Just got a smoker!

barrosinc

barrosinc

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So I have been wanting one of these for a while... actually not so long i thought i made good baby back ribs in a crock pot. And i heard of brisket here and then another time some other place and remembered i had seen these before. Last week i saw some kansas guy that was going to have a class on bbq! Do i learnt about smokers.

So i talked to my house's board of directors and works out my Christmas present is an electric smoker, apple tree chips and all the needed stuff!

I can't believe how good ribs are with north Carolina bbq sauce (vinegar and hot peppers basically).

Gotta learn how to do brisket!!
Any tips?? Gonna cook first time next week. Maybe even smoked Turkey for Christmas.
 
My smoker is propane. I do mostly ribs, chicken and sausage, using a combo of hickory and apple chips. One of the guys I work with does a mean brisket, but my ribs are better, so we trade. Have fun!
 
barrosinc said:
So I have been wanting one of these for a while... actually not so long i thought i made good baby back ribs in a crock pot. And i heard of brisket here and then another time some other place and remembered i had seen these before. Last week i saw some kansas guy that was going to have a class on bbq! Do i learnt about smokers.

So i talked to my house's board of directors and works out my Christmas present is an electric smoker, apple tree chips and all the needed stuff!

I can't believe how good ribs are with north Carolina bbq sauce (vinegar and hot peppers basically).

Gotta learn how to do brisket!!
Any tips?? Gonna cook first time next week. Maybe even smoked Turkey for Christmas.
Click to expand...
Pics or it didn’t happen lol..

Seriously though, good luck with ur new smoker!!
 
Pulled pork is all the hype around here right now.
Here's a 6 hour smoked brisket. Friends weren't happy with me in the background. Hehehehe.
DSC_0157-Custom.jpg
 
Wires_Guy_wires said:
Pulled pork is all the hype around here right now.
Here's a 6 hour smoked brisket. Friends weren't happy with me in the background. Hehehehe.
Click to expand...
You musta smoked it high to get it done in 6 hours. Mine take 12 at about 215f. Plenty of hickory, fat side down.
Butts get smothered in mustard, rub of brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and smoked about 10 hours at 225. Set it in the rack and use a catch pan below for drippings.
D47152E5-A1CA-4060-A540-9EAB5A5D5317.jpeg
 
Wires_Guy_wires said:
Pulled pork is all the hype around here right now.
Here's a 6 hour smoked brisket. Friends weren't happy with me in the background. Hehehehe.
DSC_0157-Custom.jpg
Click to expand...
Looks good!


Brian Van Fleet said:
You musta smoked it high to get it done in 6 hours. Mine take 12 at about 215f. Plenty of hickory, fat side down.
Butts get smothered in mustard, rub of brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and smoked about 10 hours at 225. Set it in the rack and use a catch pan below for drippings.
View attachment 220160
Click to expand...
good tip on the dripping pan! I have no problem on 10 hour cooking... after all, it's electrical and easy to mantain temp.
 
Smoking a shoulder takes an eternity. It's worth it though. I had an electric smoker that was gifted to me. It makes modulating temperature easier but purists will argue it's not the same. I never really got into the taste of chicken in the smoker or even brisket(i think i just don't care for brisket).

But pork always came out good. I prefer applewood and i learned to simplify things by pulling it after 6 -8 hours of smoke and wrapping it in foil to finish in the oven. Then wrapping it again and letting it rest in a cooler for an hour or so before pulling apart.
 
A 10 pound shoulder cook means I'm up and lighting the grill before around 5:30 am and dinner won't be served until around 8 pm... totally worth the wait though:cool:




... don't forget to get your lipids and cholesterol checked on a regular basis now:D.
 
Might be a stupid question but... do i need a thermometer?? The smoker has a thermostat obviously... but do i really need to measure internal temp?
 
barrosinc said:
Might be a stupid question but... do i need a thermometer?? The smoker has a thermostat obviously... but do i really need to measure internal temp?
Click to expand...
Absolutely! Knowing the internal temperature is key in knowing whether you're cooking too fast or too slow and how much longer you've got to go. Ideally, a pork shoulder will have an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F to be considered done... and I won't even get into "the stall"... but you need to know when your in it;).
 
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Nybonsai12 said:
Smoking a shoulder takes an eternity. It's worth it though. I had an electric smoker that was gifted to me. It makes modulating temperature easier but purists will argue it's not the same. I never really got into the taste of chicken in the smoker or even brisket(i think i just don't care for brisket).

But pork always came out good. I prefer applewood and i learned to simplify things by pulling it after 6 -8 hours of smoke and wrapping it in foil to finish in the oven. Then wrapping it again and letting it rest in a cooler for an hour or so before pulling apart.
Click to expand...
What? Electric smoker, finishing in an oven? You’re a step away from buying your BBQ in a tub from the grocer’s freezer!
?
 
You definitely need a (calibrated) thermometer. Stick it in boiling water and make sure its where its supposed to be. (The thermometers on most smokers are notorious for being off by a lot.)

Re: Mustard sauce, Most folks who haven't had it, are turned off at the notion of it. Those who can be convinced to give it a fair shot tend to ask for it again next time. (I've converted a neighbor and one kid. My wife alternates between mustard and sweet sauce. My other kids are obviously prediabetic in their bbq sauce choices. I alternate between mustard and vinegar sauce.)

Don't be scared of higher temps. My last pork butt I cooked @ 325ºF. I put it on @ 9:30a (which is why I cooked so high) and it was done about 3:45p (after wrapping in foil @ about 165ºF).
 
Brian Van Fleet said:
What? Electric smoker, finishing in an oven? You’re a step away from buying your BBQ in a tub from the grocer’s freezer!
?
Click to expand...
The only reason I bought it was because it was plug and play!
I would have a really hard time keeping temperature constant.
 
Dav4 said:
Absolutely! Knowing the internal temperature is key in knowing whether you're cooking too fast or too slow and how much longer you've got to go. Ideally, a pork shoulder will have an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F to be considered done... and I won't even get into "the stall"... but you need to know when your in it;).
Click to expand...
bummer, gotta keep investing...
 
Brian Van Fleet said:
What? Electric smoker, finishing in an oven? You’re a step away from buying your BBQ in a tub from the grocer’s freezer!
?
Click to expand...

i know it's bushleague! As bad as that may seem, even worse was after the electric smoker died and my remaining pork shoulder had to go into a slow cooker...haven't had BBQ since!
 
I've spent the time learning to work the vents on my smoker and figuring out how large the fire/#-of-coals needs to be to hit pretty much any temp I want and hold it there. I've now got a system that will hold the temp where I set it. I can even control it over the 'net. It makes over-night cooks a lot easier. I can even do hands-off cooks while I'm at work. (Ribs are a bit involved how I do them. Poultry cooks too fast for those timeframes.) This gives me the ability to set-it-and-forget-it while giving the full range of flavor that comes from true flame. (I say that without ever knowingly eating bbq from an electric smoker. It might be good, but that's the knock I've heard against electric.)
 
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