It's been on for an hour (picture was taken right when I put it in). I thought the temp had stabilized at 270, but it's drifted up to 289 while having breakfast so off to adjust a little more!
Smokers
- Thread starter CaptainRon
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The control knob is super sensitive so having a little trouble hitting the sweet spot. I turned the knob down ever so slightly and the temp dropped to about 210. I just adjusted the dampers, opened fully the bottom, fully closed the top, and that's brought it back up to 214. I'll let it sit like this for a little bit and see if it starts to rise.
I think you can expect a lot of blow by blow updates for my first time today LOL
I think you can expect a lot of blow by blow updates for my first time today LOL
Everyone smokes at different temps/time...but I find myself normally around 225 when I smoke... And wrapping your meat in foil the last few hours is key... Makes that meat fall apart. Enjoy the long road and slippery slope my friend
I've just been trying to get it to stabilize at a good temperature. I was going to let it go at 270, but it kept going up so thought lower would be better. I turned the knob ever so slightly down and it dropped to 210ish, went back up to 214 for a couple minutes, the continued to drop again. I just turned the knob up a hair and it's been holding steady at 235-7 for the past 10 minutes or so.
If it doesn't keep going up, I'm going to leave it. I just didn't want it to get to high.
I'm going to watch it like a mother hen today I think. But I'll try not to monkey with it
3.5 hours in. Steady cooking at about 240 degrees. Meat is sitting at 111 degrees right now.
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I have the same issue with those knobs. They have this huge range of adjustment, but a small touch either way is the difference between way too hot, and way too cold.
Unless it's windy, I keep both vents wide open. I used to partially close the top to try and keep in smoke and heat. I read that if the wood doesn't get enough oxygen, it doesn't burn clean enough and can produce some bitter and toxic smoke. You want blue thin smoke, not white billowy smoke.
Unless it's windy, I keep both vents wide open. I used to partially close the top to try and keep in smoke and heat. I read that if the wood doesn't get enough oxygen, it doesn't burn clean enough and can produce some bitter and toxic smoke. You want blue thin smoke, not white billowy smoke.
Just opened it for the first time in a couple hours. Added some more chips and some more hot water to the water pan.
I didn't plan ahead well enough. We have nothing in the house to add to the smoker for lunch! That's ok, we do have some wings that are thawing out. We'll toss those in later today for a while and have wings with our pulled pork sammiches.
Meat is currently 122, smoker is still steady at 235-240
I didn't plan ahead well enough. We have nothing in the house to add to the smoker for lunch! That's ok, we do have some wings that are thawing out. We'll toss those in later today for a while and have wings with our pulled pork sammiches.
Meat is currently 122, smoker is still steady at 235-240
Looking good
Once you get the vents dialed in maintaining your target temp will get easier, just takes some fidgeting.
Yup, 225 seems to be about perfect for anything you don't have to worry about fatting out.
Do You foil everything? Only thing I've personally noticed a difference between foiling and not has been brisket. Ribs, pork butt, chicken, beef roasts turn out great with out foiling for me.
Got back from basketball practice with my son a little while ago and the meat got up to 151, so into the foil it went, with some apple cider (no juice on hand, just cider so went with it).
Here's what it looked like just before wrapping. Looking pretty good if I do say so myself.
Here it is all wrapped up and ready for more cooking. Added a fee fresh chips, filled up the water pan and tossed some wings in for good measure. We're about 9 hours in now, 151 degrees on the meat, 235 in the smoker.
Now we wait!
I hope this isn't too annoying to anyone. Because I'm not likely to stop hahaha
And Santa, if you're following along too, you so rocked it out of the North Pole!
Here's what it looked like just before wrapping. Looking pretty good if I do say so myself.
Here it is all wrapped up and ready for more cooking. Added a fee fresh chips, filled up the water pan and tossed some wings in for good measure. We're about 9 hours in now, 151 degrees on the meat, 235 in the smoker.
Now we wait!
I hope this isn't too annoying to anyone. Because I'm not likely to stop hahaha
And Santa, if you're following along too, you so rocked it out of the North Pole!
The chicken wings I tossed on the smoker still need a little more time. But we're going to finish them in the oven so they get done quicker. We're getting hungry! But these wings are looking good!
Pork should is sitting at 163 right now. Smoker is at 246. We're going to be eating smoked wings in a little bit - and smoked pork later tonight even though I most likely won't be hungry lol
Pork should is sitting at 163 right now. Smoker is at 246. We're going to be eating smoked wings in a little bit - and smoked pork later tonight even though I most likely won't be hungry lol
I'll second that! Theirs a reason that so many people have so many pics of the food they've smoked.
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Well good. It's been fun posting the blow by blow account of my first time smoking anything.
Temperature update... 165/248 I'm looking forward to a sammich. Even if it's at 11 tonight lol
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Temperature update... 165/248 I'm looking forward to a sammich. Even if it's at 11 tonight lol
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Man those chicken wings were damn good! Definitely tasted the smoke, and it was really great. Put a little bbq sauce on it before I put it in the oven for finishing. Sweet baby rays is what we had I think.
And @Mossome, I made your vinegar bbq sauce this evening as well. It'll be nice and ready for tomorrow! I didn't have the anejo pepper or whatever that one was, just put chili power in instead. Seemed to taste pretty good!
Temperature update on the pork, 181/243. Getting there!
And @Mossome, I made your vinegar bbq sauce this evening as well. It'll be nice and ready for tomorrow! I didn't have the anejo pepper or whatever that one was, just put chili power in instead. Seemed to taste pretty good!
Temperature update on the pork, 181/243. Getting there!