Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I think someone posted this recently but its a real good read on smoking poultry (includes brining, rubs, etc.)

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html

 

I have learned a LOT from meathead and agree with most things he writes.

Most meats that I smoke are brined. For chicken I use 1 gal. freezer ziplock bags. For turkey I let them sit in an igloo cube cooler overnight



With 3-4 ice cube trays of ice mixed in with it. However I end up doing almost all my poultry on a rotisserie smoking strong in the beginning and then tapering off but keeping temps down as close to 200-225 as I can. The skin is always perfect as soon as it comes off the stick but the next day not so much. Before that my experience was the same using a straight smoker, it gets rubbery if you wait till it cools and never recovers. Too much water in the water pan of your smoker will also cause it to not get crispy and it will be rubbery.

 

Yeah, I stopped putting water in my pan years ago.

 

I just skin the turkey after smoking, since I'm usually just slicing it for sammiches. Rubbery turkey skin is definitely gross sliced up with the cold cuts.

 

attempted a chicken today… But couldn't get the temp right and got pissed off and gave up after 4 hours. I'll give it another go at a different time..

 

Yeah, temperature control is challenging. You should try it in sub-zero temps.

 

QFT

 

How the hell have I missed this thread this long?

EDIT: I have some reading/catching up to do.

 

Yeah, TacomaWorld. Fun for the whole family.

 

Gonna have to do this catching up a little at a time. Made it to page 5, and it's making me extremely hungry.

 

I'm sure that I'm nt dealing with the kind of temps as you, but I smoke all year. Thanksgiving I smoked a ham, (forgot to take any pics) it was so cold that my smoker (insulated electric, with a smoke generator) wouldn't even come on, it kept giving me an error. I lit a unscented candle and placed inside with the door closed for a half hour or so, then the element came on and worked perfectly. When I used charcoal "pill" smokers seemed like the wind was worse than the cold on maintaining temps. I even built a thin plywood wind break to sit around it when i cooked on windy days.

 

I think I'm going to smoke some thick cut pork chops and then chunk them up for some chilli

 

Smoked the chops last night. Add some beans, smoked habeneros, tomatoes, seasoning, and a bunch of onion. Now to slow cook till dinner time!

 

Would pulling the skin off before rubbing and cooking make the bird dry out? After brining or injecting of course..

 

Probably. A skinned bird would definitely have a layer of tough, dry meat if smoked skinless.

 

My friend made me a pair of these. I had invited him and his family over for the smoked turkey I did a few weeks back and he gave me a set of poker's he made for me.

 

I have lived in central Texas my whole life where brisket is king. Those of you familiar with Rudy's BBQ..the original location is not far from my house.
I had been using my buddy's trailer smoker and perfected my craft. I took the plunge about bought a Lyfe Tyme smoker over thanksgiving. These are not cheap and are made out of 1/4 steel and last a life time and hold a consistent temperature.





My own rub recipe. After 13 hours over oak at 225:



Perfect Bark - Perfect Ring - falling apart

 

Looks great!

 

WOW! Is that your first outing with the new smoker? Looks fantastic. Did you "season" your smoker before the brisket?

 

Looks awesome! I still haven't smoked a brisket that I'd consider amazing. Just too easy to dry out I think. I might actually brine one and see what happens.