Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Post plenty of pics. Never been to a BBQ competition.

 

Going to throw this 3lbs of beef chuck goodness on the kettle this afternoon (instead of the WSM). Will cook at ~250 until an internal of ~125. I considered letting it go to ~195 for pulled beef but I think I'm going to slice. Will throw some wood on for smoke here and there too.

All suggestions/recommendations welcome!

Edit: I think I'm just going to take it all the way up to 195. I'd hate for it to not be tender.

 

Picked this up at Costco, $6.49, smoking it Sunday. This will be my 5th Tri-Tip of the summer, just so easy and the wife loves it too. We were just near Santa Maria CA last week and stopped into the Far West Tavern in Orcutt to try their highly rated Tri-Tip. Not bad but over cooked, asked for medium rare and got mostly medium-medium-well.

 

http://unrulycountryfestival.com/

This is the event

 

What is the format? Are they serving the festival-goers?

Best bet, if you want some good food, is to start to make the rounds of the camp site just after the final turn in. Give the teams 15-30 minutes to gather themselves, but then go around, chat it up with the teams, and see if they have any extra food that they're willing to send you home with. Offer a few bucks in return. There will be a TON of extra food out there.

 

I see, now, it is KCBS. Brisket turn-in will be at 1:30 p.m. There may be additional events, which will all probably be done by 2:00 p.m. Start checking out the team camp sites then. Oh, and see if you can get some tips. We didn't do that well this Labor Day .

 

The pulled/chopped beef idea is probably the sound one for a chuck roast. You could always cube it and do burnt ends!

 

Question for WSM users. So first time smoking with the WSM and used the water pan .The meat under water pan (larger pieces in pic) pretty much looked like was steamed .So moved to top rack .
So do you use water pan with meat in bottom rack. I picked up water pan cover from Amazon in the meantime. Thanks

 

This! Didn't even cross my mind, but will do now...thanks!

 

My water pan is right over the coals then then the meat goes above it on the racks.

 

Perfect. Thanks!

 

Meat under the pan? My water pan is below the meat, and the meat never looks steamed.

 

I never put water in the pan.

 

I thought that too... meat under the pan? Say wa?

 

I also never use water in the water pan. In fact I use either the heat shield or that water pan lid cover that you just picked up wrapped in aluminium foil. Dry. Gives you a lot more room work the coals and wood chunks in the fire box if you need to also

 

I think to point of the water is to keep a certain level of humidity in the smoke so it doesn't pull the moisture out of the meat. If the water is boiling you're likely too hot anyway I've only smoked a few times and have never boiled the water off. Never had "steamed" meat either

 

Yep, there's supposed to be benefits of having the water in there but I've tried it with and without many many times and never noticed any difference. So, sans agua.

 

I used to use water, but have stopped several years ago. I’ve never noticed any benefits by using it.

 

I have tried without water, and temp. control was easier with water. Or maybe I started with too many lit coals in the chimney.

And, like, everybody else, I never had steamed meat come out the WSM either.

 

Thanks for the audible @bvbull200! Poor mans burnt ends turned out awesome for my first time doing them. Bonus is they were also done with Pit Faced Rub-a-Dub!