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Sand evaporates slightly slower than water so unless it's gross you don't need to change it.
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Aug 16, 2014 01:28
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Cover the pan / sand with some foil. Then once the cooker cools down after the cook, just change out the foil.
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Aug 16, 2014 02:01
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What? No. Cover it with foil so the drippings stay out and it will last you forever. It just absorbs heat and helps regulate temp changes.
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Aug 16, 2014 02:18
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So I'll freely admit that I have significantly less experience than most people in this thread but aren't the main roles of a water pan to provide humidity and help keep the temperature steady and low? Sand can get way hotter than 212F so it's not going to do much on either of those fronts. I do understand how a thermal mass could help cut down on fuel consumption but if your temperature spikes with a sand pan in the chamber it's going to take much longer to bring it back down.
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Aug 16, 2014 02:24
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Same with ceramic cookers and there's no problems there. It's going to take a long "spike" to raise the sand temp that much.
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Aug 16, 2014 02:49
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3 pork butts totalling 19lbs on the BGE overnight 
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Aug 16, 2014 05:29
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internet celebrity posted:but aren't the main roles of a water pan to provide humidity No. internet celebrity posted:help keep the temperature steady Yes. It's true that water is more foolproof than sand for keeping it low and steady and can help someone who doesn't have great vent control, but most people will graduate from water to sand once they learn their smoker and how to catch the temps on the way up. If I'm doing a big smoke (40+ lbs of meat) then I don't even bother with anything in the pan at all. The meat itself will act as a heat sink and help even out spikes. My sad story of the day - After seeing all the nice brisket here lately I decided to bite the bullet and try it out for the first time. No major stores around here carry brisket so I finally found a mom'n'pop butcher who carries it but they only had 9 lb briskets. I wanted a 12-15 lb and the nice old guy offered to cut me off a hunk to make up the difference. I put in an order for a 15 lb and hopefully I'll be able to try the smoke next weekend. Canuckistan fucked around with this message at 08:29 on Aug 16, 2014 |
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Aug 16, 2014 08:24
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Canuckistan posted:
You are getting your brisket in 2 pieces? I advise caution. Especially if he intends to just "cut off a hunk" to compensate.
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Aug 16, 2014 13:02
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Crazyeyes posted:You are getting your brisket in 2 pieces? I advise caution. Especially if he intends to just "cut off a hunk" to compensate. I declined and put in an order for a 15lb. If I was making corned beef, like I imagine 99% of his brisket sales are, then perhaps it wouldn't make a difference.
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Aug 16, 2014 13:40
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I'm doing a 5 1/4 lb pork butt right now for the first time. I seem to be in the stall at 176. If I crutch it, how long should it take to finish from here? I wasn't planning on doing it, but I want to eat it in 2.5 hours, so I feel like it's getting to be time to foil it.
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Aug 16, 2014 23:05
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clayburn posted:I'm doing a 5 1/4 lb pork butt right now for the first time. I seem to be in the stall at 176. If I crutch it, how long should it take to finish from here? I wasn't planning on doing it, but I want to eat it in 2.5 hours, so I feel like it's getting to be time to foil it. If you foil it and crank the heat to 250 or 260 it it will probably finish around then. Or put it in a pan with some apple juice st the bottom and put it in your oven at that temp for more consistent temp. I like to rest it for a half hour if possible.
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Aug 16, 2014 23:16
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Two things: One, a couple weekends ago I went to the store to get a brisket and asked the butcher to trim it for me. What did I get as a result? They cut it down the middle lengthwise, rolled it up, and wrapped it. It was basically the absolute worst and I didn't realize what they had done because I get my brisket there every time and it is always great. I called them after I got home and they immediately knew the name of the idiot girl that did it. Second, we just got our electric smoker about a month ago and have been smoking various meats every weekend. Since it's just the hubs and I, we always have tons of leftovers which makes for easy dinners during the week. I've done brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, and chicken... have loved everything we've done so far and keep getting better with every smoke. What I'm interested in is some suggestions for things that aren't necessarily typical? Just want to try some new stuff we haven't done before. I do have plans to do some jalapeno poppers, jerky, and probably a turkey/turkey breast or ham as a trial run for Thanksgiving, but other than that what other meats/other have you all smoked and had success with?
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Aug 16, 2014 23:45
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artichokeyou posted:What I'm interested in is some suggestions for things that aren't necessarily typical? Just want to try some new stuff we haven't done before. I do have plans to do some jalapeno poppers, jerky, and probably a turkey/turkey breast or ham as a trial run for Thanksgiving, but other than that what other meats/other have you all smoked and had success with? Stuffed pork loin, stuffed smoked pork chops, smoke a bunch of tomatoes, onions and peppers to make salsa, smoked meatloaf.
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Aug 17, 2014 00:42
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I had a smoked turkey leg wrapped in bacon at the state fair and it was probably one of the top 10 things ive ever eaten. My next goal is to try and replicate that on my smoker.
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Aug 17, 2014 08:21
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Meatloaf is probably my most smoked meat. Easy to do and oh so tasty. Smoked baked beans w/ pulled pork is very good too. There's lots of recipes but basically at the end of your PP smoke throw on a foil pan of baked beans seasoned with rub, smoke it, then mix in some bark/pp at the end.
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Aug 17, 2014 12:59
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I sure hope my husband doesn't see these posts about smoked meatloaf because I will be forced to make it. Meatloaf is one of his favorite foods and I've only made it for him like twice during the 4 years we've been together. I hate meatloaf and I don't care who knows.
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Aug 17, 2014 13:34
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artichokeyou posted:I sure hope my husband doesn't see these posts about smoked meatloaf because I will be forced to make it. Meatloaf is one of his favorite foods and I've only made it for him like twice during the 4 years we've been together. I hate meatloaf and I don't care who knows. Smoked meatloaf ain't that fatty mushy mess your momma made you eat. Since it's cooked without a pan on the grill all the fat drains out. When you add in bbq rub, sesame oil, a sweet and sour glaze and of course a little apple wood smoke you got a completely different beast. Try it! If nothing else you'll get hubby points.
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Aug 17, 2014 14:54
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Cold smoke some chicken wings before making them. They'll be delicious.
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Aug 17, 2014 18:06
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quote:Smoked meatloaf ain't that fatty mushy mess your momma made you eat. Since it's cooked without a pan on the grill all the fat drains out. When you add in bbq rub, sesame oil, a sweet and sour glaze and of course a little apple wood smoke you got a completely different beast. Try it! If nothing else you'll get hubby points. Let me rephrase, I pretty much just hate ground meat. It's a texture thing mostly. I eat a burger maybe only twice or three times a year when I get a craving for it. I don't know what changed since I grew up on red meat, eating steak and ground beef practically all the time, but the past several years it just hasn't done it for me. I'll make my husband a nice steak or burger and I will end up eating a chicken breast or salad. I'm horrible. I will make him a smoked meatloaf though because of these recommendations because I am a super sweet wife. I am of course the one who got up at 3 am to stand in line for him at the mall for 5 hours last year when the new iPhone 5s came out because he couldn't be bothered to get out of bed that early. In the rain. I had to stop and by an umbrella since we apparently didn't own one. .... And then he sold it only a few months later to get a different stupid phone. Still won wife of the year award. Other note actually related to this thread: gently caress rain. I put a pork shoulder on this morning at 5 and then it started absolutely pouring down rain less than an hour later. We have an electric smoker that runs on propane and I kept checking it during the two hours I kept it on there (using my umbrella purchased from above, smart move). The fire was doing fine, however the meat was getting wet due to the small vents on the top of the smoker and the rain was only getting worse, so I made the decision to bring it in and put it in the oven. Seems to be close to being done, I snuck a tiny bite. Just pissed that this whole weather situation happened (it's the middle of Summer in Texas, we're supposed to basically be in the middle of a drought but this has been the wettest summer in awhile, practically a hurricane outside!). The only good news is I didn't actually pay for this meat, thank you grandma. Was a super nice sale we got it at though, was marked down to almost 10 bucks from 30 something. artichokeyou fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Aug 17, 2014 |
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Aug 17, 2014 18:35
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You are kind of insane sounding but I would smoke meat through a rainstorm vs putting it in an oven.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:49
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Alright I need a recommendation. I have a birthday coming up and I want to get into the smoking game. I've never used a smoker before but I would like something that works well for beginners but can eventually be used for some more challenging meats down the road. Can you guys give me some recommendations? The only criteria I have: -Less than $300 if possible -Something that can be moved fairly easily, so no giant ceramic eggs. -I don't really have a preference between electric/propane/whatever. Sorry if this is a question that's been addressed before in this thread, I'm sure it has.
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Aug 18, 2014 14:27
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If you're looking for a charcoal smoker but not a ceramic cooker then you can't go wrong with a Weber Smokey Mountain.
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Aug 18, 2014 14:35
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Yea the 18" WSM is probably your best bet, as you can usually get them in October/November for between $200-$300, they're super easy to use, maintain temp awesome right out of the box, and cook amazing food. The only thing you can't do is a decent size full brisket, as the larger ones are usually longer than the cylinder is wide.
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Aug 18, 2014 14:51
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McSpankWich posted:Yea the 18" WSM is probably your best bet, as you can usually get them in October/November for between $200-$300, they're super easy to use, maintain temp awesome right out of the box, and cook amazing food. The only thing you can't do is a decent size full brisket, as the larger ones are usually longer than the cylinder is wide. This. I love my 18" but after using it for brisket several times now, I know my limits and kind of wish I had the 22.5. That being said, I will probably get an offset smoker in the next year or two to go along with my WSM. Here's some pulled pork I did yesterday... Turned out great:   
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Aug 18, 2014 15:38
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I have the WSM 22.5 and it's lovely for cooking a shitload of meat at once. However, there's times where I'd like to do a small smoke with just one or two racks of ribs and it uses too much fuel to make it worthwhile. Something I've seen people do is use a smaller charcoal ring for smaller smokes. I'm going to try that soon. I did 3 huge untrimmed racks of ribs last night. Total of 5.5 hours on the smoker using the 3-2-1 (well, 3-2-.5 cuz I was hungry) foil method and they were great. Yes, I'm a heretic who foils my ribs. 
Canuckistan fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Aug 18, 2014 |
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Aug 18, 2014 16:15
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WSM made some of the best BBQ I've ever made. Just budget to get a real door for it. That's a day 1 upgrade IMO. Also check Craigslist in your area. Maybe you can get a used one for even less.
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Aug 18, 2014 16:32
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If you're super cheap you can just get some rubber heat seal stripping and line the stock door with it. It's like $5 instead of $70 for the replacement steel door. The aluminum will still bleed heat though, so it's not 100% perfect.
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Aug 18, 2014 16:42
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McSpankWich posted:If you're super cheap you can just get some rubber heat seal stripping and line the stock door with it. It's like $5 instead of $70 for the replacement steel door. The aluminum will still bleed heat though, so it's not 100% perfect. The replacement door is ~$30 with shipping.
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Aug 19, 2014 01:30
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Stormyish posted:Something sticky is afoot
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Aug 19, 2014 01:35
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Thanks for the reminder on the replacement door. It was $38 with shipping from Cajun bandit.
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Aug 19, 2014 02:34
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Who's got experience with BBQ PID Systems / Fans / Managers? Wrestling between the BBQ Guru and Stoker models. Looking to upgrade my WSM but I'd prefer to get advice from people who can write in complete sentences so I ask here and not on the Smoke Ring.
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Aug 19, 2014 05:54
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Does someone want to build my heatermeter for me. I don't have a good soldering iron and am lazy.
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Aug 19, 2014 07:36
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sellouts posted:Does someone want to build my heatermeter for me. I don't have a good soldering iron and am lazy. I would like to build my own HM because it seems like a fun project, but the only piece I'm having trouble finding more info on is the connector from the fan to a 18 WSM. I'm probably just not looking in the right place but any help here would be appreciated.
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Aug 19, 2014 17:43
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Woof! Woof! posted:Who's got experience with BBQ PID Systems / Fans / Managers? I've had good luck with my older bbq guru. I've heard lots of customer complaints about the guy who sells the stokers, due to poor communication.
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Aug 19, 2014 18:22
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My BBQ Guru functioned exactly as described/I wanted it to. Set temp, it stays at that temp. I didn't care about remote management, reporting or graphing though, so can't speak to those. Fake edit: It did NOT like getting rained on.
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Aug 19, 2014 18:51
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I may have posted this before, but when it comes to smoking there is an easier method. Heat your kettle, green egg, smoker to 300 degrees. Cook your brisket, pork shoulder for 2 hours. At this point it will have developed a bark and a decent smoke ring. Double wrap the meat in heavy foil. Place the foil wrapped meat in a cheap sleeping bag. Take the meat and jam it in a cooler, the tighter fit the better. Let it sit for six to 8 hours and you are done.
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Aug 20, 2014 16:35
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ut755ln posted:I may have posted this before, but when it comes to smoking there is an easier method. Heat your kettle, green egg, smoker to 300 degrees. Cook your brisket, pork shoulder for 2 hours. At this point it will have developed a bark and a decent smoke ring. Double wrap the meat in heavy foil. Place the foil wrapped meat in a cheap sleeping bag. Take the meat and jam it in a cooler, the tighter fit the better. Let it sit for six to 8 hours and you are done. There's no way a makeshift Cambro is going to be able to finish off a pork butt after only 2 hours via carryover. Hell, I wouldn't trust it to hold a finished butt at a food safe temperature for that long.
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Aug 20, 2014 17:32
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I smoked a butt. Woke up at like 4 or so, started my smoker, had a beer and some eggs, cooked. This was after being pulled close to 8, 8.5 hours. Wrapped it and stuck it in a cooler for another 45 min or so. Then it turned into this beautiful pile of meats. I made a Carolina bbq sauce to go with it, and it turned out really good.  The bark was good, but judging from photos I've seen here and elsewhere, I am sure it could be better. I cooked at 225 in my masterbuilt, adding apple wood at the start and then another full loader's worth about halfway through. Sellouts thought the meat could have cooked a bit more, but I was reading 190 throughout the meat when I probed it a few times. The bone itself was not super easy to pull out, but the meat pulled apart easily and was juicy. I didn't do a brine. Just trimmed it, leaving a little fat and no skin, put a little salt and let that absorb. Then a few hours later, I hit it with mustard and a rub, and let it sit overnight. How far does salt penetrate if you just salt it and stick it in the fridge? I think I could have stood a little more but I didn't want it to be overbearing. I put very little salt in my rub so I could tweak it based on whatever I am doing. I considered mopping the bbq sauce on it a bit towards the end of cooking, but opted against. Just threw it on sandwiches individually I dunno. Basically, help me make my pork even better for next time.
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Aug 20, 2014 19:47
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This is how I do it. YMMV and all that. Cook at 250 next time. Better bark and faster cook. 190 is too low. I shoot for 200but I know it's done when the butt is slumped on the grill from all the connective tissue breaking down and will probably fall apart when you move it. Don't bother adding wood at the halfway point. Smoke really only penetrates during the initial start of the cook and additional smoke later doesn't do much. That's also why it's OK to move a mostly done butt to the oven. I don't bother brining or injecting my butts. I'll rub it down with a mustard coat and when it's pulled I'll season it with leftover rub and a little apple juice.
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Aug 20, 2014 20:06
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I read about people doing it at 250, but I was worried about having my meat turn out dry. I don't know if that's really a concern. Thanks!
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Aug 20, 2014 20:11
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