Re: What's in your smoker?
 

First off, yup, those look good.

If you like more "bark" on the tri-tip you can try using the grill first, then hand the meat.

Growing up in the central valley CA we ate as much tri-tip as we did hamburger. We never really had a "bark" on it like we would brisket so I'm positive I would have loved it just the way you cooked it.

Counting the days until my PBC shipment arrives.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:h5

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I agree Wayne, you would have loved it. I wasn't looking for a brisket like bark, I was looking more for a sear. Yes I could have grilled over a very high heat first then hang it but I was pleased with how it came out. Also on most reviews I have seen for tri tip on a PBC they have cooked only the tri tip. Maybe having all the ribs on at the same time took away from the color. Either way I am impressed at the ease that this little guy cooked the food. No messing with it at all. My UDS may not see much action anymore.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Nando's + chicken = deliciousness

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Did a half pork loin today, had it on for about 4.5 hours for 8 lbs. Pulled it at 160 and wrapped it in foil to keep it warm until eating. Ended up being dry but flavorful. Should I have pulled it earlier?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I usually try to pull pork loin off around 135, and let it rest.
I also always drop it in a brine if I intend on smoking it.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

4 lb brisket yesterday for Rosh Hashanah

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I figured I should have pulled it earlier, got to temp so quickly, I should have planned the day of smoking out better. :bh

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Our new PBC just hit the door.
Ordered Friday night-
Shipped following Tuesday-
Amber told me on the phone it probably would SHIP on Thursday so Tuesday was a bonus.
Normally 2 day shipping from Colorado to Nevada-
F'edEx did it again so instead of making it here in 2 days, it made it in 4. Which still isn't bad BUT we didn't have rain Thursday or Friday.

Customer service & voluntary followup from the owners of PBC are second to none.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Ended up thumbing my nose to the rain, popped up a cover and lit the coals in the PBC and added some hickory chips for extra smoke. Today was some chicken, tomorrow will be ribs. One thing is for certain, my wife says she never wants any chicken any other way. I normally don't eat the breast because it dries out more than I like...not this time it didn't, it was about perfect.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Earlier in the week I fired up the pit barel for some chickens.
I had a hanger steak in a marinade that I was going to grill.
Towards the end I decided to hang it as well. Oh the irony.
It was a game time decision, and tasty, but next time I'll dry rub it instead of doing the marinade.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2x8gsofz.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7yomm2po.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps1mss5tjy.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

More great looking birds, Dom.

Question about the PBC. Is there a heat deflector above the coals? Obviously from your Q pics the meats are cooked to perfection.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

No heat deflector, Mark.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Did the chickens take 2 hours, Dom?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Your bird on the right looks like mine did, dark, not burnt, done right at perfect under the skin. I took them our right at the 2 hour mark.
How long did you let the steak hang?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yup. Exactly 2 hours.

Steak was small, so it only took about 30 min once I decided to hang it up.

Did some Surf and Turf in my Pizza oven, yesterday.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psm8rphz6k.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdujc2ko6.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...pskjd5luar.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb1tixlqr.jpg

Money shot!

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psvikjjjqh.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Just what I need to see right before my root canal. Looks great Dom! Nothing like a hunk of cow that a good vet can have on it's feet in 15 minutes.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks, Adam. :tu

Overnight pork shoulder on my Kamado.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...pspp8yxjxz.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psetvyj5pz.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...psceaxhdvt.jpg

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps08ibl2bb.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Some chicken leg quarters on my WSM. I do these without the drip pan so that I can keep the temp up between 320-330. I use one small chunk of apple wood; I don't like to get too much smoke flavor on chicken. Because I don't use the drip pan I rearrange and flip them halfway through; here's a pic of them after flipping:


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3928/...9ef2c553_c.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Sauced and ready to come off the heat:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3931/...ff5cc048_c.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I fired up the Pit Barrell yesterday and made a few birds and a sirloin tip roast.
Did one chicken with a lemon pepper seasoning and the other with the PBC all purpose rub. I decided to hang the chx whole and they were awesome. Next time I will try cutting them in half to see which way is better. I used the PBC beef and game rub on the sirloin roast.


http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...ED8A73E73F.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...0D849C4998.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...A1AA16DF91.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...B59A08ACD5.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...DAF3F2F3C3.jpg

We ate 1 chicken last night and shredded the other for a meal this week. The roast got wrapped and put in the fridge and will be sliced for sammies today.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Nice looking stuff guys.

Gary, in Thing 2, one of my UDSes that incorporates some elements of the PBC design thanks to some help from Dom, I've found that the whole chickens take a little bit longer to cook but come out juicer than splits, I never really noticed a flavor difference though.

Since the cookers are different, it would be interesting to hear what you think after you've tried it both ways.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Adam, Dom tells me that the split chickens always take exactly 2 hours and my whole chickens took 3. They came out so juicy and were simply awesome! I'm going to do splits for sure but it's gonna be hard to beat the whole bird. I will definitely let you know my thoughts after I make the splits.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tu Yep, that was what swayed me towards the whole bird. Plus on my drum with the larger diameter, because I only have 8 hooks, I can actually get more in there with whole birds; 6 whole birds, maybe 8 if they are small, vs. 4 split onto 8 hooks.


Not exactly a smoker, but I did 3 small pizzas in the Weber yesterday.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1412522005

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1412522010

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1412522015

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yum!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

This thread has inspired me to buy a PBC. It's arrives today. It seems like a better option for small meals vs. rolling out my log burner. Any hints or tips for my first cook?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I love smoking chicken leg quarters. I usually do them similarly minus the sauce. Plus, I always put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven on broil for 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. It's truly fantastic but you have to keep a close eye on them. I did burn one set a while back. The meat was fine but the skin was inedible.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.
Best thing I did was buy a smaller charcoal chimney.
It makes dumping the hot coals into the PBC so much easier.

Be sure to post some pics of your cooks. :tu

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I've got a pair of chickens ready to to go today. Few hours over some smoke while I sit watch smoking a good cigar and watching football.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Pork and more pork. :) ribs and tenderloin that is!



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5610/...3dd35598_c.jpg
IMG_20141026_150033 by kydsid, on Flickr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

...:dr:dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

(2) Spatchcocked chickens.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

How'd those two chickens come out? Been giving a lot of thought to spatchcocking a turkey this year to cut down on cook time.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Spatchcocking chickens is easy and delicious.
Never done a turkey that way.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Excuse me for asking spatchcocking?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Cutting out the backbone of a bird, which allows you to lay it flat while cooking. It allows the white and dark meat of a bird to cook more evenly, meaning less overcook of the white meat, and allows you to easily crisp the skin. Only downside is it doesn't look pretty and its a little butcher work.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:dr:dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

My favorite way to cook chicken when I have to use a gasser. Brined for 4-6 hours then spatchcocked, rubbed and cooked.

It even makes propane/LNG cooked food taste decent.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1415644610

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Very tasty! My wife likes to do chickens like that a lot. We thought it might be neat to try a turkey like that this year.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

thank you sir I'll have to give it a try

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yep....once you start spatchcocking them, you will quit the beer can chicken BS.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Exactly!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Beer can chicken is just a vertically roasted chicken. Spatchcocked is nice for grills, gas or otherwise, personally though, I'd rather have a whole bird cooked vertically hanging on a hook in my drum smoker, I could put it on a beer can and get basically the same result and have less beer for me.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

If you are using beer to make beer can chicken you are doing it wrong.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Truth....mythbusters did this one. The liquid never got hot enough to even steam. Myth busted.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Spatchcocked is a whole bird. I guess I missed your point.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yes, I know that. Did you not see the photo I posted about 8 posts back?

I was being subtle. To me the method depends on the cooker. They are both good, although I prefer vertical.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1408545376
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1408545376

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Before I built out the drum, I was using wire stands (similar to the one pictured below) for cooking birds vertically. Unfortunately, some grills/smokers aren't tall enough and other times I didn't have them with me, hence the other methods. Like I said, both are good.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...WL._SY355_.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That's what I missed

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

pork tenderloin tonight