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Bob Mundon posted:So to the people with the 22.5" WSM, I've read some people have trouble running out of fuel on long smokes where the 18.5" won't. Are they just mismanaging their fuel, or is it tougher for 10-12hr smokes, etc? And on that note how much charcoal do you usually use. It seems like a standard load for a 18.5 is 2 chimneys of charcoal, 3 for the 22? 10-12 hour cooks are no problem if you fill up the right right to the edge. I usually do about 15 coals in the middle for a nice long minion method. This pretty much kills an entire 16 lb bag with maybe half a chimney left in the bag. Longer than 12 hours you might need to throw in a few handfuls to keep it going.
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Oct 22, 2012 13:44
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Does anyone here have experience with Green Mountain Grills? These are pellet-type grill/smokers similar to Traeger. I just discovered a dealer near me and am going to give the unit a once-over.
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Oct 22, 2012 15:38
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If any of you arent familiar with amazingribs.com, definitely check it out. I've been a fan of the site for a while but I just got around to trying out his Memphis rub. I used it on some baby backs this weekend and it was excellent. It would go well with a variety of meats as well, which isnt the case with a lot of rubs. My wife loved them as well. It definitely will have a place the rotation for me.
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Oct 22, 2012 16:40
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So the high heat brisket turned out really good. I was surprised how quickly it cooked. I almost left it on too long because I thought my thermometer wasn't in the middle of the flat, but it was completely done after about four hours, including 30 minutes unfoiled at the end to firm up what little bark was there. I used essentially the rub from the Virtual Weber Bullet page, but I used chipotle powder instead of ancho. It made for delicious sauce. Next time I'm going to make a larger batch, because there is none left for leftovers.   I put the point back on to make burnt ends with, since I'd never had them. I never thought "meat candy" would be a valid description of something I ate, but here we are.  Next up, babybacks. Then probably a turkey.
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Oct 22, 2012 17:41
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I was recently given a smaller, older but unused manual control Masterbuilt electric smoker. The one with the rotary temp controller and a thermometer in the door. I have been using the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker to great effect with chicken, tofu and mushrooms (vegan girlfriend), at around 225. I just fill up one row of the AMNPS and put it on the rack where the Masterbuilt wood chip tray would normally go, next to the water pan, light it and crank up the heat. What I am wondering is if anyone has tried cold smoking with a setup like this, as I want to do things like eggs and cheese. I am thinking I should be able to get away with just lighting the AMNPS and leaving it in the same spot in the smoker. Has anyone tried something like this before? Should I perhaps not use the bottom rack, just in case? The smoker will be on the south side of my house, and shaded from the sun. Temperatures in the low 50s should help too. One last thing, what wood would you guys recommend for mozzarella? I've got Oak, Hickory, Mesquite, Apple and Alder pellets on hand.
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Oct 22, 2012 18:00
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cornface posted:So the high heat brisket turned out really good. I was surprised how quickly it cooked. I almost left it on too long because I thought my thermometer wasn't in the middle of the flat, but it was completely done after about four hours, including 30 minutes unfoiled at the end to firm up what little bark was there. Those burnt ends looks absolutely scrumptious.
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Oct 22, 2012 19:35
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Ezrem posted:What I am wondering is if anyone has tried cold smoking with a setup like this, as I want to do things like eggs and cheese. I am thinking I should be able to get away with just lighting the AMNPS and leaving it in the same spot in the smoker. I use my MES40 + AMNPS regularly for cold-smoking. There are a number of things you can do to make it more fool-proof. - Fill the water pan with ice, salt and water. You can even fill another tray with the same and put it on the bottom rack. This will keep the chamber cool for hours, and you can always refill the trays for long smokes. - Get those disposable aluminum grill trays (they're just flat trays with lots of holes in them). Put one on the bottom rack and it will help diffuse the smoke and reflect some of the minimal heat. - Put enough pellets for your smoke in a shallow plastic container and microwave them for a few minutes. This will help dry them out so they continue to smoke in a cold box. I recommend applewood for the cheese. The alder is a classic for cold-smoked salmon, which I do regularly using these methods.
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Oct 22, 2012 19:57
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GigaFool posted:I use my MES40 + AMNPS regularly for cold-smoking. There are a number of things you can do to make it more fool-proof. Hey, these sound like great suggestions. Thanks a lot. I think I'm going to start with a few 16 oz balls of fresh mozzarella. I will probably put a piece of cheesecloth underneath them just in case. I'm only thinking an hour or two of smoke for cheese/eggs, should I be going longer than that?
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Oct 22, 2012 20:04
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I've never smoked eggs, but I've done cheese for up to 4 hours before. One thing that's important to do with the cheese: it will taste alright coming out of the smoker, but a lot of people wrap the cheese as tightly as possible (foodsaver is best) and refrigerate it for ~1-2 weeks. This 'cure' distributes the smoke flavor throughout the cheese and gives you a much better product. The first time I was worried about mold, but the smoke seems to make the exterior of the cheese incredibly stable, especially if it's shrink-wrapped.
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Oct 22, 2012 20:21
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GigaFool posted:One thing that's important to do with the cheese: it will taste alright coming out of the smoker, but a lot of people wrap the cheese as tightly as possible (foodsaver is best) and refrigerate it for ~1-2 weeks. This 'cure' distributes the smoke flavor throughout the cheese and gives you a much better product. The first time I was worried about mold, but the smoke seems to make the exterior of the cheese incredibly stable, especially if it's shrink-wrapped. I've tried this a few times a super low temp (~90) and the cheese never tastes like anything except an ashtray. How do you get smoke flavor and not disgusting flavor. What temperature, what type of wood, etc?
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Oct 22, 2012 21:45
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McSpankWich posted:I've tried this a few times a super low temp (~90) and the cheese never tastes like anything except an ashtray. How do you get smoke flavor and not disgusting flavor. What temperature, what type of wood, etc? He mentioned using Apple wood. 90 degrees seems like a perfectly suitable temperature for cheese, if possibly a bit on the warm side. I'm going to shoot for <80 for my smoke. What kind of wood did you use?
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Oct 22, 2012 22:31
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Ezrem posted:He mentioned using Apple wood. 90 degrees seems like a perfectly suitable temperature for cheese, if possibly a bit on the warm side. I'm going to shoot for <80 for my smoke. Pecan I believe, could have been apple though, we were using both that day and we had a few rigs set up.
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Oct 22, 2012 22:35
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McSpankWich posted:I've tried this a few times a super low temp (~90) and the cheese never tastes like anything except an ashtray. How do you get smoke flavor and not disgusting flavor. What temperature, what type of wood, etc? I could be wrong, but I'm not sure the temp matters too much as far as flavor is concerned. I've had temps anywhere from 40-80. As it gets higher you run the risk of melting the cheese a bit. When I cold-smoke, the smoke is much thicker than it is vs. hot smoking, yet the cheese always comes out tasting similar to any commercially smoked cheese I've had (gouda, etc). I like using apple, but I've had great results with oak/maple also. If I had to guess, an ashtray flavor would result from improper burning of the wood, or poor ventilation.
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Oct 23, 2012 03:59
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GigaFool posted:If I had to guess, an ashtray flavor would result from improper burning of the wood, or poor ventilation. Yea I assumed I was just burning the fuel wrong. To clarify, for cold smoking you wait until the coals are white, toss some wood on and pipe the smoke wherever. I think I'm going to try the Alton Brown cardboard box/hotplate method next time, to avoid the charcoal altogether.
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Oct 23, 2012 12:50
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Just assembled the 22.5 WSM.................wow. I was wondering how something that just sits there and holds charcoal can cost so much. Question answered, that might be the best built thing in my house (or the house itself, good thing I rent).
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Oct 24, 2012 02:53
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Congratulations. Now you start the countdown until you feel the need to mod it. Fans, temperature probe grommits, extra handles, painting it so it looks like RD-D2..
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Oct 24, 2012 13:58
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Canuckistan posted:Congratulations. Now you start the countdown until you feel the need to mod it. Fans, temperature probe grommits, extra handles, painting it so it looks like RD-D2.. Got a dual probe, was just going to run through the lid vent. That not work well?
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Oct 24, 2012 14:28
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Perfectly well. I do it that way too but like anything else people mod it just for giggles.
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Oct 24, 2012 14:29
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Bob Mundon posted:Just assembled the 22.5 WSM.................wow. I was wondering how something that just sits there and holds charcoal can cost so much. Question answered, that might be the best built thing in my house (or the house itself, good thing I rent). Buy yourself the aftermarket steel door. It will change your life. http://cajunbandit.com/
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Oct 24, 2012 15:23
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Digital_Jesus posted:Buy yourself the aftermarket steel door. It will change your life. I've been wanting one of those for my 18", but $16 shipping on a $22 door makes me nerdrage.
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Oct 24, 2012 15:32
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Any tips for a first cook with it? Was thinking about one of the chicken recipes on the virtual weber bullet, but ribs would be even better.......
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Oct 24, 2012 20:55
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Bob Mundon posted:Any tips for a first cook with it? Was thinking about one of the chicken recipes on the virtual weber bullet, but ribs would be even better....... I would do a pork shoulder. It is hard to screw up if you have temperature variances, and by the time it is done you'll have a nice layer of gunk sealing up the lid and door that will make it easier to control the temperature on the next thing. There was a noticeable difference in leakage the second time around. It also takes long enough that you'll be able to see how the water level changing affects the temperature, etc.
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Oct 24, 2012 21:10
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Digital_Jesus posted:Buy yourself the aftermarket steel door. It will change your life. What's so great about it?
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Oct 25, 2012 10:39
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Stringent posted:What's so great about it? Basically it fits better and maintains its shape, compared to the flimsy stock door. Bob, the best thing you could do is get a notebook and log your cook. Temps, fuel amounts, temp of the meat, vent adjustments, etc. It really helps you get the feel for your smoker after a couple runs. Also, avoid opening the lid and looking if you can help yourself.
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Oct 25, 2012 12:40
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Mach420 posted:Basically it fits better and maintains its shape, compared to the flimsy stock door. Bob, the best thing you could do is get a notebook and log your cook. Temps, fuel amounts, temp of the meat, vent adjustments, etc. It really helps you get the feel for your smoker after a couple runs. Also, avoid opening the lid and looking if you can help yourself. A quick peek doesnt hurt anything. Yeah it will bring the temp down temporarily but the interior of the meat is going to continue to cook. I base this on my on anecdotal observations and this. vulturesrow fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Oct 25, 2012 |
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Oct 25, 2012 14:01
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Started a pork shoulder last night around 1AM. Woke up this morning to an email from about 4:30 that the fuse blew in the garage where it was plugged into. It is 9AM. I turned it back on, but I'm assuming this thing has been sitting long enough that it needs to be tossed? My  
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Oct 25, 2012 14:12
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Hrmm.. 5 hours sitting in a slightly warm environment? I would chuck it.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:29
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I wouldn't toss it. But that is based on nothing other than my own personal comfort levels.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:30
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Vultures will eat anything.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:33
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Canuckistan posted:Vultures will eat anything. This is an absolutely true statment on every level  Just so I'm clear, the conservative(and probably correct) decision is to toss it. I'd just fire it back and go to town though 
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Oct 25, 2012 14:44
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The answer I expected unfortunately. I tried turning it back on while I waited but it blew the fuse again. The instructions said to season it for 3 hours before first use and that went off without a hitch, but I had to move it to a different outlet further away from the house at the last minute and didn't have time to stay up and babysit. Time to roll out the extension cords I guess.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:52
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zerox147o posted:The answer I expected unfortunately. I tried turning it back on while I waited but it blew the fuse again. The instructions said to season it for 3 hours before first use and that went off without a hitch, but I had to move it to a different outlet further away from the house at the last minute and didn't have time to stay up and babysit. Time to roll out the extension cords I guess. Make sure you use a heavy-duty cord that is rated for at least the amperage draw of your smoker (shouldn't be hard, I don't think the Masterbuilt really draws as much as you'd expect anyway). Some people will say not to use an extension cord at all, but there's no reason to believe that.
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Oct 25, 2012 15:40
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Choadmaster posted:Make sure you use a heavy-duty cord that is rated for at least the amperage draw of your smoker (shouldn't be hard, I don't think the Masterbuilt really draws as much as you'd expect anyway). Some people will say not to use an extension cord at all, but there's no reason to believe that. Yeah that's complete BS as long as the cord is properly rated as you said.
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Oct 25, 2012 15:53
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vulturesrow posted:A quick peek doesnt hurt anything. Yeah it will bring the temp down temporarily but the interior of the meat is going to continue to cook. I base this on my on anecdotal observations and this. If you hold a flashlight over one of the top vent holes you can peek without opening the lid! Also if you just lift the lid straight off just enough to see the meat, most of the hot air stays trapped inside.
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Oct 25, 2012 16:06
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Why are you peeking anyways? The meat isn't in there doing tricks.
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Oct 25, 2012 16:12
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Canuckistan posted:Why are you peeking anyways? The meat isn't in there doing tricks. One reason would be if you are doing something that you are going to foil, it is nice to be able to make sure the bark is where you want it before wrapping it.
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Oct 25, 2012 16:18
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Stringent posted:What's so great about it? The stock door that comes with the new versions of the WSM is a giant turd. It's a piece of aluminum sort-of maybe the same shape as the opening in the drum. It's useless. On a full coal bed I'd get maybe 8 hours with the standard aluminum door. With the steel replacement I don't need any additional fuel for a full 16 hour brisket. The temperature also holds much more steady and you don't need to worry about windy days. Best $35 I spent on my WSM. Next on my list is the cajunbandit WSM mid-section extension so I can get 9-10 butts in there instead of the standard 6. Got parties coming up yo. Edit: Also I forgot to mention. I had a delicious accident the other day. I pulled out my kettle do throw on some ribeyes, and being a lazy bastard I forgot to clean out the bottom vent. Long story short I would up with 4 ribeyes that had been smoking at 150 degrees for 30-40 minutes then threw them on a proper set of hot coals to sear the outside. Amazing. Recommend loving that one up again to anyone else. Digital_Jesus fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Oct 25, 2012 |
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Oct 25, 2012 18:26
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Yeah, 16 dollars shipping on that door is outrageous. I would like to get one, though The price to ship 4 is $20. I don't know why one that is $16 is so much. I don't see the extensions, though? you sure they were on cajunbandit? Also I never use the water pan for anything but a grease collector. I foil it and I don't fill it with water. I don't have too much of a problem maintaining temps but I also live in a very temperate climate.
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Oct 25, 2012 21:21
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Digital_Jesus posted:The stock door that comes with the new versions of the WSM is a giant turd. It's a piece of aluminum sort-of maybe the same shape as the opening in the drum. It's useless. On a full coal bed I'd get maybe 8 hours with the standard aluminum door. With the steel replacement I don't need any additional fuel for a full 16 hour brisket. Sold!
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Oct 26, 2012 04:10
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sellouts posted:Yeah, 16 dollars shipping on that door is outrageous. I would like to get one, though http://cajunbandit.com/ It's on the front page. CajunBandit.com posted:The all new BBQ Stacker can increase the cooking capacity of a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) or Cajun Bandit smoker by more than 50%! Or you can use it with a Weber Charcoal Kettle as a smoker. In regards to the drip pan I don't put any water in mine either. I just fill it with playground sand and foil it up. Does well enough as a heat deflector. Haven't needed to change the sand yet, still soft and... sandy? Digital_Jesus fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Oct 26, 2012 |
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Oct 26, 2012 20:37
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