Who's smoking meat this weekend?

[Jayjay1976]

....most people who have it love it

Hey thanks for that, makes me feel like I made a good choice. I was mainly interested in it for the cabinet construction, seems to be pretty well built. Double-walled and insulated, big window in the gasketed door, adjustable tensioned door latch.

I haven't found much written about it online, is there a place I can read more about the ins and outs of using it?

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Hey thanks for that, makes me feel like I made a good choice. I was mainly interested in it for the cabinet construction, seems to be pretty well built. Double-walled and insulated, big window in the gasketed door, adjustable tensioned door latch.

I haven't found much written about it online, is there a place I can read more about the ins and outs of using it?

I saw some YouTube videos on using it and the burn in when I was looking into purchasing the unit and the 400+ reviews on Lowes web site

this is the exact model I was looking into
Pit Boss Pit Boss Pro Series 1322-sq in Mahogany Pellet Smoker in the Pellet Smokers department at Lowes.com

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Will you need to cut the brisket in half to fit?

 

[Jayjay1976]

Will you need to cut the brisket in half to fit?

Yeah definitely but I'm just cooking for two here. No 16lb full packers in my future, at least for now. My immediate plans include smoked shrimp and pastrami, nom nom. Easily done with a thrifty corned beef flat or point at ~$15.

I aaaaaalmost pulled the trigger on a chimp from grillagrills but I don't want to futz around with pellets and augers just yet. A year from now, after I've successfully spread my bbq wings, I might upgrade to that.

My wife is a sucker for a distinct smoke ring, and electrics struggle with that. I'll use that knowledge to talk her into a charcoal or pellet smoker heheheheeee!

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Yeah definitely but I'm just cooking for two here. No 16lb full packers in my future, at least for now. My immediate plans include smoked shrimp and pastrami, nom nom. Easily done with a thrifty corned beef flat or point at ~$15.

I aaaaaalmost pulled the trigger on a chimp from grillagrills but I don't want to futz around with pellets and augers just yet. A year from now, after I've successfully spread my bbq wings, I might upgrade to that.

My wife is a sucker for a distinct smoke ring, and electrics struggle with that. I'll use that knowledge to talk her into a charcoal or pellet smoker heheheheeee!

Pellet grills give a great smoke ring, keep that card in your back pocket

 

[Kharnynb]

Looking for some advice from my fellow meat-smoking brewers .

Our old gill and smoker are both not great, we have great gear at the cottage, but at home it's a bit meh.
So, I've been looking for a combined off-set smoker/direct fire(charcoal) grill.
Since finland doesn't have such a big selection, these were the only 2 that seemed to do both.
, locally "branded" one, seems to be made of thicker 3mm steel.
or
Landmann Vinson 300 - Walmart.com , bigger "brand", but only 1.5 mm steel.

What would be the better choice? does the steel thickness matter a lot, especially when using direct fire?

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Looking for some advice from my fellow meat-smoking brewers .

Our old gill and smoker are both not great, we have great gear at the cottage, but at home it's a bit meh.
So, I've been looking for a combined off-set smoker/direct fire(charcoal) grill.
Since finland doesn't have such a big selection, these were the only 2 that seemed to do both.
, locally "branded" one, seems to be made of thicker 3mm steel.
or
Landmann Vinson 300 - Walmart.com , bigger "brand", but only 1.5 mm steel.

What would be the better choice? does the steel thickness matter a lot, especially when using direct fire?

If I were in Finland I would opt for the thicker metal because I think it gets pretty cold there ( I could be wrong) and yes it helps maintain temps better but more for your smoking needs than the direct fire cooks as direct fire you can always just add more fuel

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'm not experienced enough at smoking to know for sure, but for cold weather smoking, I'd add some mass to the enclosure to help stabilize temps. I'd get some bricks and wrap them in tin foil and stuff as many as I could fit inside the smoker just leaving enough space for the food. Preheat for a good long while before cooking, and obviously the bricks will condense some of the smoke so that would have to be compensated for with more chips. Air has a pretty low thermal mass and does a poor job at retaining heat, especially if you have to open the door frequently to add wood.

 

[Dgallo]

I'm not experienced enough at smoking to know for sure, but for cold weather smoking, I'd add some mass to the enclosure to help stabilize temps. I'd get some bricks and wrap them in tin foil and stuff as many as I could fit inside the smoker just leaving enough space for the food. Preheat for a good long while before cooking, and obviously the bricks will condense some of the smoke so that would have to be compensated for with more chips. Air has a pretty low thermal mass and does a poor job at retaining heat, especially if you have to open the door frequently to add wood.

Maybe if they were in a fire first and then you put them in your smoker prior to starting, otherwise they would just make your cold day even less efficient as it would take even longer to heat up the bricks than cook the meat. Def would cause you to use more wood this way

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Finland would be ideal for a Kamado. I realize it's not an offset smoker, but if fits the bill of being both a smoker and a grill. They're fuel-efficient in basically any temp.

 

[Kharnynb]

This will be mostly used in summer, so the outdoor temperature would be above 15 Celcius at least ;D

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Ahh, got it.

In that case, I'd still say go with the thicker steel. It'll help keep temps even and reduce the fuel needed to maintain temp, regardless of the external temperature. One of the key differentiators between budget vs premium smokers is the thickness. Thicker is nearly always better.

 

[Jayjay1976]

My smoker arrived yesterday so today we're smoking some shoulder to make carnitas. I cut it into chunks and rubbed with powdered anchos and chipotles, after 4 hours of cherry smoke at 200f I'm going to put them in a cast iron pot and braise them for another 2 hours in beer with smoked onions and poblanos.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Maybe if they were in a fire first and then you put them in your smoker prior to starting, otherwise they would just make your cold day even less efficient as it would take even longer to heat up the bricks than cook the meat. Def would cause you to use more wood this way

Yeah like I said, good long pre-heat before starting to cook. I'd preheat on a higher temp then switch it to cooking temp when putting the food in.

 

[Dgallo]

Yeah like I said, good long pre-heat before starting to cook. I'd preheat on a higher temp then switch it to cooking temp when putting the food in.

But that would use more fuel than just cooking through the cold in the first place. That’s what I was getting at

 

[Jayjay1976]

But that would use more fuel than just cooking through the cold in the first place. That’s what I was getting at

Oh sorry, I forgot about the extra fuel consumption. My smoker is nuclear powered.

 

[Jayjay1976]

My smoker arrived yesterday so today we're smoking some shoulder to make carnitas. I cut it into chunks and rubbed with powdered anchos and chipotles, after 4 hours of cherry smoke at 200f I'm going to put them in a cast iron pot and braise them for another 2 hours in coca cola with onions and fire-roasted poblanos.View attachment 724512

See that little dent in the door? The inside frame behind it is dented too. Leaks a bit of smoke but Pit Boss is sending out replacement parts. Nice people to deal with and they stand behind their products. I got $85 back from Dick's over that dent too. $229-85=$144. Happy camper so far..

 

[passedpawn]

Two butts on the Traeger. This is at 160F. Wrapped in butcher paper right after this. I've never done that before - experiment.

 

[Kharnynb]

pulled the trigger on the thicker walled one, love the "gadget factor" of the traeger, but my wife veto'd it, because it isn't "real bbq" without coal or wood.....

 

[1bottlerocket]

I put some chicken thighs on this weekend.

 

[passedpawn]

pulled the trigger on the thicker walled one, love the "gadget factor" of the traeger, but my wife veto'd it, because it isn't "real bbq" without coal or wood.....

I love the Traeger, but there's a BUT...

I was at Home Depot yesterday and the alarm on the Traeger app went off, on my iPhone. Time to increase the temperature from 180F to 250F. Did it right there in the aisle. I could also see the meat probe temperature. That's pretty cool.

Pork did develop a decent bark, and there was a thick red smoke ring under it. BUT, that bark really isn't the smoke bomb I'm accustomed to with my Weber Smoky Mountain. Both my wife and daughter said they like it better this way, but I kind miss that really strong smoke. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

With the meat cold, I ran the Traeger @ 180F for 3 hours. At this temperature, it does generate noticeable blue smoke. I've been using the Traeger "blend" pellets that the store gave me with the grill. I've read online that changing the pellets to other manuf or wood type will result in stronger flavors. We'll see about that next week (I have some mesquite) .

 

[Dgallo]

I love the Traeger, but there's a BUT...

I was at Home Depot yesterday and the alarm on the Traeger app went off, on my iPhone. Time to increase the temperature from 180F to 250F. Did it right there in the aisle. I could also see the meat probe temperature. That's pretty cool.

Pork did develop a decent bark, and there was a thick red smoke ring under it. BUT, that bark really isn't the smoke bomb I'm accustomed to with my Weber Smoky Mountain. Both my wife and daughter said they like it better this way, but I kind miss that really strong smoke. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

With the meat cold, I ran the Traeger @ 180F for 3 hours. At this temperature, it does generate noticeable blue smoke. I've been using the Traeger "blend" pellets that the store gave me with the grill. I've read online that changing the pellets to other manuf or wood type will result in stronger flavors. We'll see about that next week (I have some mesquite) .
View attachment 724588
View attachment 724592

What brand pellets did you run? And does your Traeger have the super smoke setting. I’ve found that pitboss competition blend or hickory pellets give the best smoke flavor. Also the super smoke setting is just great lol

 

[1bottlerocket]

I love the Traeger, but there's a BUT...

I was at Home Depot yesterday and the alarm on the Traeger app went off, on my iPhone. Time to increase the temperature from 180F to 250F. Did it right there in the aisle. I could also see the meat probe temperature. That's pretty cool.

Pork did develop a decent bark, and there was a thick red smoke ring under it. BUT, that bark really isn't the smoke bomb I'm accustomed to with my Weber Smoky Mountain. Both my wife and daughter said they like it better this way, but I kind miss that really strong smoke. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

With the meat cold, I ran the Traeger @ 180F for 3 hours. At this temperature, it does generate noticeable blue smoke. I've been using the Traeger "blend" pellets that the store gave me with the grill. I've read online that changing the pellets to other manuf or wood type will result in stronger flavors. We'll see about that next week (I have some mesquite) .
View attachment 724588
View attachment 724592

Have you tried the A-Maze-N tube on your Traeger? You can get a lot more smoke that way.

 

[GBRbrew]

Making pastrami as we speak

Cheers

 

[passedpawn]

What brand pellets did you run? And does your Traeger have the super smoke setting. I’ve found that pitboss competition blend or hickory pellets give the best smoke flavor. Also the super smoke setting is just great lol

I have been using Traeger "blend" of some sort. I have a bag of Traeger mesquite. I'll buy another brand soon. Lots of experimenting to do

Have you tried the A-Maze-N tube on your Traeger? You can get a lot more smoke that way.

I have one on my Amazon wishlist. Seems sad to have to resort to one of those, though, so I'm going to exhaust other ideas first.

 

[Ziller]

Easter Sunday and I've got a dry rubbed butterflied Leg of Lamb in my Char-Broil vertical gas smoker. Maybe I'll post a photo when it's done.

 

[AzOr]

I have been using Traeger "blend" of some sort. I have a bag of Traeger mesquite. I'll buy another brand soon. Lots of experimenting to do



I have one on my Amazon wishlist. Seems sad to have to resort to one of those, though, so I'm going to exhaust other ideas first.

Think of the smoke tube as a way to fine tune your smoke.
I use mine all the time with my GMG.
For chicken, I’ll use just the tube with my smoker turned off for 30 min. Then I crank up the grill to get crispy skins. Comes out great.
I also use it on steaks on my Weber grill.

 

[passedpawn]

Think of the smoke tube as a way to fine tune your smoke.
I use mine all the time with my GMG.
For chicken, I’ll use just the tube with my smoker turned off for 30 min. Then I crank up the grill to get crispy skins. Comes out great.
I also use it on steaks on my Weber grill.

So, you have a pellet smoker. Can you verify that I can't get a good smoke with the grill alone?

 

[AzOr]

You absolutely can. I use the smoke tube for specific recipes; such as high temp fast cooks like steaks etc.
I’ll cold smoke tri tip as well for 30 min before cranking up the grill (either pellet or propane). Those cook so fast it’s hard to get smoke flavor.
For low and slow things like pork butts, salmon or brisket, I rely on the pellet grill alone.
I tend to favor lighter fruit blends as opposed to mesquite or oak pellets though.

 

[phoenixs4r]

I don't know what in the world went on with this butcher and this pork shoulder. it was all messed up. But it all gets shredded in the end. Injected with komos BBQ injection with some IPA I had on tap and rubbed in Byrons butt rub. I threw it on this morning at about 6 am cause we had a full day planned. Haven't wrapped it yet obviously. Might not need to. Temping at 180 and still have a couple hours before dinner

GMG daniel boone pellet smoker

RE: pellet brand. I believe traeger is under some lawsuit of using generic wood with oils added. I don't know how this would affect smoke ring. I do know if you can find them GMG usually have pellet bags at 30lbs for the same price. That's all I use cause it's the cheapest, except for the rare summer sale at costco for trager pellets.

I don't get crazy smoke rings, but they exist.

 

[Dgallo]

I don't know what in the world went on with this butcher and this pork shoulder. it was all messed up. But it all gets shredded in the end. Injected with komos BBQ injection with some IPA I had on tap and rubbed in Byrons butt rub. I threw it on this morning at about 6 am cause we had a full day planned. Haven't wrapped it yet obviously. Might not need to. Temping at 180 and still have a couple hours before dinner

GMG daniel boone pellet smoker

RE: pellet brand. I believe traeger is under some lawsuit of using generic wood with oils added. I don't know how this would affect smoke ring. I do know if you can find them GMG usually have pellet bags at 30lbs for the same price. That's all I use cause it's the cheapest, except for the rare summer sale at costco for trager pellets.

I don't get crazy smoke rings, but they exist.View attachment 724658
View attachment 724659

Looks like a full bone out pork shoulder that wasn’t tied up. If he wasn’t going to tie it, the butcher should have at least trimmed that

 

[phoenixs4r]

Looks like a full bone out pork shoulder that wasn’t tied up. If he wasn’t going to tie it, the butcher should have at least trimmed that

Yes it was bone out. In the past that usually means a filleted-ish or 2 part-er. I don't normally care I just squish the two parts together cause I'm lazy. This was all new to me. Still taste great. Gonna get shredded anyways.

 

[1bottlerocket]

This is the smoke level I typically get with my Weber kettle set up with a slow-n-sear and a Fire Board. This brisket was done over post oak.

My biggest complaint with pellet smokers is the amount of smoke you get. I bought a couple of smoke tubes for my Uncle's Traeger and it was a definite improvement. He didn't get this kind of bark but it was better.

There is also another product on the Smoke Daddy website called the Heavy D Stick Burning Heat Diffuser. It essentially turns your pellet smoker into a stick burner and the results are amazing. They are on the expensive side at 100 but if you're into high smoke levels it could be the answer.
https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/the-heavy-d-stick-burning-heat-diffuser/

 

[1bottlerocket]

Looking for some advice from my fellow meat-smoking brewers .

Our old gill and smoker are both not great, we have great gear at the cottage, but at home it's a bit meh.
So, I've been looking for a combined off-set smoker/direct fire(charcoal) grill.
Since finland doesn't have such a big selection, these were the only 2 that seemed to do both.
, locally "branded" one, seems to be made of thicker 3mm steel.
or
Landmann Vinson 300 - Walmart.com , bigger "brand", but only 1.5 mm steel.

What would be the better choice? does the steel thickness matter a lot, especially when using direct fire?

I would steer you toward a kettle grill and set it up according to how you want to cook. When it comes to stick burners, it is important to pick the one that looks like it will control air flow the best. You need the ability to regulate the air intake near the coals in order to lower or raise the temp. If you can't control the airflow you can't cook.

Cheap offsets leak badly so it is impossible to control airflow and airflow controls temperature. And they are much hotter on the side next to the firebox than on the side next to the chimney, so if you put on six slabs of ribs, some will be done way sooner than the others. Yes, you can move them around, but that's a pain, and they still come out uneven.

 

[AzOr]

Yesterday I smoked ribs (forgot to take pic). Also found some trout from last fall in the freezer. First time smoking whole fish. Came out great. Takes a bit of work to avoid bones but better than trying to filet.

 

[Oldskewl]

I have read good things about Lumberjack Pellets. Supposed to be 100% desired wood except for their blends. They sell them at Dicks. I just ordered an A-MAZ-N pellet tray to use in my Bradley. Hickory pucks(plus a couple other varieties) seem to be sold out everywhere. Plus Bradley pucks are expensive as hell. Gonna try this before I dive into a pellet smoker from Grilla or Rectec

 

[Dgallo]

Sriracha Garlic & a touch of coffee rub with homemade Kansas City bbq sauce to finish

 

[passedpawn]

Rainy day, perfect for watching The Masters golf and waiting for a brisket to get past the stall. Smoking on my Traeger with Traeger mesquite pellets, but we'll just have to see. If this doesn't produce the smoke I'm looking for, then I'm adding a smoke tube to my amazon cart. For the rub, I threw together some odd concoction last night of brown sugar, hot paprika, salt & pepper, granulated garlic. Not really sure, was knee-deep in sake at that hour haha.

 

[Oldskewl]

Decided to try the pastrami recipe at Amazon ribs.com. Smoked 2 corned beefs I picked up on sale after St. Patrick’s day. They turned out excellent. Made the wife and I some Reubens for lunch. So tender. Highly recommended!

 

[passedpawn]

Brisket on the pellet grill turned out better than expected. Medium smoke in meat. Was VERY juicy, which is a feat for me (I usually dry them out). Leftovers vac bagged and in freezer.