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Steve Yun posted:Anyone here used a Smokinator that can vouch for it? I do. It works fine. Definitely do a practice run to figure out the process of maintaining temp. It's not hard at all. Did some ribs on the first run. They turned out pretty good. Did a pork shoulder on the second run and it was literally some of the best pulled pork I have ever tasted. I did a memphis rub and combo of apple juice / cider with some extra rub thrown in for basting.
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Dec 2, 2012 01:06
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| # ? May 14, 2024 08:28 |
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So I am on hour 20 of my 6lbs pork butt smoke. My BGE has been rock solid at about 210 the entire time. I've been really good and haven't opened the lid once, Can't wait to see what it looks like once it is done. Internal temp is about 186 and slowly rising. I figure a full 24 hours and it will hit temp to pull it.
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Dec 3, 2012 00:21
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http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html Was going to try that this weekend, what types of wood have you guys had success with? I've got some apple wood, but also have access to Mesquite and Hickory. Was thinking some apple wood, then a chunk or two of the others, or will brisket take a full load of stronger wood just fine?
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Dec 4, 2012 04:26
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Bob Mundon posted:http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html I like apple/cherry + hickory for pork, and mesquite for beef.
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Dec 4, 2012 04:35
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Bob Mundon posted:http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html Apple will be fine, as would cherry, hickory, and mesquite (only use mesquite in small portions, it can be overpowering). Sugar maple, pecan, and alder are also good. I usually just use hickory and/or cherry for briskets. If I have mesquite I'll throw in one chunk at the beginning of the smoke. In Texas all they use is mesquite; YMMV.
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Dec 4, 2012 04:36
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rigeek posted:Apple will be fine, as would cherry, hickory, and mesquite (only use mesquite in small portions, it can be overpowering). Sugar maple, pecan, and alder are also good. I usually just use hickory and/or cherry for briskets. If I have mesquite I'll throw in one chunk at the beginning of the smoke. In Texas all they use is mesquite; YMMV. Being a Texan, believe me I'll be using Mesquite with it, just didn't know if one chunk was good or if it would take a few without being too much.
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Dec 4, 2012 05:46
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rigeek posted:Apple will be fine, as would cherry, hickory, and mesquite (only use mesquite in small portions, it can be overpowering). Sugar maple, pecan, and alder are also good. I usually just use hickory and/or cherry for briskets. If I have mesquite I'll throw in one chunk at the beginning of the smoke. In Texas all they use is mesquite; YMMV. Pecan is a good "Texas" substitute for hickory.
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Dec 4, 2012 06:01
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Got a brisket on for today with the high heat method. Now to wait........ (haven't had good brisket since moving away from Texas 4 years ago, waiting is difficult). What's the best method for burnt ends on high heat? Throw the point on for a couple of hours, or cube it first then throw the cubes back on the smoker? I would think if you are wanting to get them to a really high heat, cubing first would make more sense.
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Dec 9, 2012 21:01
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Bob Mundon posted:Got a brisket on for today with the high heat method. Now to wait........ (haven't had good brisket since moving away from Texas 4 years ago, waiting is difficult). I have been cubing it and tossing them in a foil pan with extra rub and a little bit of sauce. Seems to work okay.
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Dec 9, 2012 21:41
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cornface posted:I have been cubing it and tossing them in a foil pan with extra rub and a little bit of sauce. Seems to work okay. How long do you leave them on? Most times I see are when using low heat.
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Dec 9, 2012 21:50
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Well, the flat came out completely mediocre. Zero bark, dry, not very tender (cooked up weird, even though the smoker was on the low side the temp shot up super fast). However, the burnt ends came out amazing. Question: Other than tradition, is there any reason not to do the entire brisket as burnt ends? I guess that came to mind because the flat came out so much worse than the point, if it had been better maybe be a different story.
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Dec 10, 2012 02:09
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Bob Mundon posted:Well, the flat came out completely mediocre. Zero bark, dry, not very tender (cooked up weird, even though the smoker was on the low side the temp shot up super fast). The flat is probably too lean for that.. the point has a lot more connective tissue and fat to render out.
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Dec 10, 2012 02:11
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rigeek posted:The flat is probably too lean for that.. the point has a lot more connective tissue and fat to render out. Makes sense. I guess I'll just have to keep fiddling around with it. Smoker was running around 330 for most of the cook, but like I said the temp shot up really fast (was up over 170 in less than 2 hours, and was at 200 after foiling in probably another hour and a half).
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Dec 10, 2012 02:16
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Bob Mundon posted:Makes sense. Did you add any liquid when you foiled it? Adding a little beef stock, apple juice, beer, whatever you have around usually helps. But if it was dry it may have been undercooked.. the window of "done" on a brisket is small. What temp was it at when you pulled it?
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Dec 10, 2012 02:19
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rigeek posted:Did you add any liquid when you foiled it? Adding a little beef stock, apple juice, beer, whatever you have around usually helps. But if it was dry it may have been undercooked.. the window of "done" on a brisket is small. What temp was it at when you pulled it? I didn't, although it had quite a bit of juice after a little bit just from the meat itself. When foiled the exterior was pretty soft as well, in pictures I've seen it should have bark starting to develop when you go in to foil it. Not so this time, at all. Of the parts I checked, all were over 200, left it in longer because it wasn't quite tender at 190. The bottom may have been less though, definitely didn't have the same texture on the bottom as the top. Even at 200 I wasn't quite sure if it was tender enough, but pulled it anyway because I figure it'd overcook pretty soon after that. Overall took like 3 to 3.5 hours in total, so a much faster cook than I would have figured, especially since it was around 325-330 for so much of the cook. Bob Mundon fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Dec 10, 2012 |
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Dec 10, 2012 02:34
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The one I slathered with mustard before putting the rub on came out with a lot better bark than the one I used oil on. I would give that a try next time. It doesn't taste like mustard when you eat it. I would start probing it at 185 or so and then check it every 20-30 minutes without worrying about the temperature it is at. Also make sure you slice across the grain when you cut it. How big was the brisket? Was it trimmed? Maybe try flipping it fat side up when you foil it/pan it if you didn't, and definitely add some liquid. Also it is a good idea on the 18.5 WSM to fold some strips of foil and lay them under the ends of the brisket. The outer edges of the grate get a lot hotter than the center and you can burn the ends of it before it gets foiled, especially when you are already running hot. If all else fails, make chili out of it.
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Dec 10, 2012 04:04
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Did a monster 18lb brisket this weekend - approximately 15 hours overnight in my MES with amps, none of this foiling crap or anything else - just low and slow at 225 :-). Great peppery bark and huge flavour. I'll post up pictures tomorrow.
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Dec 10, 2012 04:21
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cornface posted:The one I slathered with mustard before putting the rub on came out with a lot better bark than the one I used oil on. I would give that a try next time. It doesn't taste like mustard when you eat it. Actually used the mustard trick, literally zero bark. Go figure. I'm chalking it up to the brisket going up in temp too fast to develop any, or maybe 330 is too low for a high heat cook, I dunno. The one thing I didn't do was have it fat side up when in the foil pan, but even then, like I said it wasn't developing anything close to bark when I put it in foil, so not sure it would have helped. Sliced across the grain too. Followed it pretty by the book, just turned out strange. Who knows, at least the burnt ends turned out amazing. And using a 22.5, so the edges weren't a problem.
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Dec 10, 2012 06:10
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Bob Mundon posted:Actually used the mustard trick, literally zero bark. Go figure. I'm chalking it up to the brisket going up in temp too fast to develop any, or maybe 330 is too low for a high heat cook, I dunno. Weird. Just out of curiosity what did you use for rub and how much did you apply? Also how much wood did you use and how did you start the smoker? (Like did you add all the wood at the start, buried, on top, how many lit coals did you add at the beginning?)
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Dec 10, 2012 06:14
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Used the rub in this http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket1.html, and used mustard first to get it to stick (although is it possible I added too much?) Used 4 chunks of apple and 2 chunks of mesquite, with about 4 on top and 2 buried, started it with minion method and about a full chimney of charcoal.
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Dec 10, 2012 20:32
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Bob Mundon posted:Used the rub in this http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket1.html, and used mustard first to get it to stick (although is it possible I added too much?) Hm, strange. The only other thing I can recommend that I've had good results with is to bury all the wood. Like put the wood chunks in the ring before you dump any charcoal in. You are running hot enough that it should be smoking even while buried, but keeping it under the charcoal keeps it from just bursting into flames and burning off right at the start. It is also possible that you just had a bad combination of a tough brisket and bad luck. The best way to test it is just to keep making briskets and quickly eating the evidence of any failures.
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Dec 10, 2012 21:17
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Guilty of cross-posting from the holiday meal planning thread. It dawned on me that I should post in here for a little advice. For Christmas dinner, which is actually going to be Sunday, I'm doing a couple of pork shoulders. The plan is to start them smoking on the Weber at around noon on Saturday. I plan on transferring them to an oven dialed in at 200-225 at around 5-6pm to hopefully finish up late the next morning. I'm hoping that by foiling them and wrapping them up in towels in a cooler after they reach temp, I can keep them warm for a few hours. That, or I might just wrap them up in foil and lower the oven to 175. I haven't decided. The reason they need to start smoking at 12pm Saturdayis because we need to leave for 4-5 hours at around 6pm. I figure they will be okay on autopilot for a few hours in the oven. I'm just hoping I can get the timing right and can keep it warm until it's ready to eat the next day. I'm taking any and all suggestions on how to keep it warm for serving without drying out. I was going to use a crock pot on keep warm, but I suppose I can just use a couple of covered aluminum foil pans in the oven on lowest temp, which I think is 175. This is either going to be magnificent, or a huge pain in my rear end. Or both. I've cooked a shoulder once and it was fantastic, but I've never done one on a schedule.
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Dec 18, 2012 04:38
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How big are the butts and what time are you planning on eating them on sunday?
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Dec 18, 2012 04:46
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One is a 9 lb and one is an 8 lb. We plan on eating lunch at around 1pm and dinner at around 6pm.
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Dec 19, 2012 04:41
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diehlr posted:One is a 9 lb and one is an 8 lb. We plan on eating lunch at around 1pm and dinner at around 6pm. Can you just get up and put them on at like 4 or 5 and go back to bed?
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Dec 19, 2012 05:14
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cornface posted:Can you just get up and put them on at like 4 or 5 and go back to bed? I would just put them on the smoker when you get home Saturday night and let them run 12-14 hours overnight. To keep warm when done, wrap in 2 layers of foil, then use an old clean towel or something and throw in a cooler. I've kept an 8 pound brisket flat hot for a few hours like that.
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Dec 19, 2012 16:59
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Unfortunately, I am using a Weber with a smokenater, so unattended overnight smoking is not an option.
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Dec 19, 2012 17:26
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Bob Mundon posted:Actually used the mustard trick, literally zero bark. Go figure. I'm chalking it up to the brisket going up in temp too fast to develop any, or maybe 330 is too low for a high heat cook, I dunno. One trick I've started using to help develop bark is to unwrap it and let it sit bare on the smoker for the last half hour or so. Drys out that outer layer pretty well. I need to try the mustard thing one of these days. I use a bit of peanut oil, salt, and pepper on my briskets and they generally come out ok, at least taste-wise. The Christmas brisket has been on for an hour at this point and should be ready by 6PM. 
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Dec 25, 2012 15:33
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I smoked a meat. Murrrry Meatmas to all.
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Dec 25, 2012 23:26
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 Let the year of meat begin! Anyone have suggestions for brands/places to buy hardwood charcoal and hardwood pieces for smoking?
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Dec 26, 2012 01:53
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I found pork belly at $3.50 per lb. Tomorrow going to try to seal my lovely but large grill up enough to smoke in it. Wish me luck.
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Dec 26, 2012 03:08
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Huge_Midget posted:
There really isn't a huge difference in hardwood charcoal and plain old Kingsford blue bag if you light it correctly. Wood will depend on where you live.
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Dec 26, 2012 07:59
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Duck number 3 under my belt. Just killer as always. Opted for more aggressive scoring on the breast this time and the fat was much, much more managable. I don't think we had but a tablespoon drip out of it when we were tightening it up on the grill. Also served some thin slices of my own andouille for lunch. Man, I love that stuff. Looks like you had a merry Christmas, Huge_Midget. Good food awaits. As for sourcing dried wood for smoking... local hardware stores, both small and national chains might have some. Some grocery will carry it, but if you're looking for larger chunks of specific meats, I would prolly just look online.
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Dec 26, 2012 08:01
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I was having difficulty finding hardwoods for smoking locally, so a while back I ended up ordering a couple of the bulk grilling chunks from http://www.mainegrillingwoods.com/. At the time there was free shipping and it ended up being pretty reasonable all things considered.
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Dec 26, 2012 15:42
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Huge_Midget posted:
I hate Walmart but they've got royal oak hardwood charcoal for like 6/ bag. That's what I use. Also get a chimney starter. And ignore Alton brown and just get the paraffin starter cubes. The oil + newspaper is a pain and ashy, the 20 cents you save isn't worth it in my opinion.
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Dec 26, 2012 16:21
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Royal Oak is good hardwood charcoal. Do NOT under any circumstances buy Cowboy brand. It's full of old plywood, and insides of old couches and probably the seat from a '69 Ford. Lump burns hotter than briquettes, leaves a LOT less ash, but because it burns hotter, you have to be a little more careful watching the smoker. The only other drawback I can think of with lump / hardwood is since it's "natural" and not pressed like briquettes, the chunks / pieces are not uniform in size, so when you fill your charcoal ring there may be "gaps" .. it's never caused an issue but be careful with the huge chunks. Maybe sort them out and leave them on top by themselves. The wax starters are ok .. I just use either a few sheets of crumbled up newspaper, or whatever junk mail has been sitting around in the bottom of the chimney .. kills 2 birds with one stone.
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Dec 27, 2012 03:43
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Huge_Midget posted:
Charcoal I usually just get 2 times a year: labor day and memorial day. Both Lowes and Home Depot will usually have their 40 pound (2x20lb bags) of Kingsford charcoal for like $10. Last year I managed to cram like 200 lbs into my Corvette on Memorial day and I'm still using the last 2 bags of that. Smoke wood I usually get at Bass Pro Shops. They usually have hickory, oak and at least apple. I managed to have a friend back in Northern MI send me a box of cherry wood chunks from some trees he cut down on his property.
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Dec 30, 2012 21:50
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DJCobol posted:Charcoal I usually just get 2 times a year: labor day and memorial day. Both Lowes and Home Depot will usually have their 40 pound (2x20lb bags) of Kingsford charcoal for like $10. Last year I managed to cram like 200 lbs into my Corvette on Memorial day and I'm still using the last 2 bags of that. Noted.
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Dec 31, 2012 04:59
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(I apologize in advance for the low quality cell phone camera pics.) Last month I transitioned from smoking on my Weber grill and an el cheapo brinkman (converted to propane with a turkey fryer burner) to this beautiful UDS:  I broke it in with some awesome pulled pork (apples are due to drunkenness, but dripping on beans is the way to go) and then some baby back ribs a week later (no sauce, rub only):   I also finally manned up and tried a brisket flat. It was my first and I think I wrapped it in foil too soon. I did put it back on the grate for an hour at the end, though, and ended up with some good bark, and it finished super juicy and tender with some great au jus:    Next day's lunch was fantastic open faced, toasted sandwiches (ate with fork only, no knife required):  Yesterday I smoked some wings for the NFC East Championship game (charred on lower grate after smoke to crisp up skin):  Then slathered them in buffallo sauce and made a wings/deer bologna platter:  Redskins won, and I was fat. A fantastic evening!  Overall, I'm really happy with my UDS. Once you learn temp zones and prepare against temp spikes before removing the lid during a smoke, it's a meat dream!
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Dec 31, 2012 17:52
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| # ? May 14, 2024 08:28 |
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Today was a lovely day with the cold weather and rain, so of course it was the day I picked to test out my new Weber Smokey Mountain. On the menu was ribs and bacon. This thing really is idiot proof. Used about a half bag of charcoal with 4 chunks each of hickory and apple.  No picture of the ribs unfortunately, but here is some bacon money shots!  
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Jan 14, 2013 00:51
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