Snkfanatic
Banned
Damn mcfrank those look great!
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BBQ GAF - Smokin' Your Meat, USA Style
- Thread starter POWERSPHERE
- Start date
You could either go the Weber Kettle route, or get a ceramic grill/smoker...so $120-150 versus $500+.
Amazing Ribs has the answer to most BBQ questions. I would say it is the best resource.
I have An offset Smoker and there are things I like about it and a few annoying things. It has an absolutely massive cooking surface for large cooks (seriously I could smoke 2 briskets, 2 pork butts, 2 chickens, and a couple of racks of ribs at the same time in this thing) and I can adjust the coals/wood without messing with the meat. Also, it works really well as a grill for steaks/burgers. However, it is not a "set it and forget it" solution at all for smoking. The steel is fairly thin so the thing leaks heat like crazy and by default the offset firebox design is poor because your ash will build up quickly. Because of the thin steel, you will go through a lot more coal with a mid price offset smoker than you would with a ceramic smoker and holding temp is a lot more hands on. I have done a few mods to mine suggested on Amazing Ribs which improved its performance for about $20 worth of materials. Also, I fill a lot of the unused space with clay bricks to help hold some of the heat in.
In the end I bought what I could afford at the time, and I do not mind having to mess with the smoker throughout the day to maintain temps (It is part of the fun to me). But if I had to do it all over again, I would probably save up for the largest Big Green Egg or an Traeger pellet smoker I could buy.
Whatever you get, make sure to not trust the built in thermometer. They are all terrible. Get a good digital probe and put it at grate level on a piece of foil.
POWERSPHERE
Member
I got the Hark Trifire Offset to learn offset grilling, which is this little beast
The steel is nice and thick, double levelled for ribs / corn / warming. I did a 4 hour smoked chicken off coals last night, with some smoked corn, onions and roasted some sweet potato chips in the firebox grill. The corn was the best grilled corn i've done, in foil for just over an hour after soaking it in water so it basically steamed itself with smokey steam. The chicken I basted in a hot BBQ sauce I made and it was super juicy and kind of ended up tasting a bit like Ham. It held its heat like a total champ too, only dipped down from 230f to 220 when the coals started burning down too far after 3 hours, so I just chucked in half a chimney of heated coals and it held till the end. Incredible first run. This alongside my weber is a party machine waiting to happen.
I love the idea of cooking over wood or real charcoals, watching and wrangling the heat and the flavour speaks for itself. I'll never go back to heat beads and wood chips after switching to charcoal a while ago on my Weber. Charcoal or seasoned logs all the way.
Now i've just gotta work myself up to this badboy.
The steel is nice and thick, double levelled for ribs / corn / warming. I did a 4 hour smoked chicken off coals last night, with some smoked corn, onions and roasted some sweet potato chips in the firebox grill. The corn was the best grilled corn i've done, in foil for just over an hour after soaking it in water so it basically steamed itself with smokey steam. The chicken I basted in a hot BBQ sauce I made and it was super juicy and kind of ended up tasting a bit like Ham. It held its heat like a total champ too, only dipped down from 230f to 220 when the coals started burning down too far after 3 hours, so I just chucked in half a chimney of heated coals and it held till the end. Incredible first run. This alongside my weber is a party machine waiting to happen.
I love the idea of cooking over wood or real charcoals, watching and wrangling the heat and the flavour speaks for itself. I'll never go back to heat beads and wood chips after switching to charcoal a while ago on my Weber. Charcoal or seasoned logs all the way.
Now i've just gotta work myself up to this badboy.
Figured I'd bump this to say that I had to work this whole last weekend, and since I'm exempt, didn't think I'd make any money on it. They decided to pay us quite a bit for doing it, so I'm putting a small portion of it towards a small Weber Smokey Mountain and then the rest is being saved for wife and I's 10 year anniversary this year.
Really excited to get a proper smoker. I got a bargain one at the store a few months ago and it's complete garbage. No bottom vents so there's no way for it to get air. I ended up drilling a bunch of holes in the bottom, but with the way it's designed, the ash still builds up and eventually ends up choking out the fire. I had to put gloves on and jam something up in the vent holes I made to clear them out every 45 minutes or so. Just a complete headache. Plus, it didn't hold temp consistently.
Looking forward to using this Weber quite a bit. Probably start out with roasting some Boston butts, whole chickens, etc and then maybe move into brisket once I have a feel for the smoker.
Really excited to get a proper smoker. I got a bargain one at the store a few months ago and it's complete garbage. No bottom vents so there's no way for it to get air. I ended up drilling a bunch of holes in the bottom, but with the way it's designed, the ash still builds up and eventually ends up choking out the fire. I had to put gloves on and jam something up in the vent holes I made to clear them out every 45 minutes or so. Just a complete headache. Plus, it didn't hold temp consistently.
Looking forward to using this Weber quite a bit. Probably start out with roasting some Boston butts, whole chickens, etc and then maybe move into brisket once I have a feel for the smoker.
Man, there really is a community for everything.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Good call. The WSM is awesome. I have that and the One Touch Performer as my dynamic duo.
Good to hear, I've heard nothing but good things about them. I've already bookmarked that site and am reading it quite a bit, as well as amazingribs.com.
ErnieMcCracken
Member
Just put these on the Egg. Now the wait...
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
I got 6 racks on the Traeger right now.
Was going back and forth on the BGE or the Traeger.. Traeger won as it's easier.
time to start cutting up the jalapenos for ABTs
Was going back and forth on the BGE or the Traeger.. Traeger won as it's easier.
time to start cutting up the jalapenos for ABTs
ErnieMcCracken
Member
Finished ribs. Hit one with some Blues Hog and left the other dry. They were rubbed with Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Which size one did you get? I have the 18.5, at times I wish I had gotten the bigger one.
I'm getting the 18.5 as well. I've heard of issues regulating temperature with the larger one, plus I think it'll be plenty big enough if I use a rib rack for when I do those.
Piece of advice...AFTER you put it together and BEFORE you smoke on it, go to your local Home Depot or Lowes or wherever (or take measurements, I was lazy) and make sure the rack fits under the dome of the 18.5".
I made an unnecessary trip when I bought a rib rack that wouldn't let the lid close and would even fit in the lower cylinder.
18.5" here...let me know if you have any questions.
Also, once you get the hang of it...then you can mod it if you want =)
I am looking at picking up a Traeger. A guy demo'd one for me at Costco and I've been wanting one ever since. I don't have a lot of smoking experience, mostly just straight grilling, but I really want something I can do both on.
Are Traegers good for both smoking and grilling? They make it seem like it is, but wanted additional input from the experts out there.
Are Traegers good for both smoking and grilling? They make it seem like it is, but wanted additional input from the experts out there.
My mother-in-law's boyfriend has one and everything he has cooked on it for us has turned out great (He got his for free from some rich lady who divorced her husband and was giving away all of his stuff, pretty epic score). Perfect for set it and forget it smoking. He grilled burgers and brats over the holidays and they were great. I have an offset smoker now, but I may upgrade to one of these in the next few years.
That's a pellet smoker? Some good reading here, he seems to like them but I don't think he uses those for all his smoking needs. I don't think Traeger is his favorite type of pellet smoker, and it looks like you'd have to make some modifications to make them hold a consistent temp, which seems to be the main draw for a pellet smoker.
For me, I could see going that route eventually when I understand the science of smoking a little more. And really, with the WSM, I know you can mod it out and work in a thermostat and fan so that it's much less maintenance. I'm assuming also that it should be pretty solid in temp once I figure out the correct settings for vents and such.
Cranky, how much fiddling does your WSM need over the course of smoking a brisket or boston butt? I assume it holds temps pretty well?
SlaughterX
Banned
Just put together a new hybrid grill I got from Sam's Club for $200 a few days ago. Took me a couple of days to get it assembled, it didn't help that it was cold as shit both days I was doing it out in the garage (crazy ass IL weather). Anyway I went on to grill some brats, hot dogs,a couple of burgers, chicken wings, and 3 slabs of ribs. This was only my second time making ribs on the grill so I wasn't sure how well they would turn out. Used the rib video on allrecipes.com as reference, made my own dry rub and let them marinate over night. Cooked them on low for about 3 hours then put them in the over the next day for another 45 mins and they turned out pretty good. Took a slab to work and my co-workers tore em up.
A couple of days later threw a few filet Mignon on the propane side of the grill and they were good. Wish the grill had a smoker too, but the one that did wasn't worth the additional $150 in my opinion.
A couple of days later threw a few filet Mignon on the propane side of the grill and they were good. Wish the grill had a smoker too, but the one that did wasn't worth the additional $150 in my opinion.
I usually smoke 8-9 pound butts...it's really the first hour or two where you do the fiddling to get the temps stable.
I line my water bowl in heavy duty tin foil and then fill it with warm/hot tap water to keep the temps stable over long cooks (I don't use water when I make ribs because I only cook those for about 4-5 hours).
Always leave the top vent open (in my opinion)...only fiddle with the bottom 3. After some initial burn off of the wood chunks I put the meat on straight from the fridge (I don't let it warm up at all on the counter), I find this gives better smoke rings. After you put the meat on the smoker will run cold, so open the bottom 3 vents all the way until it reaches your target temp and then start your fiddling there. At this point I usually reduce to 1/4th on each vent since the fire is new.
Oh, and I also use the minion method for my long cooks. Look that up if you don't already know what it is.
I use a digital thermometer and hang the probe down inside the top vent to get my temps....never rely on the one that comes with the WSM. It could be off by as many at 50 degrees.
At that point I let the smoker do it's magic...I'm happy as long as the temps stay between 225-260. If you're smoking overnight you'll probably have readjust the vents and use a stick to get ash off the top of the coals. That'll kick the temps back up.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
A friend of mine has a Traeger and swears by it. It is a nice piece of technology, but it takes out alot of the fun and challenge I have when smoking. I probably will get one when that challenge isn't fun anymore, but that won't be any time soon. I also feel as though you need to get the background of smoking with a "regular" smoker first. You still need to learn the basics so that when things don't go right, you have a good guess why.
For me, there is nothing better than trying to adjust for outside temps, winds, types of fuel, etc. and then having it all come out perfect.
Awesome, sounds about like what I expected. Hope to have my first run sometime in the next week. I'm thinking of smoking at least one whole chicken so that I can obviously eat some then but also have chicken throughout the week for lunch.
Clockwork5
Member
Living in Kansas City, I feel genuinely spoiled by all of the amazing BBQ in this city. American Royal, FTW.
There is a spot called Oklahoma Joes that is in a gas station and anyone who knows anything about KC BBQ will tell you that place is a MUST. Their Z-Man sandwich is sublime. A kaiser bun, BBQ beef, two onion rings and provolone cheese. It is amazing...
I wish I cooked more BBQ myself, it just doesn't compare to what some of the places here in town are able to do.
There is a spot called Oklahoma Joes that is in a gas station and anyone who knows anything about KC BBQ will tell you that place is a MUST. Their Z-Man sandwich is sublime. A kaiser bun, BBQ beef, two onion rings and provolone cheese. It is amazing...
I wish I cooked more BBQ myself, it just doesn't compare to what some of the places here in town are able to do.
As a southerner that kind of makes me cringe, but it looks like an amazing sandwich at the same time.Living in Kansas City, I feel genuinely spoiled by all of the amazing BBQ in this city. American Royal, FTW.
There is a spot called Oklahoma Joes that is in a gas station and anyone who knows anything about KC BBQ will tell you that place is a MUST. Their Z-Man sandwich is sublime. A kaiser bun, BBQ beef, two onion rings and provolone cheese. It is amazing...
I wish I cooked more BBQ myself, it just doesn't compare to what some of the places here in town are able to do.
Yeah, that's a good point.
Nostalgic Nightmare
Member
CrankyJay is right on with his advice, and you are smart to start with chicken.
I highly, highly advise anyone getting into smoking on a WSM or offset to get this book. It is worth it's weight in gold, has some very short valuable lessons that will turn you into a smokemaster. Get this book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0762436093/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Choke on the Magic
Banned
Can they really compare to the BGE in performance?
BillRiccio
Member
I like to use quite a bit of brown sugar in my rub, to that I add garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and a dash of cumin. Start with a 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar and then just start adding the other stuff a little bit at a time to taste. Let the rub sit on the ribs for a couple hours in the fridge.
For sauce I like to use Sweet Baby Ray's as a base. I then add ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste. Heat it on the stove for at least twenty minutes on low.
A modded kettle? No...but if they're looking to see if smoking is there thing a kettle is an cheap investment, and if they don't want to smoke then they will have a grill.
Great book...
BTW...unless you can get your WSM temps up to 350+, I wouldn't bother eating the skin on the chicken..usually anything less will cause the chicken skin to turn out like leather unless you crisp it up on a grill afterwards (and even then the fat underneath may have completely rendered out)..
The skin will look amazing tho...it's such a tease.
That being said, brand new WSMs tend to run hot...so you may be in luck. Once in awhile I pile in as many coals as I can, open up all the vents full blast and don't put water in my pan and I still have trouble getting and keeping it above 350.
Take some of your rub and rub it under the skin too so it gets some flavoring.
I favor fruit woods (apple/cherry etc) for poultry...hickory tends to be a bit harsh on birds.
Put the smoker together last night and burned a small load of charcoal through it.. Definitely seems like that sucker needs a lot of charcoal to get hot. I was used to using that tiny piece of crap I had before. This thing is light years beyond that though in quality.
Think I'll make some of this tonight.
Think I'll make some of this tonight.
Put the smoker together last night and burned a small load of charcoal through it.. Definitely seems like that sucker needs a lot of charcoal to get hot. I was used to using that tiny piece of crap I had before. This thing is light years beyond that though in quality.
Think I'll make some of this tonight.
Did you get yourself a charcoal chimney?
Already had that. I just didn't have enough coals in there for it to get hot enough. Pretty sure of that. The smoker I used before was a toy compared to this thing. I need to post side by side pictures.
I'll be doing Minion method for the chicken tonight.
What kind of chicken are you doing? Leg quarters or a whole chicken? Either way you really don't need to do the minion method...that's more for 10+ hour long smokes.
Was planning on a whole chicken. From that article, thinking 2-3 hours at 325ish. I guess I don't really need the Minion method for that.
You could get buy on 1.5 or 2 (I would do 2) full chimneys (and when they say chimney they mean the Weber kind) of lit charcoal.
Yeah I have some other kind because I didn't feel like paying the Weber premium for that. So it's not quite as big as that, but I can fill it up all the way, but I'm assuming I could add it to some coals that weren't already lit and it'd be okay? Or should I do a full chimney, throw those coals in there, then do another chimney and throw those in when they're ready. Sorry for all the questions.
It's $15
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WEOQV8/?tag=neogaf0e-20
You could always put one unlit chimney full on the bottom of the WSM and then put the lit ones on top of the unlit and wait for them to turn white.
Then after all the coals on top are white, assemble the smoker, don't put water in the pan (line it with tin foil those to catch the drippings), and crank all the vents open all the way to get it up to 325-350.
The one I got is by Kingsford or something, I forget. I'll try your method you mentioned and will of course post pictures of the end product.
If it's not hot enough fire up another chimney and add it...
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
BTW, on the Traeger... as a smoker it's great, or baking with a lil' smoke flavor.
As a grill it's pretty lousy. They struggle to get up to 400+.. and you can only come close to a sear on the edges where the flames are since the middle doesn't get hot enough.
You can still do basic burgers and dogs.. but a good skirt steak, or hell just steak isn't good on it.
That said, I fixed my Traeger.. and the fucker broke again.. this time the digital control unit.
Debating when I'm gonna pay the $100 for a new one.
As a grill it's pretty lousy. They struggle to get up to 400+.. and you can only come close to a sear on the edges where the flames are since the middle doesn't get hot enough.
You can still do basic burgers and dogs.. but a good skirt steak, or hell just steak isn't good on it.
That said, I fixed my Traeger.. and the fucker broke again.. this time the digital control unit.
Debating when I'm gonna pay the $100 for a new one.
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