Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Underway on the BGE! Inaugural run for me and I wasn't gonna go without a pour...

Was 7:33 too early for a shot... No. The answer was No.

 

Never too early!

 

My thoughts too

 

I agree, it’s not like drinking something. I’m the pellets you aren’t going to get subtle nuances to come out. You’re going to get the taste of whatever the main wood is and in a lot of them it’s filler wood with little taste.

I saw the Kingsford ones online but have yet to see them in a store to check them out.

 

Did a ribeye roast yesterday. Came out pretty good from what little I remember.

 

Sounds like there was a party?!

 

I believe a lot of those flavored pellets are flavored with oils.. I know that Traeger Pellets were accused of it a few years ago. On meats its hard to tell because of all the fats melting etc.. but using pellets to cold smoke cheeses and you can totally tell which ones have oils because it collects on the cheese. I'm not saying any of the pellet companies are 100% innocent, but if it says Cherry on it.. it should be made from cherry wood.. not cherry flavor added.

I buy 40 pound bags of the Pit Boss brand Competition pellets for $14 a bag at the Walmart. By far the best value for price per pound and they burn the most complete of any that I have tried ( Traeger, Lumberjack etc).

I know @Cold Iron is giving up on his pellet smoker for lack of smoke flavor but for the masses, the convenience, ease of use and accessibility of a pellet smoker/grills and pellets means it's here to stay. I know many who prefer the lighter smoke flavor and likely many who want the "real wood" taste.

Speaking of the real wood taste.. I'd rather taste the meat and accentuate that rather than cover it up or try to make it taste like something else. Some of you would call me a hypocrite since I have been teasing @bvbull200 about making the Vampire Rub. I personally don't like eating burnt sugar. I know a lot of you believe you have to coat your meats with a heavy rub and smoke it until it looks like a lump of coal on the outside. To me.. that's not appealing. I'm all for building a crust and imparting that smokey flavor but I tend to do things differently than the masses. I use turbinado sugar in my rubs which has a higher melting point and isn't likely to burn. I often use just salt and pepper as a "rub" but I do like the garlic and black pepper flavor combo that goes so well with pork so stuffing a pork shoulder with whole garlic cloves and a simple salt and pepper rub is good enough for me.

We all have different tastes and likes and dislikes and knowledge (or lack thereof) so coming to a forum like this and learning and expanding is a great thing. There are no right or wrongs as far as styles or whatever.. the only right/wrongs are about food safety. If we see someone under-cooking chicken or something please say something. Otherwise, keep an open mind to new things, ideas flavors etc. I just had a conversation with one of my managers yesterday where his mind was blown over me smoking kosher salt. He had never heard of such a thing but I bet he's going to try it soon!

@taco-houla - none of my rant is directed towards you LOL I just happened to quote you and then stepped up on the soap box! HAHA


Everyone - have a safe weekend.. wash your damn hands (can't believe I have to say that to people who make food) and learn something new!

 

I’m too old to party. I woke up drunk like an hour ago. It’s been awhile since that happened, going back to the old military days. It was just me a long time buddy and the ladies. And jack.

 

I fully support all that!

 

What size are those wood pieces that the JD is sitting on?

 

standard Side shelf for the egg... lemme check...

 

?????

Well, some like the Apple Mash pellets I mentioned have no fillers, so that is exactly what you do get. A nice sweetish smoky flavor. Of course, not understanding what you are saying - it's not like it will taste as if biting into an apple and cherry pellets aren't like eating fresh cherries.

https://cookinpellets.com/product/40-lb-bag-apple-mash-pellets/

That said the Jim Beam pellets are 100% Oak. How much are actual barrels with whiskey flavor??? Not much is my guess.

 

5"x17" roughly at widest points of each board.

 

What's going in the inside? the BGE not your glass! HAHA

 

Also... what's your thoughts on the Heritage Bottle?

 

I'm a fan of the heritage! I think most Jack Haters (old no. 7 usually) would be more than satisfied with it. People just think of black label and pass it off. It's one of my now favorite Jack offerings!

 

Too bad it's not as available as No. 7 !! haha or even 1/2 or even 0.2354762%

 

What I’m saying is the companies that try to mix in rum and things of that nature very little to none of that flavor is likely to come out in the food you cook with it. The ones you’re talking about I have no idea but a lot of pellets that are flavored by like cherry is usually a very high content of filler woods like oak scraps mixed with a little dust from the species of the tree (I’m calling out Traeger here).

The JD ones I’ve seen em and I’ve read reviews on them and the reviews were mixed on if it added anything. If it did I would be cool with that. Now people like @DC 17_3 and @Misplaced Nebraskan would rather just drink enough JD to where they think everything tastes like it.