Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I tried some with the new to me and free elctric smoker I just got. Had my marinade or my meat cutting skills not been shitay, I think it would've been okay. First time trial though.

 

Specifically for jerky, dehydrator. But like...why not both and also have a smoker for all the good reasons to have a smoker?

there’s merit to this. A lot of people get them as gifts or even for themselves and then hate it. There’s a ton of cheap ones popping up on Facebook “only used once”.

 

Never thought of electric. If i end up buying a smoker it will most likely be a pellet pooper. I was gonna get one for free from a friend of mine. Her husband never used it. Her and i couldn't lift it. Dude sold it before i could go back with my buddies

Lol. Really just wanna make jerky. I do have one of those charcoal grills that has a separate compartment for smoking. But i been told my food tastes like ash tray. Lol

 

...need more details on what you made and how you made it, mine has never tasted like ash tray! What kind of fuel did you use? What kind of chips/pellets? (I use charcoal briquettes with chips tossed on top for smoke). What food? Did you use starter fluid?

The electric smokers are nice. I’m considering one because you can basically set it and forget it. The way I do a long smoke is to start it late in the day, once it’s in the stall I’ll do it in the oven. Fortunately the one this morning I did at 215 instead of 225 so I had a few hours once I got up and finished it in the smoker, but realistically it’s the same thing. It’s a cheat method but it’s a lot easier than trying to maintain a barrel grill temp. And once you’re in the stall (rule of thumb, once you’re even cooked a little bit) the smoke doesn’t do much or add much flavor, at that point it’s important to be low and slow but the smoke is just a nice touch. I do end up losing the bark but, call me weird, I’m fine without that.

so the electric would be nice. Set it to 225 and let er rip once out of chips and no more smoke, oh well.

 

Yeah but can a person make dry smoked jerky in an upright pellet smoker?

Here is what is rattling around in the brain box:

Cut some cheap cut beef across the grain (meat cold, knife sharp)
Dry brine for a day or three
Rinse and pat dry.
Pellicle in fridge??
Hang in upright pellet smoker off rack with pellets of my choice
What temperature???225°F sounds good
Until well dry??

 

A buddy of mine has the smoker with racks. Hes getting good at his jerky. But to me it tastes like a well flavored asada meat. Lol. Its not dry enough.

It was chicken wings. I used charcoal then cut wood chunks and put them on top of the charcoal. I normally soak them for about 5 minutes. I think that day i used to much wood.






Well. I pulled the trigger and bought a dehydrator. now i need to find a good rub

 

5 minutes for chunks might be why. I end up soaking chips overnight or so. Try a lot more soaking time.

 

Sweet. Thanks for the tip brotha!

 

My neighbor used to make deer jerky in his upright smoker that actually resembled an outhouse. He had like 30 racks that hung from chains and were attached with s hooks so he could go from jerky to turkey just by removing the racks. He's since passed away and the smoker still sits out there in the back yard. There's no reason you can't make jerky in anything. My step father used to make it in the oven inside before he passed but that was many years before I thought to pick up the habit.

 

Thanks!

I like a good challenge. I'll try my pellet smoker and go for dry. Thanks!

 

do the dryer vent mod, and buy nomex tape to seal the lid and other spots. The dyer vent makes the heat and smoke go down to grate level before exiting the smoker. It will even out your temps, and be a little more efficient.

Mine is held in with just the pressure of the vent in the exhaust pipe.

It’ll be a huge difference. Without it, the smoke and heat rises right out the top.

I never use wet/damp wood. I want my chips and chunks dry. They combust faster and seem to burn cleaner, instead of smoldering.

 

OK, so might as well ask here since I thought I saw a grilling thread but can't find it.

Might be looking to get into charcoal/smoking. Have a gas grill that is plenty big enough and enjoy using, but I'd also like to smoke some things, mess around with coals, maybe even pit fire some small pottery my daughter wants to do on a wheel we are going to get her. Some of it is I'd like to learn the craft, I was never that great at getting a good temperature and getting things to cook properly before. I assume I was just impatient.

I'm between the Weber Original Premium and the Akorn 20". The Akorn is roughly double the price, but I would probably make that up in saved charcoal costs within a year or two. The reviews are all over the place for the Akorn (particularly for longevity) and the Weber generally gets rave reviews. Part of me says Akorn because it can hold temperature better for long cooks, part of me says Weber because I don't know how committed I will be to using it with a gas grill right next to it and the ease of use it brings.

If it makes any difference we aren't really a cook outside and eat outside and do things outside family because our backyard sucks and is filled with mosquitoes. I am trying to fix the setting, but we aren't there yet.

 

I have made jerky on both electric and pellet smokers. Both work well. They guys at work offer to pay for whatever I can bring them.

You want the Temps to be way lower for jerky 150* to 160*.

 

@TheCochese before anything get a $20 smoker tube, and some pellets of your choice. Try that.

 

Think I'll be ok with the dehydrator?

 

I know it will work.

 

A dehydrator should work fine although I have never used one.

I forgot to add if you are making jerky at 225* you are cooking it, not dehydrating it.

From the electric smoker.





and the pellet smoker.





I prefer the pellet smoker. Since the one I have is double walled it is easier to keep the lower temperatures more stable.

 

My pellet smoker can hold 150-160°F - that looks awesome!

 

Just doing a couple of meatloafs in the smoker tonight. One has a bunch of rub the other one is spiced while mixing the meat together.

it will be finished off with a bbq glaze in about 2 hours.

 

Also since I have been busy with other things here’s some pics of my venison jerky I did on my pellet pooper.

I did four batches.
Batch 1 was salt and black pepper and it turned out pretty dry

batch two was the same flavor as batch 1 but it came out better

batch 3 was teriyaki and my uncle said it was pretty consistent and was good. So I’ll take that as a win

batch 4 was the first marinade I did and it turned out pretty good.