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quickerNu

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I have been wanting to start smoking, and real bbq-ing, and the opportunity finally came up! I got an Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn from my work. It had only been used a few times, but has been left outside a little while, so I need to knock off some rust.
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Sweet offset rig! Time to start rubbing in a brisket! If you like a spicey rub, here's my recipe.

Spicy Brisket Rub

4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
4 Tablespoons Turbinado Sugar
1 Tablespoon McCormick's Ground Chipotle Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder

It's got a nice kick! Rub your brisket with yellow mustard then sprinkle this stuff on it till you don't see any yellow. Do this the night before you smoke it.
 
Get some B&B Lump charcoal and some good dry post Oak wood. The combo will work well in the firebox.
 
Got my lump charcoal, wood, brisket, and.......I have no charcoal grate or basket. The thing in the firebox was a bent, melted cooking grill.
 
I wouldn't worry about the rust unless there is a hole in it. I doubt if that is the case with that baby. Coat the chamber and firebox with cooking oil. Maybe scrape/steel wool away some of the inside rust first. Hit the rest of it with Rustolium.

That is a nice unit my friend. Looks like some nice thick steel. This is important for keeping an even temperature.

Brisket is good but I would recommend you start out with ribs. There is a bit of a learning curve with fire/temp control. A brisket that should take 10 hours can easily turn into 15 for a first timer. (been there, done that)

Give it about 45 minutes to get to temp before you put your meat in it. Resist the temptation to open the lid and check things out. Everytime you do you lose valuable heat and add time.

One more thing while I'm on this diatribe. Get a probe & cable style meat thermometer for brisket and butt.
 
Got my lump charcoal, wood, brisket, and.......I have no charcoal grate or basket. The thing in the firebox was a bent, melted cooking grill.

That's not a cooking grill. It's supposed to keep the wood and charcoal elevated so air can get to it. You don't cook anything in the firebox. All the heat and smoke is generated there and the big box cooks via convection and the smoke adds the BBQ flavor.
 
It seemed someone took the cooking grill and bent it to fit. Is the charcoal rack supposed be curved like that or flat? I thought it was supposed to be one of those honeycomb weave type pieces that was flat and sat well below the mid-point of the firebox, but was still elevated.
Look at the pic please- see the rib at the mid point? Is that what the charcoal rack was supposed to sit? Maybe it got hot and bent and fell to where it is pictured? Thanks for the help! I didn't think one would cook in the firebox, but I also though something that held burning charcoal and wood would be a little more heavy duty than what it is, and didn't think it would sit that high!
 
You might be good to go, as long as air can circulate. The "bending" may have been some previous owner's attempt to "tune" the rig.
You may need to rig up a baffle of flap vent between the firebox and cooking chamber to insure an even/constant temp.
I had a similar (though smaller) one many moons ago.... I really miss it.
 
Cool, I found a pic of the same smoker as mine with a much heavier grate- way up high. I didn't think it needed quite that much air underneath!
smoker3.jpg
 
My coal grate is curved, maybe not as much as yours, hard to tell. This, as you expected, sits below the centerline of the firebox. My rig has 4 protruding setscrew the the grate rests on.

FWIW, I run mine with the curve pointing up. This allows for more ash to fall below the grate without affecting airflow.
 
In the latest pick that looks like a grate for grilling, not holding the coals.

No need for a baffle or flap between the chambers. Just learn to control the fire.
 
In the latest pick that looks like a grate for grilling, not holding the coals.

No need for a baffle or flap between the chambers. Just learn to control the fire.

Yep, cast iron too. You could cook some serious steaks with that puppy and some hot B&B Lump.
 
Hry there...nice little rig...I have almost the same set-up...I love it...Hints 1) Make sure you have a large supply of home brew as doing a Brisket, Turkey, or Boston Butt pork roast takes all day...2) In my opinion, skip the small wood chunks and go for a nice hearty wood like Oak, Maple, Hickory etc for big meats (i.e. Briskets or Butt Roasts) and light fruity woods for Poultry/fish (i.e Cherry, Apple, Peach etc) I typically get a regular seasoned log and cut it into 3rds 3-4" logs...Chop Saw works great...3) Dont bother with any charcoal...just start a fire and keep the Temp at around 180-200 and let her go...4) Dry Rubs are all about the same Paprika, ground mustard, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder (dont use salt), onion powder, etc...5)Try to find Cast Iron grates as they season very well...6) There is some debate as to fat side up or down...some say it matters, others think it doesnt...Who knows but I do mine fat side up as it seems logical that the fat will seep down thru the meat...7) I also use Apple Cider in a spray bottle to spritz the meat down when I add wood...Creates a nice carmelized bark...Wouldnt hurt to try a bottle of homebrew...Maybe a Maple Porter or similar...8) Just like home brewing its your own personalized taste...9) As you prob already know, there are numerous styles and regional preferences (Texas, St Louis, Cinncinatti, Memphis and Carolina)...Try em All...lol...Take care and I hope ya find some of this useful and who knows maybe Ill see Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives at your BBQ est...lol:rockin:
 
Thanks for everyone's input! Just for clarification, that last pic is not mine! But, I want something similar for my firebox, as what is in it now (the first pics) seems inadequate.

I have been around smoking and it has always been treated as a high art, quite intimidating for a newb, but I bought this as a 30th birthday present to myself- time to learn.
 
Congrats on the new smoker. I just started smoking food this winter (built myself a Ugly Drum Smoker, figured it was the best bang for the buck) and have absolutely loved cooking on it ever since. Hopefully you enjoy your smoker. And good luck with your brisket. It is by far my favorite when I don't over cook it.
 
Looks like Bertha's cousin. I got her when a neighbor moved. The main problem with the design is the end near the fire is always much hotter, but I just move the food around as needed.
 
Looks like Bertha's cousin. I got her when a neighbor moved. The main problem with the design is the end near the fire is always much hotter, but I just move the food around as needed.

this is why the baffle and tuning plates come into play.. ;-)
 
Used the smoker for the first time tonight! I didn't use any expensive cuts of meat, this was a break-in/ learning experience. I just used some drumsticks, potatoes, and corn. I used Cowboy lump charcoal, and some oak I had laying around. I couldn't get the smoker over 250, but that is because my wood chunks were huge. I could have done a bit more, but I wanted to keep my # of variables down- ie how opening and closing vents, adding coal etc. affected temp.
I scrubbed it down with just soap and water, then lit a fire and kept it around 200-250 for a few hours- then I added some food. Potatoes went on first, and closest to the firebox, corn went on next, all the way on the other side, then I put on some drumsticks.

Took a few hours, but everything got done. The chicken had been marinated in Stubbs chicken marinade, the potatoes had been smeared in bacon grease (mmmmm, healthy) and rolled in spices, and I just put a little Veg oil and season-all on the corn. Everything was tasty! Well, the corn was a little overpoweringly smoky- so next time I either wont leave it on as long or I will aluminum foil it. Looked prettier before the family attacked it:
downsized_0609092033.jpg

I think a new hobby has popped up! HEB had pork tenderloins on sale for a buck a pound- so that is next! Got a 7 and an 8 pounder. Now to find rubs...
 
Lookin' Good...


Just a tip/FYI. The thermo location/mountthat was shown in the original post (it is in the upper 1/3 of the lid IIRC) is no good for measuring the temps your meat is at (ie grate level) you may want to think about moving it...
 
The ghetto fix...
Drill a new hole down low in the lid and re-attach the thermo then patch the old hole with some foil or JB weld.

The semi pro fix...
Add a new good thermo down low (the bbq ones are twice as trick and unreliable as the beer ones) in the lid at grate level.

The super pro fix.
same a the semi pro but replace the old one with new better one aswell. Then tune that puppy via dampers and baffles, and figure out what air control works for you (ie top open a sliver box open half, ect) until they read within 5-7degeees of each other....
 
Dude, smoked corn on the cob? Smoked spuds? Somethings don't go well with smoke. (smiley face here)

Wrap your unhusked* corn in foil and toss it in the firebox for about 20 mins.

The thermo on the lid is fine. Use it to keep an eye on temperature swings.

Get yourself a cheapo oven thermo, put on an open spot on the grill. After a few sessions, you will know what the temp on the grill is by the thermo on the lid. The difference between the two is not that great.


* for best results pull back the husk and remove all of the stringy fibers then close it back up before wrapping in foil
 
HEB had pork tenderloins on sale for a buck a pound- so that is next! Got a 7 and an 8 pounder. Now to find rubs...

Pork tenderloins are really not a good candidate for smoking. Too lean, not enough connective tissue, and they dry out easily. They come out OK, but nothing to shout about. I prefer to dry rub them, inject a little garlic-infused olive oil and cook them very quickly over a rocket-hot grill. If it's high quality, super-fresh pork, I even leave them a touch pink in the middle.

The "low and slow" method of smoking really shines with cheap & tough cuts of meat that are loaded with connective tissue, the shoulder or "butt" being the prime example. After numerous hours @ 225°, when the internal temperature finally hits 190° or so, all of that connective tissue will have gelatinized and broken down into the most wonderful, moist, lip-smacking goodness. There is nothing better on this earth, I'm convinced of it!
 
Pork tenderloins are really not a good candidate for smoking. Too lean, not enough connective tissue, and they dry out easily. They come out OK, but nothing to shout about. I prefer to dry rub them, inject a little garlic-infused olive oil and cook them very quickly over a rocket-hot grill. If it's high quality, super-fresh pork, I even leave them a touch pink in the middle.

The "low and slow" method of smoking really shines with cheap & tough cuts of meat that are loaded with connective tissue, the shoulder or "butt" being the prime example. After numerous hours @ 225°, when the internal temperature finally hits 190° or so, all of that connective tissue will have gelatinized and broken down into the most wonderful, moist, lip-smacking goodness. There is nothing better on this earth, I'm convinced of it!


+1 across the board

well said, bll
 
+1 across the board

well said, bll

+2 ;-)

though you could wrap those loins in bacon. hmmmmmmm

to even out the temps you can make a quick baffle which will push the heat down and it will allow it to move over and under the food. check that link i pasted at bbq bretheren and youll find out allot about offsets. look at the smoke stack. its suggested to lower the stack to the grill surface instead of so high. you can get some rope for wood burning stoves to seal the doors. also by the firebox use one of those throw away tin pans and fill it with apple juice or a couple soda's. will add moisture and flavor besides just smoke.

and again check out the smokering and start the learning process.
 
I'll add another endorsement of the Smoke Ring forums.

Stay the fook away from National BBQ News Forums. That is one serious group of asswipes. There is some good info there but it is not worth putting up with the attitudes. I aksed how to duplicate a commercial sauce and got hammered by 3 or 4 guys for trying to steal. Not one poster came to my defense. Total polar opposite of HBT.
 
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