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So went for my first full packer on Sunday, a Prime 10 pounder from Costco at $3/lb. Put it in my 22" WSM around 4:30am over Kingsford Blue and hickory chunks setup as a fuse. Used Meathead's BBBR on it the night before, and put it straight from the fridge onto the smoker while it was still coming to temp (around 180). Stabilized around 225-230 for the first few hours and stayed sweet until the sun started to hit it around 10am, then I had to choke it down to keep the temp low. Partway progress: Crutched it at 165 after it hit the stall. After that though, for the first time in my life, the smoker actually went faster than I planned for, which was actually inconvenient because we were still hanging siding on the house when it hit 200 at 3:45. Pulled it off and threw it in a beer cooler with towels for what ended up being 3 1/2 hours (hey, Hardie Panel siding is heavy alright?) - by the time we were cleaned up and ready to eat it had only dropped to 169. First time slicing a packer, so I whiffed the separating of the point and the flat at first, but pretty quickly figured it all out. Tasty pretty drat good, and the meat was just about right. Held up under it's own weight, but pulled apart with minimal effort. Fat cap was fluffy as a cloud. Definitely need to do another now.   How do people handle brisket leftovers? I only did a 10 pounder between four hungry people, so not a whole ton was leftover, but I took the chance and vacuum sealed and froze the few servings left - figuring I could re-heat them in with the immersion circulator as leftovers later in the week. Are there better options for brisket?
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Apr 12, 2017 05:26
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bewbies posted:full disclosure: i'm not a huge brisket supporter but the wife actually requested it and so I should seize any way I can justify the continued presence of my smoker. Frankly, I would just aim for getting a full brisket that was on the smaller end. You can get them almost as small as 10-11 pounds (at least at Costco if that is available to you), and it doesn't wind up being all THAT much meat after trimming depending on the particular piece of meat. I think it would be better to have a nice full brisket with leftovers than try to pull off flats. Even if you just eat the flat at that dinner, you then have the point that you can use for burnt ends or chopped brisket sandwiches. Flats by themselves can be challenging because they can dry out very easily compared to a full brisket.
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Jul 15, 2017 02:50
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Annath posted:I've had an 8lb bone in pork butt on the smoker for almost 9 hours now. The smoker temp has been hovering between about 217 and 240 throughout the day. Yeah like Larrymer said, always start early. I have had 9-10 lb bone in butts go on at 4:30 AM and still not be as high as I'd like by dinner time (without crutching). Pork butt can take a real long time if you don't plan on foiling. edit: There is also no shame in goosing them in a 300 degree oven if you need em to speed up edit2: VVVV read my mind ROJO fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Jul 15, 2017 |
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Jul 15, 2017 03:46
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10 pound bone-in pork shoulder with some leftover Memphis Dust from the ribs I did last weekend. Went into the 22" WSM at 4:15 AM using the fuze method with hickory chunks. Still getting used to starting this thing - normally it is slow to get up to temp, but this morning it was at 225 within 15 minutes and now is sitting around 240. Throttling it back down, and I know it will hold good temp once it's dialed in - but I need to get more consistent with how I start this thing. Will post results later.  
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Jul 16, 2017 12:52
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Colostomy Bag posted:I never throttle down. You'd be surprised how hot a handful of charcoal can get up to temp once ignited. Less is more. Yeah that was definitely the issue. I lit too much charcoal to start the fuze and as a result about 1/3 of the fuze was burning from the beginning. Need to start less charcoal next time (especially since I use a propane burner to start a little in the chimney - I can light as little as I want). Just misjudged it this time. Ended up pulling at at 6:45 for a total of 14.5 hours when it hit 200. Results:  And the beans I put under it on the lower rack which were delicious 
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Jul 18, 2017 02:52
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QuarkMartial posted:Ok, being able to use big chunks of wood instead of chips is a game changer. I foresee a lot of smoked goods in my future.  Seriously, not having to open things up to add chips frequently is a great improvement. Bonus points for being able to stage your chunks over unlit coals...
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Jan 2, 2018 08:46
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VERTiG0 posted:IDK how it is on kamados but on my Webers I run the top vent fully open and control the temperature by opening or closing the bottom damper. Maybe give that a whirl. I do the same thing on my WSM - and that seems to be exactly what the general internet indicates also - not sure what is special enough about a BGE that it would behave differently from a pure convection and combustion standpoint. ROJO fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Mar 21, 2018 |
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Mar 21, 2018 04:48
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5.5 lb bone-in shoulder with Memphis Dust going on the 22" WSM at 5 AM, kingsford blue and apple chunks. Got my coffee and my nintendo switch all ready to ride this one out until the wife and dogs wake up. First smoke of the year, so wanted to stick with something foolproof. I'll probably through a tray of beans under it partway through. 
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Mar 24, 2018 13:18
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6.5 hours in, thoroughly in the stall at 154 for the last two hours.
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Mar 24, 2018 19:33
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I usually wrap after an hour or two of stall...wrapping right at a specific temp (which my dad has done a couple of times) seems to be too premature and result in overly falling apart brisket. I'm doing one on Saturday, and am going to try butcher paper instead of foil for the first time, to see if that turns out better. One day I'll man up and go for a full unwrapped cook, but just don't want to commit to an overnight cook.
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Apr 29, 2018 20:34
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Got this bad boy going on the smoker in the morning....
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May 5, 2018 04:02
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qutius posted:I know EVERYONE says to start an hour or two earlier than planned and you should, but every single one of the prime briskets I've smoked have been done ahead of schedule. So prepare for that too! That is ALWAYS my experience as well - done ahead of time. Fortunately the faux cambro makes that easy to accommodate. I'm also trying to crutch with paper instead of foil, so I'm guessing that will make it drag a little longer. It's just a guy's day - we're just drinking all day while our wives are at a bachelorette weekend, so I don't think anyone will be too picky on timing. 0430 - meat is rubbed, ready to go on 
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May 5, 2018 12:42
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Stringent posted:What is it with you people that you constantly have to gently caress up something so simple and pure? He is a gigantic, slow roll troll. Don't mind him.
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Jun 1, 2018 02:07
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Well, thought I'd finally try the whole 3-2-1 thing the internet talks about when I did ribs today. Normally just throw em on, do the bend test, pull 'em, and mow some delicious ribs. But holy hell did these get overdone with 3-2-1. I even went 3-1.5-1 because of timing with dinner, and they were still completely falling apart trying to cut them. Bones literally falling out with light pressure with the knife between bones (Gitmo take note this could be what you're after). I didn't even put liquid in the foil to avoid an overly braise-y cook, but drat. I knew they were looking overdone out of the foil, and I only went the full last hour because i wanted to recover some bark from the foiling. WSM was between 220-235 for 95% of the cook and they were real meaty ribs. I'm going back to my normal method. I want a clean bone, but with a tish of bite to get it off. Oh well, the meat was still tasty as hell and I was impressed with how the last hour really barked up what was a pretty soupy looking surface after the foil. The bones in the image were a result of cutting the meat, not eating them clean.  In retrospect, I probably should have put the ribs 6" over white hot coals to help char em up and hold em together.... 
ROJO fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Jun 4, 2018 |
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Jun 4, 2018 03:22
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Trastion posted:Is this what people mean when they talk about "reverse searing"?  I mean, what could you possibly be doing with that?
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Jun 12, 2018 03:02
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I'm going to be flying into Dallas, driving to Houston, and flying out from there. Any killer brisket to seek out in or between those cities?
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Jun 15, 2018 20:11
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gwrtheyrn posted:To my surprise, costco ribs have 3 racks per package. These definitely do not fit flat on one grate of this wsm but I'm making it happen anyways. It really depends on the pack you get. Sometimes I can get all three on even the lower rack, sometimes I struggle to fit three on the top rack.
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Jun 23, 2018 20:17
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xsf421 posted:I use a thermoworks smoke, same concept but better range and wall penetration than bluetooth. Yes, buy a Smoke. I just tossed a cheaper wireless thermometer when it finally failed, and the smoke is soooooo much better in build quality and interface. Tried it for the first time yesterday and am very pleased, despite the price. Buy once, cry once.
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Jul 5, 2018 18:01
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Colostomy Bag posted:The lasagna cook is a go for tonight. I repeat it is a go. 
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Aug 5, 2018 22:02
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Colostomy Bag posted:Ok, honest to hell the lasagna (all things considered) was a smashing success. 
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Aug 6, 2018 01:56
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Hed posted:I’ve used beans as a drip pan and it smelled / tasted like an ash tray. I guess put them in in the last hour or two or don’t listen to me because I consistently gently caress that up. When I do beans in the smoker, I use pre-done beans like Bush's, but add onion and bacon. That way I don't really have to worry about cooking everything the right way, but then I can just throw them on for the last hour or two, get some drippings and smoke, and call it good. I'm sure there are better ways, but this way sure is easy.
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Aug 19, 2018 04:36
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Deep Dish Fuckfest posted:Yeah, I'd figured a pork shoulder seemed a whole lot easier, but I really wanted brisket... Then again, I suppose I do want pork shoulder more than nothing-at-all-because-I-hosed-up-my-brisket, so I'll go with that then. When you do decide to do a brisket, the most helpful thing you can do is get the highest grade of meat possible, prime if you can (Costco usually sells prime Packers for dirt cheap - not pork shoulder cheap though).
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Sep 15, 2018 18:17
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Subjunctive posted:I can check the temps; I usually don't cook ribs to temp, but figure ~3 hours on a 225F smoker. Should be OK I think. Why would you plastic wrap before vac sealing?
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Sep 16, 2018 00:21
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My friend's 22" WSM (minus the plastic handles) survived the Santa Rosa fire, which completely burned his house down around it. It was literally the tallest thing left standing on his lot. You don't have to baby it. Weber sent him replacement handles for free.
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Sep 21, 2018 19:44
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I guess I never thought that this thread would complement gitmo on his grilling/smoking skills, but yeah those pies look great
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Nov 3, 2018 03:45
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Colostomy Bag posted:Sure, don't do Maverick. Seriously, this thread is littered with people who started with "cheaper" thermometers and then upgraded when they failed in one to two years. Save the pain and money and get a Thermoworks Smoke from the get go.
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Jan 7, 2019 21:49
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I. M. Gei posted:I just did. Your cookbooks are overly optimistic. A 5-7 pound butt can easily take 10+ hours at 225....butts can stall an insanely long time. They can take just as long as an even bigger brisket - they are easy because they are forgiving in terms of results, not because they are quick. ROJO fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Mar 8, 2019 |
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Mar 8, 2019 06:21
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Colostomy Bag posted:Just remember to foil around 160 or so otherwise you end up with too much bark. 
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Mar 8, 2019 23:09
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Just buy a thermoworks smoke - pay once cry once. Seriously, this thread is full of people who have had other thermometers crap out (myself included), and the smoke I have never really seen a complaint about. I love mine. ROJO fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Apr 19, 2019 |
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Apr 19, 2019 19:49
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Subjunctive posted:How did it get to 200 in a 195F oven? Are you a wizard? Most middle-of-the-road home ovens swing 30-50 degrees around their set point. With only on/off control of the heating element (assuming electric), you are bound to have wild swings. One of my ovens is +/-25 around the set point, the other is -40/+0 around the set point.
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Jun 7, 2019 16:37
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Spiggy posted:Yet another reason to cook everything in the smoker. 
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Jun 7, 2019 20:10
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Annath posted:Looking at photos of brisket online, I'm assuming that they had already trimmed the fat to a reasonable amount, and I just carved off all that was left lmao. Grocery store flats are usually, in my experience, already almost completely trimmed of their fat because they aren't usually destined for smoking but some other cooking method - which is even more reason to ignore them.
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Jul 7, 2019 16:19
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I tend to agree that mustard as a slather doesn't really help in any discernible way from what I can tell, but I've also never had anything wind up with the slightest hint of mustard afterwards either.
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Jul 26, 2019 19:29
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nwin posted:Jesus Christ-it’s been 9 hours and it just hit 150. Yup that's pork butt for you. I usually start mine around 4am and crutch them if I want to guarantee a reasonable dinner time.
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Dec 15, 2019 21:35
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nwin posted:WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY!?! haha If you just hit 150 I think 8 isnt going to happen without a crutch. But if you crutch it and it finishes early you can always keep it warm in towels in a cooler.
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Dec 15, 2019 21:43
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First smoke of the year, started out with some Costco baby backs. Seasoned with Memphis Dust, and smoked on the large WSM over Kingsford Blue and cherry chunks. 6 hours at 220-230, no wrapping.  Put a tray of beans under at the halfway mark  Final results. Wife and I mowed a rack, vac-sealed the rest for freezing for later. Could have left them on slightly longer, but overall were tasty and juicy as hell.  I think I've determined I need to try a different setup with my charcoal/lighting. I have normally done a snake around the outside of the ring, lighting one end with a 1/3 chimney. It works fine for a 6 hour cook like ribs, but burns out shortly thereafter and I need to keep adding charcoal around the circumference throughout longer cooks. Also had trouble keeping the temp up at times even with most vents open yesterday, I think because there just isn't enough charcoal burning at any given time regardless of air intake. Going to do a butt next and try the minion method. ROJO fucked around with this message at 18:36 on May 11, 2020 |
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May 11, 2020 18:33
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nwin posted:The whole food safety thing would get me too. Yeah, but if you wait until it gets to 190+ before pulling it (or realistically way below that), it will be fully pasteurized regardless of whatever time it spent in a danger zone. Just like why you can sous vide chicken or pork at 145 and be perfectly safe.
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May 23, 2020 01:30
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TITTIEKISSER69 posted:Are there propane smokers that connect to the big propane tanks used in gas grills? Or are they all pretty much the small 20oz Coleman canisters? Yes, they are generally called Vertical Propane Smokers. Typically a square cross section tower with a wood chips tray and a water bowl. I got one from my Dad when they retired and consolidated houses, works fine, can make good meat. I prefer my 22" WSM, but will break the other out if I'm doing fish or just want mindless temp control (or need a 2nd smoker going in addition to the WSM).
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Jun 20, 2020 17:28
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dangling pointer posted:For anyone else new to the WSM don’t be like me and let the water tray run out and have all the grease baked on there. After I scrape it off tomorrow I’ll probably cover it in foil or something for next time. If you fill the water pan all the way, you shouldn't run out of water at 225 even on a 12 hour long smoke or so. But yeah, foiling the pan does help a little bit. Definitely give a shoulder a try - they are super easy and usually yield great results, although cook time can vary a lot depending on the pig and cut Welding gloves are great to have around if you need to manhandle the WSM around or shuffle grates while everything is hot. ROJO fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Jun 24, 2020 |
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Jun 24, 2020 19:28
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Internet Explorer posted:Maybe I'm showing my ignorance here, but I would be shocked if most people can dial a traditional smoker to be more temperature accurate than a MES/oven. How about a pellet grill like a Traeger? My 22" WSM (with gaskets) can usually hold +/-5F (certainly +/-10F without breaking a sweat), and usually the biggest variations are going to be caused by it going in and out of the sun, or if the wind picks up. I can certainly hold it more accurately than either of my ovens hold temperature (and I assume an MES by extension as well). The main difference is in how electric ovens work compared to burning a fuel source. Ovens are either ON or OFF, with no in between setting. So oven's have to cycle their element ON and OFF to try to maintain temperature at a set point - depending on the efficiency of the oven, and its available power, this will dictate the 'duty cycle' (or percentage of the time the element is ON vs. OFF) to maintain a given setting. Because oven heating elements are not super responsive (they take tens of seconds to fully come up to temp) and the oven itself is a large thermal mass, they can't be cycled ON and OFF quickly. So an oven may turn its element ON for 30-60 seconds at a time, let the temperature rise inside (my ovens are about +/-25F - so it will rise up 50F from the lowest point in it's cycle), then turn the element OFF and let it coast back down 50F over the course of minutes until it decides it needs to cycle again. And the difference between ON and OFF in this case is the full power of the oven, which for a standard kitchen oven is probably around 3-4kW of power. It is very hard to control temperature accurately when your only tools are zero power and 3-4kW of power. I assume an MES is better than a kitchen oven (because they are smaller and therefor should be more responsive) - but I assume they still cycle over a wider range than their setpoint would lead you to believe. Compare this to burning charcoal (or gas, or pellets, or whatever) - where you can have a constant combustion rate going, set by the available fuel and oxygen intake - so your heat flux into the smoker can be very constant over long periods of time (vs. the ON/OFF of an electric). Things like huge water pans that increase the thermal mass inside the smoker further help to hold the temperature constant even if you have mild variations in combustion rate. With practice, you can dial in a really nice equilibrium that only gets disrupted by a) running out of fuel or b) external factors like sun/shade and wind/rain. Something like a BGE or something that is super well insulated and has a huge mass in itself should be able to do far better than a WSM.
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Jul 6, 2020 18:09
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