Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Keep in mind this is based off of my FIRST experience cooking on the Lockhart it is FAR from my first experience with the Pro1100

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Fired up (did the burn in the prior day)
Followed these suggestions
https://pitboss-grills.com/smoke-science/how-to-tuesday/lockhart-upper-smoke-cabinet

I cooked a new york, ZERO smoke flavor.
It was in the smoke cabinet for over an hour. (On the pro1100, would have had that cooked over wood flavor)

My impressions so far...
The cabinet is more like a glorified outdoor oven and the bottom is a decent gas grill replacement.

I cooked the steak perfectly (could cut it with the backend of the knife)

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I am getting ready to cook 8racks of ribs & 8lbs of tri-tip

I am going to use the Lockhart today to finish the 8 racks of ribs, and I will do all of the smoking on the pro1100.


Once the stall is reached, I am going place the ribs in the Lockhart "Oven Cabinet"

Then I will smoke the tri-tip on the pro 1100 because the lower unit of the Lockhart will be set to 300 to keep the upper cabinet at around 200 (to be expected with the design of the Lockhart)


The Lockhart name of this Pitboss seems to fall very short.


What I do like
The Lockhart DOES keep really good temps, the upper has about a 100 degree temperature difference from my experience so far.

The lights are handy,
The app is clunky but ok to use, thinking an ipod touch locked to the App would be sweet.

The amount of cooking space is MASSIVE

I MIGHT swap out the PID controller if Pitboss will send me one, or maybe I will buy one (any recommendations?)

Or

sell both and get something better?

Anyways going to get to prepping and cooking.

 

My neighbor sold his house. He knows I do a lot of smoking. He has his own wood burning offset. Well he sold his house and moved out a few days ago and left me this gift.


Thanks but no thanks. Ive never used it. Don’t plan to. So how do I dispose of this properly ?

 

Bonfire!!!!

 

If you’ve got no use for it some counties have a household hazardous waste drop off center. I just dropped off some bulbs, batteries, paint, gear oil from changing my diffs and xfer case and Roundup weed killer I’m not gonna use. It’s free to county residents. Worth a look to see if yours offers it.

 

Pour it in a metal can and light it. Then use it to light sparklers n shit.

 

Find stump, empty contents onto stump, wait 5 minutes then light

 

Yes sir Asheville NC. Wife’s family has a cabin in Whittier NC and we spend time here every summer. Closest Sam’s is Asheville so we run over there to do our bulk shopping. Really like this area.

 

So do you flat out see no smoke making it to the upper cabinet? I figure something must be up as I’ve seen $300+ discounts on these already which usually isn’t a good thing.

 

Zero smoke unless going from a lower temp to High but after 400 the smoke stops or on startup, good smoke on startup (to be expected)

I have been running the Lockhart since 8:45 to see if it will smoke at all...
Start up by the book, good smoke but when it settles, no smoke open the cabinet very faint smoke smell, not enough to do anything)

Pretty sure it is the PID controller.
It is its own worst enemy.

The 1100 is on and set to P6 , goooood smoke, just what I want.

Now the Lockhart is set to S, zero smoke.

More thoughts:
I swear the thing is TOO efficient at burning the pellets.

This thing might be great if used with another cooker like what I am doing today, not what I want though.

Might be good with cold smoking items, but i have yet to see a good amount of smoke for that too.

Neighbor's family worked a sausage factory back in new England (OLD world type) was hoping to attempt making scratch made sausages for him (awesome neighbor) , probably wont happen on the Lockhart.

At least I know it will hold 200 so I can finish the ribs and get the tri-tip going.

If Pitboss doesnt make right by this, I will probably sell both and buy a different brand, no sense in supporting a Company that doesn't care.

 

That sucks but I appreciate you posting all this info. I was thinking of getting one in fall when the Black Friday deals kick in. Doesn’t look like that’s happening now.

 

What pellets you using?

 

I have always used Traeger pellets, never had an issue.

 

Some people have used different pellets. Dunno which is brand is. Better

 

Lockhart Update

After setting to Smoke, it took until now to start producing smoke.

This thing seems to be VERY efficient with holding temperatures with very minimal temperature swings


The upper cabinet is varying between 125 & 130
The lower section is varying between 160 & 165

The amount of smoke is not as much as the Pro1100 set to P6 but the temps are somewhat close

The pro1100 is varying between 125 & 130 but producing way more smoke

The Lockhart is more stable in temperature & producing way less smoke but it is smoking.


I did place 1 rack on the Lockhart (will be dinner tonight)

Maybe this thing might work out?
Ribs were placed on at 10:30am

 

Today is a great day. Driving down the street just now and spotted a Weber 22 mixed in with some junk on the side of the road with a free sign. Handle needs to be welded back on on one side and the grate is shit but I can fix both of those things. I was just about to buy a 22" to go with my 18".

 

I love cooking on those, what a score

 

Yeah, I use my 18 about 3 days a week. Love em!