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Jan 23, 2021 16:33
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 00:57 |
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Lookit that lil guy. Edit: I bet it's super efficient fuel wise.
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Jan 23, 2021 18:45
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McSpankWich posted:Lookit that lil guy. Probably hit 900F with a single lump of charcoal and last long enough to cook a whole deer, piece by piece.
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Jan 24, 2021 03:17
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I took the little guy out for a spin yesterday, and attempted to do a beer-can chicken on the grill at around 350. I'm still a little fuzzy on how exactly pre-heating one of these works - I started by lighting the fire with all the vents open, waiting until it hit around my desired temp, then sealing off the vents to where I thought they should be, hoping it would maintain. It... did not. A few minutes later, it had dipped below 200. Next, I tried lighting the fire and STARTING with my vents in the proper settings, but then it didn't seem to heat up, or at least if it did, it heated very slowly. (Maybe I underestimated how long this would take?) I think maybe part of the problem was that my coals weren't hot enough overall/my heat wasn't evenly distributed? After trying and failing a few times to light it on my own, I broke down and used the electric firestarter, which got all my charcoal burning and white-hot, which was good. But then I had a hell of a time keeping my temperature at around 350. I kept making adjustments, but it really wanted to go up. (Maybe I had too much charcoal that time?) Finally, when it went over 450, I called it quits and finished the chicken off in the oven to get it to temp. It still tasted good and had plenty of smokey flavor, but I am slightly disappointed.
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Jan 24, 2021 15:39
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Just use a cheap chimney to start the coals before putting them in. I've also had success using match light coals as long as you let the kerosene burn out completely before putting your wood chunks on. This means a white ash formed on all of the coals. Also friends don't let friends make beer can chicken. Take it from our lord and savior, Meathead Godwin, owner of AmazingRibs.com https://youtu.be/6oiXjJb-7BY
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Jan 24, 2021 15:49
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um excuse me posted:
Hahahaha, this rules. This was actually my first time making beer can chicken, and now I will not waste beer on it again. I only chose it because I was looking through the list of "selected recipes" that came with the grill for something I could do in one evening, and it was the first thing that popped out at me - I guess I could/should have just used it to make regular ol' roast chicken (since that's that I was making anyway, turns out.) Yeah, I think I'm going to invest in a chimney and some hi-temp grilling gloves before I take this out for a spin again. I've never actually really used charcoal except for some occasional weber grills for hot dogs and burgers or whatever, so this is all new!
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Jan 24, 2021 15:59
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Spatchcock and butterflying chicken is the way to go if you want to use a whole chicken. If you're looking for fast Kielbasa smokes in a couple of hours. You can also do chicken wings pretty fast which are also awesome. Turkey legs are another classic that doesn't require a ton of time to cook, minus the day or so of prep.
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Jan 24, 2021 16:04
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um excuse me posted:Spatchcock and butterflying chicken is the way to go if you want to use a whole chicken. If you're looking for fast Kielbasa smokes in a couple of hours. You can also do chicken wings pretty fast which are also awesome. Turkey legs are another classic that doesn't require a ton of time to cook, minus the day or so of prep. Salmon is super fast too. How good it is will be directly related to where it’s from though. I find that farmed Atlantic salmon is kinda meh, while wild caught west-coast salmon makes my knees wobbly.
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Jan 24, 2021 18:27
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When hot smoking salmon it's also super important to stay under 180 degree cooking temp. If you go over that for too long the salmon releases this nasty gunk that absorbs acrid smoke and tastes like rear end. You can scrape it off afterwards and the fish will still be pretty good, but yeah. Cheese is similar in that of you smoke it too hot the oil it releases to the surface burns instead of flavors, and then when it pulls back in as it cools it distributes throughout making the cheese almost entirely inedible. And yeah cold smoked sockeye salmon definitely in the top 3 things I've smoked. It was incredible
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Jan 24, 2021 19:19
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drat gotta say smokin a tri tip was super easy. Did like 250-300 for an hour til it got to like 110 and then seared it on high heat til 130 inside. It was beautiful and easy. Definitely recommend:
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Jan 31, 2021 01:51
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Bob A Feet posted:drat gotta say smokin a tri tip was super easy. Did like 250-300 for an hour til it got to like 110 and then seared it on high heat til 130 inside. It was beautiful and easy. Definitely recommend: This is what i wanna do next so much. What were your sides? Just lookin for inspiration.
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Jan 31, 2021 08:54
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I just made frozen French fries and some roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Nothing crazy. I had no where near a perfect smoke either. Unless I’m crazy it seems fool proof like reverse searing a steak
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Jan 31, 2021 21:40
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ZombieCrew posted:This is what i wanna do next so much. What were your sides? Just lookin for inspiration. When we do smoked tri-tips we usually serve it with either broccoli/cauliflower that is lightly grilled or maybe some prosciutto wrapped asparagus with a light balsamic drizzle. Meat and veg. Maybe we skewer some pearl onions and grill those, too. Basically, grilled veg to go with grilled steak is great.
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Jan 31, 2021 23:26
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Grill everything all the time
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Feb 1, 2021 01:24
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I have apparently been entered into a meatloaf smoking competition this summer. I have never smoked meatloaf before, but my father-in-law seems to think I’ll be able to figure it out.
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Feb 1, 2021 02:46
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If I we're going to entered into a competition, meatloaf is a good start, ground beef is cheap to practice on, though I'll bet the try hards grind their own blends.
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Feb 1, 2021 02:48
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um excuse me posted:If I we're going to entered into a competition, meatloaf is a good start, ground beef is cheap to practice on, though I'll bet the try hards grind their own blends. I’m just going to have fun with it. Right off the bat I’m thinking something like bison and bacon with like a duck or chicken liver pate’ in the middle for some insane richness. Might be good, or might be gross. Luckily I have a few months to experiment. Like a savory Cadbury egg 
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Feb 1, 2021 03:02
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Bloodfart McCoy posted:Like a savory Cadbury egg I’m never going to be able to look at a scotch egg the same way again.
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Feb 1, 2021 03:30
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I've done a couple smoked meatloaves and enjoyed the hell out of them. I've done the one from Serious Eats, amazing ribs, and Alton Brown's. The SE one is, as usually, a few more steps than most other recipes, but it's dynamite flavor wise. It has a good glaze as is, but I'd also ad a good bit of Worcestershire to it. Alton Brown's is probably my runner up, and is a decent bit less involved to make, too. Only suggestion I'd have it to make sure and use some foil or parchment under the loaf between it and your smoker's grill rack. It's messy as hell and can easily start to fall apart as you take it off the grate. Otherwise, have fun with it- Meat loaf is pretty easy because there's not really a stall, and it just has to hit about 155-160 to be done. If you do add a lot of really rich pieces I'd make sure to pair it with a more acidic than sweet glaze so that it helps cut through a bit of the heavy-ness.
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Feb 1, 2021 03:49
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Planning to pick up a WSM 18" from a guy who is seeking because he has too many smokers. Only asking $125 for it. I'm pumped!
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Feb 5, 2021 14:47
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I’ve got an electric Masterbuilt and the water pan is rusty—don’t have time to get it all off before smoking today. What are the chances that throwing some aluminum foil over the surface of the water pan will work? The smoker itself is seasoned just fine, it’s just this water pan that makes me nervous. Does it even matter for 1-2hrs smoking? Maybe I try and get a new one after this? For ref I don’t smoke a ton, I made a mistake by leaving water in the water pan for awhile and now it’s quite rusted—so much so that vinegar and lemon juice didn’t really work. But I need it for one more short smoke. All other components, racks etc are clean and fine
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Feb 5, 2021 15:02
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life is killing me posted:I’ve got an electric Masterbuilt and the water pan is rusty—don’t have time to get it all off before smoking today. What are the chances that throwing some aluminum foil over the surface of the water pan will work? The smoker itself is seasoned just fine, it’s just this water pan that makes me nervous. Does it even matter for 1-2hrs smoking? Maybe I try and get a new one after this? I never use my water pan except to be there to catch drippings... You don't need it. I cover mine with foil to make it easier to clean but I never use it for water.
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Feb 5, 2021 15:37
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life is killing me posted:I’ve got an electric Masterbuilt and the water pan is rusty—don’t have time to get it all off before smoking today. What are the chances that throwing some aluminum foil over the surface of the water pan will work? The smoker itself is seasoned just fine, it’s just this water pan that makes me nervous. Does it even matter for 1-2hrs smoking? Maybe I try and get a new one after this? Interesting. I've been using my MES at least twice a month for going on 10 years and literally did not know that they called what I have been using as just the primary grease collection pan, a "water pan". I have never put water in it, just emptied grease, and if I specifically wanted to collect and use the grease, lined it with foil before a cook. To your specific question, yeah, just wrapping it in foil will be fine. If you are still super nervous about it though just take it out and put another ceramic/stainless bowl wrapped in foil for easy cleaning on the floor right under where the WATER PAN normally hangs. Edit: Trastion posted:I never use my water pan except to be there to catch drippings... You don't need it. I cover mine with foil to make it easier to clean but I never use it for water. Ok, glad I am not the only one!
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Feb 5, 2021 15:39
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I’m relatively new to smoking, as in I’ve only gotten to use my smoker a small handful of times, so I had been under the impression that it needed humidity from water in that pan based on instructions and recipes I’ve read and used. Of course, Masterbuilt’s own instruction booklet with this electric smoker and their recipes mention adding different liquids like lemon juice and such, which I’ve since learned add zero of their flavor to the meats and only water should really be used in there if anything—a’la Meathead, whose book I’ve been reading religiously and has gotten me back into smoking. Thanks for the advice, I’ll cover with foil and maybe not put any water in it. If it matters for anything practical, the pork shoulder is going to be in a sous vide water bath from later this morning to tomorrow morning before being dried off and rubbed again then smoked.
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Feb 5, 2021 15:51
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life is killing me posted:I’m relatively new to smoking, as in I’ve only gotten to use my smoker a small handful of times, so I had been under the impression that it needed humidity from water in that pan based on instructions and recipes I’ve read and used. I use a water pan but I’m not sure if I just use it out of habit, and not sure if humidity impacts the tenderness or not. My first few smokes I didn’t use it at all and my meat was coming out bitter, covered in like a little layer of ashy soot. I figured it was the drippings hitting the coals and producing oily smoke. I thought if I used the water pan the drippings would just fall into the water and not hit the coals. Haven’t had any issues with bitterness or soot since, so now I just do it every time.
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Feb 5, 2021 16:11
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I just recently got a rust hole in my MES water pan and I used aluminum foil to allow it to hold water. I think the issue is storing it with the water pan where it normally goes. Any water that gets in ends up there. So I'd suggest folks store it in a rack upsidedown inside the smoker.
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Feb 5, 2021 16:19
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If I use water in my water pan, it's to keep the temperature stable more than to create steam. The extra thermal mass helps, especially at low 225ish temperatures.
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Feb 5, 2021 16:27
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What do folks think of rib preps that involve Dr Pepper or rootbeer? Never tried it myself but I can see how it might end up tasty.
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Feb 5, 2021 16:29
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Bloodfart McCoy posted:I use a water pan but I’m not sure if I just use it out of habit, and not sure if humidity impacts the tenderness or not. My first few smokes I didn’t use it at all and my meat was coming out bitter, covered in like a little layer of ashy soot. I figured it was the drippings hitting the coals and producing oily smoke. I thought if I used the water pan the drippings would just fall into the water and not hit the coals. Haven’t had any issues with bitterness or soot since, so now I just do it every time. Infinite Karma posted:If I use water in my water pan, it's to keep the temperature stable more than to create steam. The extra thermal mass helps, especially at low 225ish temperatures. Yeah, a water pan in a charcoal smoker like the WSM is a necessity (even if you fill it with sand instead of water to keep humidity down), but OP was talking about his electric smoker.
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Feb 5, 2021 16:31
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life is killing me posted:I’ve got an electric Masterbuilt and the water pan is rusty—don’t have time to get it all off before smoking today. What are the chances that throwing some aluminum foil over the surface of the water pan will work? The smoker itself is seasoned just fine, it’s just this water pan that makes me nervous. Does it even matter for 1-2hrs smoking? Maybe I try and get a new one after this? Rust wont matter. You arent using the water pan as a cooking surface. Just dont drink the water when you are done.
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Feb 5, 2021 23:36
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I made bacon for the first time in like 8 years. It took about 9 days and turned out great! A great balance of smokey, sweet and salty. It can be hard to find pork belly at your local grocery store. I went to my local Mexican market and picked up a 4LB piece for about $4 a pound. I strongly recommend having the butcher remove the skin if you can. The skin should be removed and it's a pain in the rear end to do yourself. It can also be a pain to find pink curing salt at your grocery store, I picked mine up at a local Asian market. The meat before brining.  One week after brining, the meat was flipped every day to help the brine coat evenly. The meat was rinsed to remove salt and then sat in the fridge overnight on a wire rack to dry out.  The belly on the smoker my old Trager grill.  It smoked for about 2 hours at 170 before it reached 150 degrees internal temp. It's technically safe to eat as it's over 145 but it's not crispy at all at this point.  I cut it with a large knife and the cuts are thick. If you have a meat slicer you can make thinner bacon.  A simple breakfast of bacon and eggs.  I followed this recipe: https://meatwave.com/recipes/homemade-maple-cured-bacon-recipe Next time I will probably get an 8 pound belly and have it split into two batches. I want to try a couple different brines like a spicy bacon and a black pepper bacon. mysteryberto fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Feb 5, 2021 |
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Feb 5, 2021 23:46
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Yeah it’s my electric smoker.ZombieCrew posted:Rust wont matter. You arent using the water pan as a cooking surface. Just dont drink the water when you are done. See I was thinking it was gonna like be in the humidity floating around and make its way to the food. I know a small amount of rust won’t hurt if it’s just a spot or two though. I just was afraid with no rational reason I guess, but still
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Feb 6, 2021 02:13
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mysteryberto posted:I made bacon for the first time in like 8 years. It took about 9 days and turned out great! A great balance of smokey, sweet and salty. It can be hard to find pork belly at your local grocery store. I went to my local Mexican market and picked up a 4LB piece for about $4 a pound. I strongly recommend having the butcher remove the skin if you can. The skin should be removed and it's a pain in the rear end to do yourself. It can also be a pain to find pink curing salt at your grocery store, I picked mine up at a local Asian market. If you have one near you, my local Costco sells skinless pork belly for $3/lb.
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Feb 6, 2021 02:20
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life is killing me posted:Yeah it’s my electric smoker. I totally misread your post and thought you had a hole in it. Yeah, it's not a problem at all. Just watch for what will come next, a hole in the bottom of it.
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Feb 6, 2021 02:23
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Internet Explorer posted:I totally misread your post and thought you had a hole in it. Yeah, it's not a problem at all. Just watch for what will come next, a hole in the bottom of it. Here I was feeling like I was gonna get dog piled by smoking goons for letting rust get inside my smoker, now it sounds unavoidable
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Feb 6, 2021 02:30
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life is killing me posted:Yeah it’s my electric smoker. Nope, when water transitions from liquid to gas it will leave everything else behind.
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Feb 6, 2021 03:11
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ZombieCrew posted:Nope, when water transitions from liquid to gas it will leave everything else behind. Good to know. What I did know was that some of the rust was stubborn even after sitting in vinegar or lemon juice for awhile and then being scrubbed with a wire brush. I just got tired of doing it and said gently caress it
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Feb 6, 2021 03:17
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I've only ever wet brined bacon, is curing it dry any different/better? I run into space issues with my fridge but if it's much better I'd give it a try.
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Feb 6, 2021 06:32
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Just do it in the winter and leave it outside to save fridge space
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Feb 6, 2021 13:55
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 00:57 |
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life is killing me posted:Yeah it’s my electric smoker. Water holds a lot of heat. Having a lot of humidity in the chamber should act to buffer the temperature and reduce spikes and dips and provide more even cooking experience. I suppose it will also help more evenly distribute the heat over the surface of the food as well but that's probably a lesser effect.
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Feb 6, 2021 14:46
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