Who's smoking meat this weekend?

[DrunkleJon]

Super, have you found difference with wetting your wood additions? It may be different with electric or propane, but I have found with charcoal (since temperature is controlled by airflow) that wetting the wood doesn't really seem to do anything for me. Sure, it keeps it from igniting immediately, but with how hot the smoker is the water will most likely evaporate out pretty quick. Especially with something like chips where it is all surface area. Chunks I could see staying wet longer, but it would take quite a soak time to get them wet throughout.

 

[dstar26t]

How do you keep the smoke going? When I run my electric smoker I have to add chips maybe every 90 minutes at 200? Are you up as often as needed to add new chips to your smoker?

Hi Ctufano,

I add a small handfull of chips to my Masterbuilt electric smoker about every 40 to 50 minutes at 225 degrees.

In weather like this, they're dry - during the hotter summer months it's a mix of wet & dry.

Super/Ctufano,

In a masterbuilt electric, you may want to try an external smoke generator. Something like what a-maze-n, Smoke Daddy, Bradley, etc sells. You can get looong smokes out of them compared to adding chips.

Nate

 

[passedpawn]

Super, have you found difference with wetting your wood additions? It may be different with electric or propane, but I have found with charcoal (since temperature is controlled by airflow) that wetting the wood doesn't really seem to do anything for me. Sure, it keeps it from igniting immediately, but with how hot the smoker is the water will most likely evaporate out pretty quick. Especially with something like chips where it is all surface area. Chunks I could see staying wet longer, but it would take quite a soak time to get them wet throughout.

Don't bother soaking wood. It's pointless. I use chunks, not chips, and toss them right onto the coals. They don't ignite if you're controlling the air to the coals.

 

[banesong]

Super/Ctufano,

In a masterbuilt electric, you may want to try an external smoke generator. Something like what a-maze-n, Smoke Daddy, Bradley, etc sells. You can get looong smokes out of them compared to adding chips.

Nate

I have to say, I have the a-maze-n, and haven't really gotten much smoke off of it. I goes out regularly, and seems to offput a not very smokey flavor.

I have a masterbuilt electric, fwiw.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Don't bother soaking wood. It's pointless. I use chunks, not chips, and toss them right onto the coals. They don't ignite if you're controlling the air to the coals.

Yeah, thats what I do. It seems to work well. I was just wondering if it actually helps in the electrics and gassers

 

[Super64]

Well, what I have been told, and what I've read is that wet (really just damp) creates more smoke for longer.
Whether that's true or not, I haven't measured.
(Check out Myron Mixon, Steven Raichlen and Ray Lampe - those were my sources)

But my approach has been long smoke - so a combination of dry and wet that I use seems to start smoking sooner (the dry), then by the time the dry is used up, the wet chips are dry, then they begin to smoke.
So it seems to delay their burn.
In essences prolonging the smoke as opposed to everything going off at once.
In colder months or with low smoke temps, I tend to use dry only, they seem to catch faster and I never drop wet over dry - found out the hard way that puts the "fire" out.

My EMS says 1/4 cup of chips, if I over load it, nothing really happens.
It all drops on basically a flat aluminum plate with an electric burner below.

Seems to work for me, your results my vary

 

[weirdboy]

I also have an A-maze-in and been underwhelmed with its performance, especially when compared to my WSM.

 

[dstar26t]

I have to say, I have the a-maze-n, and haven't really gotten much smoke off of it. I goes out regularly, and seems to offput a not very smokey flavor.

I have a masterbuilt electric, fwiw.

I also have an A-maze-in and been underwhelmed with its performance, especially when compared to my WSM.

I just took delivery of their AMNPS for cold smokes, don't need it for hot smokes since I only use wood for fuel. Are you all using the pellet or dust version? Have you tried lighting both ends?

 

[weirdboy]

I have the pellet version. I have only ever lit one end because my intent has been to get an extended cold smoke with it, and lighting at both ends sort of defeats that purpose.

I have instead been thinking about modifying my WSM to do cold smoking by ducting smoke to an external smokebox.

 

[dstar26t]

I have the pellet version. I have only ever lit one end because my intent has been to get an extended cold smoke with it, and lighting at both ends sort of defeats that purpose.

I have instead been thinking about modifying my WSM to do cold smoking by ducting smoke to an external smokebox.

Yeah, I'm doing something like that for my offset this weekend hopefully. Have a 14 lb belly ready for cold smoke. Planning on 24 hours of smoke, 3 x 8 hr sessions.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I have the pellet version. I have only ever lit one end because my intent has been to get an extended cold smoke with it, and lighting at both ends sort of defeats that purpose.

I have instead been thinking about modifying my WSM to do cold smoking by ducting smoke to an external smokebox.

My thoughts were to do the same. get some dryer ducting going from the top of my wsm to where the offset box on my combo gas/charcoal would mount up its offset that I never bought.

 

[ctufano]

Fwiw I also have a masterbuilt electric. Anyone bother trying to keep theirs clean? I've given up... My window gets gunked so fast. I obviously clean my grates and such, drop pan, etc, but Ive stopped trying to keep it in a cleaner state.

Considering smoking some ribs this weekend. Havent done that in forever

 

[BaylessBrewer]

I also have an A-maze-in and been underwhelmed with its performance, especially when compared to my WSM.

You looking to part ways with that A-Maze-N pellet smoker? I'm in the market for one.

 

[Super64]

Ctufano,

I hear you. I clean my grates and drip pan also. I can manage to make the window usable by scrubbing it with the green steel wool pads, but absolutely forget the whole inside. I clean the probe, it's wire and the wood chip pan and that's it.

 

[hllywd]

Ok so this will never be smoked, but it's my first shot at a dry cured bresaola. ~2.5lbs eye of round in the vac bag with kosher salt, #2 cure, thyme, rosemary and black pepper for the next two weeks then drying in an Umai Dry bag for a couple months. Probably ready for some nice early May weather on the deck, along with a new Gose...��

 

[wobrien]

Just put a small bone-in shoulder on the smoker. My wife got me an igrill2 for V-day. Anyone have experience with them? I have one probe monitoring the inside temp of the WSM and one probe in the shoulder. Also have my thermoworks probes set up to compare.

 

[sheephrdr]

3 large trout fillets and back bacon going in smoker in the am tomorrow, too cold today as its -20 c most likely turn tomorrow into a brewing/smoker day

 

[Bert_T]

-5 F outside.........not me!

 

[glenn514]

Currently +16°F and snowing...most definitely NOT a day to be smoking anything out there!

glenn514

 

[beernbourbon]

Just put a small bone-in shoulder on the smoker. My wife got me an igrill2 for V-day. Anyone have experience with them? I have one probe monitoring the inside temp of the WSM and one probe in the shoulder. Also have my thermoworks probes set up to compare.

I love mine. However, get the ambient probe. There IS something different about them. I got one with two meat probes, used one for grill temp, third time I used it it was telling me that the 75* outside temp was 475*. They sent me a new one(great customer service) but told me to get ambient probe. Not had problem one since.
Range is a little short, but I can still be inside watching the game. Plaster walls are more likely the culprit.
Enjoy! Getting you that for V-Day, you gots a keeper there!!

 

[divrguy]

Just put a small bone-in shoulder on the smoker. My wife got me an igrill2 for V-day. Anyone have experience with them? I have one probe monitoring the inside temp of the WSM and one probe in the shoulder. Also have my thermoworks probes set up to compare.

I picked up one and they are awesome. The fact that I can see the temp without lifting the lid is awesome. But... I still peek! Lol

 

[wobrien]

It was a little glitchy and the probe in the shoulder was pretty far off the thermoworks probe, but I'll give it another shot next smoke before I condemn it. I really want it to work because it's nice to see the temps from in the house when it's 10° outside...

 

[beernbourbon]

It was a little glitchy and the probe in the shoulder was pretty far off the thermoworks probe, but I'll give it another shot next smoke before I condemn it. I really want it to work because it's nice to see the temps from in the house when it's 10° outside...

I'd do some checking. Did ice bath/boil check on mine, spot on both.

 

[wobrien]

I'd do some checking. Did ice bath/boil check on mine, spot on both.

Good idea, I'll have to do that

 

[divrguy]

This weekends chuck roast
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455764844.942116.jpg

 

[Oldskewl]

Never tried a chuck roast on the smoker. I'll have to soon! That looks good. How do you usually eat it?

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

Smoking a pork butt Friday or Saturday AM to turn into Carolina BBQ for a Saturday night party.

It's absolutely impossible to find legit Carolina-style pork BBQ here in Utah, so I'm fixin' to make it happen, myself.

 

[JonM]

It's gonna be positively spring-like this weekend - a high of 50°F!!!! So I'm going to be playing with all my Weber toys all weekend long. Smoking baby backs on Saturday for sure, and I'll probably be grilling Friday and, what the heck, I'll fire up the kettle on Saturday for grilled veggies to go with the ribs.

 

[brew703]

Gonna be in the 70's this weekend in the South. May have to throw a Butt on the Stumps for some pulled pork sammies/tacos etc.

 

[chisena]

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