Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Hitting Costco Wednesday morning for the first time in a couple of months. Hope they have meats although web site says limited to 3 or 4 items don't remember. The local grocery store is limiting to which ever one Costco is not

Been thawing meat out of the freezer. Almost out of bacon. Again. Starting 4th month of Atkins. This is no time to restrict my meat purchases!!

Supper should be ready now been a couple of hours.



The last of my pork chops

 

Costco was almost a bust

They had fish where all the beef and pork usually is... Did get a 10 pound bag of wings though so not a total bust, but was a sad sight to behold.

 

We got a big bag of wings from Sam’s Club.

 

Friend of mine at work said Sam's club here had trays of wrapped cauliflower where the meat normal is yesterday. I'd be happy with a 10 lb. bag of wings. But much happier with a ribeye roll and bacon. Lots of bacon. Just take my damn money!

 

I'd burn that Sam's to the ground!

 

Ya we are having a hard time getting bacon.

 

That’s crazy. Why can’t you get bacon?

 

It seems to sell out as soon as they get it. I’m down to May last package I took out of the freezer the other day. Have tried Wal mart, aldi and Sam’s. Some place have it in their fresh meat counter WAY over priced.

 

It started last fall in China (where else?) when a pig killing virus started wiping out the supply of pork there. By the time COVID hit here in the States we were at a 50 year low in pork reserves.

The processing plants and slaughter houses here are all hit hard. One down in Iowa had more than a thousand cases of COVID and shutdown like many others. Hogs need to be taken to market before they hit 400 lbs. if they go above that the transportation system and processing can't handle them.

Good news is that if you want to drive and load a 400+ porker in your truck you can do it at the cheapest rates I've ever heard. I've processed them growing up and as much as I love most cuts of pork have no desire to ever go through that again! Just getting the skin off one is an exercise in itself. Makes skinning a coon look easy.

 

I was able to get bacon at my Costco but the no fresh meats, only seafood.

We then went to Walmart and I got some meat to smoke.

Grass fed chuck roast.



Hawaiian BBQ smoked ribs.

 

I got the Stampede. The Bull was too big for my needs and too expensive. They gave me 25% off and parts to try and repair the mini. If I can fix it, I'll pass it on to my father-in-law.

 

Good stuff. Are you on the BANNED from Rec Tec FB grouup? A whole lot of butthurt folks there...

 

Explain to me the vortex ... Is it just a cone shape or is there a bottom to it? What's the premise behind it? How thick is the metal?

 

You mean the Vortex intended for the Weber kettle, right?

 

fairly thin but no worries about it failing. Look at Owens BBQ. Welded together (not rivets). it is effectively a heat director/deflector/temp zone creator. Really helps isolate temp zones on the kettle. No top or bottom so you can use it different ways for different purposes.

 

Yes haha I should have been cleared!

Perfect answer... Been debating building one...I would have to rivet mine together tho.. I have some extra stainless steel from a failed project Hahaha

 

Basically everything you can do on the vortex you can accomplish on the SnS as well, plus the SnS has a water channel for adding humidity to long cooks.

 

What the heck is an SnS?

 

Sounds like a fancy mumbo jumbo to complicate a very easy process in order to sell a product.

I'm a mix of old school and new school. Fancy thermogizbits and whatnot are cool but useless, just chuck in some wood/charcoal and get the right temp. But, letting a grill automate itself to hold at 225 - that is cool (pellets, electric smokers with chips, etc).

 

I agree... I was just pondering making a vortex to use on my little Brinkman 3n1 smoker/grill to experiment with some chicken wings.