logout
help
framed forum
go pro
subscriptions
account
create thread
Food & Wine Ground >> GF got me a smoker for christmas!
| 12/25/08 2:16 PM | |
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30225 |
I knew I liked her for a reason!  I am already thinking about pulled pork sammies for the Motor City bowl tomorrow. Any website suggestions for tips and recipies? Sami? Mark |
| 12/26/08 8:56 AM | |
CR1chard
7 
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 7832 |
WTF kind of smoker is that? |
| 12/26/08 11:33 AM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30226 |
Electric. What it lacks in authentic-ness, it makes up in ease of use and consistant temperature. Mark Mark |
| 12/26/08 1:30 PM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30227 |
And it is insulated so I can get my smoke on in the winter. Mark |
| 12/26/08 5:58 PM | |
|
dunc
5
Member Since: 7/25/02 Posts: 5116 |
cool |
| 12/27/08 3:40 PM | |
|
Extendo
35
Member Since: 5/12/02 Posts: 12333 |
Looks almost identical to my Centro. It's been great but I hadn't considered checking the insulation for use in the winter. |
| 12/27/08 4:54 PM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30228 |
Yeah, its almost like a small fridge. Insulated SS box with tight sealing door. I've got 10# of baby back ribs in there now. I added a dry rub ot sugar, pepper, paprika, smoked spanish paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, ancho pepper powder, curry and salt. I am smoking it over mesquite and alder. 225F for about 3 hours. In the water pan I added water, porter, some whiskey and a bit of Dr Pepper. I've got a little store bought sauce - Sweet Baby Ray's I think. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. Mark |
| 12/27/08 4:56 PM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30229 |
ttt for Sami and Alpo's comments Mark |
| 12/28/08 12:41 PM | |
alxholic
50
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 57828 |
can you attach a chimney to that so you can smoke indoors? |
| 12/29/08 10:33 AM | |
crescentwrench
58
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 22477 |
I think that is the exact one I have. Does it have the hopper on the side for easy wood chip reloading without messing up the temperature? Because one thing about it, especially when it's cold, is mine takes a pretty good while to come up to temperature and it is slow to recover if I have to open the door for any reason. I can't just let in more air to the coals to give it a quick blast of heat like my old charcoal smoker. But I flippin' love mine. Screw authentic, I'll go for easy. If you tell me you can tell the difference I'll dig out your eye with my thumb. I've been telling everyone who will listen to throw in a couple of fatties when they break out their smoker. Just put them in the spaces between your main event and you'll have some outstanding snacking around. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 |
| 12/29/08 11:38 AM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30237 |
CW, Yeah, it has the hopper on the side. I haven't had much of a problem keeping the temp up. But I try to keep it closed as much as possible. As far as authentic, I have been adding a couple of lumps of lump charcoal to the smoker box. I read on the interwebs that the charcoal will add some combustion gases and help build a proper smoke ring. Mark |
| 12/29/08 5:56 PM | |
|
drunkenfighter
Member Since: 6/24/06 Posts: 2491 |
How do you find the heat distribution? Do you find that you are constantly rotating the racks? |
| 12/30/08 8:46 AM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30247 |
Heat distribution seems even, based on some of the limited experience I have with it. The unit's thermometer is in the top corner of the inside of the box. I put a second over thermometer inside to double-check the accuracy. Its dead-on, from what I saw. More importantly, it was near the bottom of the box, so the temp was pretty even. Mark |
| 12/30/08 8:47 AM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30248 |
I'm doing a couple of chickens today, so I will keep an eye on the temp distrbution. Mark |
| 12/30/08 10:37 AM | |
samichlaus
284
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 17269 |
Is that a Masterbuilt? I think smokers like that can make you a better cook because you'll spend more time refining your techniques and less time managing a firebox. Besides you'll be able to do things like load it with a brisket at bedtime on Saturday and have a great lunch on Sunday. Put a pork butt in before you go to work and enjoy pulled pork for dinner. A chuck roast is a favorite of mine as are short ribs. If you buy short bibs in the cryovac they're maybe $1.50 a pound. Packages are big, 20 pounds or so.   How did the ribs turn out? |
| 12/30/08 11:53 AM | |
|
crescentwrench
58
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 22480 |
Mark1 - CW, Wellllllll, I am skeptical of the entire idea of the smoke ring. I have read that it isn't smoke penetrating but just the protiens in the meat changing color because of the long slow cook time. But that's not going to stop me from putting a few lumps of charcoal in to see what it does though. You shouldn'g have any problems keeping your temperature even as long as you don't open that door more than absolutely necessary. You have a probe thermometer, right? I run my line out the vent on top and have a small wooden box that I keep up there so I can set my thermometer's transmitter in it without burning it out. |
| 12/30/08 12:20 PM | |
|
Extendo
35
Edited: 12/30/08 12:21 PM Member Since: 5/12/02 Posts: 12337 |
Mark1, from having a VERY similar smoker, I have found that the temp will stay consistent provided I'm not doing a lot of peaking. What does really vary though is the amount of smoke concentration based on which rack I use, and the amount of venting used up top. In any case, everything has turned out great so far. I'm sure you'll have no problems with it. I've started putting sausages on the top racks and have all the drippings run down and baste whatever I am cooking down on the lower levels. |
| 12/30/08 12:30 PM | |
|
samichlaus
284
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 17286 |
ATB's, jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, meat, and dry rub & wrapped in bacon are a hit around here.
|
| 12/30/08 12:43 PM | |
|
samichlaus
284
Edited: 12/30/08 12:43 PM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 17287 |
You gotta smoke a fatty. Buy yourself a log of breakfast sausage, the kind that you slice into patties and fry up. I like Jimmy Dean. The cheap stuff tends to be really inferior. Take a knife and cut the wrapper off being careful to maintain the shape of the log. Place it in the smoker at your normal temps for smoking. Take it to 160 or so around 3 hours, remove, slice, and enjoy. |
| 12/30/08 1:11 PM | |
|
samichlaus
284
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 17289 |
Stuffing the fatty is always an option.  
|
| 12/30/08 2:23 PM | |
|
drunkenfighter
Member Since: 6/24/06 Posts: 2492 |
sami is a meat genius! |
| 12/30/08 4:02 PM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30257 |
Sami, Yeah, its a Masterbuilt. The ribs came out good. I needed to really let the rub sit a while longer. It didn't develop a good bark like I wanted. It still had a bark, but not as good as I wanted. I did 2 chickens today. They turned out really good. As I pulled out the chicken, the leg came off when I barely touched it. I used apple and a bit of mesquite/alder. Price really isn't a big problem. I get my meats from Detroit's Eastern Market where shit is cheap as hell. I got my baby backs for like $1.69/# CW, I have probe thermo but it is not wired. Its a simple meat thermo that I jab in teh meaty goodness towards the end of the cooking. I also have a small round oven thermo that I leave in the box to double check the thermo on the controller. I didn't use any lump charcoal this time and I didn't get a pronounced smoke ring like I wanted. Don't get me wrong, it turned ou great, but I am trying to imitate a charcoal smoker as best possible. Extendo, I try to stack my stuff in a vertical line s much as possible so I capitalize on teh greezy goodness dripping down on top of the meats. I try to keep the top vent almost closed to keep in the smoke. If not, I have to add chips about every 30-40 minutes. With it almost closed, I can go for over an hour. Mark |
| 12/30/08 9:21 PM | |
|
crescentwrench
58
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 22481 |
Yeah I figured out to close off the vent too. It's not like a charcoal smoker where you have the chimney open all the way and control the flow from the box vent. BTW my favorite fatty was one where I mixed a little bit of bbq sauce in the sausage and then rolled the whole thing heavily in a brown sugar based dry rub. Second is the jalapeno cheddar, that's always gonna be win. |
| 1/1/09 12:18 PM | |
|
Mullet @ Heart
19
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 46777 |
Congrats on the smoker! I love mine too. I've thought about getting something more authentic, but the whole set it and forget it thing would be hard to give up. As far as smoke rings go, they're only for visual appeal, imo. If that's important to you, keep up with the lump charcoal. Personally, I never bother. Good, hellasimple fattie: Jimmie Dean Hot Breakfast sausage, rolled in brown sugar. Nice sweet/spicy combo. |
| 1/1/09 10:42 PM | |
|
Mark1
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 30306 |
Nah, I'm not doing a Fattie. Real greasy pork sausage and my belly don't get along real well. Pork ribs are about as greasy as I can handle. Mark |
Reply Post
You must log in to post a reply. Click here to login.
