Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Ill do the beach towel. Its not windy. Just about 35*. I've got another 45 minutes left in my hopefully 2 hour cook time so hopefully the towel keeps the temps up

 

Pulled the Tri-Tip at around 135* internal. Letting it sit in foil now for 30 minutes. Then its dinner time

 

I haven't tried to cook anything since November but I might look for a water heater blanket.

 

So, did the towel help you out with temps?

 

http://www.cabelas.com/smoker-gear-cabelas-smoker-jacket.shtml

 

Here is a very good read from Weber on cooking in the wind/cold/rain. Wind is your worse enemy.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/coldtemp.html

 

I like both ideas the jacket and the wind break. I should smoke something this weekend. Supposed to get 3-5 inches of snow tomorrow.

 

I smoke way more in the winter than in the summer. Last time was for my wife's Moms' Christmas dinner. Wind, cold and even rain don't affect my smoker one bit.

 

Yes. It held the temp perfectly. Gonna have to try that from the begining next time.

Roast turned out perfectly. Let it rest for 20 minutes prior to cutting. The only problem was I had something on the steak that left a grit in my mouth. Felt like I had sand in it.

Which I know what happened. My temp was dying down so I added more coals and used my leaf blower (from about 5 feet away) to get the extra coals going. That 15 seconds of blasted air must have coated my roast.

Oh well. As my wife says. This is a learning experience.

 

^^^Yikes!!!!

 

This week it was in the 30's, 40's and 50's. But 2 weeks ago it wasn't even 10 ........ way too cold to be cooking outside. And from what I hear it is going to get worse then that from a cold front coming from Canada next week.... below 0.

 

Yeah I was all excited once I pulled it and started to cut it. It just looked perfect. Then the grit happened. And I was like, fuck.

Good thing I keep a log of my smokes so I can do this same thing again

 

Another great wind break (if, by chance you haven't thrown it away) is the box your smoker came in. Just fold in all the flaps (top and bottom) and just set it over/around your lit smoker, works like a charm.

 

That is a good idea. Sadly that is gone. I'm gonna build a barrier out of some plywood that I have.

 

Oops. When I said pull it I meant pull it from the grill lol. I'm trying out a pork shoulder tomorrow and I think I have that all ready to go. As far as doing a fatty next, I was wondering what would be the best temp to cook it at, then what it should be inside when I take it out.

 

On the fatty seems 165-170 internal is about right.

 

I cook my Fatties at 220-240 degrees for about two hours. Like t4daddy said 165-70 is a good internal temp, but I just go by the color of the bacon.

 

This breakfast fatty will be the next thing I try, prolly Sat. morning, sounds delish!!!

http://www.savoryreviews.com/2012/04/10/breakfast-fatty/


BTW NorCal that looks awesome as well.

 

I just picked up an XL Big Green Egg Im going to build a table for it, so I didnt get the nest/stand. Cant wait to start smoking!