Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Really there is no right or wrong way IMO. Haven't used water in... not even sure how many years now, but it is a lot of them.

The pan in any vertical smoker is for heat diffusion and provide indirect heat. Even barrel cookers sell them and sometimes use them. That will get people going on those other sites LOL, talk about debate. I use a stacker on my WSM to do direct heat sometimes as the dripping juices burning directly on the coals provide a unique flavor profile. Some like it, some don't.



I pulled the water pan out and did the Harry Soo trick of replacing it with the bottom heat shield. Wrap in foil and toss when done. And a lot more room for coals.



When I first went dry did it in baby steps and did sand in the water bowl. If anything just took longer to come up to temps and didn't see any real benefit. An automatic temperature controller and PID will do more for even temps IMO. And while it is nice to have rock steady temps I really don't sweat a 20-25° temp swing either way.

Don't smoke as much below zero as I use to and at twenties below not going to happen anymore. But a silicone condom (or any thermal blanket) does more to help with heat retention IME when it gets cold. Windy. Or rain.



Part of the fun of smoking is experimentation and finding out works for you. And your tastes. And environmental needs and requirements.

Actually when I skin and flesh my furs I do it the way the fur buyer wants them Usually case skinned and well fleshed with no rips or cuts. And well dried

Yeah my feelings about the Slow n Sear. Have a first gen when they first came out. Really don't see the benefit personally but I know a lot of others love them. I leave mine in the 26" kettle as a template and heat shield for the snake method.





But you can have my Vortex when you pry it from my cold dead hands LOL

 

I'm not quite finished. I took my time cleaning up the smoker as I was going.

 

I guess I need to get rid of my Santa Maria grill. The damn thing is surrounded with thermal mass.

 

Pitfaced rub on its way to Virginia!! Thanks Bryan

 

Bargain? I dunno

$19 Pink Butcher Paper Roll - 18" x 175 Feet (2100") - Food Grade Peach Wrapping Paper for Smoking Meat of all Varieties - Made in USA

https://www.amazon.com/Pink-Kraft-B...10cnVl/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&language=en_US

 

What really happened to dinosaurs...

 

@Misplaced Nebraskan Put these in for Wife:

$25 Govee Smart LED Strip Lights, 16.4ft WiFi LED Strip Lighting Work with Alexa and Google Assistant, 16 Million Colors with App Control and Music Sync LED Lights for Bedroom, Mothers Day Decorations

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N1CMGQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Now wife has wifi leds. Even cheap leds have WIFI!

 

I have power!

I still have a few more plans before the project is complete and I post a writeup but it is going well so far.

 

Dinners on, PitFaced og rub

 

Have that exact set sitting on the counter to be used to light up the CNC enclosure. Even our CNC enclosure has WiFi.

 

My retirement dinner tonight. Wife and I. My friends at work had the grate custom made for my Weber kettle lol. Seared then slow cooked to medium rare for me medium for wife

 

Chicken tonight

 

Forgot the after photos, but the ribs turned out great. Thanks everyone for the advice, never thought to just pour sand into my pellet smoker instead of pellets, best tasting ribs ever. This really is a great group

 

Two hours later. Cherry wood. Done.

 

That took real grit!

 

Yup I'm batshit crazy. 4am start on a 10lb brisket. Salt n pepper over mesquite. 13 hrs should do it. If i remember I'll post dinner pics. #weberkettle

 

last time I tried to plan a finish time by starting early it still overshot by two hours. this is why for anything that needs a long cook like brisket or butts I do it overnight in the oven (could do an overnight in a pooper too). Much less stressful and only a ballpark 5% hit in quality of the cook, well worth it for me.