Smokers

[Njpddet]

Don’t forget to take a look at the Big Green Egg. I looooovvvveee mine.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DV1]

I have a MES 40 and love it for some stuff that takes a long time to smoke Turkeys, Brisket, Boston Butts......

 

But find things like ribs do better on my gas grill indirect heat.

 

I have been thinking about getting Webber too for the charcoal taste. I have heard of some people putting a couple of pieces of charcoal in their MES in the chip pan.

 

 

Also get an A-MAZE-N smoke generator or two. Light the pellets and forget it. I use the tube one on grill for ribs and the AMNPS for long smokes in smoker.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have put a piece of charcoal in the chip pan on my MES while burning pellets in the AMNPS, it works pretty well. I did one butt on my Weber and one in my MES before (2 separate foil pans) and my guests couldn't tell the difference, and one of them was a huge BBQ guy with a 10k trailer rig that uses to cook for large events. Actually said it was the best pulled pork he ever had. 

[Haskell_Hunter]

I thought I'd revive this smoker thread with some smoker porn.  All of the smokers mentioned sound real good, but where's the proof?  This was my Christmas Eve brisket.  I woke up very late and somewhat hungover from the homebrews the night before (there is a thread on here that is proof of that...), so I got a late start on it.  However, it came out great.  I used my Weber Smokey Mountain to do this, and you'll see that bad bear in action!

 

So, lets start with the meat.  You need to get a decent butcher's cut of brisket to start.  I get mine at my local butcher, and would suggest the same.  You can find them cryovaced at BJs and such, so you have options.

 

https://www.bacon-n-beer.com/Smoker/IMG_0133_converted.mp4

 

After selecting your brisket and trimming it (leave some fat for flavor), rub it copiously with your favorite rub.

 

 

When you're done with the rub, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and throw it into the fridge overnight.  I left mine in for a day because I had time.

 

 

 

Now for smoker prep.  I used a combination of hickory, apple and mesquite in the smoker.  I like used blends of wood to get a complex flavor.  Most folks are used to hickory and mesquite, and not so much with apple.  I add apple because it's a less astringent smoke flavor (less bitter).  You'll still get the smokiness, but it's a little sweeter with the apple wood mixed in.  I'd say I had about 40% apple in this.

 

You can't really see from the photo, but I dug a pit out of those charcoals.  You don't want to light all of them, just about 1/3 of a pitcher full (the pitcher is one of those Weber charcoal starters).  Never use Matchlight or pre-soaked charcoal, unless of course you like eating food that tastes like jet fuel.  Also don't use those natural wood charcoals.  Those are good for heat, this is slow and low.  Briquettes are recommended, so in they go.  Once I light a small amount of charcoal, I am going to fill that space in the middle.  Mix the wood up in the charcoal to ensure a long, smokey burn.  If they're all on top, you'll get smoke, but it'll stop after a few hours.

 

 

 

On top of the charcoal goes the middle section of the smoker.  That contains the water pan.  Gotta' have water during smoking to regulate the temperature and ensure there's moisture in there.  You don't want to dry out the food over time.  One trick to make cleaning easy is to line the water bowl with heavy duty tin foil.  Being a paranoid nerd, I have a lot of it lying around, so it's no trouble for me to line the pan.  All of the crap that's going to drip into this water will be on the foil and not the bowl.  Pour out the water when you're done, throw out the foil.  Quick cleaning.

 

 

Here are the hot coals in the center of the coal pile.  These will slowly burn the adjacent coals and wood over time.  Filled the way it is, this should keep the smoker at around 250°F for 10 hours without having to add anything more.

 

 

 

With the bottom and middle sections assembled, here's a neat thing about this smoker.  There is a gasket in the side for a temperature probe.  The one I got off of Amazon for about $30 works great with it.  Has a wire on the back that acts as a hook on the smoker.  There is a remote for it too, and I'll get to that picture in a moment.  The nice thing about this is that I don't have to open the lid to check anything.  Every time you open the smoker, you add more time to it, and the coals burn out more quickly (air is fuel).  Keep the lid shut at all times.

 

 

Here's the rubbed brisket with probe on the top of the smoker.  In the few minutes it took me to assemble it, get the probe set up and brisket on the top rack, the smoke was well on its way.  Probe in the thickest part, as you'd expect.

 

 

 

Here's the whole thing fully assembled and doing what it does best.  Photo and video (because porn is better in video).

 

I like to smoke between 225°F and 235°F.  Lower temps, longer times.  However, when I start, I try to hit 300°F-325°F for about an hour.  This sets the bark into the brisket and gives it a crisp.  The outside of a brisket is referred to as the bark (as in tree).  The higher temps set it nicely, but then I drop temps to do slow and low.  This is done by adjusting the vents on the smoker.  There is one on the top and three on the bottom.  Temps change slowly, so don't try to get the temp up or down quickly.  You'll realize that if you try to swing temps widely, you'll always go over or under.  This is a marathon, pace yourself and do things gradually.

 

 

https://www.bacon-n-beer.com/Smoker/IMG_0150_converted.mp4

 

Here is the remote for the temperature probe.  I have the temp alarm set for 170°F, but I dropped it to 165°F.  This is up for debate, and you should experiment to see which you prefer.  I take my brisket off the smoker at 165°F-170°F and wrap it in heavy duty foil.  The meat starts "sweating" at this temp and can start to dry out.   You might like brisket a little drier, I like it a bit wet.  Like I said, try it both ways and figure out which you prefer.  No such thing as doing it wrong.

 

 

 

So what does this look like when it's done?  It looks like this!

 

The second picture is somewhat important.  Brisket is two pieces of meat separated by a layer of fat.  There is the Point and the Flat.  Sliced brisket comes from the flat.  Burnt ends come from the Point.  In the second picture, the "bump" is the point.  If you look to the right of it on the slope, you can almost see where the fat layer is.  Cutting this is a breeze if you've done your brisket slow and low.  The knife will go through it with a push, no back-and-forth cutting necessary.  Just push it through, and any resistance means you need to adjust the knife a bit.  You may need to do some slight cutting, but not too much to get it through.  It's a diagonal downward cut.  There is a separate way to do burnt ends, but I didn't do that with this brisket.  I started way too late, and in order to do burnt ends, you need about 12-15 hours (total time, not just to do the burnt ends).

 

 

This last picture is the separation of the point and flat.  You can see the grain on each is different, with the flat going in one direction.  That's where you slice it and copiously jam it into some bread or your mouth if it's too good for bread.

 

This was a 13# brisket, and it'll feed my wife and I for about 3 days.  With 4-5 guys in the room, it's gone in 20 minutes.

 

But this is what a WSM can do for you, and some of the techniques I use to get a brisket off of it.  I'll make one about every 3 months, regardless of the season.  You can never have too much BBQ.

 

[Haskell_Hunter]

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention:  I rest the meat for 2-3 hours in a styrofoam cooler before cutting it.  I got one of those Omaha Steaks styrofoam shipping things and use that.  I don't care for Omaha Steaks and got them once.  Hung onto the cooler because I might find a use for it.  And boy did I.  Letting the meat rest in a cooler allows it to continue to tenderize without losing too much heat.  It also beats the crap out of the cooler.  So find one of those Omaha Steak ones from a friend and use that. Works like a champ, and you won't really care about it as you're slowly destroying it.

 

If anyone has any of these Omaha coolers, I could use another 1-2 of them.  You can also cover them in duct tape and make an awesome redneck cooler too (yes, I did this with cam duct tape...would you expect anything less from me?).

[George79]

Just did this lamb on my Kamado Joe for Xmas.

 

In 2 weeks I'm getting rid of my Weber gas grill I've had for 13 years and am picking up a Yoder YS640 pellet grill to take care of all my needs. For roasting pigs I have a Meadow Creek PR42. Meadow Creek makes some outstanding stuff and can be picked up not to far in Lancaster where they're made. I'm going with the Yoder because hell why not. They are tanks and should last me a lifetime.

[DV1]

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention:  I rest the meat for 2-3 hours in a styrofoam cooler before cutting it.  I got one of those Omaha Steaks styrofoam shipping things and use that.  I don't care for Omaha Steaks and got them once.  Hung onto the cooler because I might find a use for it.  And boy did I.  Letting the meat rest in a cooler allows it to continue to tenderize without losing too much heat.  It also beats the crap out of the cooler.  So find one of those Omaha Steak ones from a friend and use that. Works like a champ, and you won't really care about it as you're slowly destroying it.

 

If anyone has any of these Omaha coolers, I could use another 1-2 of them.  You can also cover them in duct tape and make an awesome redneck cooler too (yes, I did this with cam duct tape...would you expect anything less from me?).

Brisket looks great. 

 

Those foam coolers are convenient but I just use an old igloo. It's hard on coolers but you can wrap the meat in some towels to help protect the cooler, if you can't find any more foam ones. I find resting big cuts (brisket, shoulders) for a few hours makes them better too.

 

If you want to do burnt ends with a bit of a shortcut, you can always put a pan under the brisket to catch the drippings, then cut the point for burnt ends, and finish them in a cast iron skillet, in those juices from the pan. Not quite as good as the long way but it's very good, and you don't have to miss the best part of the brisket...the burnt ends. 

[DV1]

Just did this lamb on my Kamado Joe for Xmas. IMG_3480.JPGIMG_3483.JPG

 

In 2 weeks I'm getting rid of my Weber gas grill I've had for 13 years and am picking up a Yoder YS640 pellet grill to take care of all my needs. For roasting pigs I have a Meadow Creek PR42. Meadow Creek makes some outstanding stuff and can be picked up not to far in Lancaster where they're made. I'm going with the Yoder because hell why not. They are tanks and should last me a lifetime.

IMG_3499.JPG

You have a Meadow Creek, Kamado Joe and Yoder...George wins. I want to be George. 

[kuz]

i have a charcoal, but you got to babysit it all day. electrics are simple and will get best results for someone new to smoking. propane is  in the middle.  

[SlugsnArrows]

Looking to buy a smoker sometime after New year's and have been looking around but can't make up my mind .. electric or propane? What do you guys prefer and why?? I would like to get the largest one I can so that I can do large batches of hot dogs and snack sticks in it

All depends what you want out of it.

 

Are you looking to turn it on and walk away go electric.

 

You looking to actually roll up your sleeves and get dirty charcoal/wood.

 

I have had items smoked via electric, gas and charcoal/wood. To ME if done right the charcoal/wood smokers have the best overall flavor. BUT have to be managed and controlled!

 

I have a Pit Barrel and LOVE IT! You do have to marinate or brine to keep items moist though!

 

Also have had Weber and for a water smoker they are great! Keeps meat moist!

 

Really can’t go wrong with any smoker! All depends on how deep you want to get into it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[George79]

You have a Meadow Creek, Kamado Joe and Yoder...George wins. I want to be George.

No Yoder yet, just the old Weber. [emoji12]

[allmann]

that lamb looks awesome george

[George79]

that lamb looks awesome george

Taste even better.

[Kayak Ken]

Has anyone smoked in these kinds of temperatures before? I have a Webber 14 and I have a pork shoulder ready to go in? On a Webber forum someone suggested not filling up the water pan to increase temputure, but I wanted to hear from your guys experience. HH seems to be experienced with this grill

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Haskell_Hunter]

Fill the pan with hot water.  Cook as usual.  You might burn more coal to keep temps up.  Wind is your enemy, cold not so much.  Do not take the lid off for any reason (other than to wrap in foil or something like that)!

 

Get the temp to 300°F before you close the vents.  The temp will drop a little, and you'll be able to manage that drop better starting at a higher temp.

Edited January 6, 2018 by Haskell_Hunter

[Kayak Ken]

Thank you. I'll give it a try and let you know how it came out

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk