What's in your smoker?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Smokin Gator

Well DUH!!! I'd thing 190 might be a little too high depending on the fat content. I'm thinking more like venison. Do it in TK's Dr Pepper marinade, wrap in bacon, and take it to about 140

To each his own though!!

Traditional smoking at 225 is not going to work with horse. There's not enough fat on it. We ate some thin sliced filets raw. Perhaps the front shoulder is tough enough to do, but that must be a friggin huge piece!

Horse is best as a filet or entrecote up to medium rare; often with a sauce on top (this is Europe).

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

It looks like a semi-assembled CookShack, wow. How long does it take to grill a nice one inch thick T-bone steak, let's say, on this thing?

It depends at what point you put the meat on. If you just broke the logs down into charcoal and the meat is 1.5" from coals, it will cook in 10 minutes. Once the charcoal is "made", it's the same as a habachi or webber.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

I've had my Bradley for about two years now. Turned out some pretty good food. I've made all sorts of stuff, ribs, whole chickens, sausages, bacon, etc. If you haven't already, check out the Bradley forums for great recipes and such. Best place for the wood pucks is Amazon. Not sure if they still are running it, but you used to be able to get 4 boxes for the price of 3.

I got my Bradley, cover and pucks on Amazon They had some great sales over Christmas time.
I used it this weekend. I ran the smoke for 4 of the 5 hours on my Pork Ribs (Apple, Alder and Hickory) I will run less smoke next time. A little overpowering. I miss using my Soaked Wood Chips though. Ribs came out great otherwise.

[Mr B]

Greg, I callibrated my Thermomoter this weekend and found out it was running about 5-10 degrees cold. So I was actually smoking at almost 200 not 190. So thats why the Pork Shoulder was cooking a little faster (12 hrs)

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by T.G

You mean not even Graingers or McMaster-Carr has the parts to repair it?

Not only did the adjustable temp reostat go out (melted 2 extension cords ) But the entire bottom of the smoker has basically rusted away and there is about a 9 inch diameter hole in the bottom where I put the wood chips. I have been using a flattened aluminum pie pan to cover it for the last year. This puppy had some miles on it.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Not only did the adjustable temp reostat go out (melted 2 extension cords ) But the entire bottom of the smoker has basically rusted away and there is about a 9 inch diameter hole in the bottom where I put the wood chips. I have been using a flattened aluminum pie pan to cover it for the last year. This puppy had some miles on it.

I can see where the hole in the bottom of the smoker would be a bit difficut for Grainger/McMaster-Carr to help with...

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I got my Bradley, cover and pucks on Amazon They had some great sales over Christmas time.
I used it this weekend. I ran the smoke for 4 of the 5 hours on my Pork Ribs (Apple, Alder and Hickory) I will run less smoke next time. A little overpowering. I miss using my Soaked Wood Chips though. Ribs came out great otherwise.

Yea, I only apply smoke for about 2 hours for ribs, 2.5 for bacon and 3 or so for pork butts/briskets. The rest of the time is just hanging out in the Bradley.

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I got my Bradley, cover and pucks on Amazon They had some great sales over Christmas time.
I used it this weekend. I ran the smoke for 4 of the 5 hours on my Pork Ribs (Apple, Alder and Hickory) I will run less smoke next time. A little overpowering. I miss using my Soaked Wood Chips though. Ribs came out great otherwise.

Geez, how many pucks did it take? The reason I nixed Bradly when I was shopping and researching electric smokers was their high cost of "upkeep". I settled on CookShack (SmokeShack is a Chinese knock off with same price tag).

How much are the pucks and how many do you need for "4 hours"?

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

Geez, how many pucks did it take? The reason I nixed Bradly when I was shopping and researching electric smokers was their high cost of "upkeep". I settled on CookShack (SmokeShack is a Chinese knock off with same price tag).

How much are the pucks and how many do you need for "4 hours"?

Being it was my first time using the Bradley, I now know to use less smoke.
The Bradley takes 3 pucks per hour.
1 box of 48 pucks runs about $15-$17. Its really not that expensive about $1 per hour.

I will probably run the smoke for 2-2.5 hrs on the next ribs.

[TheRiddick]

Hmmm... From the research on electric smokers, you only need a very small amount of wood to get great results. I only use 2-3 ounces of chips, if that, to smoke 2 pork butts (and less wood if I smoke something smaller). I'd try running enough pucks for 1 hour's worth of smoke, should be plenty, IMO. Smoking itslef takes place rather early, you then cook through for the remainder of the time?

I've done cold smoking in mine and it really takes about 30 minutes and this with a special plate sitting between the smoking element and food (only allowing smoke through for the most part). So, smoking itslef does not take much time.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

Hmmm... From the research on electric smokers, you only need a very small amount of wood to get great results. I only use 2-3 ounces of chips, if that, to smoke 2 pork butts (and less wood if I smoke something smaller). I'd try running enough pucks for 1 hour's worth of smoke, should be plenty, IMO. Smoking itslef takes place rather early, you then cook through for the remainder of the time?

I've done cold smoking in mine and it really takes about 30 minutes and this with a special plate sitting between the smoking element and food (only allowing smoke through for the most part). So, smoking itslef does not take much time.

Wow, I would'nt even think about using that little wood chips. I use at least 4-6 cups of soaked chips for 4 hours of smoke per pork shoulder in my old Barell smoker.

[TheRiddick]

I use chunks, split up. No water soaking at all. We're talking electric versus barrel smokers. I am sure I'd be using more wood in a barrel smoker. We're talking a two-box barrel smoker, right?

[wayner123]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

Hmmm... From the research on electric smokers, you only need a very small amount of wood to get great results. I only use 2-3 ounces of chips, if that, to smoke 2 pork butts (and less wood if I smoke something smaller). I'd try running enough pucks for 1 hour's worth of smoke, should be plenty, IMO. Smoking itslef takes place rather early, you then cook through for the remainder of the time?

I've done cold smoking in mine and it really takes about 30 minutes and this with a special plate sitting between the smoking element and food (only allowing smoke through for the most part). So, smoking itslef does not take much time.

That is a highly debated question. IME, the more clean smoke the better. There are world champions that do long smokes and some that do short smokes but not so clean. The argument goes "after 3 hours the meat has taken all the smoke it is going to take and after that you should foil to not mess up the look of the meat". YMMV.

I have no experience with electric smokers, but 2-3oz of chips is tiny compared to the amount of smoke I use in my offset. I use at least 10lbs of wood.

[Smokin Gator]

Originally Posted by wayner123

That is a highly debated question. IME, the more clean smoke the better. There are world champions that do long smokes and some that do short smokes but not so clean. The argument goes "after 3 hours the meat has taken all the smoke it is going to take and after that you should foil to not mess up the look of the meat". YMMV.

I have no experience with electric smokers, but 2-3oz of chips is tiny compared to the amount of smoke I use in my offset. I use at least 10lbs of wood.

That is absolutely the truth. One of the guys I compete against regularly is four time Memphis in May whole hog champion Myron Mixon. Myron uses green, and I mean just cut down green, peach wood. When he fires his smoker up it is belching so much smoke it is unreal. However, he cooks at high temps and the smoke is clean by the time he puts the meat on.

As for smoke absorption, I feel like the meat generally stops taking more smoke at around 130-140 degrees. I usually go to 170 or so on butts and briskets to get the bark like I want it, but I don't think it gets any more past the 130-140 internal mark.

What I think a lot of people confused with too much smoke is actual the creosote that is deposited on meat that has been exposed to smoke that is not clean. I really don't think it makes any difference how much smoke you put to the meat as long as it is clean. White/grey smoke is dirty and will give you that off taste. All IMO only!!!

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Smokin Gator

That is absolutely the truth. One of the guys I compete against regularly is four time Memphis in May whole hog champion Myron Mixon. Myron uses green, and I mean just cut down green, peach wood. When he fires his smoker up it is belching so much smoke it is unreal. However, he cooks at high temps and the smoke is clean by the time he puts the meat on.

As for smoke absorption, I feel like the meat generally stops taking more smoke at around 130-140 degrees. I usually go to 170 or so on butts and briskets to get the bark like I want it, but I don't think it gets any more past the 130-140 internal mark.

What I think a lot of people confused with too much smoke is actual the creosote that is deposited on meat that has been exposed to smoke that is not clean. I really don't think it makes any difference how much smoke you put to the meat as long as it is clean. White/grey smoke is dirty and will give you that off taste. All IMO only!!!

Amen my Brother in Smoke!

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by Smokin Gator

What I think a lot of people confused with too much smoke is actual the creosote that is deposited on meat that has been exposed to smoke that is not clean. I really don't think it makes any difference how much smoke you put to the meat as long as it is clean. White/grey smoke is dirty and will give you that off taste. All IMO only!!!

I think we're saying same thing? Simply that there is a point at which meat will not get any more "benefit". With the electric I use, even that small amount of wood gives enough smoke for about 2+ hours, at the least, at the lower temps (I use 180-190). For cold smoke, just a tiny bit and enough to get the smoke going (once you see the smoke coming out, you turn the thermo off after 20 minutes, you're done). More wood gives too much smoke flavor and I can attest to that.

As for the "cleanliness" of the smoke, or more specifically, color of it, I thought color mostly depends on the amount of (remaining) water in the wood? "Greener" wood leads to darker smoke?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

As for the "cleanliness" of the smoke, or more specifically, color of it, I thought color mostly depends on the amount of (remaining) water in the wood? "Greener" wood leads to darker smoke?

That's part of it, but mostly it's a function of the completeness of the combustion plus the sap burning. Green wood = doesn't burn well for various reasons = incomplete combustion + sap burnoff = darker smoke.

I can take very well seasoned wood and create dark smoke by choking the combustion.

In an electric smoker, you can get a dark and/or heavy smoke because the wood smoulders rather than burns. Smouldering being an incomplete combustion, and as stated previously there are factors that can make it worse.

Unfortuantely, dark is kind of ambiguious.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

I use chunks, split up. No water soaking at all. We're talking electric versus barrel smokers. I am sure I'd be using more wood in a barrel smoker. We're talking a two-box barrel smoker, right?

My Barell smoker (top loader) is electric with a temp controled reostat dial. Not charcoal or gas.

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by T.G

In an electric smoker, you can get a dark and/or heavy smoke...

Very, very pale, not even gray. Sometimes I have to double check to make sure it is working...

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

We're talking a two-box barrel smoker, right?

Mine is the upright Barell, top loader, 2 racks-one on top of the other with a water/drip pan below the racks and the Electric heat element below the water/drip pan.