|
I'm glad to see a new smoking thread! I consider myself a student of bbq, and I have spent the last 4 summers learning and refining my smoking technique, and I recognize the fact that I will continue to practice and learn and try new things. It is such a rewarding hobby! I started a number of years ago with a cheap, lovely store bought smoker, just to see if I had the patience to pursue this method of cooking. Despite my crappy smoker, I found that I really loved doing it. A couple of years ago I ditched my store-bought unit and made an Ugly Drum Smoker, which has worked very well for me. This spring it is due for a bit of an overhaul; I need to make a new basket for the charcoal and wood, as well as some other minor improvements. For anyone who is new to this, I have a piece of helpful advice. Keep a bbq journal. Record times, temperatures, what worked and also what didn't. Make note of what kind of rub you used, what kind of wood, etc. I have found this ongoing record to be a great resource, as well as inspiration when I look back at my first half-assed attempts and compare them to my mostly successful recent smokes. I really hope this thread turns into the meat porn extravaganza the last one did! Edit: Also, as cool as the electronic gizmos above are, they are by no means essential. A lo-tech approach works just fine. Not knocking your computer stuff, guys, I'm sure it works awesome. But I'd hate for anyone to get discouraged because they don't have access to that sort of thing. Flying Fortress fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Mar 14, 2012 |
#
¿
Mar 14, 2012 15:52
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 08:47 |
|
|
Nosthula posted:I hope my posts about the electronic gizmo's didn't come across as implying that they were in any way necessary. I certainly did not intend for them to come across that way. Oh, not at all. I meant no offense, and I can certainly see how they can help. I guess I still feel like a newbie in a lot of ways, and I just wanted to reassure anyone who might feel a little overwhelmed. No worries! The journal is fun because if you are like me, you probably consume some quantity of beer or alcohol while cooking. This has lead to some pretty amusing (to me at least) entries in my journal. Like the time I fell asleep in a lawn chair while cooking, and woke up hours after the meat was done but still in the smoker. I believe the entry was along the lines of "way to go, rear end in a top hat! Note for next time: Less beer."
|
|
#
¿
Mar 14, 2012 19:09
|
|
|
bunnielab posted:While I love the idea of trouble free smoking I feel that half the fun is fussing with it, chopping wood, and hanging out tending the smoker. This right here is exactly what I love about smoking meat. I love reserving a day to just chill in the back yard, farting around with my UDS, drinking beer, reading a book... The whole process forces me to relax (which is something I'm not always good at). No going crazy all afternoon running errands or working on the house; just me and the smoker. My wife gives me a pass because the end result is so delicious. But hey, different strokes and all that.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 23, 2012 15:40
|
|
|
MoosetheMooche posted:Anyone tried making their own smoker a la good eats or seen on this website: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Clay-Pot-Smoker/877/1 ? When I first started looking at getting into this hobby I looked at that clay pot set-up, as well as smokers made from galvanized garbage cans, etc. My concern with those kinds of arrangements is lack of control. They also seem a little too flimsy and temporary. With your budget and apparent willingness to get handy and make something I would recommend an Ugly Drum Smoker, or UDS. There is lots of information online on how to make and use a UDS, so have a look. I made mine for under $100 with no welding, and it works better than the (admittedly cheap) store-bought smoker I had before. I've had great success with ribs, sausage, brisket, chicken, Atomic Buffalo Turds, whatever. Look into it!
|
|
#
¿
Apr 5, 2012 14:15
|
|
|
AxeBreaker posted:Damnit, the weed burner start is not working out for me. It lights too much every single time. Maybe I need to ...just light 4-5 briqs ... in a chimney starter. There's your answer.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 30, 2012 15:03
|
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
May 11, 2012 02:19
|
|
|
Haven't had my smoker out much this year, but I've been using my Weber Performer almost daily. In the absence of a general BBQ thread (as far as I know), please allow me to post the chicken thighs I did on Saturday night. Mmmm, these were gooooooood! Mopped with some no-name brand honey garlic sauce, and cooked with a big ol' hunk of hickory on the coals. Delicious! 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 16, 2012 17:40
|
|
|
My neighbour's been busting my rear end ever since he saw my UDS in the basement last month. So I picked up a smallish brisket on Friday night with an eye on a Saturday cook. Blew the dust off the drum, slapped some of my home made rub on the meat, and then got delayed by real life by a few hours. Meat went on at 5pm (ugh), and my neighbour and I smoked pipes and drank whiskey and finally pulled the meat off a little after 1 AM. Put it in some foil, set the alarm for 3AM and ate the best loving brisket of my life.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2014 04:16
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 08:47 |
|
|
Been having a lot of fun with my super basic UDS lately. Cooked some ribs on the weekend: Maple smoke!  I meant to get a shot of the deep pink smoke ring, but they got eaten too quickly. I've slowly been tweaking my rub over the last couple of seasons and I think I'm getting close to where I want it. It's based off of a basic BBQ rub I got out of a Steve Raichlen book, but I've adjusted the proportions more to my liking. A little extra cayenne and a bit more brown sugar is paying off. I used to get crazy with the sauce towards the end, but I've stopped doing that as I feel like it just drowns out the flavours I've worked hard to create. I do use a thin mop towards the end, and I'll put sauce on the table for those who want it, but the ribs are coming out so moist and tasty these days that I don't really want to mess around with them too much. Had so much fun with it on Saturday that I decided to play some more on Sunday:  OMFG so good
|
|
#
¿
Aug 5, 2014 16:28
|
|