Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Be aware that pellet grills give more smoke at lower temps. Coming from a stick burner you may find #1 that the pellet grill gives a more nuanced smoke and #2 that long cooks can benefit from 2-3 hours at 170-180F in the beginning before ramping up to a 230-250F cooking temperature.

 

Yep, I do the same here. Sams sells stacks of half-size and full-size foil steam table pans pretty cheap.

 

Thanks for the advice. There is definitely a learning curve from what I am used too

 

Definitely. Though I think the first time you put a couple butts on just before bedtime and get to sleep through the night, you'll be sold.

 

Tri tip and some WINGSSssss

 

G damn son you do it right

 

That was probably the biggest selling point for me. I usually do butts and brisket overnight and have to wake up every few hours to feed the fire. I added an electric element from a barrel style smoker that helped and if I put them on early enough in the evening to get plenty of smoke and it wasn’t a cold night it got me through pretty well. I would usually crutch them with foil at the end of the night, fill the firebox with coals and let it roll.

As for the amount of smoke flavor, we’ll see. If I want more smoke flavor I could always use the stick burner for the first few hours than let the pellet smoker bring it home.

 

Just wrapped the shoulder and threw a glaze wash on the ribs. Looking good so far, temping at about 140 on the butt.

I made the mistake of using the probe at to high of a temp when I made steaks and ruined it. Going to see if I can get one warrentied from Cabela’s, otherwise need to order a new one from camp chef.

 

Check out the A-Maze-N smoke tube. fill with pellet, light it off, adds a bit of smoke.

Also use the tube in the grill body, without starting the grill, to cold-smoke cheese in cool weather.

 

Probe? You mean a remote display thermometer or an instant-read thermometer? For the first, the Thermoworks Smoke is best in class until you go up in $$ to web/cloud/wifi units. For instant-read, Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo is best use of your money. Same speed as a thermapen (I've used both together) and half the price, with features the thermapen doesn't have.

 

The grill comes with a built in probe. Read the part about not using it in temps over 350 after the fact....

 

Many of them are pretty similar. If you can find the specs on what it comes with you can order some better ones. Ones that easily handle the high temps

 

That’s what I figured. Not sure if it uses the same plug as the traeger, but I can get a two pack of those pretty much anywhere. Would be nice to have two to switch between a butt and brisket, turkey or whatever I’ve got going

 

Dem wings! Wowz!! Did you toss them in some sort of sauce? I gotta make me some of these!

 

Now that its warming up its time to make a refreshing beverage for helping digest all that BBQ everyone is making

Limoncello in 2 hours not 6 to 8 weeks

Pick up some fresh lemons (I got a bag of 6)

If the lemons are not organic and are waxed blanch them in hot water for a few seconds and then into an ice bath.









Peel the hide off the lemons. Do not peel too deep and get into the pith. If you do scrape off as much as you can.





Put lemons in a zip top bag or vacuum bag, add 4 cups of 100 proog Vodka or a jug of the good stuff 151 everclear. Squeeze out most of the air and seal and the bag.





Put in the 135* water bath for 2 hours.





While the lemons and alcohol are getting to know each other its time to make a simple syrup.

4 cups water and 1-1/2 cups white sugar are stirred together and then heated until the surgar disolves. Set aside and let cool. After the lemons and alcohol sous vide for 2 hours cut the bag open and strain contents through a fine mesh strainer. Then mix in the simple syrup. Put in bottles/jars and chill well before serving.

 

Wings are tossed in unsalted butter and some hot sauce. Also put a crap load of cracked black pepper and some granulated garlic. Came out great!!

 

Never had a premade one I liked. Never thought of making it. Nice work!

 

First low and slow smoke session with the pellet smoker was a success. Wife said the ribs were the best she has ever had, and the pork shoulder was damn fine too! The blade bone pulled out easy and clean, and the whole thing shredded nicely. Smoke flavor was pretty good, but I will try a few things to boost it next time. There was a solid smoke ring for sure. Texture of the butt was in point, but there was some residual fat that would probably render down during a slightly lower temp longer time session, which I will try next time.

The decision to purchase the pellet smoker was definitely reinforced today.

 

I made it years ago and it was too sweet. The nice thing about rolling your own is I can add the simple syrup until its where I like. Once this gets consumed I think the next batch I'm going to try with corn sugar AKA dextrose. It's about 1/3 less sweet verses cane sugar.

 

Looks mighty fine tasting!