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Lava rocks might be a better choice than sand if you are trying to add mass to keep temps stable. I'd be super paranoid about sand getting on my meat. The water pan in my brinkmann electric works fine for me, though I have found boiling a huge pot then pouring it in really cuts the amount of time needed to get the smoker up to temp.
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May 2, 2012 22:59
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A terracotta flower pot saucer makes a dandy heat sink, plus it's easy to foil and keep clean.
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May 3, 2012 00:37
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Pictures! 6 meatloafs (meatloaves?) and 10 racks of ribs in my WSM 22".    
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May 3, 2012 01:14
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Canuckistan posted:A terracotta flower pot saucer makes a dandy heat sink, plus it's easy to foil and keep clean. I just love how crafty Canadians can be. ( if you are). Also about the picture above... Holy smeg. Do you buy in bulk? Or take a cart load home from the grocery store? Never tried a meatloaf on the smoker. Any tips?
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May 3, 2012 06:31
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Canuckistan posted:A terracotta flower pot saucer makes a dandy heat sink, plus it's easy to foil and keep clean. Hah, I have one that I used for my WSM before I got my guru. I just found complete with charcoal, ash and grease stains. It may need to be tinfoiled and pressed back into service. Water does work, but the dry, windy climate here makes the pans dry up too fast for overnight smoking. Comparison shot : 18" WSM vs. "40" inch Masterbuilt XL. I use quotes because it's not 40" tall.  I need to do a better door mod on my WSM, and replace the metalized tape over the vent the Guru mount is on. The gap:  Cheap Chinese XL smoker, meet cheap Chinese over-sized clamp.  This appears to be working, the gap is visibly smaller. the clamp is off now though because I am seasoning it and running it with a couple water pans to see how it holds up. It can go lower heat but if I do it makes an annoying squeal. I kind of want to try the needle valve thing, when it gets over 100 at night outside it's going to need some help to stay under 250 let alone 225+/-. EDIT: Seems to be at 220 now, still I am worried about higher ambient temps. Maybe it was the wood chunks smoldering that did it? AxeBreaker fucked around with this message at 06:54 on May 3, 2012 |
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May 3, 2012 06:32
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MasterControl posted:I just love how crafty Canadians can be. ( if you are). Also about the picture above... Holy smeg. Do you buy in bulk? Or take a cart load home from the grocery store? I buy vac packed ribs when they're on sale and throw them into my chest freezer until I'm ready to do a big smoke. I've got 8 or 10 two-packs down there now waiting for me. The ground meat I buy from a local butcher in 5 lb bags. Meatloaf is great on the smoker. All the fat drains down as there's no pan so it's actually pretty lean. I suggest cooking meatloaf at high heat with an empty foiled water pan to catch the fat. Low and slow isn't needed. A little bit of smoke goes a long way with ground meat so I only use one small chunk of apple wood. Also you can see I use parchment paper on the racks. This'll keep the loaf from pressing into the rack and making a mess when you take them off. Just cut some slits in the paper so the fat can run off.
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May 3, 2012 10:48
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I just found a deal on Farmer John products, buy 3 get 6$ off. I used it on baby backs, it made them almost as cheap per pound as spares.
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May 4, 2012 03:49
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Canuckistan posted:I buy vac packed ribs when they're on sale and throw them into my chest freezer until I'm ready to do a big smoke. I've got 8 or 10 two-packs down there now waiting for me. The ground meat I buy from a local butcher in 5 lb bags. MasterControl fucked around with this message at 06:22 on May 4, 2012 |
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May 4, 2012 06:12
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Ripped from the Virtual Weber forums posted:
Personally I changed the following: - 3 loaves instead of two. I can't remember the time, but it's less than the 2.5 hours for two larger loaves. I did try the two larger loaves but the smaller loaves are easier to freeze with a vac saver. - Instead of using a foil pan I formed the loaves in a metal loaf pan and put the loaves on parchment paper. As you can see they kept their shape very well and you get a lot more barky/glazy goodness with no pan. - "cajun" seasoning is very generic. I've used too much in the past and it was all I could taste. Beware! - I used panko crumbs, just because.
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May 4, 2012 14:13
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AxeBreaker posted:Sarah Palin Smoker! Woah! i was at an art party at your house dude, in South City STL. I highly doubt someone else has that smoker. I believe you also served delicious meats at said party as well. Good times.
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May 5, 2012 01:20
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It's not my smoker, it's one GBS stumbled across and Photoshopped the hell out of. I'm nowhere near that talented (or demented). Picnics:   I have ribs on too , but the goddamn wind blew out my propane smoker! They sat for less than an hour but it's still gonna eat up my margin for error. AxeBreaker fucked around with this message at 01:49 on May 5, 2012 |
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May 5, 2012 01:45
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vivisectvnv posted:Woah! i was at an art party at your house dude, in South City STL. I highly doubt someone else has that smoker. I believe you also served delicious meats at said party as well. Good times. Woah! Multiple south city folks in here? Well, I guess it is a low-and-slow bbq thread. I'm not there anymore, but north side of Holly Hills represent... or something. Thost picnic hams look glorious. Man, now I miss Kenricks.... and Pappy's. 
Alleric fucked around with this message at 17:54 on May 5, 2012 |
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May 5, 2012 15:43
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They were well-liked by the co-ed softball team from my work. They killed the ribs too- I had to tin foil them to get done on time, and I had no time to re-harden the crust so I just sizzled on the sauce and went. I've made ribs 3 times so far, and the ones I foiled turned out better in my opinion.
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May 6, 2012 08:49
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I foil ribs every time now, usually with an ounce of apple juice into the foil pouch.
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May 6, 2012 12:14
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Christened the Masterbuilt 40" + AMNPS last night at 10:30. The shoulder took 15 hours to reach 190 without any foiling. The ribs went on at noon. Lamb chops for a snack. 
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May 7, 2012 19:40
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Reading this post has helped me decide to get an XL Egg. Thank you! Glad I joined these forums. I hope to be able to add more after I have purchased the egg. R
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May 8, 2012 16:53
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GigaFool posted:Christened the Masterbuilt 40" + AMNPS last night at 10:30. The shoulder took 15 hours to reach 190 without any foiling. The ribs went on at noon. Lamb chops for a snack. I've thought about buying the same one. I've read that that Masterbuilt has trouble keeping the proper temperature meaning it gets too hot. Notice this problem at all?
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May 8, 2012 18:10
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It looks like there's a new model of the Masterbuilt electric smokers (both 30" and 40") that have some design changes that claim to eliminate the hot spots that could be found in the older models. Here's a link to the 30": http://www.basspro.com/Masterbuilt-30-Electric-Smokehouse-with-Viewing-Window/product/11090613460022/243644 I'm tempted to pick one up, but I'm wondering if the AMNPS can still be used on it or if it's even necessary with the changes they've made.
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May 8, 2012 18:21
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spiralbrain posted:I've read that that Masterbuilt has trouble keeping the proper temperature meaning it gets too hot. Notice this problem at all? Before I cooked any food in it, I made a couple modifications to make sure this doesn't happen. - Can on the top vent to improve draft. - 12" x 12" unglazed ceramic tile placed directly over the chip tray + element, this acts as a heat deflector + heat sink to help maintain temps after the door is opened/shut. - The perforated foil on the top grate. I plan on putting this higher up, but I figured it would help diffuse the heat at the top instead of letting it focus in the corner where the vent is. According to my IR thermometer, there weren't really any hotspots. GigaFool fucked around with this message at 18:57 on May 8, 2012 |
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May 8, 2012 18:45
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Rutger_Haas posted:Reading this post has helped me decide to get an XL Egg. Thank you! You will love it! They are a real pleasure to use, and the versatility is fantastic.
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May 8, 2012 18:48
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BraveUlysses posted:You will love it! They are a real pleasure to use, and the versatility is fantastic. Agreed, I love mine. As do the two friends who have bought one after seeing how happy I was with mine.
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May 8, 2012 19:46
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I wish I could afford an egg. The WSM is a good rig though.
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May 9, 2012 01:00
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niss posted:Agreed, I love mine. As do the two friends who have bought one after seeing how happy I was with mine. Thanks for responding guys. I will post back after I pick mine up. Looking forward to getting some tips! R
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May 9, 2012 05:00
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Hey Rutger, you're encouraged to not sign your posts on SA. It's a forum faux pas that'll get you mocked or even probated. Us BBQers are a pretty chill bunch but you might want to lurk for a while and learn the forum rules before you post elsewhere.
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May 9, 2012 16:20
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GigaFool posted:Before I cooked any food in it, I made a couple modifications to make sure this doesn't happen. Ahh Thanks for this.
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May 9, 2012 21:42
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Canuckistan posted:Hey Rutger, you're encouraged to not sign your posts on SA. It's a forum faux pas that'll get you mocked or even probated. Us BBQers are a pretty chill bunch but you might want to lurk for a while and learn the forum rules before you post elsewhere. Ahhh...thank you very much for bringing me up to speed. Glad I posted here first.
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May 10, 2012 13:46
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Rutger_Haas posted:Ahhh...thank you very much for bringing me up to speed. Glad I posted here first. You have no idea.
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May 10, 2012 15:24
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Living in England the weather has been utter poo poo for nearly a month now. A chance to do a proper slow smoke haven't really been possible since getting the smoker. What do people recommend for the first attempt? Pork shoulder is my current thought
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May 10, 2012 21:10
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Scott Bakula posted:Living in England the weather has been utter poo poo for nearly a month now. A chance to do a proper slow smoke haven't really been possible since getting the smoker. What do people recommend for the first attempt? Pork shoulder is my current thought
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May 11, 2012 00:06
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Scott Bakula posted:Living in England the weather has been utter poo poo for nearly a month now. A chance to do a proper slow smoke haven't really been possible since getting the smoker. What do people recommend for the first attempt? Pork shoulder is my current thought Yeah, that's good, but if the weather is fighting you you can always get some enjoyment out of something that's not gonna take 10 - 12 hours. Ribs are always good, and won't take all drat day.
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May 11, 2012 02:19
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I have a smoke going for Mother's day. I got a 3 lb. fillet of salmon from Costco for the main attraction, but I wanted some pig too. Albertsons had a special on previously frozen spares for 2.49 a pound, but they were gone when I got there. I asked the meat department guy if they had any more and he gave me the same price on some racks of fresh, non-enhanced spares! There was a catch, though- they are a weird cut, Farmer John "prime cuts" which look like a St. Louis rack cut in half lengthwise. I got a couple, because at that price it was worth a try. I'll see how they do tomorrow.
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May 13, 2012 05:44
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It was my wife's birthday yesterday so, with the help of Bone_Enterprise, we made it Swine Saturday™. Pictures ahoy. We started with, as any good time does, balls (cube of cheese surrounded by Italian sausage wrapped in bacon, seasoned well):   Upon request, he also whipped up a fatty (smoked turkey, prosciutto, smoked gouda, muenster, onions, red bell pepper, spinach, and seasonings stuffed inside a wrap of breakfast sausage and then wrapped in a bacon lattice, seasoned well):  I got the fire started in my offset:  He prepared his Masterbuilt:  I put on some ribs:  And a couple pork tenderloins a bit later:  It was a  .  
Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 18:57 on May 13, 2012 |
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May 13, 2012 18:53
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Nice... Now I'm hungry for Q.
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May 14, 2012 00:29
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Tried my Brinkmann electric smoker for the first time yesterday. The chicken turned out great, but the brisket was a little tough. It smoked for about 3 hours til 160F. Was it just the cut of meat or should I have smoked it a little less time or a little longer? Here's a picture for reference: 
hypersober fucked around with this message at 20:18 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 20:08
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You did not cook your brisket long enough. You want the brisket to reach an internal temperature of 190F to 200F. As a general rule of thumb it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours per pound at a temperature of 225F to cook a brisket. This is if you are not foiling your brisket. You can cook one faster if you use a foiling technique. I've yet to try foiling yet but a lot of people have had success with it.
Nosthula fucked around with this message at 20:43 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 20:29
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Yeah, even doing a "High and Fast", i.e. around 350 degrees, a whole brisket will take about 30 minutes per pound. Either way, your brisket was at the point of needing to get foiled, although the last time I did one the standard advice was to foil between 165-180. Then check after an hour for doneness, which was when a toothpick or skewer went in the flat sever places about as easy as room temp butter. If you stick it in and flicked it, it should wiggle like jello. I know they have a more exact and formulaic recipe posted on the virtual Weber bullet forums, supposedly contest winning. I've tried low and slow and high and fast on select briskets, and low and slow always dried them out. The High and fast way sometimes produced falling-apart brisket but it was always well liked. Injecting helped too, and leaving on some fat and doing it fat side down in my Weber. AxeBreaker fucked around with this message at 21:40 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 21:37
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Here's my first hot-smoked salmon. Slowly brought it up to 140 over the course of 4 hours.      The other piece is currently cold-smoking in the same smoker along with 2 trays of ice-water and a block of cheddar. The belly in the smoker is regular bacon.
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May 14, 2012 22:12
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GigaFool posted:Here's my first hot-smoked salmon. Slowly brought it up to 140 over the course of 4 hours. drat. That looks amazing. I'd love to smoke some ribs/brisket/etc, but I really want to get one for salmon.
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May 14, 2012 23:09
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gently caress, Beaten.    Cured 4 hours, smoked 2.5 at 225+ a little due to wind and air leaks. AxeBreaker fucked around with this message at 04:52 on May 15, 2012 |
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May 15, 2012 02:19
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:10 |
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I bought a Brinkmann gourmet charcoal smoker and grill off craigslist on Thursday last week. Assembled it on Friday and brined the pork then smoked 8 pounds of pork on Saturday. Still eating my haul today. No awesome pork porn pics as I didn't take it out of the smoker till near midnight. Clearly running a smoker was a bit of an oddity in my neighbourhood as everybody and their dog stopped to have a chat with me about what I was doing and why the street was filled with delicious smoke. This thread was an invaluable resource. Does anyone have any recommendations about using odd fruit trees for wood. I have a pear and plum tree in my back yard along with a pile of branches from about 5 years worth of pruning but I'm unsure if they would give good flavoured smoke or not?
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May 22, 2012 19:38
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