Anyone into smoking ... meats?

[Coolhand]

Thought about leaving the last word off, just to make a silly topic title, but ...

I've been slow-cooking ribs and brisket on my gas grill but it's still hard to keep it under 400 degrees, so I went out and bought a vertical-style charcoal smoker and some mesquite wood chips. Figure I'll give it a try. Still very much a newbie at it, but I was doing pretty well with gas, and I can grill just fine on coals, so smoking ought to be within my means.

 

[Farani]

I only eat human flesh...and brains!

 

[CigarSaint]

Thought about leaving the last word off, just to make a silly topic title, but ...

I've been slow-cooking ribs and brisket on my gas grill but it's still hard to keep it under 400 degrees, so I went out and bought a vertical-style charcoal smoker and some mesquite wood chips. Figure I'll give it a try. Still very much a newbie at it, but I was doing pretty well with gas, and I can grill just fine on coals, so smoking ought to be within my means.

Yes I smoke all the time I used to use an aluminum charcoal grill, but the only problem was I constantly had to add bricket's which dropped the temp every time I opened it up. i.e. takes much longer to slow cook meat.

Eventually I just bought the green egg which uses lump charcoal and the temps last foreverrrrrrrrrr. It's expensive, but worth every penny. Now it"s the only grill I own.


Green Egg!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Jwrussell]

Love it. I have a new chargril infrared with four burners so I can have just one burner on and pretty much control the temp low enough to smoke. I've done a couple of briskets, ribs and a Boston Butt so far. Love it when I have the time.

What kind of gas grill? You already have the vertical smoker now, but I'm curious as to the grill.

 

[vivalanation734]

I smoked some pork on my "barrel" style charcoal grill. Used some lump charcoal and the temp was steady around 300º all day. I used some hickory chips for smoke and it turned out great.

 

[NCost]

I've gone through 3 charcoal smokers and kept changing them trying to find one that allows you to control the temps correctly.

To smoke ribs, shoulders, briskets right you really need to hold 235-250, much higher than that and you'll need to baste or brine your meats first so they don't dry out.

I have a vertical gas smoker w/ water pan and I can hold any temp I want consistently. You have to remember, the first hour to hour and a half it will fluctuate due to the meat taking temp, after that it should be solid. the problem w/ wood/charcoal is every time you open it to add or check you flare the fire. I also have a remote temp gauge that tells me the smoker temp and meat temp on a wireless readout so I don't have to go out and check it.

I smoke around 30 racks of ribs, 5-6 18lb shoulders and a few briskets a year. A turkey is always smoked for Turkey day as well.

As a side note: target 190-210 degrees internal temp for a shoulder or brisket for them to be perfect. If the fat caps are big enough no basting (1:1 mixture of apple cider vinegar and veg oil) will be needed. But anytime I smoke either one for more than 10 hours, I baste them every hour after 8 hours in. I don't like dry meat unless it's jerky.

 

[Coolhand]

Yeah, this is a vertical-style charcoal smoker; I figured I'd use chunk charcoal on it for less need to feed.

Trying to decide a recipe to break it in. It's not a huge one, but then, I'm not going to be doing any large-scale entertaining with it.

 

[theribdoctor]

Check out the virtual weber bullet. Good forum for newbs smoking in vertical smokers. Lump is good for low and slow, there's a lump charcoal database, gives you good info. I tend to cook hotter and faster indirect cooking on my chargriller, but people tend to like my food. Gonna try my hand at home made bacon, and get back into making brisket. Enjoy your new hobby, any questions we got a few people that can answer you.

 

[indyrob]

I tend to cook hotter and faster indirect cooking on my chargriller, but people tend to like my food.

Same here! I wouldn't technically call what I do 'smoking' but there is a lot of smoke & happy eaters.

 

[Poppa Bear]

I think I may throw a brisket on the smoker tonight.

 

[jfdIII]

I'm with NCost. He's spot on with the target temps and has obviously charred a bunch of flesh! I like back loin rib < 3lb per rack at 200-220 for 6 hours or so, targeting 180-190 internal. Brisket, same cooking temp at 1.5 hours per lb, but right with NCost on internal. It gives a great excuse to stand by a grill and drink for 14 hours! Try messing with different woods for smoking too. Peach, Pecan, Apple, Hickory, Sassafras, all great and add a different dynamic. The pursuit is what is so addicting about bbq for me. Tons o' fun! Good luck and experiment as much as possible with rubs, mops and marinades!

 

[jmatkins]

Thought about leaving the last word off, just to make a silly topic title, but ...

I've been slow-cooking ribs and brisket on my gas grill but it's still hard to keep it under 400 degrees, so I went out and bought a vertical-style charcoal smoker and some mesquite wood chips. Figure I'll give it a try. Still very much a newbie at it, but I was doing pretty well with gas, and I can grill just fine on coals, so smoking ought to be within my means.

Love it. I have a new chargril infrared with four burners so I can have just one burner on and pretty much control the temp low enough to smoke. I've done a couple of briskets, ribs and a Boston Butt so far. Love it when I have the time.

What kind of gas grill? You already have the vertical smoker now, but I'm curious as to the grill.

Me too, I still just have a Weber(about 8 years old, 3 burner front to back).

I still do ribs on it, I just turn the front burner on high to warm it up when I put the ribs on I cut it back to low. This keeps the temp about 225-230 ish, and I put wood chips in tinfoil to get the smoke flavor. I know not the best method but working with what I got.

 

[NCost]

This is my smoker It's thin wall but that doesn't matter in the summer. In the winter I created a insulated blanket w/ foil covered expanded insulator, really helps.

 

[ZachF88]

I will be getting a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker in a month when I move. I'll let you know how it is. BTW, the correct heat is between 225-250F

Try doing apple and pecan wood with any variation of meats.

 

[SuperKrishna]

Our team cooks hot and fast. We have a Lang offset smoker, but don't really use it anymore. I've thrown together some UDS (Ugly Drum Smokers) barrels that we cook on. An engineer member of the team has added some pretty sweet features to some of them. We cook at 300 - 350 and are consistently placing in the top 10. We just took Grand last week in Sedalia Mo. Butts are the only item that we cook slow, if you can call 275 degrees slow.

Yesterday I cooked some two cigar chicken. (took me two Cuba Aliados sticks before they were done). Turned out really nice, bite through skin and the thighs were spot on.