Any smokers out there?

a reply to: CriticalStinker

What temp are you talking about?

Since I smoked both the brats and chicken together, I think the temp was around 225-230. While the brats stayed moist, the casing was a bit tougher than the last time I smoked them, so I might have just kept them in there a little too long.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: CriticalStinker

What temp are you talking about?

Since I smoked both the brats and chicken together, I think the temp was around 225-230. While the brats stayed moist, the casing was a bit tougher than the last time I smoked them, so I might have just kept them in there a little too long.

That's a tricky question, so I'll try to answer both schools of thought.

Camp A says to smoke sausage around 160, but you have to make sure the sausages are cured (almost all store bought ones are, also I try not to buy fully cooked, but rather raw). They say to crank it to 180 for the last stretch to make sure your internals get to 160 (I only pierce one and make sure I rotate all of them so that the readings should be similar). If you have it set over 200 on the smoker, the fat will render and ooze out before the meat gets to desired temp.

Camp B are afraid of germs and say don't risk it, they say never to cold smoke below 200. Maybe they're right, but I'll eat food I dropped on the floor, I avoid using anti bacterial soap, and I bite my finger nails... I also get sick once every couple of years.

My suggestion, if you you're happy with your sausage (lol), keep doing what you're doing. If you're like me and like psychologically abusing yourself till you reach a desired end product, do some research into it and try a couple of things out. Sausage is a beautiful thing. It's cheap, yet if it's done right it's one of my favorite meats. The cheap part makes it ideal to do tons of smoking experiments with.

a reply to: Liquesence

225 is the magic number, for sure. It's got to be the single hardest temperature to maintain of any temp I can think of!!

Add fuel and you go over. Don't add fuel and you're under (or the fire goes out).

This is one area where the big smokers have a serious advantage over smaller smokers. In a large smoker with a lot of mass (say a custom made steel one) you can build a big fire in them at the beginning and then let it cool down to smoking temperature. The thermal mass of the fire and the smoker itself will hold the temps. With the smaller smokers you can't do this anywhere near as easily, so you're constantly having to mess with the temps. Just a few gusts of wind can wreak havoc, or a period of no wind and blazing sun. The big smokers just shrug stuff like this off due to their mass.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

This post pretty much sums it. The most important factor is maintaining that temp, no matter what type of smoker you run. Second to that is keeping your water pan from going dry. If the water pan is below the rack as they often are, and it runs dry, the fatty drippings caught in the pan which do not evaporate like water will burn and wreck the flavor of the meat.

Sounds like you have some experience.

Awesome replies...i dont know...seems tough....

originally posted by: Bloodworth
Awesome replies...i dont know...seems tough....

Ask yourself this.

Do you want to be able to free up whole days on the weekend from any responsibility or obligation in the name of pursuit of a new hobby? Said hobby involves drinking ice cold ones and finishing up with a glutinous array of meat and tasty sides.

We all come to enlightenment at different times, I don't want to rush you... It's a crazy ride, and once you get on there is no getting off.

Started smoking meat with nothing but a basic bbq now I have a split 55

Master fire or cheat and use a pellet smoker will produce the same results for the most part theres things you cant do with pellets and there things that are nearly impossible on charcoal

But its alot harder to show off your smoking skills when your pellet smoker is 400 miles away and you never mastered fire first. I smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving with a bbq lid grate and a hole in the ground once you master the fire you can do it with almost anything

a reply to: Bloodworth

Well, the first time you have to go into hiding to avoid your friends begging for your smoked foods you'll be hooked for life!

Seriously.

Let me put it this way...

I've seen guys take a regular charcoal BBQ grill (like a Weber) and make smoked food every bit as good if not better than the most accomplished Pro out there with $25,000 worth of gear.

As noted, one of the most important things is temperature control, and one of the most important elements of temp. control is regulating air flow. Like the poster above noted, learn fire and you'll get the hang of it. Learning fire as it relates to smoking is learning the basics of maintaining just enough air flow to keep a fire burning, but not so much that the fire gets too hot. This is why a lot of guys start out learning smoking with thermostatically controlled electric smokers (instead of fire). And they work really well (I have two of them).

One of the other things I think really helps when starting out is to learn 'brining' or 'curing'. Cured meats are much easier to smoke than uncured meats. They're much more forgiving. It adds more time on the front end, but it's totally worth it on the back end. Morton Tender Quick is a good starting place to learn how to brine cure.

It's a pretty enjoyable hobby.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Are you familiar with Arteflame? My wife bought me the 22" insert for my 22" Weber. I absolutely love it as an accesory to my big smoker.

With all of your cooking threads Ive been meaning to pass this along your way:arteflame.com...

They make their own grills too, but that 22" insert for my Weber...favorite gift in years, give it a look.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I'm not too skeered when it comes to temperature at which meat should be cooked or what the internal temp should be.

I like my beef medium rare, and my chicken moist and still *slightly* pinkish.

Of course, when I smoke chicken quarters I do get them *almost* to the optimum internal temp before I take them off.

The next time I smoke sausage I'll probably go for a lower temp.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yeah, 225 is a perfect temp, and seems to be what my grill "settles" on.

Until I need to add wood, or more charcoal, then it's just like you said: might increase to 240-250, so I try to adjust airflow, and since I don't have a side box (I just use indirect heat, coals on one side meat on the other) the other problem I have is when I raise the top to add fuel or spritz, the temp drops considerably (like 150-170) and takes a while to get back up.

a reply to: BlueJacket

Thanks. I've not heard of them. They seem to mostly be grills and stuff. I didn't see the "insert" you spoke of.

I use divider plates in my Weber for indirect cooking. Works good for smoking too. Again, all just air flow management.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

just scroll down further on the page. I made omlettes on the grill this summer on mine...cost is bearable

agreed, airflow is the key

heres an insert specific link:arteflame.com...

I'm a hobbyist, and a caterer. I LOVE smoked food! I have an Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn that does most of the work. I've had as much as 60 pounds of meat on her at once. Charcoal and wood produces the best results, but also takes the most skill and patience. I have a natural gas smoker, and a Masterbuilt electric smoker, but if I have time I always use the Longhorn. I like that I can set the Masterbuilt with a hunk of meat before work, and come home to dinner, but it's just not the same. Friday morning I'm cooking a 20 pound brisket and 20 pounds of pork butt for a party on Saturday.

a reply to: LordAhriman

Its true, real smoked meats, imo, come from actual wood. I cant get behind electric smoke meat...its like eating store bought or farm raised deer

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: LordAhriman

Its true, real smoked meats, imo, come from actual wood. I cant get behind electric smoke meat...its like eating store bought or farm raised deer

I use oak for heat, and pecan for flavor. There is no substitute. Charcoal works in place of the oak in a pinch.

For a beginner like OP though, if you're just trying to cook a little for the family, it can be done with almost any grill and I'm more than willing to help you. I slow smoke small stuff for the family, on a Weber kettle, like twice a week.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I usually throw my ribs and butts in pineapple juice for 6 to 8 hours. Everything falls apart by the end if you smoke them right. I agree brisket is the hardest. Butts are just tiring because of how long it takes. I only smoke beef cuts maybe 1 in 10 times for that reason... anything over 6 hours starts to become a drag. Only beef i smoke these days is a whole beef tenderloin, cold smoked, then portioned and sealed individually for throwing on the grill later.

Nice thing about electric is it holds temp. With LP the temp seems to change slightly as the tank loses pressure so thats why i prefer the natural gas conversion.

No reason to not be confident in smoking. Its easy to get into, but it is an art to perfect. Even after running my smokers for 7 years i occassionally make a mistake. Everyone does. Be it a big swing in the outside temp and barometric pressure, running out of fuel, or a few too many beers, everyone has a bad day once in a while.

a reply to: drewlander

I usually throw my ribs and butts in pineapple juice for 6 to 8 hours. Everything falls apart by the end

Time, temp?

a reply to: drewlander

Pineapple juice is a really great cure. It's very high in acid and no bacteria can survive in it.

That's a really nice way to smoke a smaller butt or roast!

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

originally posted by: Bloodworth
Awesome replies...i dont know...seems tough....

Ask yourself this.

Do you want to be able to free up whole days on the weekend from any responsibility or obligation in the name of pursuit of a new hobby? Said hobby involves drinking ice cold ones and finishing up with a glutinous array of meat and tasty sides.

We all come to enlightenment at different times, I don't want to rush you... It's a crazy ride, and once you get on there is no getting off.

You changed my mine.......sounds great.