Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Weber 26 is my main smoker. Still want to invest in an offset one day.

 

Looking to go pro huh?

 

Is that pro or armchair pro?

 

I am but it’s hard to invest in an offset when my weber can produce these results.

 

Thanks... Now there is a big bite mark missing from my monitor...

 

You can cook, so your quality won't suffer, but your quantity will go through the roof!!!



Ribs look awesome .

 

Depends on what I have on hand at the time

Last year or so have been on an Apple kick. Before that was Cherry. And before that hickory. The only constant I have is Alder for Salmon. First meat I smoked was Salmon using Alder and to this day love it. Very mild and just seems to work well for me. I think the amount of wood you use for smoke has the biggest effect on the outcome. I try not to overpower the meat with wood smoke no matter what I use.

What Hairytaco says! When I got my Thermoworks Smoke the first use was to check a wings cook with it. I measured what Mike said, started at 580° and an hour later when I was done it was down to ~525°

Good question and I had to look that one up. 2 oz. of uncooked elbow macaroni expands to roughly half a cup. Looks like most recommend 1 cup cooked as a serving size. So looks like 30 people would be 120 oz. of elbow macaroni and the rest expanded from there. I would use 3 pans or so instead of trying to fit it all in one. And of course do a test batch first! Good luck.

Been logged into here for at least 2 hours trying to post it. Damn work LOL. Double and triple booked for meetings and also doing "real" work on the side. Ugh.

Keep trying to talk myself into the MK4 but love my cheap thermopop so much never have done it. At $40 for a 2 pack am going to order 2 more for me. 1 for kitchen and 1 for the cabin and camping. And a couple more 2 packs for my sisters as gifts. Not expensive and my BIL's will love them. All my friends hunt and grill\smoke and already own them or the MK4. Great gifts for Christmas for those that don't already, just saying.

Speaking of just saying if you do the bulk buy I know this guy in Mn. that really likes those jelly belly beans that come with Thermoworks stuff Just saying...

Haven't eaten at McDonalds in years and likely be many more before I do again.

But Curt is old enough I bet he remembers in the 70\80's when they had the best fries in the world. And coffee. Back then didn't have a pot to piss in and if I did couldn't afford a window to throw the piss out. Many times a large order of fries and cup of coffee at Mickey Dees was my treat for the week.

Not a fan of revisionist historians and actually hate the whole concept. But my oldest son got me to listen to a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell revisionist history called McDonald’s Broke My Heart. It explained everything perfectly and is awesome highly recommend it!



Long story short a millionaire in Nebraska by the name of Sokolof had a heart attack at the age of 43 and it scared him and rocked his world. His doctors told him the reason why he had the heart attack was high cholesterol and he ate too much fat. So he made it his personal mission to save America from saturated fat, the alleged culprit in high cholesterol. And still is according to many despite that is not the case in real life.

He spent millions of dollars taking out adds against McDonalds because they cooked french fries in beef tallow. That is why they were so good. And then moved to lawsuits. On July 23, 1990 McDonalds gave in and switched to vegetable oil. Which is now shown to be worse than beef tallow for your health. And explains why their fries now suck compared to what they used to be. And in 94 were sued in the infamous hot coffee lawsuit so dropped the temperature of their coffee from 180-190 to piss warm. So now their coffee sucks too. In my grumpy old man opinion.

Every time you would post one of your cooks I always came close to pulling the trigger on a 26" kettle. Then I realized it is you, not the kettle. You sir are the master of the kettle. And not sure it would make a difference what the hell you used it would turn out totally awesome

 

Arby's curly fries are where it's at! And roast beef/cheese sliders....and loaded Italian sammich.

Closest McDonald is 45 miles. Next time I go there I will grab some fries and test, just for you guys.

 

I'll let you know on the jelly beans .

But, damn, first BBQ, then, more specifically, Webers, then Polk Audio for Home Theater, and now you listed to Revisionist History, too?

My brother from another mother, I'm telling you!

That is a really good episode. I try to save the fat trimmings when I do larger brisket cooks to render down and use to cook french fries. They really are way better in beef tallow/fat.

 

Curt is so damned old he can barely remember why he walked into the restroom. But yeah the fries used to be the best... used to be.

 

so you cook them with the grate temp that high and it still take an hour?

 

Yes with both top and bottom vents wide open. during the summer when it is warm like it is now ~50 min. or so I will start to check them to make sure they don't burn. It is a fine line that is for sure.

 

Thanks guys lol. I almost wanna pick up a bigger smoker just for the time I wanna do more than 1 brisket. Yoder Cheyenne is about the same cooking size of a 26 or I’m not gaining that much space. So I’m still iffy what to get.

 

That could also be the case lol. I’ve come so accustomed to the way my 26” cooks. One day I’ll make the switch and learn all over again. Appreciate the kind words!

 

Best post ever!!!

 

You need to write a kettle bible. I have done a few things on my old 22 inch, but nothing like that! I want another kettle now...

 

I did have a a Long post on how I did things on my weber 26 back on the 900ish page lol. For me cooking 275-300 you get better results and having split logs seasoned for 2 plus years really help. I have white oak sitting on 3 years and pecan at 2 years which is my go to. Apple and Plum are getting some age as well.

To me the biggest factor is the quality of smoke you can produce in the first 2-4 hours of the smoke, I have extremely clean smoke, blue tinged smoke 90% of the cook. I also never cook with a water pan or never use the water reservoir on my Slow m Sear. I don’t think it does anything to the meat, it’s more of a heat sink.

I do nothing special I just know my kettle extremely well.

Edit** I also preburn my split wood in my charcoal chimney so it catches fire quicker.

 

Did a search on here thought I posted it but guess not. Good then I don't put my whole life on TW thank goodness...

About a month ago stopped at Arby's because my youngest son wanted to. Had been years and my favorite was always the roast beef with cheese, Arby's sauce and curly fries. We ate in and I had to go find the sauce after got my meal they apparently don't put it on the tray for you anymore, OK figured that out. And ended up throwing about half of it away. Half of all of it. Kind of shocked me as that was one of the few fast foods that tasted good to me back when I ate it. Waited till my son was done eating before I threw it away or said anything and he said yeah that is why he always got chicken there. Chicken. At Arby's. Hell maybe he is on to something.

Brother bvbull200 I have left out the whisky on purpose Only happens during hunting season from mid Oct to the end of November. After the guns have been put away. And the dogs brushed and pads, eyes, etc. checked and crated. Then the 6 oz. leather wrapped stainless flask comes out to take away the days aches and pains. Sitting on the tailgate with a good friend. That is the good stuff as a rule. Then back at the cabin the kid gloves come off and get down to business. With lots of water in between to help with muscle hydration. But plenty of flavor in between glasses of water. And of course I am usually grilling a steak or 2. And smoking them.



Stopped at Costco on the way home tonight and have more than $200 worth of meat in the fridge. Tornado warnings. And this.



Perfect example of a bow front. To hell with it going to salt a steak and fire up the gasser as long as I have gas. This is not exactly charcoal weather gas does have its place. Eaten enough cast iron skillet steaks in my day. Too many.

 

@bvbull 1 spicy 1 thermo thing please