|
red19fire posted:I'm smoking a pork tenderloin and tried your advice. Started the coals, immediately moved the vents to a sliver up top and bottom. It hung around 300, nearly closed the vents to choke it out to 250, then when I put in the meat & smoke chips it dropped to 215 and has stayed there for 2 hours or so with a steady stream of thin blue smoke out the top. Amazing. Full disclosure: I am a complete newb at smoking and only got my grill yesterday, but I've been obsessively reading for a week. SO anyway, because of the insulation, kamado grills are extremely efficient. It really doesn't take much at all to keep the temp in the low 200's and they "sip" the coals rather than chug them, so you can keep it at 225 for up to 24 hours on just one bowl of coal. Also, most people recommend using wood chunks rather than chips in a kamado. That way, you shouldn't have to worry about adding coal or wood for the entirety of your cook. Just 4-5 lumps mixed in with your coal should do the trick, and no need to soak it.
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 21:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 04:40 |
|
|
Mikey Purp posted:Full disclosure: I am a complete newb at smoking and only got my grill yesterday, but I've been obsessively reading for a week. Yeah, I'm going to get chunks soon, I have a ton of chips from one of those gas grill smoke box things I'm trying to use up first. Also I don't think I used enough coals, it dropped from 215 to 190 after hour 3, might have the bottom vent too choked. Either way the meat's been holding steady at 155, another hour should do it. VV Yes, biggest chunk of meat i had in the freezer yesterday. red19fire fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Jun 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 22:03
|
|
|
Smoking a pork tenderloin? 
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 22:03
|
|
|
red19fire posted:Yeah, I'm going to get chunks soon, I have a ton of chips from one of those gas grill smoke box things I'm trying to use up first. Also I don't think I used enough coals, it dropped from 215 to 190 after hour 3, might have the bottom vent too choked. Either way the meat's been holding steady at 155, another hour should do it. Smoking pork loin is fine. You should have pulled it at 140-145 though. 155 is already overcooked for pork loin. Pull it off, let it rest, open the lid of the smoker up all of the way to let the remaining coals get super hot, then actually grill it quickly for some color/more flavor.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 22:09
|
|
|
Pork tenderloin should be pulled around 140- 145 it's only going to get tougher/ drier after that. EFB
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 22:09
|
|
|
Not too bad, solid bark and decent smoke ring: It was fairly moist when i pulled it from resting, like dripping juices, I think putting it back on the searing grill dried it out more. Still, I'm more than happy with my second smoking attempt. Tomorrow my dad is going to try St. Louis ribs according to Cook's illustrated, instead of hours of Youtube pitmaster advice. red19fire fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jun 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 03:58
|
|
|
BraveUlysses posted:Smoking a pork tenderloin? red19fire posted:VV Yes, biggest chunk of meat i had in the freezer yesterday. The problem with throwing tenderloin on the grill after smoking is that to grill it starting from refrigerator temperatures you only need like 15-20 minutes to get it to medium, so anything more than a few seconds per side is just going to ruin it if it's already hot. It doesn't cook any better slow than it does fast, it cooks too quickly to form a bark over low heat, and the flavors aren't even complemented very well by the addition of smoke versus just rubbing it in smoked paprika. Vulture Culture fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Jun 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 05:33
|
|
|
red19fire posted:I'm smoking a pork tenderloin and tried your advice. Started the coals, immediately moved the vents to a sliver up top and bottom. It hung around 300, nearly closed the vents to choke it out to 250, then when I put in the meat & smoke chips it dropped to 215 and has stayed there for 2 hours or so with a steady stream of thin blue smoke out the top. Amazing. I load up my keg with Mogu lump and large chunks of wood. Unless I open the vents wide to clean it like an oven afterward, The charcoal and wood are only barely used up even after 14 hour smokes. The IQ system and the 2-probe thermo were great investments. It is literally set and forget. edit: We had a ton of salmon from last weeks smoke and gave a bit away. Rave reviews. Leg of lamb is on the docket for tomorrow. Cartouche fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Jun 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 15:14
|
|
|
I seem to be having an uncommon problem with my akorn...I can't get it super hot. I tend to cap out around 450* with both vents wide open unless I really blow air through the bottom. I put a pile of about 2-3lbs of lump charcoal in the bottom, light it with a weber cube, and leave the lid open for 10 minutes or so before closing it with the vents open. What am I doing wrong? Should I use a chimney? Use more coal?
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 19:24
|
|
|
Mikey Purp posted:I seem to be having an uncommon problem with my akorn...I can't get it super hot. I tend to cap out around 450* with both vents wide open unless I really blow air through the bottom. I put a pile of about 2-3lbs of lump charcoal in the bottom, light it with a weber cube, and leave the lid open for 10 minutes or so before closing it with the vents open. What am I doing wrong? Should I use a chimney? Use more coal? When was the last time you gave it a good clean. What you are describing sounds like it is being choked for oxygen from a build up of ash.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 19:32
|
|
|
It's brand new, only cooked with it three times, but each time I was hoping for searing temps.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 19:43
|
|
|
Mikey Purp posted:I seem to be having an uncommon problem with my akorn...I can't get it super hot. I tend to cap out around 450* with both vents wide open unless I really blow air through the bottom. I put a pile of about 2-3lbs of lump charcoal in the bottom, light it with a weber cube, and leave the lid open for 10 minutes or so before closing it with the vents open. What am I doing wrong? Should I use a chimney? Use more coal? Sometimes I have luck opening the top vent wide and throttling down the lower one. The hotter it gets, the more air is sucked from below at a faster rate, and it seems to really stoke the coals much like blowing on an ember to get it to light. YMMV as that is with my broil king keg.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 22:01
|
|
|
I don't know if anyone else needs to stock up, but Home Depot is selling two 18.6lb bags of Kingsford charcoal for $9.88 this weekend.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 22:52
|
|
|
Mikey Purp posted:It's brand new, only cooked with it three times, but each time I was hoping for searing temps. Not sure how much 2-3lbs is filling up the Akorn, but possibly try putting less charcoal in when you want to get it super hot, and make sure they are larger pieces.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 22:54
|
|
|
My 4ish lb pork butt had its probe ping after around 4ish hours. Around 1/3rd of it pulled perfectly, 1/3rd pulled with some struggle, the remaining 1/3rd I just chopped. That remaining 1/3rd looked like it still had some fat throughout. I'm guessing next time it's perfectly safe to put it back in the put and keep smoking until it pulls? Or did I screw something up wherein I put the probe in the wrong place? I put it dead center, definitely not touching bone. Temp didn't go above 250 , it stayed roughly 225-250 ranged throughout the cook.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 22:57
|
|
|
MJP posted:My 4ish lb pork butt had its probe ping after around 4ish hours. Around 1/3rd of it pulled perfectly, 1/3rd pulled with some struggle, the remaining 1/3rd I just chopped. Sounds like your probe needs to be calibrated. Even a 4 pound butt is unlikely to be done in 4 hours. I've gotten anal about things - I've got the probe of the Maverick in to get the general idea of temp, but I've also got a couple of Weber digitals that I use for checking temp in other parts of the meat each time I crack the lid. When it comes to butt, I use 6.5 hours as the minimum time at 225-250. I don't care how big it is, it's just not going to be done before then. Remember - it's not so much about the weight as it is the thickness. Distance to center determines time to completion.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 23:32
|
|
|
ada shatan posted:Sounds like your probe needs to be calibrated. Even a 4 pound butt is unlikely to be done in 4 hours. I've gotten anal about things - I've got the probe of the Maverick in to get the general idea of temp, but I've also got a couple of Weber digitals that I use for checking temp in other parts of the meat each time I crack the lid. Even though the parts that required slicing were done, though? I mean, was it just a lean chunk of the butt that wouldn't have been broken down by the fat, or was it just my lovely luck?
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 02:20
|
|
|
MJP posted:Even though the parts that required slicing were done, though?
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 02:49
|
|
|
Vulture Culture posted:You're cooked through and safe to eat in like 2-3 hours, or whenever your meat comes to about 145 degrees (medium for pork). The rest of the cook time is bringing the meat slowly to a temperature where collagen breakdown happens and your connective tissues liquefy (around 190-205 degrees, depending on when you like to pull). You're removing the meat from heat well beyond when you would consider the meat well-done. I think that brings up a good point - what temp did you actually pull it at?
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 12:27
|
|
|
I had smoked BBQ brisket yesterday that was so tough and chewy it was almost inedible. I have no idea how you do that to brisket and I wanted to cry.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 18:49
|
|
|
Yodzilla posted:I had smoked BBQ brisket yesterday that was so tough and chewy it was almost inedible. I have no idea how you do that to brisket and I wanted to cry. brisket can be a tough thing to master, but bad brisket makes me want to cry as well. is anyone here using the Slow N Sear with their Weber kettle? thinking about picking one up now that my smoker is half way across the country. seems like a pretty useful addition!
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 19:38
|
|
|
The Midniter posted:This may be a dumb question but what's the difference between an electric smoker and the manual kind as pictured in Mackieman's post above? How does an electric smoker even work? To tell you the truth I don't quite know, but hopefulluy you can find the answer OP.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 00:31
|
|
|
365 Nog Hogger posted:To tell you the truth I don't quite know, but hopefulluy you can find the answer OP. Nice 4 year old quote there.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 01:33
|
|
|
Yodzilla posted:I had smoked BBQ brisket yesterday that was so tough and chewy it was almost inedible. I have no idea how you do that to brisket and I wanted to cry. Even worse, think about how much you spent on that bad boy. Ive given up on brisket. The two ive done have come out well but my weber smokey mountain has gone out both times (14in model) in driving rain no less. I mainly only do short time smokes now. Ribs and chicken. Did some bangin thigh quarters today. One hour on smoke, toss in sauce, grill on high heat for 2 mins a side.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 03:06
|
|
|
Bob A Feet posted:Even worse, think about how much you spent on that bad boy. Ive given up on brisket. The two ive done have come out well but my weber smokey mountain has gone out both times (14in model) in driving rain no less.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 05:49
|
|
|
Vulture Culture posted:Ouch, yeah, you'd have a hard time convincing me to do brisket on a smoker that size just on account of coal capacity. Even my 22.5" usually needs a coal reload around the 4 or 5-hour mark. What type of coal are you using? Are you using water? My 18.5" with a full ring of coals using the minion method doesn't need extra coals until the 14 hour mark with a dry pan and probably 10ish with water. You will get a bit of temp drop off at 4-5 hours from the coals ashing up but you just wait for the ash to fall off or give the legs a swift kick. I know the 22.5 is a larger ring but the coal should last longer than 5 hours unless you are running the vents all the way open or have air leaks.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 09:13
|
|
|
Vulture Culture posted:Ouch, yeah, you'd have a hard time convincing me to do brisket on a smoker that size just on account of coal capacity. Even my 22.5" usually needs a coal reload around the 4 or 5-hour mark. Yeah if I had to do it again, I'd buy the bigger one. Ribs without a wire rib rack are impossible. Chicken is pretty much my go-to which is good because I don't have the attention span for longer smokes.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 12:51
|
|
|
There's absolutely no reason to avoid doing an over 10lb butt on a medium wsm. That smoker is an absolute beast. Even with a bge I miss mine from time to time. Also use royal oak lump charcoal. Cheap, readily available nationwide, and with the minion method it worked quite well for me.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 13:06
|
|
|
I did an 11lb brisket on my 14.5 WSM without needing to add more charcoal in 68-74F weather. I've had to add charcoal to smokes twice. Once on a big pork butt with lots of volume and once when I first started and was going by lid temperature and had the vents full open for hours wondering why it wouldn't go above 225F.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 13:13
|
|
|
Last night I smoked 3 nearly 2" porterhouses following this Serious Eats recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/06/slow-smoked-porterhouse-steak-recipe.html It tasted amazing. I smoked with oak and it had just the right amount/hint of smokiness and they were ridiculously tender. Pretty hilarious to slow cook/smoke something that still comes out rare/medium-rare.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 13:25
|
|
|
Pubic Lair posted:What type of coal are you using? Are you using water? My 18.5" with a full ring of coals using the minion method doesn't need extra coals until the 14 hour mark with a dry pan and probably 10ish with water. You will get a bit of temp drop off at 4-5 hours from the coals ashing up but you just wait for the ash to fall off or give the legs a swift kick. I usually fill the pan with just enough water to keep the air moist during the initial 2-3h application of smoke, then back off and leave the pan dry for the remainder of the cook. And yes, my 22.5" has air leaks -- they basically all come with them unless you fix them. One of these days I'll get around to ordering that Cajun Bandit door and some kind of better gaskets.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 14:22
|
|
|
Vulture Culture posted:And yes, my 22.5" has air leaks -- they basically all come with them unless you fix them. One of these days I'll get around to ordering that Cajun Bandit door and some kind of better gaskets. Same. Mine has insane leaks. Actually, maybe I can borrow my buddy's FLIR and take pictures of said leaks. Then I can address them directly. Anyone have luck using high temp silicone as a gasket maker on their cookers? Just brainstorming but I have access to some and that could work better than nothing at all, at least until I blow $200 at Cajun bandit for the big 22.5 kit with everything... I typically run out of coals around the 9-10 hour mark but I also fill the pan with water. I think if I could fix the air leaks it would probably be perfect. I use the Kingsford competition briquettes from Costco that are currently on sale for about $15 for two big bags.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 17:12
|
|
|
My 18.5 was brand new when I posted the bacon lattice in this thread and now 8-10 smokes later it's gotten really seasoned and is so much easier to cook with. I think it was equal parts seasoning, adjusting the vents and waiting 20 minutes before messing with them again, and just getting the confidence to leave it alone without dicking with the vents every time the temp moves a few degrees.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 19:53
|
|
|
Bob A Feet posted:Even worse, think about how much you spent on that bad boy. Ive given up on brisket. Ha, thankfully I wasn't the one who made it. I've yet to attempt brisket myself but it's on my short list.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 19:56
|
|
|
Pubic Lair posted:just getting the confidence to leave it alone without dicking with the vents every time the temp moves a few degrees. This was the biggest lesson for me and the 18.5 as well. Especially if you have a ambient temp thermometer. It sometimes varies as much as 5-10 degrees, but then will go back to whatever it was holding at. When I first started smoking with it I would run out to adjust the vents and end up making it worse.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 22:03
|
|
|
McSpankWich posted:This was the biggest lesson for me and the 18.5 as well. Especially if you have a ambient temp thermometer. It sometimes varies as much as 5-10 degrees, but then will go back to whatever it was holding at. When I first started smoking with it I would run out to adjust the vents and end up making it worse.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 22:16
|
|
|
One of the hardest and most important things about smoking is resisting the urge to tinker and just leave things alone.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2016 02:08
|
|
|
I'm pretty sure beer drinking is for resisting that urge.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2016 02:12
|
|
|
My wife got me a WSM 18" for my birthday/father's day this year so I'm looking forward to trying it out this weekend. I'm going to try an easy, quick smoke for my first go as I'm pretty much a charcoal idiot as well. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reading in here.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2016 21:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 04:40 |
|
|
dreesemonkey posted:My wife got me a WSM 18" for my birthday/father's day this year so I'm looking forward to trying it out this weekend. I'm going to try an easy, quick smoke for my first go as I'm pretty much a charcoal idiot as well. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reading in here. It's hard to mess up pork shoulder/ pulled pork. Though it is not "quick". Just remember to LEAVE IT ALONE. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2016 21:22
|
|
