Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I can think of one...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...icks-techniques.229517/page-537#post-15261166
A birdie on my shoulder tells me a group buy for that stuff will be coming soon .

If not our rub, then I like Adkins Western Style BBQ rub. There is this stuff called Grub Rub that's pretty good, too, if'n you're needing something sweeter. I've been trying the Oakridge BBQ stuff and haven't been that impressed with most of it (I had high hopes for their Black Ops brisket rub), but I will say that their Habanero Death Dust is pretty awesome on stuff like veggies and chicken. It's hot, but not that hot.

 

Be careful with the MSG in the everglades. It sends me directly to the toilet.

 

One pound bag made up to go get a shipping quote tomorrow. Hope to have a plan together this week.

 

Da fuq?!?!?!?!?



NO, NO, NO!!!!! NO!!!

 

Get yourself a Sharpie, whatever color, and write "Bobby" on that. I'll wait.

 

You can test ship that to me. I'll let you know if it arrives safely.

 

You can order some Everglades MSG free.

 

I don't seem to be an issue for me

 

All are great ways to do them!

I do a lot of pork chops and always wet brine them first. Makes even a center cut juicy. I get them cut about an inch and a half thick just like a good steak.

Simple brine, 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 3-4 cups of warm water in a gallon ziplock bag with 4 chops. Let sit in fridge for a couple of hours then rinse well and then sit on drying rack for about 45 minutes. Have to be dry to get a good sear. Sear and slide just like steak. Sometimes will add brown sugar or maple syrup but trying to get rid of carbs. Otherwise I would bury them in maple syrup close to the end LOL.

 

Thanks for the suggestions and I will pick up two of those oven thermometers, that is a good idea. Also, if I'm cooking in the offset box, how do I know if I'm going to need more coals/fuel or when do you know when to add it? Is it ok to add more coals once the first ones are almost ash?

 

Anything from Oakridge, Big Pappa Smoke, Plowboys or Meat Church. I could keep going but those are my top 4 brands. I try to stay away from MSG as best I can.

 

http://virtualweberbullet.com/chicken6.html Ive modded mine slightly but still a good start.

 

When I was running an offset, I tried not to let my coals get down to less than 1/3rd - 1/4th of capacity. If you get down to the last few bits and they're ashing over, you'll get a temp spike as well as a dirty, creosote filled smoke. The amount of airflow you set will determine the temp (within a small-ish range), regardless of how much fuel is in there. Here is what usually happens when the fuel (wood/charcoal) level gets too low:

Fuel gets low and temps slowly start to decline.
An attempt to compensate is made by opening the intake and exhaust.
Remaining fuel burns hotter, but faster.
Additional fuel is added too late, so it smolders at first, producing a thick, white, bitter smoke and temps drop.
New fuel eventually catches, but intake/exhaust are open very wide, so temps quickly climb and exceed desired level.
Exhaust/intake get hastily closed to bring temps down and fuel starts burn "dirty" again.

It can be a vicious cycle!

That isn't to say it is difficult, however, nor that you need to worry. When you see your fuel get down to about a third and you don't think that it is enough to finish your cook, add some additional fuel to the side of what is burning. If you dump the coals on top, it'll smother. If the new pile of coals is up against what is already burning, it'll catch. By putting the additional fuel on early, you've given it time to catch without running out of heat.

I hope that makes sense. I may have some pictures from when I used a Bandera to illustrate, but it'll take some digging.

 

Good call on Meat Church! I forgot about them (shame on me). Fun story about those guys. We cooked right next to them in my first competition. They were with one of their pro staff partners, 3 Woody's BBQ. You can see their banner off to the right in this picture (damn, we had such a tiny setup!):



In case you're wondering, I'm the goofy SOB in the tennis ball colored shirt.

My brisket ended up beating them by something like 15 spots . They crushed us overall, but that was a small victory.

I interact with Matt Pittman every once in a while and we talk every year at that same competition. He's a really good dude and is pulling hard for Pitfaced BBQ to take off at some point.

 

Pitfaced BBQ... great name.

 

Pork roast on!!!

 

On my way!