you a smoker?

[killian]

I finally got the fire box for my grill!!!!!!

http://chargriller.com/store/popup_image.php?pID=29
http://chargriller.com/store/popup_image.php?pID=100

I cant wait to put this to work.

So far I have been thinking about starting with Ribs or turkey. Anyone have any recommendations on where to find some good info/links?

I have only had brisket a couple of times, I will probably give it a shot at some point. Each time I have had brisket it has been a little fatty for me does anyone just smoke the bottom flat part?

 

[Mike M]

It takes time to learn the subtleties of one's smoker. Give it time and start with something easy like a pork shoulder. You may want to try a couple of simple modifications too. Check out these sites for information.

http://www.barbecuebible.com/board/

http://www.thesmokering.com/


I love me some smoked brisket ... mmmmm brisket

 

[chefmike]

Yeah, a lot of folks do just the bottom flat. The point is good for burnt ends though. mmmm...

Trim that sucker nice and tight and smoke away. You might want to do the brisket in conjunction with some other items if you have the space, as it tends to be a long smoke. I would knock out some fatties, some homemade pepperoni, maybe a chicken or some ribs.

MikeM is on the money: learn you smoker. Do not expect it to be flawless when you fire it up on thanksgiving day for the first time. The big game deserves practice. But like brewing, you get to eat all that practice!

So hit the meat sales and start smoking.

 

[dataz722]

Check out www.bbqbrethren.com It is my favorite site for bbq.

 

[Steelers77]

The smoke ring is a great site.

 

[Fletch78]

That smoker is going to lose a great deal of heat on cold NE winter days, so know that you'll be adding alot more fuel during winter than in summer. Consider using the gas along with the wood, just to keep the temp up. Otherwise, you might end up using 3x more wood/coals than 'normal', thus 3x more smoke. Not a big deal on big pieces of meat, but will be a big deal for chicken, or ribs, anything with more surface area.

Pro-tip: Start with room temp meat. Don't put cold meat in your smoker. Leave it out overnight on the counter. Don't worry about rancidity or bacteria, especially if you use a spicy rub the night before. It's about to be cooked for a great deal of time. Anything living will no longer be.

 

[rogue212005]

I'm just gonna refer to my other post:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/smoked-turkey-rub-206477/#post2420789

 

[bob1852]

Check out www.bbqbrethren.com It is my favorite site for bbq.

I thought it was the Tap Room thread

 

[Rockit]

I have 3 UDS, an offset smoker, two webber kettles and a propane fired POS for kids hot dogs.

I love me some good Q. I'm doing a brisket on one of the UDS tomorrow. Starting it at 6 so we can have some fatties for breakfast.

 

[Fletch78]

I'm just gonna refer to my other post:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/smoked-turkey-rub-206477/#post2420789

Meats are cured with sugar and spices in the "danger zone" for weeks at a time, and has been for thousands of years. Secondly, this gets cooked well above past* temps to kill any bacteria. I didn't say to let it sit out for a week until there are maggots on it. I'm talking about taking it out of the fridge the night before to get a head start. It's common practice among professionals. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, by all means, don't do it.

 

[dataz722]

Meats are cured with sugar and spices in the "danger zone" for weeks at a time, and has been for thousands of years. Secondly, this gets cooked well above past* temps to kill any bacteria. I didn't say to let it sit out for a week until there are maggots on it. I'm talking about taking it out of the fridge the night before to get a head start. It's common practice among professionals. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, by all means, don't do it.

An hour, maybe 2, is common but hours or overnight is not at all. And while the temp will kill any bacteria it won't get rid of any byproducts that those bacteria may have made. The bacteria leaves behind stuff that can make you very sick and/or kill you.

Also, nobody ever said anything about curing.

 

[Fletch78]

An hour, maybe 2, is common but hours or overnight is not at all. And while the temp will kill any bacteria it won't get rid of any byproducts that those bacteria may have made. The bacteria leaves behind stuff that can make you very sick and/or kill you.

Also, nobody ever said anything about curing.

I guess I'm lucky. I've been smoking deadly meat for years and handed out thousands of servings and noone has ever gotten sick! Someone call National Geographic and the New York Times, I don't have their number.


And for future reference, sterilize your Mash Tun and Mash Paddle every time you take it out of the mash, because even though it's pre-boil, bacteria will kill you and stuff, like, totally.

 

[Fletch78]

As far as curing, when you rub a big piece of meat with salt and sugar, ie BBQ RUB, that's the same as step 1 in curing. It was an example of how unrefridgerated meat WONT kill you. Especially when it's only sitting out for 8 hours PRE-COOK. Ever had a dry aged or wet aged steak?

Now... to repeat myself AGAIN... the danger is after it's cooked, letting it sit out in the danger zone for hours, buffet style or "put it away later" style.

Or... a piece of meat you are cooking to rare through med-well. This is for meat that is going beyond 165F.

Some of you citing servsafe lit should probably brush up on it a little bit.

 

[Fletch78]

Seafood is the only thing I'm aware of that can have bacteria leave behind dangerous compounds, and that's after extremely poor handling that results in overall flavors that a normal human mouth would not swallow. Gulls, stray cats, maybe.

dataz722, can you tell me more about this?

 

[dataz722]

You really obviously have no idea what you are talking about. A bbq rub is far from a cure and even when you do use a cure you still need to be very careful and keep the meat in very controlled atmosphere.

 

[Fletch78]

How many bbq competitions have you won?

 

[dataz722]

How many bbq competitions have you won?

Grasping much? What does that have to do with anything?

 

[Fletch78]

You are right, it is not relevant. Leaving a cold piece of meat out overnight to warm up before you cook it for 12 hours isn't going to make anyone sick either.

 

[dataz722]

Yeah ok. Why don't you add a little bit of arsenic to your rub too. I hear it adds a nice tangyness.

 

[Fletch78]

I think the OP got both sides to the story, at this point it's just bickering. You've got the last word. Congratulations. I'll see you in the Tap Room.

 

[rogue212005]

Meats are cured with sugar and spices in the "danger zone" for weeks at a time, and has been for thousands of years. Secondly, this gets cooked well above past* temps to kill any bacteria. I didn't say to let it sit out for a week until there are maggots on it. I'm talking about taking it out of the fridge the night before to get a head start. It's common practice among professionals. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, by all means, don't do it.

1. There is more to curing than just sprinkling salt and sugar:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_pres.html

2. DO NOT leave food out in the Danger Zone for more than 4 hours!!
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/How_Temperatures_Affect_Food/index.asp
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/98471/why-4-hrs Pay special attention to post #20

 

[chefmike]

sitting out for 8 hours PRE-COOK. Ever had a dry aged or wet aged steak?

Now... to repeat myself AGAIN... the danger is after it's cooked, letting it sit out in the danger zone for hours, buffet style or "put it away later" style.

Some of you citing servsafe lit should probably brush up on it a little bit.

Just so people are not confused... you DO NOT age steak, dry or wet, at room temperature. It is aged in refrigeration.

And ServSafe would tell you to never leave meat unrefrigerated.

And a "pro" will be someone who is following these handling procedures, as they are responsible for the health of the people they are cooking for.

And the suggestion of resting meat at room temps before cooking applies mainly to fast cooks: steak.

The pros who are smoking will often do the opposite of what you suggested: they will put meat on cold to develop a more pronounced smoke ring, as the chemical reaction ceases at 130.

 

[Fletch78]

Fine, you keep doing what you are doing and I'll keep doing what I'm doing.

 

[rogue212005]

Fine, you keep doing what you are doing and I'll keep doing what I'm doing.

And when your finally sitting on the toilet with plenty of "liquids" coming out both ends...... Yeah have fun with that.

Quote from Wikipedia:
Epidemiology
Every year there are an estimated 76 million foodborne illnesses in the United States (26,000 cases for 100,000 inhabitants), 2 million in the United Kingdom (3,400 cases for 100,000 inhabitants) and 750,000 in France (1,220 cases for 100,000 inhabitants).

[edit] United States
In the United States, using FoodNet data from 1996–1998, the CDCP estimated there were 76 million foodborne illnesses (26,000 cases for 100,000 inhabitants):[37]

325,000 were hospitalized (111 per 100,000 inhabitants);
5,000 people died (1.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.).
Major pathogens from foodborne illness in the United States cost upwards of US $35 billion in medical costs and lost productivity (1997)


But hey, hardly anyone ever gets sick from poorly handled food, right?

 

[Fletch78]

Roque, it's not your fault.

 

[RedHouse]

The pros who are smoking will often do the opposite of what you suggested: they will put meat on cold to develop a more pronounced smoke ring, as the chemical reaction ceases at 130.

Not a pro...just been smoking for about 10 years now, and I have found that I get a better smoke ring with cold meat as opposed to room, or near room temp meat.

 

[chefmike]

Not a pro...just been smoking for about 10 years now, and I have found that I get a better smoke ring with cold meat as opposed to room, or near room temp meat.

yes. it gives more time for that reaction to take place. a proven concept.

 

[SOB]

Not a pro...just been smoking for about 10 years now, and I have found that I get a better smoke ring with cold meat as opposed to room, or near room temp meat.

yes. it gives more time for that reaction to take place. a proven concept.

So do you guys (let's say with ribs) rub them then place back in the fridge for a couple hours? I always took the ribs out of the fridge an hour or two before hand and rubbed them down and let them set to get to room temp. As a noob I'm always looking for different techniques.

 

[Fletch78]

Ribs are a different animal altogether, they have so much surface area. The rules for ribs are totally different. A little smoke goes a long way. Same goes for meat temp pre-cook. You don't get as much of a benefit with ribs when you warm them up pre-smoke that you do with large bulky meats, ie leave them on the counter.

 

[Fletch78]

I agree completely with getting a better smoke ring on butts with colder meat. Not only a better ring, but cooked meat doesn't take smoke flavor well, comes out more campfirey. My suggestion about not putting cold meat on a hot smoker is more about time and fuel conservation. I got tired of 18-20 hour smokes, it is a fact that letting a big piece come to room temp first cuts many hours off the cook time.