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lifts cats over head posted:Do any of you brine your butts before smoking? I've seen it suggest here and there but have yet to try it and I'm curious if it's worth it. In a few weeks a may try to do a side by side if I get enough people over. I've had good results with the Alton Brown brining method http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/barbecue-pork-butt-recipe.html. Never done a side-by-side, though.
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Sep 6, 2016 16:41
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lifts cats over head posted:Do any of you brine your butts before smoking? I've seen it suggest here and there but have yet to try it and I'm curious if it's worth it. In a few weeks a may try to do a side by side if I get enough people over.
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Sep 6, 2016 17:11
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Vulture Culture posted:There's so much fat in pork butts already that I think it's a waste of time and skip it (I do dry-brine instead so the salt penetrates down into the meat). I save the brining and injection for larger lean cuts that have a tendency to dry out without help, like pork loins. I agree. I started out injecting my butts and then one time I forgot and I thought it was the superior product. The injected butts were wet, but not as flavorful IMO. Uninjected butts turn out plenty moist.
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Sep 6, 2016 17:16
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Jumping on the bandwagon. Brining a butt seems like an unnecessary step. Dry brining makes a little more sense but I still wouldn't explicitly do it. I'm sure some dry brining occurs just from letting the rub sit on it for a while.
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Sep 6, 2016 20:06
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Yeah I've been meaning to dry brine a shoulder since I first dry brined a turkey. Going to try it with a whole shoulder in a week or two.
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Sep 6, 2016 20:28
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Every time I remember I gently rub whatever I'm smoking w/ salt and let it sit uncovered in the fridge over night. I think it's helped tremendously. I don't think I'd ever wet-brine a shoulder, that just sounds way too juicy.
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Sep 6, 2016 22:47
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You're crazy! I wet brine my shoulder every time. It's the only way to go. Shits delicious.
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Sep 6, 2016 22:49
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I never wet brine my shoulders. It always comes out delicious and I honestly can't imagine it being any better.
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Sep 6, 2016 23:39
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I will say that the 24h sit post rubbing is something I will never skip again. The difference in final flavor is huge. I was rushed this weekend and other then the bark, there is little detectable flavor from the rub in most of the meat.
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Sep 6, 2016 23:44
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McSpankWich posted:You're crazy! I wet brine my shoulder every time. It's the only way to go. Shits delicious. Like I'm going to trust the opinion of someone who thinks poo poo is delicious.
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Sep 7, 2016 00:08
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I need some advice for an electric smoker. My dad had a stroke a little while ago and as such is in a wheel chair with limited use of his left side. But he loves making ribs and brisket. So currently that means mom has to help a lot, but she isn't big on watching the fire and babysitting it in his current setup. So what should I look at around $200-$300 that is very user friendly and can be a little more set and forget than your standard setup? Something with a window would be great so dad could easily check on the meat without opening it, but that isn't 100% necessary.
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Sep 7, 2016 00:29
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Like I'm going to trust the opinion of someone who thinks poo poo is delicious. 
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Sep 7, 2016 02:12
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Atticus_1354 posted:I need some advice for an electric smoker. My dad had a stroke a little while ago and as such is in a wheel chair with limited use of his left side. But he loves making ribs and brisket. So currently that means mom has to help a lot, but she isn't big on watching the fire and babysitting it in his current setup. So what should I look at around $200-$300 that is very user friendly and can be a little more set and forget than your standard setup? Something with a window would be great so dad could easily check on the meat without opening it, but that isn't 100% necessary. Most people with electric smokers in this thread run masterbuilt electric smokers or MES for short. They are pretty much set and forget. As I understand the stock smoking setup uses chips on the heating element which works but requires frequent restocking. You can buy something called the Amazeing pellet smoker that will rectify that issue and allow long term smoke generation. Most users say the window in the door gets black after one use so It's not really helpful. Better off getting a wireless thermometer and leaving the door closed. Also they are currently getting clearanced at walmart and other big box stores to make room for halloween/christmas poo poo so you can probably find a deal. Disclaimer: I don't actually own a MES, this is what I've gathered from the thread. Hopefully someone who owns one will chime in if I screwed up or missed anything.
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Sep 7, 2016 03:15
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Atticus_1354 posted:I need some advice for an electric smoker. My dad had a stroke a little while ago and as such is in a wheel chair with limited use of his left side. But he loves making ribs and brisket. So currently that means mom has to help a lot, but she isn't big on watching the fire and babysitting it in his current setup. So what should I look at around $200-$300 that is very user friendly and can be a little more set and forget than your standard setup? Something with a window would be great so dad could easily check on the meat without opening it, but that isn't 100% necessary. I have a Traeger and I love it. It's a pellet grill/smoker so you don't have to deal with wood chips, but that does mean you have to buy different types of pellets if you want to use different woods. They work as both smokers and grills; they go up to around 500 degrees so you can grill on them as well as smoke.
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Sep 7, 2016 03:26
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^^ I don't have experience with either type but based on the need I'd say an autofeeding pellet smoker is what would be best. Lotta good info here. Tivac posted:Every time I remember I gently rub whatever I'm smoking w/ salt and let it sit uncovered in the fridge over night. I think it's helped tremendously. This right here. A good rub with a good bit of salt in it, plus garlic paprika whatever you like etc. Rub that poo poo in and let sit overnight. That helps form the pellicle so the smoke penetrates and creates an incredible bark. Even if I were going to wet brine I would still do this afterwards...but that seems like a whole lot of unnecessary. pr0k fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Sep 7, 2016 |
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Sep 7, 2016 04:30
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Atticus_1354 posted:I need some advice for an electric smoker. My dad had a stroke a little while ago and as such is in a wheel chair with limited use of his left side. But he loves making ribs and brisket. So currently that means mom has to help a lot, but she isn't big on watching the fire and babysitting it in his current setup. So what should I look at around $200-$300 that is very user friendly and can be a little more set and forget than your standard setup? Something with a window would be great so dad could easily check on the meat without opening it, but that isn't 100% necessary. Pubic Lair posted:Most people with electric smokers in this thread run masterbuilt electric smokers or MES for short. They are pretty much set and forget. As I understand the stock smoking setup uses chips on the heating element which works but requires frequent restocking. You can buy something called the Amazeing pellet smoker that will rectify that issue and allow long term smoke generation. Most users say the window in the door gets black after one use so It's not really helpful. Better off getting a wireless thermometer and leaving the door closed. This is mostly accurate to my MES experience. I don't bother with an AMPs or anything because usually I only want smoke in the first 1-2 hours of the cook anyway. Maybe I'm missing something but when I've done more in the past it hasn't made a noticeable difference. The MES is almost set-it-and-forget it, I love it. I can turn it on before I go to bed, shove prepped meat in at 3am, and around dinner time I've got an amazing brisket that I didn't have to even touch. It doesn't have a smoke ring but you can't taste that so it doesn't matter to me. Highly recommended if you don't have the patience/time/ability to babysit a fire.
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Sep 7, 2016 08:06
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If you get an MES just make sure to get a 40" as the smaller 30" is too small if you are doing more than a couple things. The MES is set and forget mainly and I have not used the AMPS yet and have had really good food from mine for a few years now. The door is pointless as you can not see through it after the first smoke. Mine has a built in meat probe and a small remote that will show the temp of the smoker and the probe. I use that to know when it is close and then I check it with a hand held to be certain I am at the temp I want.
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Sep 7, 2016 14:28
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Atticus_1354 posted:I need some advice for an electric smoker. My dad had a stroke a little while ago and as such is in a wheel chair with limited use of his left side. But he loves making ribs and brisket. So currently that means mom has to help a lot, but she isn't big on watching the fire and babysitting it in his current setup. So what should I look at around $200-$300 that is very user friendly and can be a little more set and forget than your standard setup? Something with a window would be great so dad could easily check on the meat without opening it, but that isn't 100% necessary. Depending on what he's currently using, you could also get him a mod for his current rig like a tiptoptemp or bbqguru.
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Sep 7, 2016 21:14
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So I picked up a full packer wagyu brisket today at $6 a pound (which is the price i'm used to paying for regular choice brisket around here.) As much as I'd like to think otherwise, 12lbs of beef is too much to smoke in one go without a lot of friends around. I'm thinking i'll separate the point and flat, then use the flat to cure for corned beef and/or pastrami. Is there anything i should beware of smoking the point by itself? This is the first time I've actually broken down a packer.
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Sep 12, 2016 23:18
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If I'm smoking two pork shoulders on my Traeger about ~6.5 pounds each will it add to the total cook time or will it be approximately the same as the one? Reason would have me think it'll hold temps the same and cook the same amount of time as the one. I just need confirmation.
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Sep 13, 2016 04:32
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You are correct. Two separate shoulders should cook at roughly the same time as one, assuming temp, airflow, etc are the same.
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Sep 13, 2016 04:39
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Somewhat Heroic posted:If I'm smoking two pork shoulders on my Traeger about ~6.5 pounds each will it add to the total cook time or will it be approximately the same as the one? Reason would have me think it'll hold temps the same and cook the same amount of time as the one. I just need confirmation. IF you're thinking "will it be cooler inside given the mass doubling to require heating" the temp sensor >>> auger flow will still keep the same temp regardless, so, agreed with ^
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Sep 13, 2016 04:45
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You guys are excellent, many thanks!
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Sep 13, 2016 04:56
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how are you guys placing a meat thermometer when the piece of meat (ie salmon steak) is too small and part of the probe is open to direct heat ? I read meathead's article but im confused by the drawings. I'm using a maverick remote thermo with the L shaped probe on a line.
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Sep 13, 2016 05:50
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Not sure about that one but most probes have a part of the tip that is different colored or textured, that is the actual part that matters. Make sure that part is in the thickest part of the meat and not touching bone.
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Sep 13, 2016 15:42
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I cut my butts in half to get more bark and it does not seem to effect cook time much at all. I have a 18" WSM and it seems very easy to overload it, like, two 10lb butts seems to take like 24h.
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Sep 14, 2016 02:00
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bongwizzard posted:I cut my butts in half to get more bark and it does not seem to effect cook time much at all. I have a 18" WSM and it seems very easy to overload it, like, two 10lb butts seems to take like 24h.
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Sep 14, 2016 02:40
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e: deleted, the advice I was responding to is absolutely correct for pellet smokers specifically
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Sep 14, 2016 02:47
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bongwizzard posted:I cut my butts in half to get more bark and it does not seem to effect cook time much at all. I have a 18" WSM and it seems very easy to overload it, like, two 10lb butts seems to take like 24h. I've had no issues with loading up both racks on my WSM 18". Been a little while since I did so but as I recall it didn't significantly affect cook time.
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Sep 14, 2016 07:08
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I cut them into evenly sized chunks, trussing them if need be to get them as consistent as possible. Every time I try to load up more then 10lb of butt my cooking times shoot up to like 2h per lb or more. No idea whats going on but it has happened three or four times not.
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Sep 14, 2016 13:01
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Buddy of mine had to move out of his house into an apartment. They don't allow smokers on their patios. His loss is my gain, he smoked out of this thing once. http://imgur.com/a/Tqqaa Going to do ribs, pork belly this weekend, with brisket to follow. Just realized I need to clean the bottom.
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Sep 14, 2016 16:52
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So I ordered this PartyQ temp controller last week, but it still hasn't shipped. Do any of you use it specifically? I mainly went by amazon reviews (and price) and there's still time to cancel it. Seems like there's some weird trick where you have to turn it off to open the lid or else it over-airs the coals?
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Sep 16, 2016 04:06
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red19fire posted:So I ordered this PartyQ temp controller last week, but it still hasn't shipped. Do any of you use it specifically? I mainly went by amazon reviews (and price) and there's still time to cancel it. Seems like there's some weird trick where you have to turn it off to open the lid or else it over-airs the coals? I'm interested in hearing what you think. I've looked at that one before, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
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Sep 16, 2016 14:09
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red19fire posted:Seems like there's some weird trick where you have to turn it off to open the lid or else it over-airs the coals? I have not used this one nor do I know much about it but this seems reasonable and logical. Some similar controllers may have a PID pause/hold feature that would prevent this. Open grill --> chamber temp reading goes below set point --> fan spins faster heating up the coals too much.
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Sep 16, 2016 14:14
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Some of the temp controllers will detect the sudden drop in temperature and turn off the fan for a while, since in fact you're introducing a ton of oxygen and the temp will spike once you close the lid again.
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Sep 16, 2016 23:35
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So a full chimney of charcoal is not the way to go. straight up to 300 degrees. maybe this is why i'm not getting a good smoke ring. This temp probe is actually a great idea. So, I'm choking out the fire and it's gradually dropping, is there a faster way to do it, or correct vent settings? I feel like opening the top vent will introduce oxygen and increase the temperature. I'm going to wait an hour and see if it'll get back to 200. E: tried a second time, I lit 4-5 lumps in the chimney, then dumped those on top of the unlit older coals. The fan on the PartyQ stoked it up to 180, pulsed air up to 200, then cut out and the temp shot up to 260. I shut the top vent down to 1/8", 15 mins later the temp dropped to 175. Then the fans blew it up to 200, cut off, and the fire is now at 240. I think I have too many air leaks, when there's hardwood in it the smoke pours out of every seal, so I ordered some gasket material and hopefully that should solve at least some of my problems. E2: Ok, i think the air leaks naturally keep it at 230 or so. Maybe chimney starting isn't the way to go, seems to get super hot super fast. I ordered new high temp seals, maybe that would help. red19fire fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Sep 17, 2016 |
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Sep 17, 2016 20:22
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Doing my first whole pork shoulder, 20.5 lbs. Just left the skin on the bottom of the picnic for maximum bark on the top. We'll see if that was a mistake.  24 hour dry brine.  Put it on around 3:00pm.  Blurry nighttime shot, currently at 105 internal and getting some good development on the bark. 
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Sep 18, 2016 01:13
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red19fire posted:So a full chimney of charcoal is not the way to go. straight up to 300 degrees. maybe this is why i'm not getting a good smoke ring. This temp probe is actually a great idea. So, I'm choking out the fire and it's gradually dropping, is there a faster way to do it, or correct vent settings? I feel like opening the top vent will introduce oxygen and increase the temperature. I'm going to wait an hour and see if it'll get back to 200.
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Sep 18, 2016 04:57
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Hey goons, when smoking meats like chicken is there a way to keep the leather from ending up like leather? I've had this happen every time regardless of how much smoke I use. Should i just deskin my chicken in the future for smoking?
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Sep 19, 2016 22:12
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I just take the skin off after and fry it. At the end of the cook you can cook the chicken on higher, direct heat to have crisper skin if you want to leave it on.
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Sep 19, 2016 22:22
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