Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

do you smoke it or is just ground for burgers?

 

Nice to hear. I had to take down a medium-sized black cherry tree a couple weeks ago; stacked the logs for seasoning. I was wondering how it'd be for smoking.

 

I love it. I definitely recommend trying it out.

 

Ground. I have a couple steaks and roasts left though.

 

looks tasty!

if you are up to a drive...theres a Q place in whitewright texas thats really good.

 

http://www.rrrbbq.com/ whitewright texas....has some legit Texas bbq

 

Pick up day! Woo! We took it off the pallet and tied it down. Weighed in at 520lbs.

 

You got some good q in your future.

 

which pit is that?!

Very nice. Should be around for many many years

 

Hey All,
My club is looking for a BBQ at an event we're hosting - I was thinking of doing a pulled pork (picnic shoulder) dish, maybe some ribs and then beans as a side.

I don't eat beans but some do - so do you have a fool-proof recipe I can use? Also, what am I forgetting - corn bread or just sandwich rolls? Sweet Baby Rays for sauce, maybe some others - I'm thinking the head count will be about 50 or more. Burgers and dogs on standby...There's usually a bunch that pitch in for sides and pot luck too...

The event is in mid-June so I've got time to plan - including getting a real head count. I've got to get some practice in with the SWM to learn how to adjust it.
Do you leave the bottom wide open and choke the top? Vice versa? I've got 1/2 a tree of apple chunks - Do I just "minion method" per usual?

Thanks - I'm hoping to put the WSM to work and make out event really shine.

 

Beans>>> https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/dutchs-wicked-baked-beans.50945/

So easy and very very good.

Corn Bread would go great with that meal, but I am corn biased If not, Kings Hawaiian Rolls are always a hit.

As for vent operation, I try and do all adjustments on the intake (bottom) vent and leave the exhaust vent as open as possible. This will help purge stale smoke and stop creosote build up. Depending on weather conditions, you may be choked back on both, but learning is half the fun.

Just throwing a couple thoughts out there as I count down the minutes here

More will chime in and assist I'm sure

 

Ok. After everyone’s opinions.

I’m getting a weber kettle 22”.

They have the limited red ones at Lowe’s for $149, which isn’t the screaming deal some people got on here but it’s bettter than the $200 it was originally going for.

They also have 11 of them at my local Lowe’s... wondering if I should hold off and see if they go lower.

 

Agreed on the vents... the top one should be at least 3/4 open all the time unless you're getting screwed by windy conditions. As far as the bottom vents, I usually open the one opposite side of the top almost all the way, and then the other 2 are for adjustments. Rarely does that first bottom vent get closed much unless, again, the wind is ramping things up.

As far as coal method, I do a full unlit chimney evenly in the coal ring, and then about 15 lit coals spread on top of those. That amount of fuel will last me more than 10 hours at 225.

All above info is based on a 18.5 WSM.

 

WSM 18.5”, I use the bottom vents for temp control, leave the top open as has been mentioned. I think people that cater for a living plan on 1/4 pound of meat per person, so plan accordingly. Your should be able to fit at least 4 8lb butts in the 18. I haven’t done a picnic yet, only butts. Picnics have the full bone in them I believe, which will reduce the amount of meat in the poundage. I suggest using pork shoulder/butts, more usable meat.

If you stuff four in the 18, I’d recommend a full load of coal. Cram as much as you can in the charcoal ring, then minion method, with a quarter chimney of lit. Scatter chunks of the apple throughout the coal. I did this with three butts not that long ago. It took the largest (8lb’er) around 12 hours to finish at 195-200* internal, with the smoker running at 225. I started with a full water pan, and didn’t re fill, so the temp crept up as the water evaporated, and the smoker temp crept up to 275 when the water was gone. Had I refilled the water, they may have taken longer. The coals burnt for ~16 hours before dropping below 200. I had two bottom
Vents completely closed, with the vent opposite to the top vent open only about 1/4 of the way. If you are pressed for time, you could start them low and slow for a good smoke, then crank it up to 275 to finish faster.

Hope this helps.

 

1/4 inch steel. Can't wait to get her unloaded and smokin.

It's a lyfetyme grill (I forget the size off the top of my head). My fiancé s related to the owner.

 

So what I’m hearing is that you are going to set up a group buy for TW! Sweet.

 

That's what you think til you see how many actually show up.

 

Thanks All - keep it coming - I'm hoping to have a solid cook of fun with Great Eats at the end...You don't disappoint for sure.

 

Good points about water pan and cranking higher towards end... that last one I do often, the first one not so much anymore. Haven’t put water in the pan for awhile now, and because of that I lose some smoke ring but it stretches the fuel out a bit.

 

I’ll only fill it about 1/4 of the way now. By the time it evaporates, the meat has all the ring it’s going to get. I find it to be a more stable temp with water, but haven’t done much without water yet.

I did that one like that as it was an overnight smoke, and I didn’t want to have to worry about being up all night monitoring it. I got it rolling at 7-8 pm, got the meat on, and went to bed at 12. Meat alarm woke me up at 7:30 am to tell me the small one was done.