Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I’ve seen all shapes and sizes the last two years get posted on the large pellet groups.

 

Mine is over 4 years old now and been great, maybe I just lucked out. Sounds like they may be back to lower quality. If I had the tools I would build my own but outside of that my next pellet brand is still up in the air.

 

Thermal mass ftmfw

 

Yoder’s new FireBoard controller looks promising.

 

No joke. I use three bricks too on my long cooks and I get hardly any jumps in temp.

I usually only see a gradual drop in temp as the vents get covered in ash. Otherwise this kettle is as rock steady as my wsm. Although it burns through almost twice the briquettes for the same cook time/temp.

 

Have to check it out. I’ve been keeping an eye on Yoder. Probably be the end of the year before I jump on something.

 

Any recommendations on offset smokers?

I have used different "Char-grillers" throughout the years, and I have done all the popular mods to at least two that I have owned ( I had one large one and two small ones). I think I am just sick of lack of temperature control. I also am tired of losing heat from the firebox even though I have a substantial heat source (lump coal and wood).

for the last year I have just been using a weber kettle grill I got for $20 off Craigslist. I just put all the coals to one side and I cook meat on the other side. I found it much easier to maintain 300-250 temperatures just by articulating the vents on the Weber kettle. However, if I want to do a long cook, it's very cumbersome to replenish hot coals.

I saw this on Amazon, but even this one requires gasket mods (among others) according to the reviewers. it's 180lbs, so I think it has thick enough steel to hold heat.

$629 Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset Smoker - 17202053

https://www.amazon.com/Oklahoma-Joe...offset+smoker&qid=1556589027&s=gateway&sr=8-7

The weber smokey mountain seems like it takes the fun out of BBQ to me, but I feel like that's my only other option.


I am not sure that I want to spend $2K on a really nice offset smoker.

 

Buy a nice used rig

 

Looks great though I would have pulled it 20° earlier

Brinkman for me. Pros: $300, heavy AF, cooks consistent, gotta tend it. Cons: goes through some fuel, gotta tend it

Edit: another pro: I can put a metric f ton of food on it.

 

The WSMs are pretty easy to do long smokes with. Mine will run 14-16 hours under the right conditions.

When you say “take the fun out BBQ” i guess you mean tending the smoker. If you enjoy tending the smoker, get a stick burner. Save up and get one you like and want, just don't settle for one you can afford right now.

 

There’s some shenanigans going down tomorrow...it’ll involve lunch at a Tex-Mex place but it’ll be very Tacoma World bbq related.

I bought my Traeger (received for free actually...) 2 years ago this summer and the only burned things have been all my fault. Fire stays where it’s supposed to. Seems like you really have a problem with the brand. Why is that? What’s your actual experience with Traeger?

 

Good Morning Everyone

 

Morning maner

 

This past Sunday's cook

 

The ribs were good, the rib eyes were amazing, but I aint never had pork belly that was that great. It would fall apart in your hand.

 

Looks great, now I am ready for breakfast

 

What are you having?

 

You're going to be asked nicely once, please stop fondling the pork belly!!

 

Probably some oatmeal. I am at work and don't want to walk the gray mile back over to the chow hall.

 

I made a crap ton of party wings on Sunday. Found a delicious seasoning mixture and allowed it to marinate for about 20 mins. I didnt have any ground mustard so I used ground rosemary instead.