on a few cigars, eh? The Cigar-murai Social Club strikes again here in Okinawa, Japan!! :ss

[OLS]

I think I will also do some beans, Mr. B. After seeing the type of success you guys are
having with placing the beans under the meat, I figured I'd do that as well. Anything that
makes my ribs go a little farther amongst the ravenous 12 or so relatives that will be snackin
on them bones.

[OLS]

****.

Temps went too high.

Anyone want a good deal on some slightly burnt chipotles?

I thought you WANTED to burn off the skin on those things?

[wayner123]

I think I will also do some beans, Mr. B. After seeing the type of success you guys are
having with placing the beans under the meat, I figured I'd do that as well. Anything that
makes my ribs go a little farther amongst the ravenous 12 or so relatives that will be snackin
on them bones.

You should smoke a butt and use the meat to make the hog apple beans. Once you have those beans, you will judge all others by them. Thanks again Brent for ruining me :r

[T.G]

That's a great idea. Too bad they didn't turn out.

What type of wood did you use? What temp and for how long are you supposed to smoke them?

I'm thinking that it was the wind that fed more air into the vertical smoker that caused the temps to run away. Normally that old POS is actually good for this kind of work because it runs very cold (normally) and the access door makes adding wood easy.

Anyway, not a big deal, just a tad disappointing, but there will be plenty more peppers this season. Plus, I still have some smoked peppers left from last year.

Jalapenos are traditionally smoked over pecan wood to form chipotles. I've been using plum for the last few years because I have a lot of it and it has a very unique bite. Almond would be fine, oak might work, cherry would probably be fine too. For various reasons, I would avoid hickory, mesquite & apple. Citrus wood would go unnoticed.

Since temperatures and times are dependant on the peppers, I think it's better to just explain the idea than give any definite numbers.

Start with ripe (red) peppers. Yeah, those fresnos weren't quite red, but close enough, also, fresno peppers are some of the few peppers that still taste good when you use green ones - them and certain varieties of thai peppers. Tear the stems off, try not to tear open the flesh of the pepper.

What you need to do from there is simply dehydrate the pepper with smoke. It's ok to make smoke for the whole cook, it's not going to hurt the peppers so long as they aren't dripping with tar and creosote. You also want to keep temps as low as you can to avoid burning (only use a few coals and just just keep adding a few freshly lit coals and smoke wood as necessary), below 200 if possible.

Large, thick, fleshy, watery peppers will take longer than smaller, thin peppers (DUH), and you just need to watch them until they are leathery/dry. I think the winds did me in on this cook, so instead of leathery & slightly pliable, I few right past that at the end and went to burnt cracker.

To give you a ballpark on times, habeneros cook quickly - maybe an hour or so. Thai will cook quickly also if they are in a perforated basket, if they are on foil, they'll take longer. Fresnos, 4-5 hours depending on temps. Big thick watery jalapenos, longer. Opening the lid every 30 minutes to peek and every 10 once you get close isn't any big deal, it's not like a hunk of meat where doing that can mess up your cook.

Oh, BTW, can't use most supermarket peppers because they are usually coated with food grade wax.

---

Oh, and you have to smoke an egg while doing it - it's a tradition... ;)

Take a raw egg, use one of those thingies that punches a hole in the end of the shell where the airsack is or just use a thumbtack/pushpin, then put it on the grate. After about 1.5 hours, it'll look all brown and coated, pull it off, let it cool, crack it open and treat like any other hard boiled egg.

[ucla695]

I'm thinking that it was the wind that fed more air into the vertical smoker that caused the temps to run away. Normally that old POS is actually good for this kind of work because it runs very cold (normally) and the access door makes adding wood easy.

Anyway, not a big deal, just a tad disappointing, but there will be plenty more peppers this season. Plus, I still have some smoked peppers left from last year.

Jalapenos are traditionally smoked over pecan wood to form chipotles. I've been using plum for the last few years because I have a lot of it and it has a very unique bite. Almond would be fine, oak might work, cherry would probably be fine too. For various reasons, I would avoid hickory, mesquite & apple. Citrus wood would go unnoticed.

Since temperatures and times are dependant on the peppers, I think it's better to just explain the idea than give any definite numbers.

Start with ripe (red) peppers. Yeah, those fresnos weren't quite red, but close enough, also, fresno peppers are some of the few peppers that still taste good when you use green ones - them and certain varieties of thai peppers. Tear the stems off, try not to tear open the flesh of the pepper.

What you need to do from there is simply dehydrate the pepper with smoke. It's ok to make smoke for the whole cook, it's not going to hurt the peppers so long as they aren't dripping with tar and creosote. You also want to keep temps as low as you can to avoid burning (only use a few coals and just just keep adding a few freshly lit coals and smoke wood as necessary), below 200 if possible.

Large, thick, fleshy, watery peppers will take longer than smaller, thin peppers (DUH), and you just need to watch them until they are leathery/dry. I think the winds did me in on this cook, so instead of leathery & slightly pliable, I few right past that at the end and went to burnt cracker.

To give you a ballpark on times, habeneros cook quickly - maybe an hour or so. Thai will cook quickly also if they are in a perforated basket, if they are on foil, they'll take longer. Fresnos, 4-5 hours depending on temps. Big thick watery jalapenos, longer. Opening the lid every 30 minutes to peek and every 10 once you get close isn't any big deal, it's not like a hunk of meat where doing that can mess up your cook.

Oh, BTW, can't use most supermarket peppers because they are usually coated with food grade wax.

---

Oh, and you have to smoke an egg while doing it - it's a tradition... ;)

Take a raw egg, use one of those thingies that punches a hole in the end of the shell where the airsack is or just use a thumbtack/pushpin, then put it on the grate. After about 1.5 hours, it'll look all brown and coated, pull it off, let it cool, crack it open and treat like any other hard boiled egg.

Thanks for taking time to explain it! :tu

I'm a big fan of chile peppers and am all over this! And, I can't mess with tradition so I'll do the egg too! I'm waiting for Hatch Chile season down here in SoCal. :tu

[tuxpuff]

Hey Adam...if you like smoked eggs...you have got to try this recipe for smoked egg salad...it's amazing...and super simple.

http://www.primalgrill.org/recipe_details.asp?RecipeID=136&EpisodeID=35

I've done it with 6 eggs instead of 4...and 1 tsp of mayo per egg. And make sure the eggs are dry before smoking them.

[T.G]

Hey Adam...if you like smoked eggs...you have got to try this recipe for smoked egg salad...it's amazing...and super simple.

http://www.primalgrill.org/recipe_details.asp?RecipeID=136&EpisodeID=35

I've done it with 6 eggs instead of 4...and 1 tsp of mayo per egg. And make sure the eggs are dry before smoking them.

Thanks Luke, I've actually thought about doing the eggs that way before, pre-boiled until they are almost fully cooked, then peeled and onto the grill to finish, but never bothered to try it.

I'm not really a big fan of egg salad or hard boiled eggs though, just once in a while.

Here's the deal behind the egg when I'm smoking peppers - it started out as a cheap, easy, foodsafe way for me to monitor how much smoke I was laying down. I needed something that would give me an indicator by changing color as I cooked and a white egg was the best thing I could think of at the time. Lots of surface area for smoke to deposit, so I could watch the color change, if it was darkening too fast and getting sticky when I put my finger on it, I was laying down too much smoke too fast, and would be at risk for very bitter peppers (plum wood can be kind of quirky). If it had runs in the deposits, then it meant things were running moist in the cook chamber and it was going to take awhile for the chilis to dry. If it split early on, I was running too hot too fast (this was before I bothered to add temp gauges to my pits). And so on... There was no worry about it contaminating the peppers or the pit since it was a piece of food that didn't splatter or drip. I used to just leave the thing in the entire cook and throw it away when I was done. Once I got the hang of it, I started pulling the thing out after about an hour and a half and using it as a snack with what was probably my fourth or fifth beer...

[tuxpuff]

Great idea :tu

[OLS]

You should smoke a butt and use the meat to make the hog apple beans. Once you have those beans, you will judge all others by them. Thanks again Brent for ruining me :r
I adapted this recipe to exclude the apples which I love fresh, but am not a fan of cooked.
I diced some peaches in there which I love every way you can make em. I am sure there is
no significant damage to the recipe. Put too much mustard though, and I am sure I am going to
hear about that one.;) I got em in the fridge waiting for Saturday.

[OLS]

As usual, I get the meat off the grill and foiled up and THEN I remember that
if I do not photo the meato, I get a rash round here. Cooked up 4 racks of spares
today, plus a large foil pan of beans placed under under the meat, cooked
along the lines of the recipe above, the apple hog. Cep'n mine was with
peaches. Beans came out great, the ribs were 4 perfect racks, but I foiled
three before I remembered to get the camera. Still, better one photo than
none. Imagine this pure perfection, x4. Everything was cooked to be frozen
for a trip to the Smokies on Sunday. Who knows what day we will eat it.

I am much happier with my smoke ring this week. I kind of dropped the ball
a few weekends ago and it took me a while to figure out what I had done wrong
Mostly just inconsistent fire.

[T.G]

Seriously good looking stuff there Brad.

Even if you really only cooked one rack of ribs. ;)

[Smokin Gator]

Great lookin' ribs Brad!!!

I too like the bean recipe better with peaches and make them that way most of the time. 4 Time World MIM Whole Hog Champion Myron Mixon makes them in his restaurant using pretty much the same recipe with, of course since it is in GA, peaches. If they are good enough for Myron the are good enough for me!!!

[Steve]

Great lookin' ribs Brad!!!

I too like the bean recipe better with peaches and make them that way most of the time. 4 Time World MIM Whole Hog Champion Myron Mixon makes them in his restaurant using pretty much the same recipe with, of course since it is in GA, peaches. If they are good enough for Myron the are good enough for me!!!

x2!:dr :tu:tu

[T.G]

Great lookin' ribs Brad!!!

I too like the bean recipe better with peaches and make them that way most of the time. 4 Time World MIM Whole Hog Champion Myron Mixon makes them in his restaurant using pretty much the same recipe with, of course since it is in GA, peaches. If they are good enough for Myron the are good enough for me!!!


Is THIS (http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5290021414/m/5670069613) the recipe you guys are modifying? Or is there another one around here somewhere?

[Smokin Gator]

That be the one!!!

[T.G]

Thanks.

[fxpose]

I decided to break in the new OTG over the weekend and tried making baby back ribs for the first time ever.

It was windy and took me a while to get the temp stabilized at 330* (according to the lid thermometer that came with the kettle). It was the lowest I could get it.

As far as the grill temp goes, I wanted to get it down to 250-275*, but I think the weather and the wind messed with it. Next time, I’ll try using 6 lit briquettes and a water pan over them and see if that helps.

Anyway, If I can find a way to get the temp down, I'll try a pork butt.

Mike, I think I know why you temp readings are high. The lid thermometer on your 26" OTG is mounted directly opposite the vents, on the other side of the lid, and sits almost directly above the coals. Using another thermometer through a vent hole should give you a much lower and accurate reading.

[Mr B]

Very nice lookin' ribs Brad.

[Smokin Gator]

I did a case (8) of butts this weekend. I was cooking 4 for a family get together and figured I would put the rest in the freezer. Dang easy cook... on at about 9 Friday night off at about 1 yesterday afternoon. Gotta love a Spicewine and a Stoker!!!

[ucla695]

Mike, I think I know why you temp readings are high. The lid thermometer on your 26" OTG is mounted directly opposite the vents, on the other side of the lid, and sits almost directly above the coals. Using another thermometer through a vent hole should give you a much lower and accurate reading.

That's some good thinking George. Thanks. I'm going to order the one you suggested.

[mosesbotbol]

Paella Cabra on Friday night. That's goat to the rest of us. It sad to see how young this goat was, but it was tender and novel meat for me to use in Paella.

The whole front end of a goat works well in a smoker similar to a lamb shoulder, but is smaller. The back half of the goat does not fair as well in the smoker; tends to be tough.

[Scothew]

Cooked a couple of butts for a friends lake party. Turned out great. 11hrs on the smoker after a 24hr soak in the brine.

[Stevez]

Cooked a couple of butts for a friends lake party. Turned out great. 11hrs on the smoker after a 24hr soak in the brine.


Scott, I've never brined pork butts because they seem to be juicy enough with all of the fat content and the low/slow method. How much of a difference have you noticed when you brine them? I did 2 butts this weekend and a brisket via the overnight method and they were a massive hit for my family reunion. BTW, I use a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. Thanks. Steve

[mosesbotbol]

Scott, I've never brined pork butts because they seem to be juicy enough with all of the fat content and the low/slow method. How much of a difference have you noticed when you brine them? I did 2 butts this weekend and a brisket via the overnight method and they were a massive hit for my family reunion. BTW, I use a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. Thanks. Steve

The texture and saltiness are different from brining. You'll notice it on any meat you brine. I think it becomes "stringier" with brining.

[Mr B]

I did a case (8) of butts this weekend. I was cooking 4 for a family get together and figured I would put the rest in the freezer. Dang easy cook... on at about 9 Friday night off at about 1 yesterday afternoon. Gotta love a Spicewine and a Stoker!!!



Wow Brent, thats a lot o Pork. Sounds fun.

[Mr B]

Cooked a couple of butts for a friends lake party. Turned out great. 11hrs on the smoker after a 24hr soak in the brine.


Lookin' very good Scott.

[Steve]

I'll be cooking for a catering gig Friday night. Looks like I'll be doing 4 butts, a couple of points, several slabs of ribs, plus anything else that pops up around the house for myself.

[Mr B]

I'll be cooking for a catering gig Friday night. Looks like I'll be doing 4 butts, a couple of points, several slabs of ribs, plus anything else that pops up around the house for myself.



Go Big or Go Home Brotha!

Right on Steve! Sounds fun.

[Scothew]

Scott, I've never brined pork butts because they seem to be juicy enough with all of the fat content and the low/slow method. How much of a difference have you noticed when you brine them? I did 2 butts this weekend and a brisket via the overnight method and they were a massive hit for my family reunion. BTW, I use a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. Thanks. Steve

I never had till the last 3-4 times I did it (after hearing the guys here talking about it). To me with the brine, i use it to infuse the flavor into the meat better. I love using like rosemary/thyme a bit of chipotle powder and LOTS of black pepper to make the brine and it just gives it a great flavor, and stays as tender and juicy beyond all belief.

[Stevez]

I never had till the last 3-4 times I did it (after hearing the guys here talking about it). To me with the brine, i use it to infuse the flavor into the meat better. I love using like rosemary/thyme a bit of chipotle powder and LOTS of black pepper to make the brine and it just gives it a great flavor, and stays as tender and juicy beyond all belief.

Thanks; I gotta try it now with that kind of recommendation.

[landhoney]

Smoking a Bacon Explosion and Brisket right now. If they turn out well I'll post a pic, if not...................:sad

[LooseCard]

Smoking a Bacon Explosion and Brisket right now. If they turn out well I'll post a pic, if not...................:sad
Post them either way :banger

[ucla695]

Post them either way :banger

Yup!!

[ucla695]

Congrats on the cook. One great thing about learning a new cooker is you get to eat the mistakes!!

When I used to use a Weber kettle as a smoker, and I did it a bunch, I would start with what I called a heavy half of a chimney of briqs. I would add 7 briqs and hour and I could run at 225-250 all day long. YMMV... but that was what worked for me.

Now that I have a hand full of cooks under my belt, this is what I use!! Very effective for the kettle!! Thanks for the advice!!

[Smokin Gator]

Now that I have a hand full of cooks under my belt, this is what I use!! Very effective for the kettle!! Thanks for the advice!!

Glad it is working for ya brother!!! Keep on smokin'!!!

[landhoney]

Post them either way :banger

Yup!!

Here you go, that's a sliced new potato fried in the bacon dripping in the middle of the 'explosion'

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4864159337_dd7257e48e.jpg

The 'explosion' turned out great and really encouraged me to make another. My brisket needs work, lol. :)

[fxpose]

Oooo....Yeah... I think I just exploded looking at that...

I've gotta try this one day...

[sevans105]

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/wonder_lick/Motivational%20posters/motivationalposter55.jpg

Saw this and had to share....now if there were only cigars it would be perfect.

[kugie]

It's not in my smoker anymore. getting ready to eat.
Started around 0730 finished half an hour ago.
My second Attempt at a Pork Butt. :dr


6881

[Darrell]

It's not in my smoker anymore. getting ready to eat.
Started around 0730 finished half an hour ago.
My second Attempt at a Pork Butt. :dr


6881

You only smoked it a couple of hours? or did you mean 7:30 PM?

[kugie]

You only smoked it a couple of hours? or did you mean 7:30 PM?

about 4 hours

That is three small pieces, not one big one.

[wayner123]

You only smoked it a couple of hours? or did you mean 7:30 PM?

With the Hot and Fast method one could finish 3, 4lb butts in about 3 hours.

[mosesbotbol]

Smoked a lamb shoulder. Got it from a local Halal butcher in Brighton. The lamb was so fresh, it was not even chilled. The sawed the shoulder right in front of me. The had about 4-5 lamb's whole; skinned with the head on and tongue sticking out. My girlfriend refuses to go in. The smell and flies she objects too, lol.

For those who love lamb, the whole shoulder is the pinnacle of lamb. 6 hours on the smoker and it comes out like pulled pork, but lamb.

Halal lamb tends to be local and usually much younger than New Zealand lamb. The ribs were so small and the shank was too.

[OLS]

Like i said last week, I smoked four racks for my trip to the Smokies, and I taste tested one bone,
and was just itchin for another taste. I would not have frozen them if I had realized that i had
started a tradition the previous year. We ate ribs the first night after everyone had been
travelling and had arrived at the cabin. I figured no one would want to eat after being on the
road, so I froze them for much later in the week. Well I ended up re-heating them the first night,
and I cut up all 4 racks. And as expected, I ended up with about two racks of cut up ribs uneaten,
and I was a tad pissed about it but not actually pissed. Well my brother in law comes in the next day and
he was freaking out over the taste. They WERE my best ribs ever, but he just went on and on
about how he would pay top dollar for them on any day of the year. Hehe. makes a cook feel good.
And like I said, they had the best flavor inside the meat that i had achieved to that point. And every
day as we would make all of our various sandwiches for the hike that day, I just sliced the cold meat
off of a few bones and plopped it on a sammich with some mayo and cold beans. man, talk about
a good sammich.:dr

Wed morning we hiked up to Mt. LeConte, and I am not kidding when i say it almost killed me, but i took
breaks all the way up the mountain and i survived. Coming down was so much better, but by that time,
my shins and toes and ankles were screaming for it to be over, but there were miles and miles to go.
the next day I felt a hundred percent better, but now, days after, i am hurting, lol. Hiked about 35 miles
over the week. MAN I LOVE THE SMOKIES.

[Steve]

Part I

Fired off the Lang Friday evening after I got home from work for a small party I was catering Saturday. A couple of pork buts, a couple of brisket points and some ribs and sausage for the party, and some baby backs and sausage for me and my bud's that came over to hang out with me. Lots of fun and fellowship, and the food went over great at the party!

Lighting up a smoke with The Torch Lighter of All Torch Lighters...Has anyone seen my eye brows???

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20001.jpg

The first of the food is on

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20005.jpg

Good Times!

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20006.jpg

Checking the progress

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/image1.jpeg

Yumm!

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/image2.jpeg

[Smokin Gator]

Sounds great Brad!!! Glad they turned out for the family.

When I grow up I want to be like Steve (or at least have his smoker)!!

[Steve]

Part II

Set up for Party Time...I wonder how long a horse would take before it tendered up???

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20008.jpg

Serving Time

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20020.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20021.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20026.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ/2010-08-07_Matti%20Birthday%20BBQ%20028.jpg

The party went well and the client was ecstatic. I had a great time and smoked several nice cigars while making a couple of bucks. Not a bad way to spend a night and day!

[tuxpuff]

Looks amazing as usual Steve!!!

[JDTexan]

Part II

Set up for Party Time...I wonder how long a horse would take before it tendered up???

That is great!

[Mr B]

Steve U R D MAN!!!

[BigAsh]

Steve!!!!!...Looks killer bro'....The bark on that brisket, ummmm....Notice you're drinkin some good ol' PA brewed beer!!

[OLS]

lOOKING AT THE PICS, FIRST i WONDER IF YOU ARE only RESPONSIBLE...SHOOT.
If you are only responsible for the MEAT, or if you threw together all those sides. My gut tells me
meat only, but I would not put it past you to supply beans. I could never do this in Memphis, I'd get
murdered, but I'd like to do something similar if I ever get out of here.

[Steve]

I did the meat, sides and sauce. Party thrower sid the hotdogs and the veggie and cheese plates.

Beans were cooked under the butts and had pieces of pulled pork from a previous cook, my sauce and rub.

[Steve]

....Notice you're drinkin some good ol' PA brewed beer!!

Yes Sir!

[OLS]

Ughhh.
3 major chain stores in town and not a single one has spares onsale this weekend.
At least I have trimmings from 6 racks frozen. That's a lot of meat in and of itself.
I think I will pick up a bag o charcoal sometime this week and roll with it.

[fxpose]

I smoked some dino bones last night... They were real good. I think they shorted me a bone or two....lol..

This weekend will be tri-tips. I'm not sure whether I should smoke or grill them in the traditional manner.

[Darrell]

I smoked some dino bones last night... They were real good. I think they shorted me a bone or two....lol..

This weekend will be tri-tips. I'm not sure whether I should smoke or grill them in the traditional manner.

Where did you get that thermometer???

[Steve]

An interesting idea a friend just e-Mailed to me...

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictures/Misc/Turtles.jpg

[T.G]

An interesting idea a friend just e-Mailed to me...



http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35115

[fxpose]

Where did you get that thermometer???

I got it from these guys:

http://www.kck.com/tel-tru_grill_smoker_thermometer.html

[Steve]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35115

Oops...the story of my life; A day late and several dollars short!

[T.G]

Oops...the story of my life; A day late and several dollars short!

Could do one up fatty style on the smoker and be a pioneering trend-setter.:tu

The "recipe" for the turtle burgers has been around for awhile, I first saw it as a food blog entry many months ago (4, 5 I'd guess, but not sure offhand), and seen it pop up in other places a few times since, but they always seem to be oven cooked. I don't recall ever seeing one smoked.

I would think that one would probably have to attach the hot dogs in the last hour to half-hour of smoking, else there probably wouldn't be anything left of them that would be edible.

[LooseCard]

Where did you get that thermometer???

You can get Tel-Tru Thermometers from a lot of places.
There are several dial designs, and lengths to choose from.

Every once-in-a-while, they run a deal through TVWBB. I just keep missing it, myself.

[Steve]

Could do one up fatty style on the smoker and be a pioneering trend-setter.:tu

The "recipe" for the turtle burgers has been around for awhile, I first saw it as a food blog entry many months ago (4, 5 I'd guess, but not sure offhand), and seen it pop up in other places a few times since, but they always seem to be oven cooked. I don't recall ever seeing one smoked.

I would think that one would probably have to attach the hot dogs in the last hour to half-hour of smoking, else there probably wouldn't be anything left of them that would be edible.

I was thinking about using sausage (not that hot dogs aren't really a sausage). That way they would pretty much cook along with the rest of the fatty.

[T.G]

I was thinking about using sausage (not that hot dogs aren't really a sausage). That way they would pretty much cook along with the rest of the fatty.

:dr:dr:dr:dr

[mosesbotbol]

Goat Shoulder

Smoking a goat shoulder for tomorrow night. Will put on around 8:00 AM. I think it'll take about 6-7 hours. It weights about 6 lbs. Fresh killed and Hallal.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh39/mosesbotbol/DSCN3884.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh39/mosesbotbol/DSCN3886.jpg

I'll cook it over maple charcoal with soaked pecan shells, star anise and cinamon sticks.

[mosesbotbol]

Goat shoulder at 75 minutes in the smoker.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh39/mosesbotbol/DSCN3887.jpg

[tuxpuff]

Love goat...can't wait to see the final product!

[CEC_Tech]

That looks pretty sweet! Haven't really had goat yet, but that is making my mouth water.

[mosesbotbol]

Love goat...can't wait to see the final product!

Well... It finished a little sooner than expected. Here's a picture of it finished. I have it covered in cello until 6:00 PM when I'll slice it.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh39/mosesbotbol/DSCN3889.jpg

[tuxpuff]

Looks damn tasty!

[OLS]

Whew. That improved dramatically from the smoke only shot earlier.
I'd love to taste that.

[mosesbotbol]

I took a little taste off the edge. Very mild and tender. For those who do not eat goat, it has a milder flavor than lamb. I thought it would take longer to cook. Will try to take a post sliced picture.

[bsmokin]

May not be the perfect place for this but....

I have a nice gas grill and dont want to have to get a smoker. Seriously considering getting a Sams Smoker Pro ... http://samssmoker.com/smoker-pro/sams-smoker-pro.html

Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone know of a better way to go about smoking using a gas grill?

Thanks in advance for the input :tu

[ucla695]

I smoked some baby backs today. Completely forgot to take pics. :dr

[T.G]

May not be the perfect place for this but....

I have a nice gas grill and dont want to have to get a smoker. Seriously considering getting a Sams Smoker Pro ... http://samssmoker.com/smoker-pro/sams-smoker-pro.html

Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone know of a better way to go about smoking using a gas grill?

Thanks in advance for the input :tu

I used to do somethng similiar on a gas grill ages ago it's no different than a big chip box or a few foil logs of chips on the lava rocks.

In comparason to the plain gas, it will add A LOT of flavor, but not the same as a wood or charcoal smoker.

Will it work? Abolutely.

Will it taste like a charcoal or log burning smoker? Nope.

Will it taste good? Yes.

Is it easy as heck to use? You betcha.

Can you duplicate it with a cast iron pan from the local thrift store for $5 ior less and some foil across the top with a few holes punched in it? Yup.

[CasaDooley]

May not be the perfect place for this but....

I have a nice gas grill and don't want to have to get a smoker. Seriously considering getting a Sams Smoker Pro ... http://samssmoker.com/smoker-pro/sams-smoker-pro.html

Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone know of a better way to go about smoking using a gas grill?

Thanks in advance for the input :tu

Here's another way:http://www.smokedaddyinc.com/index.html

[bsmokin]

Here's another way:http://www.smokedaddyinc.com/index.html

That looks really cool! Have you tried this before???

[mosesbotbol]

I used to do somethng similiar on a gas grill ages ago it's no different than a big chip box or a few foil logs of chips on the lava rocks.

In comparason to the plain gas, it will add A LOT of flavor, but not the same as a wood or charcoal smoker.

Will it work? Abolutely.

Will it taste like a charcoal or log burning smoker? Nope.

Will it taste good? Yes.

Is it easy as heck to use? You betcha.

Can you duplicate it with a cast iron pan from the local thrift store for $5 ior less and some foil across the top with a few holes punched in it? Yup.

Pretty muc sums it up exactly. :tpd:

[T.G]

Pulled a rack of Denver ribs out of the freezer saturday, cooked them yesterday.

The garlic paste/slather is a mixture of fresh garlic (like 8-9 cloves), fresh rosemary, fresh Thai basil, three fresh cayenne peppers, thyme, oregano, black pepper, kosher salt, paprika, OO and some wet tamarind paste.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/906/1003017w.jpg
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/2804/1003019w.jpg
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1989/1003022w.jpg
http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/5611/1003023w.jpg


(continues below)

[T.G]

continued...

(the sausage was lunch - moved it directly over the coals to cook after I shot the photo)

Cooked with oak and some grape vines

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8725/1003024w.jpg
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/2692/1003026w.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4894/1003030w.jpg
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/8089/1003036w.jpg

yeah, I didn't bother with a plate, just ripped at it from the tray - almost forgot to take a picture.

[bsmokin]

OMG!!!! :dr:dr:dr:dr:

[Mr B]

Looks very tasty Adam. Good job.

[LooseCard]

Here's another way:http://www.smokedaddyinc.com/index.html
That looks really cool! Have you tried this before???
Check this thread to see the Soldering Iron / Tin Can cold smoker. It's a heck of a lot cheaper, and is doing the same thing.

[OLS]

Anyone know of a better way to go about smoking using a gas grill?

I may have mis-understood your question, but there is only a substitute way of smoking
that involves a gas grill. All of em are a poor substitute for the real thing. You CAN
smoke in a gas grill just by using a smoker box with chips in it. For some reason I just
do not like the results in a gas grill. If I had NOTHING, I would not be choosy, but
I do have a 'smoker' It is not a real smoker either, but a grill using indirect heat and smoke
envelopment. I put my ribs against anyone on the circuit, tho. I might not win, but they
would need a change of underwear. But if all you can do is light the burners on one side
and stack your meat on the other, and place a box of chips over the burners on the hot side,
you are essentially doing what I do, but without charcoal.

[tuxpuff]

Damn nice rub Adam...looks great!

[T.G]

Thanks guys. Luke, I blame you for getting me hooked on those, those ribs are just uber-delicious, but holy moley, I do not even want to think about what the fat content in them is.


On another note - just put 2lbs of cheddar over alder wood on for the Fresno herf at the end of September.

[LooseCard]

On another note - just put 2lbs of cheddar over alder wood on for the Fresno herf at the end of September.

Wow!
A month long smoke?

. On cheese!?!








:r

[T.G]

Wow!
A month long smoke?

. On cheese!?!








:r

:r:r:r:r

[OLS]

Due to the RUN of no posting for nearly a week, I cooked some stuff today. After trimming up four racks
of ribs a few weeks back, I had bags and bags of trimmins in the freezer. I cooked up a chuck roaast and a big
bag of trimmins. Not the same obviously, but I have been itchin to cook. I will not be doing anymore chuck
roasts in the smoker. I just do not care for the flavor. Something about pork just works. Maybe it's the fat.
In the morning I am gonna rub up some chicken legs and grill em up. Cannot abide smoked chicken skin.

[T.G]

Yeah - I've been mostly grilling of late. Smoking some stuff since the last batch of lamb, but it was the soldering iron in the tin can cold smoke dealliewhopper. Have 4lbs of cheese done and bagged so far. 2 lbs cheddar smoked with alder and 2lbs pepper jack with almond, most of it for the Fresno herf next month. I think I pulled an OLS and forgot to take photos though.

Going to do some sharp cheddar next week, haven't decided what wood yet though. Maybe I'll shoot a photo - although I have to admit, photos of cheese on a smoker are about as boring as watching paint dry.

[bsmokin]

So... my wife had it in her head that she didn't want me to have a smoker. So, I was thinking I would try smoking on the great gas grill I already have. But the more I read and heard about this, the less excited I was. It just wasn't going to compare. So... we compromised and I bought a great Weber 22.5" charcoal grill... PLUS, I have the Smokenator coming in the mail!!!

http://smokenator.com/ I could not be any more excited. :D

I was REALLY hoping that the Smokenator would show up in the mail today, but no dice. Now... with us going to the shore for Labor Day weekend, I will probably have to a wait a full TWO WEEKS before I get to use this beautiful new setup... :( SUCKS! :td

My plan is to smoke my first Pork Butt... maybe two. I've been looking for good rub recipes all over the net. The reason I'm thinking to make to is to be able to do one on the sweeter side, and one on the spicier side. Any exceptional Pork Butt rub recipes would be appreciated.

[bsmokin]

Gotta love a Spicewine and a Stoker!!!

WOW... Brent, I'm SO Jealous of this!... I am new to all this smoker stuff, but I was just checking out the Spicewine website... AMAZING! :tu So, which one do you have?

[T.G]

So... my wife had it in her head that she didn't want me to have a smoker. So, I was thinking I would try smoking on the great gas grill I already have. But the more I read and heard about this, the less excited I was. It just wasn't going to compare. So... we compromised and I bought a great Weber 22.5" charcoal grill... PLUS, I have the Smokenator coming in the mail!!!

http://smokenator.com/ I could not be any more excited. :D

I was REALLY hoping that the Smokenator would show up in the mail today, but no dice. Now... with us going to the shore for Labor Day weekend, I will probably have to a wait a full TWO WEEKS before I get to use this beautiful new setup... :( SUCKS! :td

My plan is to smoke my first Pork Butt... maybe two. I've been looking for good rub recipes all over the net. The reason I'm thinking to make to is to be able to do one on the sweeter side, and one on the spicier side. Any exceptional Pork Butt rub recipes would be appreciated.


At the end of the day, the smokinator isn't all that different than what a few of us are doing with firebricks in our Weber's. My two main recommendations are to mark your vent positions on the shield around the vent handle with a marker (if you have an OTG) or right on the side of the grill body with one of the silver markers (if you have an OTS). Mark your vents at 25%, 50%, 75% and the moment the vane clears and you get 100% open.

Two - don't be afraid to close the vent down to 0% if you need to keep temps down. The weber one-touch kettles leak air, so 0% on the inlets won't actually kill your fire.

As for recipes, here are some on the Virtual Bullet site to get you started:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html#pork

Most of those recipes adapt to the modified kettle smokers quite well, except for the vent positions (temps are the same, vent positions aren't),

[OLS]

Yeah - I've been mostly grilling of late.

It's funny that the weather has begun to show signs of serious improvement, and maybe that's
why the sudden lack of enthusiasm for smoking. A well-tuned smoker allowed us to sit inside
while the work was being done outside. Now it's more fun to be outside, so I think folks are
doing things they wouldn't dare do last month. Fishing, golf, walking, jogging, biking,
archery, lol. I actually sat there and watched my chicken legs grill last night. It was NOT hot.

[SilverFox]

Had some friends over so decided to do up some beef ribs.

Made two types up.

The first were Kicking Horse Long Bones the other are more of a Kansas Sweet style. I like the Kicking Horse as they provide a little more spice whereas the kids seem to gravitate to the Kansas ones (more brown sugar and molasses)

For prep I rubbed down all three racks (split in half for fit on the Weber SM) and wrapped them and let them sit overnight. The Kicking Horse get a rub the Sweet get a marinade.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/silverfox67/Food%20Pics/IMG_4021.jpg


Onto the smoker at about noon for dinner at 6, low and slow (225 or even a little less) for 3 hours then baste them about every 30 to 45 minutes for 2 hours with apple cider and dark lager for the Sweet and apple cider vinegar, hotsauce and bourbon for the Kicking Horse.

At about the 5 hr mark they get a generous portion of SweetNSmokey Sauce (one of Raichlens recipes if I remember) then my own Kicking Horse Sauce.
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/silverfox67/Food%20Pics/IMG_4028.jpg

Give em a half hour, re-sauce and move to to the grill for a little glazing.

Then wrap em and let em sit for 15 minutes. Cut them to singles for serving.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/silverfox67/Food%20Pics/IMG_4039.jpg

And then I served em up with Firegrilled Herbed Potatos, Grilled Corn on the Cob, and Grilled Veg.

The ribs were awesome.


http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/silverfox67/Food%20Pics/IMG_4040.jpg

[T.G]

Great looking food there Shawn.




It's funny that the weather has begun to show signs of serious improvement, and maybe that's
why the sudden lack of enthusiasm for smoking. A well-tuned smoker allowed us to sit inside
while the work was being done outside. Now it's more fun to be outside, so I think folks are
doing things they wouldn't dare do last month. Fishing, golf, walking, jogging, biking,
archery, lol. I actually sat there and watched my chicken legs grill last night. It was NOT hot.


I would have to agree with you Brad. Another thing is that maybe we don't plan far enough in advance or with so much else that can be done, we can't guarantee our schedules right now to allow us to set up cook, leave and come back at a predetermined time.

[Mr B]

Looks great Silver Fox! Thanks for sharing.

[Smokin Gator]

WOW... Brent, I'm SO Jealous of this!... I am new to all this smoker stuff, but I was just checking out the Spicewine website... AMAZING! :tu So, which one do you have?

Yeah, they are an awesome cooker and I absolutely love min. The one I have is a medium. I have an extra rack for a total of 4 racks. I also had a charcoal maze made. It is a U shaped maze. I light the top left and let her chug. I can usually get between 18-20 hours of cook time on one maze of charcoal, but I have gotten as much as 25 hours.

Shawn... killer looking dino bones brother!!! They are one of my favorites.:tu

[T.G]

Brent, I'm curious, can you take a guess at the capacity (weight) of charcoal that your maze holds to get those kind of cook times? Also, how deep is the stack?

[OLS]

I tell u what tho, Brent, just WAIT for football season. Put on your meat, watch some
SEC football, and either check or pull your meat for game 2. And if we are lucky, a 3rd night game.
Hooowee, am I ready for some football. Poor LSU, they are gonna suck something awful.
Except the wide receivers.

[MarioF]

This was from last week. We had a small party and I cut up about 20 pounds of beef tenderloin (gotta love Costco) and threw them on the grill. Fed about about 35 people.
http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad233/MTF51/IMG_4628.jpg

[OLS]

One of the real, meaty pleasures in life is cutting up a whole tenderloin.
I would NEVER give a butcher the fun. BUT buyer beware, not all
tenderloin in a bag is all that great. I saw a great sale at Piggly Wiggly
one week and I bought two, I mean, I couldn't afford NOT TO. But
USDA Choice and USDA inspected are two very different things, lol.
How in the hell they can see inside that strap is beyond me.

[bsmokin]

WOW... that's like an entire cow... ;) Nice job :tu

[OLS]

HI-yo medium Bone spare ribs just wen't onsale at Piggly Wiggly, as did 2 butts in a bag.
I think it's fair to say it's on like Donkey kong. And the freezer gets filled up, too, cause
I just found a hidden hundred in my console.

[Smokin Gator]

Brent, I'm curious, can you take a guess at the capacity (weight) of charcoal that your maze holds to get those kind of cook times? Also, how deep is the stack?

I usually will put 4-5 fist sized chunks of wood and then fill the maze with charcoal. It usually takes about 10 lbs of charcoal to fully fill the maze. The maze is about 5 inches deep.

I just had to send my camera off for repairs. When it gets back I will take a pic of it and post it.

[cricky101]

I've got the day off Friday so last night I picked up a 10 lb. brisket and an 8 lb butt to smoke.

I've done one other brisket, but it's my first pork butt.

Figure I'll get up early when my girlfriend gets up for work - 5:30-ish, and get started. I've got plenty of work around the house to do, so it should be a productive day!

Woo hoo! :tu

[T.G]

I usually will put 4-5 fist sized chunks of wood and then fill the maze with charcoal. It usually takes about 10 lbs of charcoal to fully fill the maze. The maze is about 5 inches deep.

I just had to send my camera off for repairs. When it gets back I will take a pic of it and post it.

Thanks!

[TheLostGringo]

This was from last week. We had a small party and I cut up about 20 pounds of beef tenderloin (gotta love Costco) and threw them on the grill. Fed about about 35 people.
http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad233/MTF51/IMG_4628.jpg

Great looking meat. I just wish I knew 35 people.

[OLS]

Picked up 5 lbs of hamburger meat, a rack of dino bones and 5 racks of ribs. Still need
to get out tomorrow and get another cryo of ribs. As many as I run through, they really
need to be gotten onsale. :D Looking forward to light off.

[hammondc]

Doing either Brisket or Pulled Pork this weekend.

[rizzle]

Being from Alabama I almost feel embarassed to admit it, but I've never personally owned a smoker. Well, the old birthday was yesterday and I solved that problem. Told the Missus I wanted a Weber Smokey Mountain and she had her wrapped up and waiting for me when I got home last night. It's been driving me crazy for a long, long time. Not anymore.

And I figure about the time I get her almost perfected I'll be about ready to build my outdoor kitchen complete with a built in Green Egg. At least that's the game plan. -(P

[hammondc]

Webber Smokey Mountain is where I cut my teeth on the art of backyard BBQ. I now have a Large Big Green Egg and am thrilled to death with it. Enjoy that webber. It is a helluva smoker. I still have mine and use it occasionally for overflow.

[Steve]

Being from Alabama I almost feel embarassed to admit it, but I've never personally owned a smoker. Well, the old birthday was yesterday and I solved that problem. Told the Missus I wanted a Weber Smokey Mountain and she had her wrapped up and waiting for me when I got home last night. It's been driving me crazy for a long, long time. Not anymore.

And I figure about the time I get her almost perfected I'll be about ready to build my outdoor kitchen complete with a built in Green Egg. At least that's the game plan. -(P

:tu:tu:banger

[Mr B]

Being from Alabama I almost feel embarassed to admit it, but I've never personally owned a smoker. Well, the old birthday was yesterday and I solved that problem. Told the Missus I wanted a Weber Smokey Mountain and she had her wrapped up and waiting for me when I got home last night. It's been driving me crazy for a long, long time. Not anymore.

And I figure about the time I get her almost perfected I'll be about ready to build my outdoor kitchen complete with a built in Green Egg. At least that's the game plan. -(P

Dont forget to wipe down the inside and run some smoke for a couple of hours to season it before cooking any meat in there. :tu
Good Luck!

[Scothew]

Being from Alabama I almost feel embarassed to admit it, but I've never personally owned a smoker. Well, the old birthday was yesterday and I solved that problem. Told the Missus I wanted a Weber Smokey Mountain and she had her wrapped up and waiting for me when I got home last night. It's been driving me crazy for a long, long time. Not anymore.

And I figure about the time I get her almost perfected I'll be about ready to build my outdoor kitchen complete with a built in Green Egg. At least that's the game plan. -(P


Nice man! Pics are soon to come I hope.

I got two nice size (8-9lb a piece) boston butts in the brine right now. Will start smoking them about 6pm tomorrow and they should be done by morning. Then ill throw the 3 racks of ribs on.

Never brined ribs before and want to try.. how long do you guys suggest? I figured half the time of a butt (which i do for 24hr) since they are much smaller in thickness.

[Smokin Gator]

Being from Alabama I almost feel embarassed to admit it, but I've never personally owned a smoker. Well, the old birthday was yesterday and I solved that problem. Told the Missus I wanted a Weber Smokey Mountain and she had her wrapped up and waiting for me when I got home last night. It's been driving me crazy for a long, long time. Not anymore.

And I figure about the time I get her almost perfected I'll be about ready to build my outdoor kitchen complete with a built in Green Egg. At least that's the game plan. -(P

Richie... (drawn out to about 5 syllables). You need to bring that up here, hang out with me, cook overnight, drink a little Jim Beam, smoke a few smokes, and let me show the art of cooking on a WSM:tu

[Scothew]

Richie... (drawn out to about 5 syllables). You need to bring that up here, hang out with me, cook overnight, drink a little Jim Beam, smoke a few smokes, and let me show the art of cooking on a WSM:tu

:banger:banger do it richie!!

[T.G]

Never brined ribs before and want to try.. how long do you guys suggest? I figured half the time of a butt (which i do for 24hr) since they are much smaller in thickness.

I've never brined ribs before, I probably wouldn't brine them at all, but let's say I were to...

There isn't that much meat on ribs nor is it that thick, so maybe 2-4 hours for BB, 4-6 for spares is probably all I would do, at least the first time.

I look at it this way, if I under brine them, then it's no loss, I can still eat them and I can always do it longer next time. But if I over brine them, they won't be edible and I just wasted a rack (or more).

Also, keep in mind I don't know how strong you make your brines.

[688sonarmen]

Tomorrow will be beef ribs. Letting them marinade overnight in a vidalia onion bar-b-que sauce I got in Peach Co Georgia:tu

[Steve]

Richie... (drawn out to about 5 syllables). You need to bring that up here, hang out with me, cook overnight, drink a little Jim Beam, smoke a few smokes, and let me show the art of cooking on a WSM:tu

:banger:banger do it richie!!

THAT, sounds like an offer NOT to refuse!

[Scothew]

I've never brined ribs before, I probably wouldn't brine them at all, but let's say I were to...

There isn't that much meat on ribs nor is it that thick, so maybe 2-4 hours for BB, 4-6 for spares is probably all I would do, at least the first time.

I look at it this way, if I under brine them, then it's no loss, I can still eat them and I can always do it longer next time. But if I over brine them, they won't be edible and I just wasted a rack (or more).

Also, keep in mind I don't know how strong you make your brines.

good advice. i might do 1 rack in a brine to see how it turns out

[Scothew]

I just pulled 2 butts off the smoker and omg they turned out good. I think i hit the money on teh brine, i made it a bit stronger than i normally do which i think paid off because this meat is to die for! even my wife at 1am was like holy crap. im tired and I already wrapped them up in foil to rest for the remainder of the night, but ill post a pic tomm, i got a great smoke ring in it as well from teh soaked hickory i used.

I just had to post real quick not to brag but more to give a praise to CA folks and their mad cooking skills. If it werent for you guys, i wouldnt be so obsessed with making good quality tasting bbq and ribs and would have never known about doing brines at all! Thank you all. Now its time for bed. /delirious out

[T.G]

I love hearing a good "well, I had an idea, and so I experimented with it and WOW it came out great!" story. :tu :tu :tu

What did you use in the brine besides salt?

BTW, I've noticed that some woods leave more pronounced smoke rings than others. I think the most pronounced ones that I've had were from cherry, but hickory was definately up there too.

[mosesbotbol]

Stop and Shop has brisket on sale this week. Picked up a 4.5 lb to cook tomorrow morning.

As a refresher, what is my time calc for WSM? I thought it was 75 min a lb? I usually wrap the last 90 minutes.

[hammondc]

Waiting on an 8lb Boston Butt to finish off. I was shooting for an 18 hour cook a about 215-220, butt I think the fire stoked itself overnight. I woke up to 237* at the grate. Meat temp is now 187. Dumped the temp back down. Sitting at 215* not with the meat at 192.

[cort]

I'm about to fire up the UDS and I have a couple Chuckies to toss on that sumb!tch.

[Smokin Gator]

I'm about to fire up the UDS and I have a couple Chuckies to toss on that sumb!tch.

Chuckies rule!!!! Best of luck on the cook!!

[hammondc]

Whats a UDS?

[Scothew]

I love hearing a good "well, I had an idea, and so I experimented with it and WOW it came out great!" story. :tu :tu :tu

What did you use in the brine besides salt?

BTW, I've noticed that some woods leave more pronounced smoke rings than others. I think the most pronounced ones that I've had were from cherry, but hickory was definately up there too.

I cooked up my brine in about 1/2 gallon of water on the stove, but put enoguh ingredients for 3 gallons since I was pouring it directly over ice to melt and dilute it.

I used salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, garlic and onion powder, some bbq seasoning (cheap stuff from the store), crushed red pepper flakes, and i think thats about it.

[Scothew]

Oh duh i forgot a major part, a healthy dose of syrup to bring in some sugar to the brine which i honestly dont know if it makes a difference or not on the syrup but im sticking with whats working :p

[T.G]

Whats a UDS?

Ugly Drum Smoker, sometimes alternately called Upright Drum Smoker.

A 55gal drum that's been turned into a smoker.


Off the top of my head, kgoings, gonesledn and bigash have them (they aren't the only ones, just the only ones I can remember right this second) and they have a few photos of them scattered in the thread.

Wes has some photos of the construction of his here:
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=30279&highlight=gonesledn

[T.G]

I cooked up my brine in about 1/2 gallon of water on the stove, but put enoguh ingredients for 3 gallons since I was pouring it directly over ice to melt and dilute it.

I used salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, garlic and onion powder, some bbq seasoning (cheap stuff from the store), crushed red pepper flakes, and i think thats about it.

Nice ingredient list. I use a very small amount of thyme in most of my BBQ rubs too, opens up a whole new set of flavors.

Oh duh i forgot a major part, a healthy dose of syrup to bring in some sugar to the brine which i honestly dont know if it makes a difference or not on the syrup but im sticking with whats working :p

Maple syrup? or corn syrup?

[Gonesledn]

Whats a UDS?

here is mine... home made of course.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDAxNTAtMjAxMDA0MTAtMTMzM.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDAxNDktMjAxMDA0MTAtMTMzM.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDAyNDUtMjAxMDA1MDEtMTkyO.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDAyNzctMjAxMDA1MDgtMTM1N.jpg

[T.G]

Hey, I didn't say your name 3 times while looking in a mirror...

[Scothew]

Nice ingredient list. I use a very small amount of thyme in most of my BBQ rubs too, opens up a whole new set of flavors.



Maple syrup? or corn syrup?

Corn. Maple is way expensive here and my wife gave me the "look" when I wnated to pick up some of that. Ive used molassas before and I cant tell a difference.

[hammondc]

Done.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/hammondc/DSC_0051.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/hammondc/DSC_0054.jpg

Now it gets a nap for a while before pulling.

[Smokin Gator]

Nice lookin' butt there Chip!!

[cort]

Nice lookin' butt there Chip!!

-(P

[hammondc]

Thanks guys. More pics after it gets pulled.

[Steve]

Nice lookin' butt there Chip!!

More of that Bro-Mancing going on around here!

:D

[Smokin Gator]

More of that Bro-Mancing going on around here!

:D

You're just jealous I wasn't complimenting your butt:tu

[Steve]

That's right...!

:r:r:r

[Giant & 49er Fan]

No one does a Butt like Brent... I mean
I like Brent's Butt the Best... wait
can't I just compliment another man's BBQ!

[Smokin Gator]

No one does a Butt like Brent... I mean
I like Brent's Butt the Best... wait
can't I just compliment another man's BBQ!

Mine are so good 'cause I let Steve rub and pull my butt!!!

[Steve]

Mine are so good 'cause I let Steve rub and pull my butt!!!

That's Right...!

:r:r:r

[hammondc]

This is getting uncomfortable. :xxx

[Ahbroody]

Okay read through about 15 pages of this thread.
Have an nice gas grill like Bsmokin, but want to get into smoking.

Would you guys recommend starting out with a WSM or something else? I see the dedicated smokers at the hardware stores etc and I just dont know which way to go.

[Smokin Gator]

For a family sized smoke it is hard the beat the WSM.

[hammondc]

For a family sized smoke it is hard the beat the WSM.

Yep. I LOOOOOVED my WSM.

[Ahbroody]

Just found a New Braunfels Smoker for basically free.
Think I may grab it and learn with it then upgrade.

[Smokin Gator]

Just found a New Braunfels Smoker for basically free.
Think I may grab it and learn with it then upgrade.

Is it an offset or a cabinet style?

[Ahbroody]

Offset

[Smokin Gator]

Offset

It is a very good smoker. Way more work as far as keeping it cooking, but a dang good smoker.

[Steve]

There are a couple of easy modes that will make it easier to cook with though. I have an older one in my garage that I used a lot before I got my Lang. I don't know how old yours is that you found, but mine is made from fairly heavy ga. metal. Some of the newer ones are a bit thinner and it's harder to keep the temperature level.

I'll look around for a typed copy of the mods, if I can't find them I'll re-type them and post them.

[OLS]

I was looking for a NB Smoker when I ended up buying my Char-Griller. I was PI$$ed when I found
out they were no longer making the "quintessential" smoker, and had gone on to either be sold or
just changing the most important materials feature of the thing that made em famous. I had
ignored the company forever, I could have ccared less about smoking. The one day I caught
fire and it was too late. :(. I have enjoyed my Char-griller, though. So while it may not
get the props of the new favorites in the smoke biz, if it is a thick metal unit, you got a winner.
Like I have said too many times, I just indirect grillnsmoke my meats. There is plenty of space.

[Ranger_B]

Here is a pic from dinner last night. Couple of ribs and some veggies. Dont be too hard on them they taste better than they look.

7207

7208

[T.G]

Corn. Maple is way expensive here and my wife gave me the "look" when I wnated to pick up some of that. Ive used molassas before and I cant tell a difference.

I wonder how much the different sugars found in corn syrup versus refined sugar play a part in the end product....

Where's Alton Brown when you need him, eh?

[Scothew]

I wonder how much the different sugars found in corn syrup versus refined sugar play a part in the end product....

Where's Alton Brown when you need him, eh?

:banger @ alton.

I wondered also on if the hig fructose was a good thing or not, but it didnt seem to hinder the flavors and the meat was dripping in juice from inside to out, even after resting for 10 hours. I would love to get ahold of some syrup made with cane sugar, i bet it would give a great flavor.

[T.G]

:banger @ alton.

I wondered also on if the hig fructose was a good thing or not, but it didnt seem to hinder the flavors and the meat was dripping in juice from inside to out, even after resting for 10 hours. I would love to get ahold of some syrup made with cane sugar, i bet it would give a great flavor.

Woah... back the truck up...

Did you use corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup? Big difference

[Scothew]

It was corn syrup but after you asked, i went back and looked at the ingredients and it has some high fructose in it.

[T.G]

It was corn syrup but after you asked, i went back and looked at the ingredients and it has some high fructose in it.

Cool. Thanks. Basically, the reason for the question was that it's a different sugar, and it can behave differently.

One of these days I'll see if I can dig up a scientific explanation if there's any advantage to using HFCS and/or CS either alone or in conjunction with refined sugar in brines, or rather, how, if anything, it might affect the meat differently.

[cricky101]

From earlier this weekend - I only took one cell phone pic after everything was finished and rested. This was about 11 p.m. and I was shot.

LtoR - Cubed brisket point I turned into burnt ends, sliced brisket flat, and pork butt. I started with a 9-lb packer brisket and an 8.5 pork butt and cooked for about 12 hours on my cheap, Brinkman Gourmet with lump charcoal and a mix hickory and cherry wood.

I've done a brisket before, but this was my first pork butt - and I will definitely be making more of them!


http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w216/cricky101/photo1.jpg

[Steve]

Looks great!

[bsmokin]

:dr :dr :dr

That looks sooooo good! :tu


I'll be making my first pork butts this weekend. I'll probably make two. Going to use my new weber charcoal grill and the smokenator! :)

[Scothew]

Good luck Bryan and take pics!

[HK3-]

marinated some chicken breasts in jerk sauce over night. stuck them on the smoker about an hour ago. going to baste them every hour or so with some scotch bonnet sauce to give them a little zing.

[BigAsh]

marinated some chicken breasts in jerk sauce over night. stuck them on the smoker about an hour ago. going to baste them every hour or so with some scotch bonnet sauce to give them a little zing.

Nice!.....loved jerked chicken!

[ucla695]

marinated some chicken breasts in jerk sauce over night. stuck them on the smoker about an hour ago. going to baste them every hour or so with some scotch bonnet sauce to give them a little zing.

:dr :dr

[rizzle]

Richie... (drawn out to about 5 syllables). You need to bring that up here, hang out with me, cook overnight, drink a little Jim Beam, smoke a few smokes, and let me show the art of cooking on a WSM:tu

Brent, I can see myself taking you up on that offer. What kind of fool would I be not to?
:tu

[mosesbotbol]

marinated some chicken breasts in jerk sauce over night. stuck them on the smoker about an hour ago. going to baste them every hour or so with some scotch bonnet sauce to give them a little zing.

Suprised you did not use half chickens instead.

[Smokin Gator]

What kind of fool would I be not to?
:tu

A Bama fan:r:r

[bigdix]

PEPPERS!! and soon. My jalapeno plant is finally starting to fruit and I'm gonna go nuts smoking the little suckers. This plant looks like it's going to produce 60-75 peppers this go round alone. His little brother is right by his side :) Fresh chipotles anyone?? :D

[HK3-]

marinated some chicken breasts in jerk sauce over night. stuck them on the smoker about an hour ago. going to baste them every hour or so with some scotch bonnet sauce to give them a little zing.

Chicken turned out ok. I went out for awhile yesterday and forgot about it so it stayed on an hour longer than it should have.... Flavor was great and the scotch bonnet sauce just made my lips tingle and my a$$ burn like fire today. :r

[Ahbroody]

Okay boys need a little input.
So I picked up the smoker for 20.00. Not a bad starter especially for the price
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/ahbroody/183500ae.jpg

I modified the chimney as I read its an issue. My question is how shold I set up the bricks or should I use bricks. I did some ribs the other night. Going to do a tritip tonight and want to nail it.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/ahbroody/5f2d25bd.jpg

[GolfNut]

Well, it's not in the smoker yet, but I've got a couple big shoulders curing in the fridge for some Buckboard Bacon. I'll be smoking it next week. Here's a shot of the last batch I did. I processed over 40 lbs on that smoke. It was awesome. http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh59/idfliers/bacon011Small.jpghttp://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh59/idfliers/bacon013Small.jpg

[T.G]

Okay boys need a little input.
So I picked up the smoker for 20.00. Not a bad starter especially for the price
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/ahbroody/183500ae.jpg


Can't tell for certain from the photo, but that looks like one of the older ones that was built out of heavier metal than they use nowadays. Good score.


I modified the chimney as I read its an issue. My question is how shold I set up the bricks or should I use bricks. I did some ribs the other night. Going to do a tritip tonight and want to nail it.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/ahbroody/5f2d25bd.jpg

Few things...

There are a few potential problems with red clay bricks... Sometimes the clay used in the construction of the brick has compounds in it that you don't want venting into the firebox as you would end up eating them, at best, they taste off, at worst, they're toxic. Red bricks also trap moisture and can shatter when heated. Finally, they aren't anywhere near as good a heat sink & buffer as refractory firebricks. You should be able to find firebrick at ACE hardware or OSH or any rockyard. Two firebricks should cost you less than $4. If you must use red brick, I recommend wrapping them in a few layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Just place the bricks across the drum to form a barrier, it's not really critical if they are overlapping or butted up together. All you are looking for is to restrict the charcoal to a small area at the end of the chamber opposite the exhaust. How much area? Fill a chimney with briquettes, and dump them in, then mound them up into a tight pile, then put the firebricks a little bit further out than that, allowing room for a bit more charcoal and smoke wood. If you have an angle grinder and a dust mask, grinding them to match the contour of the drum is a snap, firebrick is very soft.

Any major air leaks should really be sealed. This means the bolt holes on the back side and the airgap around the firebox door. These things aren't a big deal to a grill, but can be a very big deal to a smoker/bbq.

I'm not sure what the chimney issue is that you are referring to, but what I see that extension doing is causing smoke to bottle up inside the pit. This could lead to a layer of carbon and creosote on the food. If you are going to use the extension that you have in place now, since it's galvanized tin, I would build a hot fire, grab a can of PAM cooking spray and spray it down inside and out a few times during the burn to bake a layer of oil onto it, to prevent the chance of any metallic off flavors.


As for tri-tip, I wouldn't smoke it. Indirect cook at medium-high heat (350-375) until about 130 internal (30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of the cut). Use oak or grape vines for smoke, or get a bag of Lazzari mesquite lump and cook with that. Either make your own rub or pick up a 2lb jar of Pappy's seasoning rub at costco or sam's and a 2lb container of granulated garlic and mix them together 1:1. Rub meat down with that a few hours before cooking. You could also dump some Lea & Perrin's worcestershire sauce (all other brands pale in comparison) over the meat, then coat with rub, wrap tightly in saran wrap, and put back into the refrigerator for a few hours. After it hits about 130F internal, pull the meat off, allow to rest for 10 minutes, slice very thin, pile it high on fresh sourdough or french rolls and top with fresh salsa.

[GolfNut]

Here's a bit of info on that chimney extension. A link below will take you to SMF where you can read up on other mods to do as well as find a ton of info and help for your new smoker!

Chimney Extension

Most of the entry level models have the chimney hole cut in the top of the smoker and the chimney does not protrude into the smoke chamber at all.. Heat and smoke rise so what happens is the heat from the firebox rises, runs along the top of the lid on the way to the chimney, and exits the smoker without doing much at grate level. Since the meat is on the grates, we would like to encourage the heat and smoke to travel across the meat on their way to the chimney. This helps to even out the temperature across the grate and makes the smoker more efficient. To accommodate this, it is a good idea to extend the chimney down to close to grate level. There are several different ways to do this. One is to use dryer vent ducting.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/75110/horizonal-offset-smoker-mods

[T.G]

If you're extending the chimney a few inches into the chamber, sure.

The way the photo looked to me, and maybe it's just the angle, my eyes and this crappy monitor, but it looked like the extension went all the way down to the grate level, which is something that could be potentially disastrous.

[Ahbroody]

Forrest thanks for the link I read about the chimney extension somewhere else, but will be reading up on the site to get more info on mods. The chimney does hang down a little but only like an inch. Guess I will look into getting a muffler shop to make a down pipe. Unitl then I will use what I got .

Adam it is defiently the old one with very thick metal. Its a friggin tank I almost lost it unloading it from the truck . There is a gap between the chimney and grill. Thought it was a few inches will double check.

There is an ACE down the street will get a few bricks there today. Got an angle grinder and water tile saw so I am pretty sure I can shape them.

I noticed the air gap on the fire door box. Will seal that up today. Didnt even notice those holes in the back LOL. Fail on my part.

Will cook the meat using the method you said. Picked up a meath thermometer yesterday As for prep I did it last night. garlic and salt rub. Tri tip to me just does not need a lot of seasoning if it is cooked right to taste awesome. its one of my favorite cuts of meat. Funny its such a west coast thing.

[T.G]

Don't use a wet saw on firebrick, only dry saws or a cold chisel. Then just hit it with the angle grinder to shape it. Refractory firebrick is super soft, that 10k RPM angle grinder will make very quick work of it. If you can't find firebricks, LMK, I'll bring you a few next time I'm down that way.

I agree, not much seasoning is needed for Tri-tip. I've done them with as little as just Lawry's garlic salt (which has parsley in it) and mesquite wood, although I prefer a little bit more spices in there - normally for tri-tip, I only season a few hours before cooking.

Oh, crap, forgot to mention a couple of obvious things (just in case) on the cooking: 125-135 is going to be about medium rare in the thicker parts leaning towards more done in the thinner parts. A little bit over halfway though the cook (about 20 minutes) you would want to rotate and flip the meat because you are cooking in an indirect offset. And I can't believe I forgot to mention that once the meat is at done temp, open all your vents up 100%, get the fire nice and hot and then move the tri-tip to the grate directly over the coals and just stand there, don't even close the lid, and just sear the meat for a few minutes per side.

[Mr B]

but it looked like the extension went all the way down to the grate level, which is something that could be potentially disastrous.


???

[T.G]

???

If the exhaust is that low, basically at the same level as the coals, you'll fire will probably smolder too much due to the trapped carbon monoxide and in turn, you'll end up coating your food with soot and creosote, assuming you can even maintain a temp to cook it.

[Ahbroody]

Got her fired up, going to get the tritip on there in about 20 min after its going good. Wife is even a little geeked as I will be cooking more.

[HK3-]

Got her fired up, going to get the tritip on there in about 20 min after its going good. Wife is even a little geeked as I will be cooking more.

:tu My wife can always count on me to grill or smoke dinner. Problem is that she gets tired of only eating meat and no vegetables. :r

Btw- Corn on the cob turns out really good in the smoker.

[OLS]

The unit you have is basically always going to be an indirect heat smoker, which i can tell you from
a year's experience, is AWESOME. Not nearly as efficient or minder-free as the 3-500 dollar units,
but makes great BBQ. Make your pile of fire on the end opposite of the chimney, and toss your smoke
wood on top of the coals before closing the lid once your coals are where you want em. inside the unit,
with indirect heat, you should be getting 200-225 on the meat end. smoke will draw from the fire to the
chimney end giving you decent smoke envelopment. Fire will usually need a extra handful of coal
about every 90 mins. But regardless, it will take you several weekends to learn the quirks of your unit.
Then when you are about predictable, call your friends over.

[Ahbroody]

The unit you have is basically always going to be an indirect heat smoker, which i can tell you from
a year's experience, is AWESOME. Not nearly as efficient or minder-free as the 3-500 dollar units,
but makes great BBQ. Make your pile of fire on the end opposite of the chimney, and toss your smoke
wood on top of the coals before closing the lid once your coals are where you want em. inside the unit,
with indirect heat, you should be getting 200-225 on the meat end. smoke will draw from the fire to the
chimney end giving you decent smoke envelopment. Fire will usually need a extra handful of coal
about every 90 mins. But regardless, it will take you several weekends to learn the quirks of your unit.
Then when you are about predictable, call your friends over.


You pretty much nailed my experience today, but I did get it a little hotter based on temp. Middle of smoker was low 300s end by chimney 275ish was the peak.
Tritip is done. Sampled a piece and it is tasty. Middle is so juicy.

[OLS]

I also agree with TG in that if you have a chimney extension, (and you should) :),
it shoud be at lowest, 3-4 inches above the cooking grate and should only be used if you
have a good draw from vent to stack.

[SilverFox]

Did baby backs on the kettle this weekend while we were camping.

Offset grilled em, stacked two rib racks on top of each other and hit em with some sweet and smokey rub. Marinated with Honey, Bourbon and Cider Vinegar every 30 minutes for 2 and a half hours then hit em with the sauce for another thirty minutes.

They were awesome.

Sorry for the crappy pic it was on my iphone.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs204.ash2/46698_429499481548_539381548_5543479_7664035_n.jpg

[Mr B]

If the exhaust is that low, basically at the same level as the coals, you'll fire will probably smolder too much due to the trapped carbon monoxide and in turn, you'll end up coating your food with soot and creosote, assuming you can even maintain a temp to cook it.

OK. To me it looked like the exhaust vent came down to the grill, not all the way down to the coals.
This might help in 2 ways. It will bring more smoke down to the grill or meat level before it can escape. Also it might let more heat escape directly up the exhaust vent alowing for even lower temps. Just my :2

[OLS]

Agreed, and make no mistake, if you have a good draw, the smoke WILL not be stagnant.
Down to the cooking grate is impractical, as it steals meat space, but too high and it makes no sense
to even employ such a device. Your intake vent IS directly opposed to your chimney, right?

[T.G]

OK. To me it looked like the exhaust vent came down to the grill, not all the way down to the coals.
This might help in 2 ways. It will bring more smoke down to the grill or meat level before it can escape. Also it might let more heat escape directly up the exhaust vent alowing for even lower temps. Just my :2

In terms of height, top of the coals is about the same as the height of the grate.

And it would not allow more heat to escape out the stack as heat rises and you're taking your exhaust from a cooler area. But, due to smothering the fire, you would probably have lower temps overall.

Like OLS said, 4-5 inches off would be fine, if you need it.

[OLS]

By the way, those Baby Backs look AWWWWEsome~

[mosesbotbol]

Has anyone used acorns for smoking wood in their smokers? Wondering what you thought about it.

[OLS]

I certainly wouldn't. I HAVE used peanut shells to GREAT, buttery effect.

[HK3-]

Got a 4 lbs. pork loin marinating in the fridge overnight. Rubbed it down with garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Hit's the smoker tomorrow morning.

[boom]

Has anyone used acorns for smoking wood in their smokers? Wondering what you thought about it.


Raw acorns contain high concentrations of tannic acid, so their taste is bitter, and some varieties can in their raw state be toxic to humans.....

[HK3-]

In your opinion, should I do the loin with the foil on or off? Difference?

[Gonesledn]

if you want smoke flavor and bark, no foil... or foil later into the cook

[HK3-]

if you want smoke flavor and bark, no foil... or foil later into the cook

I ended up leaving the foil on for the entire cook. The cook times to meat weight ratios listed in my book are incorrect so far or my smoker is hotter than what they used. Taking notes so hopefully the second time around it will be better.

[T.G]

I ended up leaving the foil on for the entire cook. The cook times to meat weight ratios listed in my book are incorrect so far or my smoker is hotter than what they used. Taking notes so hopefully the second time around it will be better.

Two things...

Depends where the thermometer(s) are located in your lid/cooker as to how accurately they will reflect the grate temps. You can also probably take them out and test or possibly calibrate them, depending on the design, for accuracy.

Keeping food wrapped in foil while cooking will cause your cook times to drop dramatically as it traps the heat and creates a braising effect around the meat.

[HK3-]

Two things...

Depends where the thermometer(s) are located in your lid/cooker as to how accurately they will reflect the grate temps. You can also probably take them out and test or possibly calibrate them, depending on the design, for accuracy.

Keeping food wrapped in foil while cooking will cause your cook times to drop dramatically as it traps the heat and creates a braising effect around the meat.

Ahah, this is where I went wrong. Next time I will either cut back on the time or attempt again, sensa foil. Thanks.

[T.G]

'welcome.

If you're going to foil, my recommendation would be to smoke first for a few hours, then foil at the end, otherwise, you might as well just skip the BBQ and stick it in the oven in your kitchen.

Foiling is a controversial subject with BBQ. Some swear by it, some hate it. If you're not careful, you can make meat too soft with it.

Some also feel that foiling causes some of the flavor to fade, so they smoke much heavier at the onset so make up for the loss of flavor.

[GTsetGO]

last night

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn286/gtsetgo/food/IMG_20100912_170603.jpg

[Gonesledn]

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDItMjAxMDA5MTItMTIyNC5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDMtMjAxMDA5MTItMTIyOC5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDQtMjAxMDA5MTItMTUyNS5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDUtMjAxMDA5MTItMTcyMC5qcGc.jpg

[LooseCard]

Cleaned up 17.55 lbs. of Butt (2 pcs.) Friday after work, sprinkled them with lovin' and bagged them for transport.

The first one's a gamma-corrected shot. Threw them on about 9 PM friday night. Didn't have a light (loaned it out...)

Second Shot: Early Saturday Morning, stirred the coals and checked the progress.

Third Shot: The stick I had to 'suffer through' while I waited on it Saturday.


They came off early (for me, at least) which means I had it turned up too high Saturday morning. But they looked great, sat for a couple of hours, and pulled nicely.

No, there are never any 'finished' shots as my greasy mitts cannot pull and photo at the same time. And yes, I only like to sevre good old fashioned hand pulled Pulled Pork.
(The only thing makes me happier than playing with my meat... hearing the ladies tell me how much they like my meat.)

[Mr B]

Looks good Dan. :tu

Great job.

[Mr B]

I cold smoked some Paprika over Apple. Came out great. I will post some pics later.

[HK3-]

Marinated more chicken in jerk sauce and scotch bonnet sauce overnight. Going to throw them on the smoker at lunch today. Hope this batch turns out less dry and with more fire.

[HK3-]

Marinated more chicken in jerk sauce and scotch bonnet sauce overnight. Going to throw them on the smoker at lunch today. Hope this batch turns out less dry and with more fire.

Looking forward to eating this tonight. The one piece towards the back doesn't have the habanero sauce.... it's for my wife. :)

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll115/Lvmesum3zs/Picture2532.jpg

[Powers]

Looking forward to eating this tonight. The one piece towards the back doesn't have the habanero sauce.... it's for my wife. :)

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll115/Lvmesum3zs/Picture2532.jpg

:dr

i should not be looking at these pics during supper time, my hot pocket does not compare

[Gonesledn]

picked up a double pack of butts, and a chuck roast. froze one of the butts, and smoked the other. sorry, forgot pics of the chuckie before it was eaten... butt should be done shortly.


http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDctMjAxMDA5MTYtMTIzNC5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDgtMjAxMDA5MTYtMTIzNC5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MDktMjAxMDA5MTYtMTI1My5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MTAtMjAxMDA5MTYtMTI1OC5qcGc-1.jpg

[Smokin Gator]

I haven't smoked anything on the BGE in I don't remember when. I have been itchin' for some brisket and decided to do one overnight. Picked up a choice 14 pounder and rubbed it with Plowboys Bovine Bold. I didn't want to fire up the Spicewine for one brisket so it is on the BGE now. Hopefully, I will remember to take pics in the morning!!!

[Steve]

:banger:banger:tu:tu:dr

[Smokin Gator]

Man my back porch smells wonderful this morning.

7305

This was at about 14 hours and the internal temp was 182. Won't be long now!!!

[Gonesledn]

looks dam tasty Gator!

[Powers]

Man my back porch smells wonderful this morning.

7305

This was at about 14 hours and the internal temp was 182. Won't be long now!!!

looks like u still got it brent! :D

[Smokin Gator]

looks like u still got it brent! :D

This one turned out to be one of the best briskets I ever cooked. Cooked it really low (200) overnight an then bumped the temp up this morning. Pulled it off after 16 hours and an internal of 195. Separated the point and flat. Put the flat in a cooler and put the point back on the cooker for another hour for burnt ends.

The burnt ends turned out great and the flat sliced perfectly!!! The slices were moist and such great beef flavor. Man I love brisket. Only problem is we had family over after church and it is pretty much gone. I may have enough left for one small sammich:td

[Steve]

:dr:dr

I'm sitting at the office trying to catch up and I read this...argh!

Sounds yummy Brent!

[ucla695]

That looks delicious!!! :dr

[fxpose]

Man my back porch smells wonderful this morning.
Dang, I love that...

[Gonesledn]

the finished pork pics from the other day....


http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MTQtMjAxMDA5MTctMTUzMC5qcGc.jpg
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss52/gonesledn/utf-8BSU1HMDA3MTUtMjAxMDA5MTctMTUzNy5qcGc.jpg

[Powers]

This one turned out to be one of the best briskets I ever cooked. Cooked it really low (200) overnight an then bumped the temp up this morning. Pulled it off after 16 hours and an internal of 195. Separated the point and flat. Put the flat in a cooler and put the point back on the cooker for another hour for burnt ends.

The burnt ends turned out great and the flat sliced perfectly!!! The slices were moist and such great beef flavor. Man I love brisket. Only problem is we had family over after church and it is pretty much gone. I may have enough left for one small sammich:td

nice :dr

i'm gonna starve myself for EPIC :D

[OLS]

Man the weather cools off and people just abandon cooking on coal, lol. Actually there is some nice meat on this page,
and I even cooked a few racks but before I posted them, realized they look like all my other meat photos, and I just
didn't bother. But Man let the temp drop and this thread slows to a crawl. This used to be the only thread in this
sub-forum that was new every day, mostly every 30 mins. So I broke out some wings, some rib trimmins and a rack
of BBRibs for the crack of dawn for Saturday, the best day of football i will see all year maybe.
Oh, here's last weekend's ribs.

[Mr B]

Super Nice Wes and Brad!!!

[Smokin Gator]

Maybe for our northern brethren this slow down Brad... Me... I am just getting started after several months of it being too hot to enjoy cooking out in the barn.

A while back someone asked to see my charcoal maze. Here it is:
7427

7428

Under the charcoal on the left side are four chunks of cherry. I light the far left corner and let it get up to 250 or so. Then I put the meat on and put on the Stoker. Depending on how much I am cooking and how warm it is outside it will usually run from 16-24 hours on that maze.

Tonight I am doing 71 pounds of pork for a benefit at church tomorrow:
7429
7430

Got the Spicewine settled in at 220 and sitting here acting like I need to do something other than drink this rum and smoke this Party Presidente!!!

[Ahbroody]

Nice.
Did some St.Louis ribs today. Wife loved them, but said tbe smoker must be moved further from the house. Smoke smell inside. Still learning, but learned some things today about my smoker.

[Smokin Gator]

Still learning, but learned some things today about my smoker.

That's what it is all about. Once you learn you smoker and can deal with the differences in temp/humidity it is all downhill from there. Kinda like setting up up a humi!!!:banger

[T.G]

Maybe for our northern brethren this slow down Brad... Me... I am just getting started after several months of it being too hot to enjoy cooking out in the barn.

A while back someone asked to see my charcoal maze. Here it is:
7427

7428

Under the charcoal on the left side are four chunks of cherry. I light the far left corner and let it get up to 250 or so. Then I put the meat on and put on the Stoker. Depending on how much I am cooking and how warm it is outside it will usually run from 16-24 hours on that maze.

Tonight I am doing 71 pounds of pork for a benefit at church tomorrow:
7429
7430

Got the Spicewine settled in at 220 and sitting here acting like I need to do something other than drink this rum and smoke this Party Presidente!!!


I was the one who asked about the maze, thanks for the photos.


That's one helluva rig... :dr:dr

[Steve]

Maybe for our northern brethren this slow down Brad... Me... I am just getting started after several months of it being too hot to enjoy cooking out in the barn.

A while back someone asked to see my charcoal maze. Here it is:
7427

7428

Under the charcoal on the left side are four chunks of cherry. I light the far left corner and let it get up to 250 or so. Then I put the meat on and put on the Stoker. Depending on how much I am cooking and how warm it is outside it will usually run from 16-24 hours on that maze.

Tonight I am doing 71 pounds of pork for a benefit at church tomorrow:
7429
7430

Got the Spicewine settled in at 220 and sitting here acting like I need to do something other than drink this rum and smoke this Party Presidente!!!

That's the way to load up a smoker! I'll have the Lang loaded up again in a couple of weeks I think. Cooler weather DEFINITELY makes it more enjoyable. The last time feed the firebox I don't think it got below 90* that night with about 90% RH. Not real comfortable tending a firebox!

[ucla695]

Love your Spicewine Gator!!

Right now I'm dialed in and smoking some BBs with cherry and a little hickory in the 26.75". Pics to follow...

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/ucla695/BBQ/IMG_3013.jpg

[OLS]

used a little too much smoke, and all I had was oak, so it isn't necessarily made up for with taste.
But man LOOK at the cook job on these BBRs!

[ucla695]

Before the crutch... I had to add a water pan cuz I didn't close the lid all the way and temps spiked a bit.

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/ucla695/BBQ/IMG_3015.jpg

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/ucla695/BBQ/IMG_3014.jpg [/QUOTE]

[Smokin Gator]

Those last two rib shots look mighty tasty. My cook came off without a hitch!!

[T.G]

Great looking stuff guys.

Brad, that smoke ring is killer!