New Meat Smoker

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  • schloff
    Established Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 229
    • Southern Middle TN
    • Powermatic 64 (BT3000 RIP)

    New Meat Smoker

    Well, I finally decided to bite the bullet and pick up a starter smoker, as my family really enjoy authentic southern pulled pork but I hate paying by the lb for it already cooked. It's a typical rectangle single door gas smoker with 4 racks.

    I've smoked BBQ on a real pit that belongs to a relative, and made some of the best that I've ever had. All of my family and friends who tried it agree that it is world class. BBQ is a no-brainer for me. Hoping that I can replicate that on this contraption, being a gas unit. I chose gas because we like to do a lot of outdoor activities and this allows me to easily set the temp and walk away (or paddle if we're kayaking that day).

    What I'm interested in at this point is getting into smoking ribs and sausages. Does anyone out there have a preferred recipe for ribs? What sausages do you normally use? I'll be purchasing store-brand and commercial made stuff for this, no interest in making my own sausage.

    How about chicken thighs? My wife is a real fan of the "nasty" meat as I call it. Any suggestions on blowing her mind on chicken thighs?

    I am about to dismember a troublesome peach tree in the very near future that would make for a good donor in the chip tray.

    Thanks, everyone. I know there has to be a few other meat-aholics out there who do this when they're not in the shop.
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I built a smoker back in the early '70s that is still in use. Then my dad made me build one for him. My "helper" asked me to build him one, which I did since he helped me with the handling of the heavy metal (1/4 inch thick steel). A very close friend "blackmailed" me into making him one.

    They are all still working fine. I gave mine away to a child hood friend when I moved to Japan, and now I use the one my Dad had. I was smoking and grilling on those before "smoking" was popular. My dad had lots of hickory lumber and I used the knotty boards and cut-offs for my smoking. After his official retirement, he went into making custom orders of skids and pallets in the Memphis area just to keep busy. So, I had access to quite a bit of different kinds of lumber.

    That said, I used quite a bit of different kinds of wood for smoking.

    What I have learned, including recently:

    It is hard to effectively smoke meats without lots of attention, even with gas. Gas doesn't require quite as much attention, but there are some caveats. Gas smoking is not nearly as smoky as charcoal/with hickory/mesquite. Since I was raised on Hickory/pecan and mesquite, - other woods such as Applewood and other only give "hints" of smoke. I know people who like the less smoky taste, or hints of smokiness, and that is OK. I tried cherry but never liked it much. LOML did though.

    When I bought a gas smoker in 2012, I thought that I would be free from constant vigil. I was mistaken as to how much I still needed to watch the gas smoker. On my smoker, the wood tray is just above the fire. The hickory or mesquite will be reduced to ashes in about 90 minutes to 2 hours at the most. For my first smoking I did a Boston Butt and 2 slabs of beef ribs - almost 5 hours for the ribs and 7 hours for the B.B. They were well cooked and flaky tender but not nearly the smoke flavor of charcoal/hickory/mesquite. More like a bacon smoke. I was aware that it would not be as smokey so I added hickory every 90 minutes and kept the temp at about 220 - 230°. A chip feeder might eliminate the vigil needed on adding hickory/mesquite over several hours.

    A second item that I realized was that the outside temperature greatly affected the internal temp and therefore my settings on the gas adjustment. And then the cost factor showed up when the temp was in the 60° - 70° range vs mid 80°+. It took quite a bit more gas to cook 6 to 8 hours in the cooler temps. Maybe because I started with charcoal/hickory years ago, but I found that I could regulate temps over several hours in varied outside temp ranges - easier with the charcoal. I have a friend that has a gas smoker and he keeps a detailed log on his cookings. he notes the outside temp, the inside temp, the length of time to achieve the meat temp with the meat thermometer, and then the meat weight. Then with the log book, he can tell exactly how long it is going take to cook any meat to the perfect tenderness regardless of the outside temp. I am not quite there, but I do use a good digital meat thermometer.

    There is an item that I am considering: A temperature regulator


    This is what I "think" I need. Reading the reviews (and there are other versions of this) this regulator opens and closes the vent plus has a fan to bring up the temp if it begins to cool too much. The 220° temp range is at the lower end of charcoal, hickory/pecan, and if it falls much below that, the fire goes out; and at 200° range it tastes gassy with many charcoals. The regulator seems to be "the tool" for charcoal/hickory smoking and allow for some extra time to do other things without constant vigil.

    Lastly: once one tastes the home done BBQ/Smoker meats, even the best blue ribbon world champion BBQ restaurants taste blasé compared to the fresh home done. I have a cousin who owns a large BBQ restaurant and has won several regional BBQ contests in several areas. His on site BBQ smoked meats are great if eaten just out of the smoker, but the restaurant versions taste like mass cooked and yesterday. I have tried all of the famed BBQ places in Memphis, three of the most popular in KC, MO, and several in Dallas/Ft Worth. Nothing like Home Cooked Smoked meats and BBQ.
    Last edited by leehljp; 08-27-2015, 09:09 AM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

    Comment

    • atgcpaul
      Veteran Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 4055
      • Maryland
      • Grizzly 1023SLX

      #3
      Thighs are my favorite but my personal preference is to grill them and not smoke them. Bullseye makes an excellent Carolina BBQ sauce which goes well with chicken.

      In my area, Costco has the best meat at a good price. My Costco only sells ribs St. Louis cut which is fine with me. My sister sells Scentsy (candle warmers) and now they sell rubs, too. They have a BBQ I like. I mix it 50/50 with brown sugar and sprinkle it on the ribs. I usually put the rub on, get my fire setup, then put them on. I get consistent results if I just go low and slow. The "turbo" methods have been hit or miss.

      My Uncle introduced me to a new Asian style rib recipe but it involves boiling and grilling--no smoking. It is truly one of my favorites now.

      Cut the slab into individual ribs and place in a large stock pot. Pour in 1 cup soy sauce, 1/4 brown sugar, white vinegar, black pepper powder, garlic powder, and some star of anise. Bring to a boil. Periodically stir the pot and cook the ribs through. Most of the fat shoulder render out. Turn off heat and remove the ribs. Reduce the stock mixture by 1/2 and add 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce and Sriracha. At this point you can refrigerate the ribs for later or just start cooking on the grill. Use the reduced sauce as a basting mixture. Cook the ribs until there's some nice crunch on the skin.

      Comment

      • chopnhack
        Veteran Member
        • Oct 2006
        • 3779
        • Florida
        • Ryobi BT3100

        #4
        My personal fav. is Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce..... just something about it tastes so good with ribs and thighs. Hungry just thinking about it. I too have only grilled thighs, IMHO they self smoke as they tend to catch fire so easily. They require constant vigil.

        Not to pull away from schloff's question, but Lee, could you snap a pic or two of your smoker/grill. I am sick of buying these crappy grills that last 5-7 years. I have toyed with the idea of folding one up myself out of stainless!
        I think in straight lines, but dream in curves

        Comment

        • schloff
          Established Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 229
          • Southern Middle TN
          • Powermatic 64 (BT3000 RIP)

          #5
          Thanks for the replies. And please, feel free to discuss whatever. I'd like to see the pictures of Lee's setup as well.

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            Peach is a great smoking wood. A small twister broke up a nearby peach orchard and I was able to salvage 2 car trailer loads of wood for smoking. I cut it into 1" thick slices then split those into 3 finger size chunks and boxed them up in shoe box sized cardboard boxes to keep help deter borers. I let it dry for about a year before I use it in the grill after we tried using the wood green and all agreed that it gave the meat a bitter twang.
            Our research taught us that it doesn't matter if the wood is soaked in water first or just tossed on the coals dry. For a long cook I'll add peach of pecan wood in with the lump charcoal and not bother putting it on top later. This way it seems to make the lump cook longer and cooler and still have the nice smoke.
            capncarl

            Comment

            • poolhound
              Veteran Member
              • Mar 2006
              • 3195
              • Phoenix, AZ
              • BT3100

              #7
              Yumm now I think about it I may have to bring out the smoker for Labor day. I have been meaning to do a brisket for a while but that really does need some long time nurturing.

              I agree that chicken thighs usually do better grilled than smoked and IMHO its ultimately the marinade/rub that makes the biggest difference. There are so many different recipes out there but if you have never tried it look up "Emerils Essence" as its a good go-to seasoning for nearly everything.

              Jon

              Phoenix AZ - It's a dry heat
              ________________________________

              We all make mistakes and I should know I've made enough of them
              techzibits.com

              Comment

              • atgcpaul
                Veteran Member
                • Aug 2003
                • 4055
                • Maryland
                • Grizzly 1023SLX

                #8
                I discovered this show while scrolling through the PBS channels on my XBMC.

                I'm not sure how long he's been established but he seems to be legit. My cousin and his wife live in Austin and he's supposedly legendary.

                The episodes are free online and are pretty entertaining. A little like Alton Brown but not so much into himself.

                PBS Food unites cooking shows, blogs and recipes from PBS and local stations across the country including Julia Child and Kitchen Vignettes!

                Comment

                • eccentrictinkerer
                  Senior Member
                  • Aug 2007
                  • 669
                  • Minneapolis, MN
                  • BT-3000, 21829

                  #9
                  I'm a huge fan of pulled pork. I found the site below several years ago and have used dozens of times. I make up quart containers of the 'rub' recipe and use it on BBQ ribs, hamburgers, you name it. I don't add the brown sugar until I'm ready to use it as it makes the rub stick and/or hard as a rock.

                  If you want the best pulled pork sandwich ever, this pulled pork recipe is a must try. It's so good you don't even need BBQ sauce!


                  I use a Weber Bullet smoker that was given to us when my wife judged their BBQ contest. She then a wrote a cookbook for Weber using the winning recipes.

                  One variation, my butcher recommended using a 'turkey roasting' bag to do my pork in the oven. Here in Minnesota it's hard to get the smoker up to cooking temps, plus it makes the house smell like heaven.

                  I just bought two 9 lb. pork shoulders from Sam's Club for $1.68/lb.! Labor Day and pulled pork! A great way to start Fall!
                  You might think I haven't contributed much to the world, but a large number
                  of the warning labels on tools can be traced back to things I've done...

                  Comment

                  • schloff
                    Established Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 229
                    • Southern Middle TN
                    • Powermatic 64 (BT3000 RIP)

                    #10
                    I tried a butt this past weekend on the new smoker. It was fantastic. I went simple on the rub. Just generous salt and garlic, and a little cayenne for a little bump in the flavor.

                    Literally smoked it for 16 hours on a 10 lb roast at 225. I thought it was excessive, but it worked out perfect. Moist and lots of flavor.

                    I have another one about ready to come off this morning. I'm going to chop this one and freeze it. Really enjoying the experience of this smoker.

                    Comment

                    • jking
                      Senior Member
                      • May 2003
                      • 972
                      • Des Moines, IA.
                      • BT3100

                      #11
                      Originally posted by atgcpaul
                      I discovered this show while scrolling through the PBS channels on my XBMC.

                      I'm not sure how long he's been established but he seems to be legit. My cousin and his wife live in Austin and he's supposedly legendary.

                      The episodes are free online and are pretty entertaining. A little like Alton Brown but not so much into himself.

                      http://www.pbs.org/food/web-shows/bbq-with-franklin/
                      IPTV has been showing some of these shows lately. At first I wasn't sure what to think because at times he comes across like he's almost just a guy doing a show about bbq. My opinion started to change when I caught an episode this weekend where he built a pit out of CMU blocks in his backyard and smoked a whole pig. I became convinced he's legit on Monday when they showed an episode where he shows how to build smokers. It's not a show where he's talking and someone else is doing the work, thought. He builds a smoker out of a 1000 gal propane tank. He's the one doing all the work, and it's obvious by the way he handles the grinder and welder that he know what he's doing. I'll by trying to catch more of these shows.

                      Comment

                      • atgcpaul
                        Veteran Member
                        • Aug 2003
                        • 4055
                        • Maryland
                        • Grizzly 1023SLX

                        #12
                        Originally posted by jking
                        IPTV has been showing some of these shows lately. At first I wasn't sure what to think because at times he comes across like he's almost just a guy doing a show about bbq. My opinion started to change when I caught an episode this weekend where he built a pit out of CMU blocks in his backyard and smoked a whole pig. I became convinced he's legit on Monday when they showed an episode where he shows how to build smokers. It's not a show where he's talking and someone else is doing the work, thought. He builds a smoker out of a 1000 gal propane tank. He's the one doing all the work, and it's obvious by the way he handles the grinder and welder that he know what he's doing. I'll by trying to catch more of these shows.
                        I seriously wish I had a bigger yard to build that pit he made or even to store all those bricks when I was done. I spit roast a whole hog 3 years ago. Man was that fun and tasty!

                        The only thing that bothered me about the smoker episode was I don't think he wore hearing protection the whole time. Maybe he had earplugs in but I didn't see it. That must have been crazy loud.

                        Comment

                        • capncarl
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2007
                          • 3564
                          • Leesburg Georgia USA
                          • SawStop CTS

                          #13
                          I have tried to discourage a number of my friends against building large BBQ pits and grills. The first time you use it will probably be your last. A big grill takes way much too wood to fuel it, is terribly hard to control the temp and who really needs to cook large quantities of meat that often. If your are going to use it for large functions that's different, but for home use it makes no sense. Build a sensible sized grill and you can enjoy it for a long time.

                          How many of yall that have cooked pork butts of shoulders have experienced the "stall" at about 150 - 170 and at 190 degrees f? I've cooked a fair number and have been baffled when the temperature just stalls for 2-3 hours. It gets quite embarrassing when everyone starts getting hungry and the meat is not done. Nothing is wrong with the grill or the fire, it just happens. The stall has been scientifically explained on-line.

                          capncarl

                          Comment

                          • windfall
                            Forum Newbie
                            • Mar 2007
                            • 6

                            #14
                            I've built a couple of Ugly Drum Smokers. They're relatively inexpensive and do a good job. Just finished ~100 lbs of pork shoulders for a neighbor's wedding a couple of weeks ago...They do a real good job


                            Build Album

                            Comment

                            • atgcpaul
                              Veteran Member
                              • Aug 2003
                              • 4055
                              • Maryland
                              • Grizzly 1023SLX

                              #15
                              My cousin is visiting his brother in Austin. He just posted on Facebook that he's in line at Franklin BBQ. People are camped out in the parking lot waiting for food

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