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Attempting my first foray into smoking today


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8 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

Too late lol. 

 

I’m just teasing, honestly. Always a fan of starting with the classics instead of a new and somewhat outside the box. It’ll be delicious still. If you did ribs you would’ve had 17 other guys here chatting their techniques though. 

 

Keep the heat steady, seasoning simple and let the smoke do it’s work 

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17 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

So what’s the recipe you’ve got?!? What are you smocking it on? 

 

I have a combination smoker/ charcoal grill. Using oak. It calls for a few hours of smoking then smoking in a foil pan with beef broth and onions. Total cook time like 8-9 hours

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27 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

I have a combination smoker/ charcoal grill. Using oak. It calls for a few hours of smoking then smoking in a foil pan with beef broth and onions. Total cook time like 8-9 hours

 

That will work...

 

Here is the best advice- try to maintain white smoke. When your fire gets too hot it will smell like wood gas and smoke will be gray, and that will lead to that terrible bitter smokiness.

 

Make use of your dampers to regulate the heat well. Damper by the fire will allow air feed, but the smokestack damper (or damper on the opposite side of the fire) will regulate how much smoke is in your chamber, which leads to more/less oxygen in the mix and will burn hotter or colder. Ideally you have a serious coal bed (oak is one of the best at making good coals), and when you shut the door, the flame goes out and it billows huge clouds of thick, bright white smoke.

 

Don't put your roast on until your fire is built up and already producing white smoke. 

 

Don't rely too much on the timing (8-9 hours). Cook until it's done. Luckily for you, braising in the smoker (what you are doing), is one of the more fool-proof ways of producing quality from your smoker.

 

Good luck!

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44 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

I have a combination smoker/ charcoal grill. Using oak. It calls for a few hours of smoking then smoking in a foil pan with beef broth and onions. Total cook time like 8-9 hours

I'd probably cover with foil once it goes in the pan.

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1 hour ago, Shotgunner said:

 

That will work...

 

Here is the best advice- try to maintain white smoke. When your fire gets too hot it will smell like wood gas and smoke will be gray, and that will lead to that terrible bitter smokiness.

 

Make use of your dampers to regulate the heat well. Damper by the fire will allow air feed, but the smokestack damper (or damper on the opposite side of the fire) will regulate how much smoke is in your chamber, which leads to more/less oxygen in the mix and will burn hotter or colder. Ideally you have a serious coal bed (oak is one of the best at making good coals), and when you shut the door, the flame goes out and it billows huge clouds of thick, bright white smoke.

 

Don't put your roast on until your fire is built up and already producing white smoke. 

 

Don't rely too much on the timing (8-9 hours). Cook until it's done. Luckily for you, braising in the smoker (what you are doing), is one of the more fool-proof ways of producing quality from your smoker.

 

Good luck!

I've become a fan of the Minion method for maintaining heat in long cook times. But it uses charcoal, which is a no no for some purists.

 

-stack about 40 unlit pieces of charcoal in layers of 10. Layers should contain a few soaked hardwood chunks (not chips). They should be placed on one side of the grill (if using a Weber) for indirect heat/smoke.

-turn over the chimney and light about 10 pieces of charcoal.

-when ready, pour them evenly over the unlit coals.

-let it build to maximum heat, then adjust vents to get optimum temp. Be sure the top vent is not over the coals, for circulation.

 

I've been able to keep the temp evenly at around 250 +/- 10 degrees for 6 hours without having to touch anything. That's accurate enough for me. I know some aren't big on unlit coals where meat is...but I haven't noticed any chemical aftertaste.

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23 minutes ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

Start with something mellow like white widow or hindu kush, then move onto a hybrid like Snoops dream or space dream. However  the meal turns out you'll  eat it. 

 

Don’t forget to wash it down with some cheddar goldfish and a few Capri suns 

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1 hour ago, CookieG said:

I've become a fan of the Minion method for maintaining heat in long cook times. But it uses charcoal, which is a no no for some purists.

 

-stack about 40 unlit pieces of charcoal in layers of 10. Layers should contain a few soaked hardwood chunks (not chips). They should be placed on one side of the grill (if using a Weber) for indirect heat/smoke.

-turn over the chimney and light about 10 pieces of charcoal.

-when ready, pour them evenly over the unlit coals.

-let it build to maximum heat, then adjust vents to get optimum temp. Be sure the top vent is not over the coals, for circulation.

 

I've been able to keep the temp evenly at around 250 +/- 10 degrees for 6 hours without having to touch anything. That's accurate enough for me. I know some aren't big on unlit coals where meat is...but I haven't noticed any chemical aftertaste.

 

 I light mine with lump charcoal.

 

But I cook with wood from trees I dropped myself, and I certainly dont break them down to chips or little chunks. That said, I don't smoke in a weber, I use a commercial side firebox smoker (I own a restauant) and have absolutely no problem keeping a steady 225 degrees for 20+ hours with a mix of Shag Hickory and Cherry or Apple. My smoker has 4 dampers on the firebox, and has the "reverse flow" baffle which makes it super easy to maintain temps.

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