Just got a smoker

[Jay]

Yeah obviously you need to have the burner on HIGH to get the wood chips going then reduce to a much lower setting.  Generally when you are smoking you are cooking low and slow.

 

Also when using the smoker box I do not soak the wood chips, I use them dry.

 

There are different smoker boxes out there.  I am not a fan of the cast iron ones, takes too much heat to get them going.  And you want to as large a box as possible so you can hold as much wood chips as possible.

 

Maybe something like this: http://www.amazon.com/MAN-LAW-BBQ-Stainless-1-75-inch/dp/B005GYFVJU/

[Blarg]

Nate (or anyone else), have you had any luck with those smoker boxes you use with a gas grill? I've tried it a few times, but haven't had much luck.

 

 

I use the Ribolator with baby backs and the smoker box on the Weber 460 is built in so I can reload it when it starts to burn out. It is not as intense of a smoke as a dedicated smoker but it does work. I am running the smoker box and the two outside burners on low to maintain the temps between 280-300.

 

You can pour liquid in the disposable drip pan but I either mop or use a sprayer with a 3:1 mix of apple cider and cider vinegar every 30 minutes. They are ready to pull and foil in about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, resting in butter and brown sugar for about an hour ( good time to get the rest of the dishes prepared) then I replace the grates on the grill and do a last pass with the burners up to medium and bbq sauce.

[Blarg]

I used the same rotisserie for smoked salmon as well. I actually don't like salmon but my wife loves it. Maybe I will do another run but split it between two trays of salmon and one of whitefish or something similar.

[red321]

I have one of those, but haven't had too much luck with it. I'll stop soaking the wood chips and try them dry.

[Blarg]

Another grilling idea, Bacon wrapped stuffed peppers.Not really for a smoker but I'm betting if you don't over do them it would be great. Just maybe not while your smoking a brisket unless you want it with a green chili flavor instead of wood.

 

[Jay]

I have one of those, but haven't had too much luck with it. I'll stop soaking the wood chips and try them dry.

 

I'm sure you'll have much better luck using dry chips.

[Jay]

Something that just occurred to me is maybe soaking half the chips and using the other half dry. So the wet chips are delayed for awhile, extending the time of the smoke.  I might give that a try.

[Homebrewer]

FISH

 

Living where I do, I do a lot of trout fishing. I gut and freeze my trout (head on) all summer, and do a batch now and then when

I have a day with nothing to do. 10-15 fish at a time.

I really can't eat it any other way. It freezes well after smoking, so it doesn't have to be eaten all at once, either.

 

The keyy to good fish is BRINE, and I haven't seen a discussion about that here yet.

To me all smoking requires some kind of brining..there are tons of recipes out there.

Oh.. and fish especially has to be smoked "softly" and with skin on.

Overcooked fish sucks. 

 

Enjoy your smoker...I have a cold smoker set up...waiting for the weather to cool off a bit more before firing that puppy up.

[Jay]

When you use the cold smoker how many hours do you smoke the trout?

[Homebrewer]

When you use the cold smoker how many hours do you smoke the trout?

It's an all day thing...trout maybe 8-10 (or more) hours depending on the size of the fish and the outside temp.

The fire is in a buried 55 gal drum, downhill, about 25 ft away, with the pipe buried also . 

It's a totally different taste and texture than warm smoking...which I do a lot of also.

The cold smoker is awesome for fish and jerky.

[Tank]

So, is that a no?

 

that's a no. 

 

i'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, so i eat dairy and eggs. but aside from the occasional beef hot dog, i don't eat any meat or fish of any kind.

 

it's not a requirement of my church. my parents raised me and my brother as vegetarians and we've stayed with it all these years. both my wife and daughter are also vegetarians, though my wife was not one when we married. she never cooked any meat in the house but she'd order a burger or some chicken occasionally when we'd go out to eat.

 

i think my dad now eats anything except pork and maybe shellfish. my mom is adamant about being a vegetarian and thinks it's a sin if i have a beef hot dog.

[Guest]

that's a no.

i'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, so i eat dairy and eggs. but aside from the occasional beef hot dog, i don't eat any meat or fish of any kind.

it's not a requirement of my church. my parents raised me and my brother as vegetarians and we've stayed with it all these years. both my wife and daughter are also vegetarians, though my wife was not one when we married. she never cooked any meat in the house but she'd order a burger or some chicken occasionally when we'd go out to eat.

i think my dad now eats anything except pork and maybe shellfish. my mom is adamant about being a vegetarian and thinks it's a sin if i have a beef hot dog.

7th day Adventist?

[Homebrewer]

I went through various stages of vegetarianism for about 15 years in my hippie days..macrobiotic, milk and eggs, no milk or eggs but fish..  etc, etc.

Now I eat everything.

That said I'm glad I spent all of those years actually thinking about what I was eating.

I have a happy digestive system in my 60's, and I know so many people that don't.

And ....I can eat pretty much what I want to...without bother.

I still eat healthy, and I find it is much easier to eat this way now, than it was back in the 60's or 70's.

There are a lot more decent choices available now. 

[Tank]

7th day Adventist?

 

yessir. you know my people?

[Guest]

yessir. you know my people?

Yep, I have some family friends who are including my family's physician. I admire the lifestyle/diet as it really seems to prolong one's life.

 

One of my family's friends lived to 106, her daughter is in her 90s right now. I'm sure their diets contribute(d) to their longevity.

Edited October 22, 2015 by failos

[red321]

Let's reboot this thread since it's in the high 80's here and grilling season is once again upon us!

Walking through costco yesterday and ended up impulse buying a Traeger Junior Elite smoker. Traeger salesperson had no desire to pack up the demo models so he kept adding accessories until the wife finally said just buy the damn thing so we can leave.

Smoked some chicken thighs yesterday, turned out great fantastic, moist and perfectly cooked though I would have preferred a touch more smoke flavor. Probably should have let the smoker cool down after doing the initial seasoning and the grill was too hot when I started cooking the chicken.

Anyone have a traeger or pellet smoker? Suggestions for use?

 

Anyone interested in purchasing a used masterbuilt electric smoker with side chimney?

[Adam]

I've still not done a brisket. Really worried about messing it up and they're not cheap. But, I love doing wings in the smoker. So, so good. I'll probably smoke some wings and a small pork shoulder for Super Bowl. 

[red321]

Brisket is fairly easy...I did one in my old smoker a few months ago and it was fantastic. Might try one out on the new smoker this weekend.

The idea was don't get fancy. Cracked Pepper/Kosher Salt is all you need (maybe a mustard slather to help get a good bark). Low and slow (275 at the most) with Hickory chips and some apple juice in the  water pan. After the 4 hour mark when the rub sets make sure you spray down the brisket every hour or so (I used half apple juice/half water mixture).  Let it cook 15-16 hours depending on size. Some people wrap in foil at the half way mark...don't think I did since I made sure I was spraying it down to keep it moist.

Look up Austin Texas BBQ style.

I stopped trying to get fancy with rubs/bastes after visiting La Barbecue and Kerlin BBQ in Austin last year. 

[Keener]

7 hours ago, red321 said:

Let's reboot this thread since it's in the high 80's here and grilling season is once again upon us!

Walking through costco yesterday and ended up impulse buying a Traeger Junior Elite smoker. Traeger salesperson had no desire to pack up the demo models so he kept adding accessories until the wife finally said just buy the damn thing so we can leave.

Smoked some chicken thighs yesterday, turned out great fantastic, moist and perfectly cooked though I would have preferred a touch more smoke flavor. Probably should have let the smoker cool down after doing the initial seasoning and the grill was too hot when I started cooking the chicken.

Anyone have a traeger or pellet smoker? Suggestions for use?

 

Anyone interested in purchasing a used masterbuilt electric smoker with side chimney?

I got the Pit Boss pellet smoker from the in laws a couple of xmases ago. 

Done several briskets, pork butts, etc.  Couple dozen or so racks of ribs.  

The only negative I have found is that the temperature regulation is a little dicey on our unit.  The temp seems to dip, and then rise too high when the pellets are augered.  On the whole though, I love it.  I bought a meat thermometer with a remote display.  It is a Maverick et 732.  Can't recommend it enough. 

The other variable is the fat content in the meat.  The first brisket I did (cash and carry) took about 14 hours.  The second (costco) took about 8.  The cash and carry meats have treated me much better.

[ten ocho recon scout]

@red321, i just git back from austin

Dear god is that town fattening. 

I tried all the local stuff, but by far the best thing i had (including brisket and franklins) were pork ribs at a place called coopers. It was unreal.

[IEAngelsfan]

I have had a Traeger Texas Elite 34 for a year and a half now.

I've smoked brisket, prime rib, pork butt and shoulder, tri-tip, ribeye steaks, pork ribs, chicken, turkey, bratwurst, hamburgers and hot dogs.  Grilled vegetables, especially asparagus, zucchini, and green onion are delicious.  Basically, everything comes out great unless you overcook it.

Today I smoked country style ribs.  Smoked them 3 hours at 225 and then wrapped them in tin foil and put them back in for another hour.  Softest country style ribs I've ever had.

I've found the key to delicious meats is the dry rub.  You can look on the Traeger website for a recipe or you can purchase one of their rubs.  Their chicken rub is good.  You can also look online for dry rub or recipe.  I've experimented and I've come up with a few good rubs for pork myself.

The only regret I have is not purchasing the Pro version since it has a few features I like.  But all in all, I'm a very happy camper. 

[Sully151]

On 1/29/2018 at 10:10 AM, red321 said:

Let's reboot this thread since it's in the high 80's here and grilling season is once again upon us!

Walking through costco yesterday and ended up impulse buying a Traeger Junior Elite smoker. Traeger salesperson had no desire to pack up the demo models so he kept adding accessories until the wife finally said just buy the damn thing so we can leave.

Smoked some chicken thighs yesterday, turned out great fantastic, moist and perfectly cooked though I would have preferred a touch more smoke flavor. Probably should have let the smoker cool down after doing the initial seasoning and the grill was too hot when I started cooking the chicken.

Anyone have a traeger or pellet smoker? Suggestions for use?

 

Anyone interested in purchasing a used masterbuilt electric smoker with side chimney?

My Dad has a Traeger and loves it. I have a Weber Smokey Mountain and have to constantly maintain heat and smoke.

Our BBQ tastes about the same, but it’s way easier for him.

Next time you are at Costco, pick up a tri-tip or two. Super easy smoke that only takes a couple of hours. Leftovers make great sandwiches.

[red321]

On 1/29/2018 at 10:36 PM, ten ocho recon scout said:

@red321, i just git back from austin

Dear god is that town fattening. 

I tried all the local stuff, but by far the best thing i had (including brisket and franklins) were pork ribs at a place called coopers. It was unreal.

Austin is absolutely a food Mecca. Tough part about the bbq though is you have line up at the butt crack of dawn. I usually don’t like to get my drink and bbq going until later in the day. 

[red321]

14 hours ago, IEAngelsfan said:

I have had a Traeger Texas Elite 34 for a year and a half now.

I've smoked brisket, prime rib, pork butt and shoulder, tri-tip, ribeye steaks, pork ribs, chicken, turkey, bratwurst, hamburgers and hot dogs.  Grilled vegetables, especially asparagus, zucchini, and green onion are delicious.  Basically, everything comes out great unless you overcook it.

Today I smoked country style ribs.  Smoked them 3 hours at 225 and then wrapped them in tin foil and put them back in for another hour.  Softest country style ribs I've ever had.

I've found the key to delicious meats is the dry rub.  You can look on the Traeger website for a recipe or you can purchase one of their rubs.  Their chicken rub is good.  You can also look online for dry rub or recipe.  I've experimented and I've come up with a few good rubs for pork myself.

The only regret I have is not purchasing the Pro version since it has a few features I like.  But all in all, I'm a very happy camper. 

What does the pro version have that yours doesn’t? I just have the junior. Did learn on Tuesday have to keep an eye on the fuel as I ran out half way through. But damn.  Those thick cut pork chops turned out amazing. 

[mrwicked]

I would love to try making my own brisket.

There is no good brisket up here, including Steph Curry's wife's new restaurant.