Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

X3, but of course.

Will add that not only is a vac sealer good for leftovers but also for buying in bulk. You can save a fair amount of money when your favorite cuts go on sale.



No need to put dates on cap steak in the kitchen freezer, they aren't sitting around too long But chest and garage freezers items get labeled and dated.

 

X4, looks like my freezer

 

Made some tri-tip today

 

I like your style sir

 

Thank u sir

 

I need a freezer - what are you all using? Meat, training birds (if you know what that means) and some random items - minimal footprint/max capacity.
Thanks

 

Kitchen Freezer contains better and higher end steaks. And a few other things that are plant based in nature, plus ice. Have a fridge\freezer in the garage that was here when I moved in 18 years ago and it was old then. If I would have purchased a new one it would have payed for itself by now in energy savings. That contains 4 frozen feathered intact mallards and half a dozen pheasants skinned with leg attached to show spurs for sex plus half a dozen skinned grouse with a wing attached to verify species in the freezer section.

Snow finally melts I need to pick up some feathered chukkar's for training for the AKC evaluation of the NSDTR on June 22nd, we are one of a few invited. Dog has never smelled a chukkar and I've never shot one but that is what they are planting at the hunt test so they will go in the garage fridge freezer soon, very soon for training. Sons better eat those damn pizzas in there quickly or I will throw them out to make room for the chukkar.

Have a small chest freezer a lady friend that moved in and didn't last left behind, she didn't want to take it with her. It is fairly small and inexpensive but works great. My grandparents had a huge chest freezer and once a year we would go clean it out for them and there was always freezer burnt and hidden food on the bottom. You can get too large with a chest freezer IMO, even with baskets. The one I have is not self defrosting and at first thought that was stupid. But the lady friend knew what she was doing, meat and items in self defrosting freezers don't last as long due to the temperature fluctuations. But a manual defrost freezer at some point will need defrosting so where are you going to put the meat? Put it in other freezers is what I do but work down to it by tossing questionable food (it happens, bad seals, etc.) and eating any leftovers. And trying not to create any more leftovers until it is down low.

I think the best of both words is an upright freezer with manual defrosting. And they have a minimal footprint. Ease of access plus long term storage. I don't own one but if I was shopping with nothing to begin with would start there. I need to replace the fridge\freezer in the garage first and want something with about 50% division between fridge freezer. Have had french door fridges in the past and not a fan. Although some are. When I replaced the kitchen fridge not long ago I got the largest bottom opening freezer I could find. And will likely do the same in the garage but from craigslist.

Hope that makes sense and others will throw their hat into the ring.

 

Austin tx area. Not mine.
22” wsm for $75
https://austin.craigslist.org/for/d/225-inch-smokey-mountain/6558610207.html

 

Got the leftovers tonight. Delicious!

 

Tri tip is what all the cool kids are making!!

 

4 of them ... Must resist...

 

yall fools keep posting these WSM and i might have to buy one to replace my aging smoker

 

Buy 4!

also, where'd your avatar go? Not that I don't mind not seeing the TT logo

 

ehh, just keeping things simple.

 

The Tech way

But, buy those wsm's...

 

Yup, that would be correct.

Looking at some right now

 

It's also real fun to reheat lunch-sized portions at work while your colleagues forlornly look at their bologna sandwiches.

 

If you have a chest freezer that is too big, fill 2 liter plastic bottles 3/4 full and freezer upright with the lid loose. After it's froze tighten the lid and lay on it's side on the bottom of freezer. Continue til the bottom is covered. This does 2 things: it raises contents up a bit so shorty peeps like my wife can reach things, and you have lots of ice in the event of a power outage. Also small sturdy cardboard boxes make good dividers to keep hamburger, chicken, pork, and other stuff separate and easy to find.

And cold iron is correct, self defrosting is not as good for long term storage. You want an even temp, and as cold as you can get it.

 

Milk crates. I bought as many would fit in mine and it makes sorting and removing things so much easier. Also, wife painted our deep freeze. Was that vintage dirty yellow before.

 

But cardboard is free! Nice paint job. And nothing jammed between the sides, reducing air flow.