Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
Chicken and sausage. Will dump the coals from my WSM into my kettle and get them screaming hot so I can try to get the chicken skin crispy.
You can't go wrong with smoked leg quarters! Looks good man
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BBQ GAF - Smokin' Your Meat, USA Style
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You can't go wrong with smoked leg quarters! Looks good man
First try with ribs over the weekend. Did 3 racks of STL style ribs on an 18" WSM using minion method. The built in thermometer said the temp was pretty steady at 225-240, but they cooked about 2 hours faster than expected (guide i was using said 5-6 and they were done in less than 4), were a bit tough and not very much bark. It seems like the built in thermometer was just wrong and it was running at a much higher temp? Or what else could have gone wrong?
Yah, first rule of the WSM. don't trust the built in thermometer. You're better off buying a separate digital thermometer.
Also, your ribs weren't done. Don't go by temp; you go by feel. The ribs meat should be poke thru tender with a tooth pick. Just the fact that your bark wasn't set tells me they weren't in there long enough.
Maverick seems to be the recommended brand for a thermometer? I would like the wireless capabilities.
Slackerish
Member
I have these, very happy with them.
Maverick ET-733 Long Range Wireless Dual Probe BBQ Smoker Meat Thermometer Set
Maverick Et-732 Remote Bbq Smoker Thermometer
On the subject of thermometers I just picked this cheap one up.
I haven't smoked with it but I have done some testing. Here are some quick impressions:
The range leaves something to be desired. it claims 100 feet but that number is clearly if there's nothing in it's path or other wireless interference. Through a cieling and a wall I'm probably getting 20-30 feet if that. I was able to move my grill to another part of the deck to solve this problem.
The display does it's job but having an option for a backlight would be nice.
The cord is short and the base lacks a clip to mount it to the handle. I pulled a chair next to the grill but I may tie it to the handle with butcher twine in the future.
The accuracy seems spot on judging by my oven. Now I know when I set my oven to 250 it ranges from 244 to 279.
This is designed for meat insertion so the alarm is useless for my purpose. Also there is no telling if you are out of range. The temperature just seems to stay as is.
Still I had a gift card so for $9.49 it'll get the job done and let me monitor the temp from indoors and not have to open the lid so often.
Should I just snake the cord under the lid or put it through a vent and if so which one?
I haven't smoked with it but I have done some testing. Here are some quick impressions:
The range leaves something to be desired. it claims 100 feet but that number is clearly if there's nothing in it's path or other wireless interference. Through a cieling and a wall I'm probably getting 20-30 feet if that. I was able to move my grill to another part of the deck to solve this problem.
The display does it's job but having an option for a backlight would be nice.
The cord is short and the base lacks a clip to mount it to the handle. I pulled a chair next to the grill but I may tie it to the handle with butcher twine in the future.
The accuracy seems spot on judging by my oven. Now I know when I set my oven to 250 it ranges from 244 to 279.
This is designed for meat insertion so the alarm is useless for my purpose. Also there is no telling if you are out of range. The temperature just seems to stay as is.
Still I had a gift card so for $9.49 it'll get the job done and let me monitor the temp from indoors and not have to open the lid so often.
Should I just snake the cord under the lid or put it through a vent and if so which one?
I'm making baby back ribs today. I'd like to serve them some time between 5:00 and 6:00. Does anyone have a recommendation for what time to put them on the smoker? Also do you have better luck smoking unwrapped the whole time or should I try the 2-2-1 method? I salted them last night and will apply the rub liberally with yellow mustard right before I put them on.
The Lamonster
Member
Need some advice on pork steaks (not chops). Should I prepare and cook these just like I would smoke STL ribs, just with less time? That seems to be the consensus but I wanted to run it by you guys first.
I'm using a Weber charcoal grill w/Slow 'n Sear setup. Pretty capable alternative to an actual smoker.
I'm using a Weber charcoal grill w/Slow 'n Sear setup. Pretty capable alternative to an actual smoker.
I'd put them on around 2pm. This is the best ribs recipe ever, and they recommend 3-4hrs for baby back ribs. I wouldn't bother wrapping. They mention the reasoning here. http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/best_BBQ_ribs_ever.html
I make loin back ribs and I always do them at 275, unwrapped for 3 to make an awesome bark and 1 foul wrapped with beer, brown sugar and agave nectar. After that they're basically done but I'll sometimes sauce them and smoke them unwrapped for another 20 minutes.
I hear 2-2-1 is awesome but the above method I use is Harry Soo's method and it has always worked for me.
Thanks. They went on at about 1:00. I read that so decided to try these one more time without wrapping. If they aren't tender enough I'll wrap next time.
This is what I'll try next time if these aren't fully tender, and maybe even if they are. That sounds tasty.
My smoke so far was a somewhat eventful one. This is my first time smoking with a wireless thermometer so maybe I'm just more aware of the temperature changes but I am struggling a bit to get the temperature where I want it. This is also the warmest day this season I smoked.
I am using the snake method in 2x2 format. I started with 8 lit Stubbs coals and while the temperature was rising it was doing so very slowly. I decided to add 6 more and that got it going at a good pace. I'm probably about a third of the way into my snake now and I cannot get it down to 225. Right now my temperature is at 240. I know today is hotter than my early spring smokes and Stubbs burns hotter and longer than Kingsford but I don't know how I can get the temperature lower. I have both the top and bottom vents at about 1/4 open and I'm not sure if it's safe to go lower than that. I don't want to put the fire completely out or get nasty smoke on the ribs. I also have a water pan in the middle of the snake. 240 is still a good temperature so I'm not worried about it but I am concerned for when the weather gets even hotter. It's only about 70*F today.
If you sign up for the forums here this PDF is a good read.
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?21030-PDF-The-BBQ-Wisdom-of-Harry-Soo
Anyway, I would just like to reiterate that any cooking times given in BBQ is just a guideline. Always check for doneness by tenderness and feel.
As I've mentioned before, I like to take a tooth pick and poke the meat in several places on a rack of ribs. It should slide through with ease, yet you don't want to overdo the ribs to the point where the meat falls into a shredded mess. Picking up a rack and giving it a bend test is also popular.
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?21030-PDF-The-BBQ-Wisdom-of-Harry-Soo
Anyway, I would just like to reiterate that any cooking times given in BBQ is just a guideline. Always check for doneness by tenderness and feel.
As I've mentioned before, I like to take a tooth pick and poke the meat in several places on a rack of ribs. It should slide through with ease, yet you don't want to overdo the ribs to the point where the meat falls into a shredded mess. Picking up a rack and giving it a bend test is also popular.
The Lamonster
Member
yeah, it's hard to take the temp on ribs. I've always had success with the bend test.
Some people like fall off the bone ribs.
Yeah. They're called geriatrics.
All kidding aside, the ribs I make come cleanly off the bone but will still tolerate a perfect bite mark without falling into a pile of mush. I guess that's what I prefer. I consider this the "medium rare" of rib doneness.
I did the bend test and the toothpick test. When I bent them they started to split. The toothpick entered with almost no resistance. The meat was tender, far more tender than my last batch. Still it wasn't fall off the none nor did it come cleanly off the bone. the bone was surrounded by a thin layer of what I assume would be cartilage. The bark, the meat and the flavor was phenomenal. This was absolutely my best batch to date. Maybe another half hour would have put them into the territory of coming cleanly off the bone.
I did the bend test and the toothpick test. When I bent them they started to split. The toothpick entered with almost no resistance. The meat was tender, far more tender than my last batch. Still it wasn't fall off the none nor did it come cleanly off the bone. the bone was surrounded by a thin layer of what I assume would be cartilage. The bark, the meat and the flavor was phenomenal. This was absolutely my best batch to date. Maybe another half hour would have put them into the territory of coming cleanly off the bone.
Perhaps. I also don't see any of the meat shrinkage such that the ends of the bones are exposed. I don't think the extra time would have hurt.
Still a good looking rack tho.
Some stuck out ever so slightly. Would the dry brine and low temp prevent too much shrinkage? Being relatively new to BBQ I seem to have a stronger fear of overcooking ribs rather than undercooking them. It seems slightly over would be preferable to slightly under.
Thanks. I get that a lot.
See, this is why I like BBQ. It's an art. I've had racks with meat shrinkage and bone exposure that still weren't tender enough. So there are a ton of metrics, none of which individually can tell you when BBQ is done, but all together create a full picture.
Mr. Giggles
Member
Hey guys, Quick advice. I may have room finally for a smoker but its not much space. Any particular brands someone could recommend that gets the job done?
I have about 4X4 square feet to work with
Muchos Gracias
I have about 4X4 square feet to work with
Muchos Gracias
I love Webers and they have great customer service and warranties. Do you already have a grill? A 22" kettle of your choice with a Slow N Sear insert will give you a great grill and a great smoker in one. If you don't ever plan on grilling the Weber Smokey Mountain is a good choice.
What is your budget and what are you looking for? They make gas and electric smokers that are essentially set it and forget it but they don't produce food that is as tasty as smokers that use charcoal or wood as the fuel source.
do you have room to store charcoal, wood, and tools? Getting a smoker isnt just getting a smoker, they require a lot of other things, unless you want to go to the store to buy charcoal every time you want to smoke.
Mr. Giggles
Member
I do have a grill, I hadn't considered that option (bolded)
My budget is up to $600 US, I would prefer electric but I can work with anything
I'll check out the Webers
Yes I do, I already have all those for my grill =D
What grill do you currently have? Also why are you leaning towards electric?
Edit:Article on electric smokers.
Edit:Article on electric smokers.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
With your limited space I would recommend a weber smokey mountain. They get a lot of positive feedback in here and outside of GAF.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
If you only want a smoker, go with a Weber Smokey Mountain. I would even get the 14.5 inch one. That is more than enough room unless you are cooking for a bunch of people.
Get the 18.5. You wouldn't be able to fit a proper brisket on the 14
An 18.5 (I have one) struggles with anything over 13lbs. Occasionally I have to cut off the nose of the flat to get it to fit.
Get a pit barrel cooker!
RobotChant
Member
Heads up.. Check walmart. The past few weeks people have been finding the spirit 210/310 for $200/$300. Some lucky few have found the genesis 330 discounted also. Ymmv
Genesis is a good entry. I still have my 2003 model. I'm still able to find parts for it at Home Depot.
Not even a 14" WSM would fit in your space?
UltimaPooh
Member
Looking to buy a gas grill.
What should I look for? What is the best in the 400-600 dollar range?
Outside of covering it and cleaning it... what are some good ways to keep rust out from happening quickly?
What should I look for? What is the best in the 400-600 dollar range?
Outside of covering it and cleaning it... what are some good ways to keep rust out from happening quickly?
For that range, I'd recommend a Weber spirit, unless you can find a Weber Genesis on sale. It should come with a cover. The porcelain on those will help prevent it from rusting out. That's about it. Unless you want to keep it on your shed or garage every winter.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
Having my first go at Moink Balls stuffed with cheese. Will report back.
Mr. Giggles
Member
Oh god, pm me the recipe please
LocknessMobster
Member
Been wanting that genesis bad! No luck here tho on sale pricing.
The Lamonster
Member
Smoking pork steaks today...225° for 2 hours so far.
UltimaPooh
Member
Ended up getting a Spirit.
Today I'm just gonna do some simple grilling on it.
Tomorrow we'll get fancy.
Thanks for the help!
No problem. As I've mentioned previously, my Weber from 2003 is still going strong with minimum money spent by me to replace parts (igniter, has tubes, flavor bars)
I bought a 6.4 lb spare rib today. It is never frozen, but has up to 12% solution in it. I got it since it was dirt cheap and so far have only found baby backs around me. Because of the salt water solution in it I'll probably skip the dry brine and just rub them with my salt-free rub. Any tips for spares or big ribs? Should I trim them to St. Louis style? If so what do I do with what I trim off?
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
One hour in, with some sauce brushed on.
I'm also smoking a couple of jalapenos and a pablano pepper for the hummus I'm making later.
tick tock, tick tock, tick tock ...
I'm also smoking a couple of jalapenos and a pablano pepper for the hummus I'm making later.
tick tock, tick tock, tick tock ...
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
I would but I didn't like the way they turned out. Too much sausage and I probably should have used the fatty ground beef instead of chuck. They tasted good though, just not great.
Do you have a water pan or otherwise spray your meat? They look fucking glorious.Pork and Brisket starting to come together
I think it was a little too windy yesterday, I really had to babysit the smoker. I smoked a pork shoulder yesterday, and it took 12 fucking hours to @200-225 be reach 205. I totally mistimed it so I was up till almost mid-night. It looks great and tastes great, but man what a chore.
On an higher note, I got to smoke my Canadian Bacon this morning it turned out awesome.
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/canadian_bacon.html
On an higher note, I got to smoke my Canadian Bacon this morning it turned out awesome.
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/canadian_bacon.html
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