Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I want the hinge too but I don’t want to drill into my smoker...

 

I've been looking at the ThermPro thermometers and I was wondering which one do ya'll have and when you are getting the smoker temp, do you lay the probe on the grate? I tried that last time with my el cheapo thermometer and got an off the wall temp reading. I'm assuming these are a lot better quality.

 

My Maverick has a little spring steel probe holder. You slide the probe into it and the feet are bent to be held between two of the grates.

 

The thermpro I have has a clip that holds it above the grate.

 

This. Most quality thermos will have this

 

Hot smoked bacon has a different texture that can also be eaten w/o and further cooking as it is technically cooked by the hot smoking process once internal temp of 152 to 155 is reached.

After curing I air dry my bacons in the fridge on a rack w/ drip pan for 3 to 5 days. Then I cold smoke them below 70 degrees anywhere between 40 and 80 hours in 10 hour smoke sessions with a fridge rests in between. Doing long overnight cold smokes makes it easy as all the work is done while I sleep. In the morning I get up for work pull the slabs off the smoker and into the fridge to rest then when i get home from work light the pellet tray and start all over. After the smoke is done I let the bacons on a rack in the fridge for around 5 more days to age.

Cold smoking, fridge resting in between smokes and then aging all help reduce moisture content and condense flavor. When I cook my bacon no water seeps out unlike store bought that is about 35% water when you cook it. Texture and flavor are all also light years ahead of store bought. But it all takes time. My bacons routinely take 30 to 45 days from beginning to end.

I have a MES 30 and with a pellet tray unless it is really cold out 30 degrees or less it will creep towards 100 degrees. If not freezing cold out you'll either need to add an ice pan or do the mailbox mod to keep the pellet tray satellite from the smoker.

You will have to determine if you are going to hot or cold smoke. If you are going to hot smoke it's done in one session starting at 120 degrees for 1 hour no smoke to dry and warm the meat. Then bump smoker temp to 130 degrees, start smoke and then raising the temp 10 degrees every hour until the smoker is at 170 degrees. Maintain 170 degrees until the bacon reaches an internal of 152 to 155 degrees. If you are going to cold smoke you have to keeps the temps below (IMHO well below) 100 degrees. If it goes over 100 the nitrite/nitrate will begin to break down and not provide protection you need for extended smoking times. So if it goes over 100 get ready to hot smoke.

 

Any particular models that will be good to start with and easy to use?

 

I started with no knowledge and a WSM last year, with nothing more than that and some great advice I've had nothing but success.

 

Can also crumble up some foil around probe to use as holder if you dont have the clips.Seen it on some smoking forums.

 

exactly. i'm also slightly concerned that a 22.5" lid trying to swing open will do 1 of 2 things............ either tip my smoker over or take up a ridiculous amount of space making me have to move the sucker away from the house.

 

You don’t want it sitting directly in the grill, as it’ll read that temp instead of air. I’ve see people use foil as mentioned, but also cut a tater in half and jam the probe though it and set it on the grate.

I have a thermopro, and have no issues with it. I can’t remember the model, but mine doesn’t have a low temp setting/alarm. There is a model that has it. Search the Amazon and it’ll turn up.

Edit:

$40 TP-08 ThermoPro TP08 500FT Wireless Meat Thermometer for Grilling Smoker BBQ Grill Oven Thermometer with Dual Probe Kitchen Cooking Food Thermometer

TP-08 had low temp alarm, it’s in the products listed below.

This.

 

If you don't have a clip, just stick the probe through a piece of potato .

 

Pig roast on Sunday - wondering what else I should put in the smoker with it...Thinking some sort of roast or brisket if I can find something suitable...

Suggestions please - appetizers, etc.

 

Vegetables, beans, jalapeño poppers...how much room do you have to work with?

I’m a big fan of smoking mostly whole onions (top and bottom cut off, outer layer removed) and mostly whole garlic (top cut off to expose the cloves). Just smoke them for a bit by themselves then wrap in foil with a bit of olive oil and you’re good to go.

 

Beef clod heart. Rotisserie’d One the other week and it was really good and they are inexpensive.

 

A smaller pig

 

Not smoked but some quick steaks on the grill

 

I'm in the same camp. Except for onions, I peel and cut the tops off. I core them, and remove a little bit extra to pack them. With butter and brown sugar These were my "extras" when I did the tri-tip a week ago Sunday.

 

slaw....and mac and cheese

 

Cut the top off, and enough of the bottom to make it set upright, peel. Cut a crater in the top, then add butter, a little garlic and a half ts of chicken or beef bullion. Bake or smoke at 350 for 1 hour. That is for a jumbo onion. Too bad that the sweet onions I grow mess with my guts in the middle of the night now days. Sux getting old, but it beats the alternative.