Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Too windy?...




adapt and overcome!

 

That's great! I live on the eastern side of the sierras. Sometimes it really is too windy

 

Understandable. I was gonna build a three wall with a door smoke station at that place til we decided we were moving. That day was just rainy and sub 30 mph winds so the box worked well enough. couldn't convince the wife to let me put a smoker in the house and run an exhaust extension out the window


Burgers look great btw!

 

I need to do that too lol ... seems like every stinking time I start my smoker the wind starts howling around it. Can be the most peaceful calm day, light the smoker and 5 mins later its like

 

Damn, that tenderloin looks nice and juicy. Nicely done!

I have always just left it out there in the wind and dealt with potential temp swings. Adapting and overcoming with the cook time rather than the elements.

I still do, mostly, but we were out at competition one year and it was pretty windy. Not high winds, just constant. We shuffled those drums around and turned the intakes every direction we could, but the wind kept drawing air out of the intakes and we couldn't get above 200* for 2 hours or so. What a pain in the ass.

 

I think some temp swings are a necessary evil, little high heat moments mixed with low. All averages out and give ya some extra bark and smoke right?!

 

Exactly. When I started out, I watched temps like a hawk and reacted to every little lean of the needle on the temp gauge. The drums are pretty damn rock solid on most days, but even so, I give about a 50-75* temp range before I actually care enough to adjust anything.

Keeps dipping to 225*? Screw it. I'll just crank up the heat later.

Keeps creeping to 300*? No biggie. Just means a longer rest with another whiskey .

 

I hear ya. I always chased 225 +/- 5-10° when I started. Learning to relax and drink was a big thing to learn. It'll all work out in the end. If not... chop it up into sammies with sauce! That's the other big lesson

 

I went and did it lol
Last years model limited edition already assembled n ready to go for $150

 

Even before the pooper I didn't chase the temps constantly. It's almost futile you just can't beat mother nature. Now if it's a HUGE swing that's something I deal with but just the up/down spikes of 20 degrees or so. So be it. I have to either cook a little longer or rest it a little more. In the end it all evens out.

 

I still get a little OCD with temps and making sure the smoke is the right color, etc. I have to talk myself off the ledge sometimes...

But I just try and remember the time me and my buddies were camping and there was a tiki bar up the road (bad ass place to camp FYI), well I got 3 racks of ribs going and just left em. Went to the bar for a few hours. Best ribs I ever had lol

 

Brisket in, Brisket out. Should be simple math, right?

 

That's lesson 3

That's math I can do!

 

Absolutely Ingenious

But that cardboard taste

 

Can anyone tell me the difference between pork shoulder and pork butt? And a good rub?

Would like to try one or the other in my WSM 18". So far i've only done a brisket, baby backs, and chicken.

 

That's the secret ingredient!