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It came up in the woodworking thread and made me wonder - can you smoke salt?
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Jun 20, 2020 09:57
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Rapulum_Dei posted:It came up in the woodworking thread and made me wonder - can you smoke salt? Yes. EMPHATICALLY, YES. I have a book that explains how to do it. I can check it tomorrow and post the instructions then, although I think there are a few other goons in this thread who have actually done it before and can tell you what to do before I get back.
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Jun 20, 2020 11:24
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I'm in the woods with two racks of St Louis ribs. I've got everything I need...except a way to measure temperature of any kind. I've got a fire going and we're about to have ourselves an experiment, boys and girls.
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Jun 20, 2020 11:33
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Rapulum_Dei posted:It came up in the woodworking thread and made me wonder - can you smoke salt? Smoking salt is super easy to do. The simplest way is to pour an amount of salt* into a foil tray and sit that to one side in the smoker. It'll need stirring every 30-40 minutes or so to help get an even distribution of smoke through the salt. The salt will begin to change colour as it absorbs the smoke, and can be taken out when you're happy with the intensity. Some guides suggest lightly spritzing the salt with water to help the smoke stick to it more readily. I haven't tested to see if the flavour mellows out if left for a while, but I imagine 'resting' allows the smoke to penetrate the salt crystals more thoroughly (similar to smoked cheese). I've had quicker results with pumping smoke into a zip-loc bag containing salt and giving it a shake. *Can be table, rock, flake, or a combination.
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Jun 20, 2020 12:36
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um excuse me posted:I'm in the woods with two racks of St Louis ribs. I've got everything I need...except a way to measure temperature of any kind. I've got a fire going and we're about to have ourselves an experiment, boys and girls. This sounds like fun! Good luck. Should be able to tell it's done by pulling a bone, correct?
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Jun 20, 2020 14:42
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um excuse me posted:I'm in the woods with two racks of St Louis ribs. I've got everything I need...except a way to measure temperature of any kind. I've got a fire going and we're about to have ourselves an experiment, boys and girls. This was posted itt before, but use the bend test. I didn't even bother taking the temp last time I did ribs and they were perfect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQLGYF8cDCE
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Jun 20, 2020 17:04
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TITTIEKISSER69 posted:Are there propane smokers that connect to the big propane tanks used in gas grills? Or are they all pretty much the small 20oz Coleman canisters? Yes, they are generally called Vertical Propane Smokers. Typically a square cross section tower with a wood chips tray and a water bowl. I got one from my Dad when they retired and consolidated houses, works fine, can make good meat. I prefer my 22" WSM, but will break the other out if I'm doing fish or just want mindless temp control (or need a 2nd smoker going in addition to the WSM).
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Jun 20, 2020 17:28
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Just finished eating. Ribs turned out better than some WSM cooks I've done. Checked them at 3.5 hours. They didn't pull back from the bones the way I thought they should so I crutched them for another 2 hours.   Served with baby roasted red potatoes and a succotash.
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Jun 20, 2020 23:50
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That’s a hell of a meal. Those things look great. And that’s all just eyeballing the temp?
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Jun 21, 2020 02:49
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drat those ribs look excellent. Great job, man. I love the idea of just cooking out in the open like that without all the amenities that we’ve all come to rely on. I would devour those like a wild animal.
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Jun 21, 2020 03:06
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Bob A Feet posted:That’s a hell of a meal. Those things look great. And that’s all just eyeballing the temp? Surprisingly yes. I know ribs are probably one of the more forgiving meats though, ideally cooking above the typical 225°F smoke temp at 275°F. For anyone who wants to spend way too much effort preparing a meal in the woods, I started with a normal fire which I made breakfast on, then let that die down to glowing embers, but still hot, then put 4 pieces of split hardwood laying flat on the coals with no gaps between them. The goal is to try and reduce air channels to feed the fire. Then I put the pan with water on top of those and let the whole thing smolder away. I also tented the ribs with foil. I only replaced 2 pieces of wood in the 5.5 hours I used it. If a flame popped up, I put ashes on it to snuff it out. um excuse me fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Jun 21, 2020 |
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Jun 21, 2020 03:14
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um excuse me posted:I know ribs are probably one of the more forgiving meats though You’re a badass, take the W.
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Jun 21, 2020 03:15
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I've been crutching my ribs for years, but yesterday I decided to not crutch. They cooked faster than I anticipated and dried out before dinner time. I partly blame my Party Q controller, which had a hell of a time keeping the temp low on my admittedly leaky WSM. I probably should have partly closed the top vent, just to help things out. A few good takeaways though, the biggest being I need a steel door and door gasket for my WSM.
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Jun 22, 2020 12:48
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I just bought an electric lower tier smoker for about 300 dollars. It looks like a dorm fridge and is easy enough to clean. I just take the trays, water pan and drip tray out pressure wash them then sanitize in the washing machine. The inside I get news paper use some of the used wood chips with news paper to scrub the inside since I can't clean it with water. Does this sound like a good idea? I then wipe down all of the charcoal goop with wet newspaper. I did find that pork butt is more forgiving than a leaner cut of pork. I was making pulled pork. I did smoke a Jimmy Dean sausage roll raw on the side for about 2 hours and used that for biscuits and gravy and it was awesome. We had to add some extra oil to make the roux brown enough though since the sausage melted most of the fat off. Any new beginners tips are welcome.
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Jun 24, 2020 04:11
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I’ve had a Weber kettle grill for a couple of years now and last week I decided to get a dedicated smoker. Got a 22” Smokey mountain, smoke x, and billows. Just finished my first ever smoke today. Did 2 racks of ribs with the Memphis dust rub from amazing ribs. Was on the fence about doing it today because when I was getting ready to fire up the smoker it was really windy and getting ready to storm. Had everything prepped already so I decided to go ahead and see if I could hold 225. The smokerx/billows made it completely painless. Once I got it going it only deviated 5 degrees or so over 6.5 hours. Didn’t need to add charcoal or anything. Didn’t wrap them, just let them go for 5 hours. Used the bend test, and let them go for another 1.5. They weren’t the best ribs I’ve ever had but I’m happy with how they turned out. Decent bark and even a little smoke ring. I’ll have to remember to salt them a couple hours ahead of time next time though. Do you guys leave the temp at 225 the whole time if you don’t crutch or should I be raising the temp at the end? For anyone else new to the WSM don’t be like me and let the water tray run out and have all the grease baked on there. After I scrape it off tomorrow I’ll probably cover it in foil or something for next time.   I can’t believe it took me this long to get into smoking. My dads an arborist and since I told him a couple of weeks ago that I was getting a smoker he’s already stopped over with a truckload of hickory, white oak, cherry, and apple wood. What should I attempt next? The ribs were fun, I’m thinking something longer like a pork shoulder? I’ll also be buying some gloves for my next smoke. Didn’t even think of that but it’s definitely a must have. dangling pointer fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Jun 24, 2020 |
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Jun 24, 2020 05:26
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stinkypete posted:I just bought an electric lower tier smoker for about 300 dollars. It looks like a dorm fridge and is easy enough to clean. I just take the trays, water pan and drip tray out pressure wash them then sanitize in the washing machine. The inside I get news paper use some of the used wood chips with news paper to scrub the inside since I can't clean it with water. Does this sound like a good idea? I then wipe down all of the charcoal goop with wet newspaper. Removable parts can be cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher. Otherwise to clean the grease off the inside fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of warm/hot water and apple cider vinegar and scrub. Never use cleaning chemicals in it.
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Jun 24, 2020 06:08
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dangling pointer posted:For anyone else new to the WSM don’t be like me and let the water tray run out and have all the grease baked on there. After I scrape it off tomorrow I’ll probably cover it in foil or something for next time. If you fill the water pan all the way, you shouldn't run out of water at 225 even on a 12 hour long smoke or so. But yeah, foiling the pan does help a little bit. Definitely give a shoulder a try - they are super easy and usually yield great results, although cook time can vary a lot depending on the pig and cut Welding gloves are great to have around if you need to manhandle the WSM around or shuffle grates while everything is hot. ROJO fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Jun 24, 2020 |
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Jun 24, 2020 19:28
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WSM water pan chat - I haven't been foiling and it's gotten pretty grody. Was doing some research and some people have recommended spraying it with oven cleaner, throwing it in a trash bag overnight and hitting it with a hose after to rinse off. Viable or a terrible idea?
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Jun 24, 2020 19:45
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Sounds terrible. Just cook up a hot fire and turn the thing upside down and let it cook off.
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Jun 24, 2020 20:01
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I blast mine with a pressure washer and whatever's left I can be assured isn't coming off. I keep mentioning it, but you can dump lava rocks in there and it will disperse heat just as well without the mess.
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Jun 24, 2020 20:15
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talktapes posted:WSM water pan chat - I haven't been foiling and it's gotten pretty grody. Was doing some research and some people have recommended spraying it with oven cleaner, throwing it in a trash bag overnight and hitting it with a hose after to rinse off. Viable or a terrible idea? I just scour the thing with a brillo pad after each cook (once I've poured out water/scraped out fat) and never felt it was getting too bad. Pressure washer is tempting tho.
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Jun 24, 2020 20:22
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Just line it with foil before each cook and then ball up the foil and throw it out.
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Jun 24, 2020 20:30
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McSpankWich posted:Just line it with foil before each cook and then ball up the foil and throw it out. This is the correct answer.
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Jun 25, 2020 05:29
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I have literally never cleaned the inside of my MES and it's fine. I think I've had it for just over 2 years. I guess the fact that I live in a dry climate helps, but yeah.
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Jun 25, 2020 05:53
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I was recently visiting Bisbee, Arizona and spotted this converted “rocket”smoker:   Not sure if it was ever actually a rocket but it definitely appears to be a smoker.
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Jun 25, 2020 15:47
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Looks like a drop tank with fins and doors welded to it.
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Jun 25, 2020 15:56
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Looks like awesome.
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Jun 25, 2020 20:13
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It's been over 12 hours and this goddamn tiny-rear end pork shoulder still isn't done.
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Jun 25, 2020 21:27
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RE: WSM water pan chat I bought a 15 inch pizza pan off of Amazon for $7 (the Metalcraft TP15 one), and it fits perfectly as a cover over the pan. It catches all of the drippings and keeps the water clean, really simplifying the only annoying WSM cleanup task. You can also buy some sort of custom pan cover thing that I'm sure is artisan hand-crafted or whatever for $30, but this does the exact same thing and is still in great shape after several long cooks. EDIT: 15 inch for the 18.5 inch WSM; measure the diameter of your water pan lip and make sure the pan is a little bigger to make it easy to remove. antisocial democrat fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Jun 26, 2020 |
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Jun 25, 2020 23:29
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antisocial democrat posted:RE: WSM water pan chat For which size WSM, 14?
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Jun 26, 2020 00:23
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antisocial democrat posted:RE: WSM water pan chat Do you have to scrub it clean after cooking? Do you foil it? Doesn't covering the water pan kind of defeat the purpose?
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Jun 26, 2020 00:29
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Kalman posted:For which size WSM, 14? 18.5, but you can do it with a 14 too. Just measure the diameter of your water pan and get the next-biggest pan size. You want maybe a quarter to half inch of lip to make it easy to take off. McSpankWich posted:Do you have to scrub it clean after cooking? Do you foil it? Doesn't covering the water pan kind of defeat the purpose? I don't really scrub it clean, I scrape it with a grill scraper and then hose it off. The drippings usually dry up significantly so they just scrape off and go in the trash. I give it a scrub every 3 cooks or so just 'cause. I don't foil it, doesn't seem necessary and would feel quite wasteful. The water pan in a WSM is mainly there to be a heat sink, so it seems to still function just fine for that purpose with a cover. If you're worried about losing the humidity (I really don't know if that does much of anything in a water smoker), it still shouldn't be a problem; the cover isn't heavy or tight-fitting, so it lets steam escape fine. It's a pretty common mod recommended by sites like Virtual Weber Bullet; they always link a custom $30 one, but I figured a pizza pan would do the same thing.
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Jun 26, 2020 01:45
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Hey Smokers. I didn't see a big fancy OP or another "how to smoke" megathread anywhere, so I'm assuming this is the place to learn how to smoke? Anyhow, I'm looking to start smoking meat. All I have is a Weber kettle grill, which I love for regular grilling, but from what I've seen it's pretty difficult to adapt it to reliably smoke meat. Any recommendations on equipment? I live for bells and whistles (particularly the electronic kind that give out data and control fans and stuff), I just don't know what to get for a smoker and any accessories. I don't feel like just buying something labeled "smoker" at the local big box is a good start. Also, are there book recommendations, or sites that have reliable info?
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Jun 26, 2020 14:45
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DaveSauce posted:Hey Smokers. I didn't see a big fancy OP or another "how to smoke" megathread anywhere, so I'm assuming this is the place to learn how to smoke? I have the classic Weber kettle, (as do a bunch of others) and I use https://snsgrills.com/collections/slow-n-sear/products/slow-n-sear-deluxe for it when smoking. It's exceptionally well built, and smokes with minimum fuss. The only other essential accessory is a dual probe thermometer- I use a Thermoworks smoke (Two channels, wireless receiver, but not wifi). Actually smoking on the weber with the SnS is very straightforward- For low temp stuff I start with 10-12 coals lit, and use the water insert. To maintain 225-250 I usually have the bottom vents open to about 1-2mm, it needs very little airflow. If you want to go full bore with the accessories, the bottom pan and hinged grate in the bundle pack https://snsgrills.com/collections/slow-n-sear/products/gold-bundle are good too. A full basket of charcoal is good for at least 8 hours though so don't feel like you must have the stuff like the offset grate to do anything. Amazingribs.com is a good resource for all things smoking related, too. Gwaihir fucked around with this message at 15:22 on Jun 26, 2020 |
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Jun 26, 2020 15:17
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Gwaihir posted:
Seconding this, amazingribs is pretty much where I get all my info.
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Jun 26, 2020 15:22
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DaveSauce posted:Hey Smokers. I didn't see a big fancy OP or another "how to smoke" megathread anywhere, so I'm assuming this is the place to learn how to smoke? Traeger, Big Green Egg, Kamodo Joe, Weber, and Masterbuilt are the ones that seemingly get talked about the most here. I'm sure there are plenty of good brands beyond this, but you'll get a lot more chit chat with one of those. Thermoworks is the brand name in temperature control and monitoring. I personally have a Weber Kettle and 22.5 Weber Smokey Mountain. You're totally good to practice on the kettle before getting one of the big boys if you want to save money. Just look up how to set up the kettle for indirect heat smoking.
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Jun 26, 2020 15:36
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DaveSauce posted:Hey Smokers. I didn't see a big fancy OP or another "how to smoke" megathread anywhere, so I'm assuming this is the place to learn how to smoke? MES for simple, cheap, and temp control - get a pellet tube (along with pellets and a butane torch) if you get this because smoke output is normally low. WSM is a favorite here for a standard smoker for not a ton of money. There's been a bunch of posts comparing the differences between types of smokers and preferred brands (electric, pellet, standard wood/charcoal) and what you can expect from each so you will have to dig a bit. Don't get an offset smoker if you want to control temp easily.
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Jun 26, 2020 16:57
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Also, if you decide you want to move up to a bigger smoker from the kettle, check craigslist/whatever local sources first. Especially for common smokers like a WSM or an egg, you can save a decent amount because a decent number of people buy a smoker, don’t use it enough, then craigslist it. (Or occasionally, as in the case of the guy I bought my WSM from, upgrade to a $5k stickburner.)
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Jun 26, 2020 17:30
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I got a 10.5 lb brisket from Costco. I'm seeing cook times from 8 to 20 hours. I can dial in the temperature to whatever I want on my pellet grill. What is the recommended temperature/time?
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Jun 26, 2020 18:00
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FogHelmut posted:I got a 10.5 lb brisket from Costco. I like 250 for brisket, plan on 15 hours, be aware it might take longer or shorter, cook to temp not time.
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Jun 26, 2020 18:11
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