Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

[Sinner]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Made a White Chocolate Cheesecake from someone, White Chocolate Buttercream with White Chocolate Shavings on top....first time making one and they really enjoyed it.

[pietasterp]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I took the plunge and got a propane smoker (I wanted the ease of an electric smoker but it seemed that there were just too many stories/reviews about blown-out heating elements and I didn't want that...). I'm brand-new to smoking/slow-barbecuing so I have a long ways to go.

I smoked the Thanksgiving turkey - it was okay, not great, and the breast meat didn't really take the smoke, so hard to know what to make of it. No worse than any other turkey I've ever had in my life but not much better, either. I used applewood, I'm thinking I might use a stronger smoking wood next time.

Smoked some ribs using the so-called "3-2-1" method. Very tasty but again, not super-smokey. I used hickory. I also may have overdone them a bit. Temperature control has been a problem for me early on in my smoking "career"....

Best outcome so far has been smoked kielbasa - used hickory, came out really nice and smokey, really nice pink smoke ring, best item to come out of the smoker so far.

All in all, I think I need to figure out how to keep the temperature in the right range for a longer period of time (soaking the wood chips definitely helps, otherwise they start on fire and raise the temperature too much). Also, I need a better meat thermometer - I'm convinced the turkey could have been much better but I think my thermometer was not accurate enough. I also have to fiddle around with different woods, and I might consider wood chunks, if only because it might need to replenished less often (!).

I'm pumped to try to smoke some more stuff, though. Although I wouldn't do brisket, because that takes way too long for me....

[mestevo]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Google mods for your model of smoker and you'll probably find some great tricks / tips specific to your smoker.

We started down a similar path, propane smoker led to me getting my pellet grill. Ribs and ham were my favorite to make on that.

Personally most smoke tastes the same, so tend to just stick with a pellet mix of pretty standard stuff.

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[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Three main woods for me are apple, mesquite, and hickory. Pretty broad range of flavor, but most other woods should fall somewhere inline with those three somewhere.

[pietasterp]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Google your model for tips and tricks. For my upright one trick was to later the burner with foil to help it not catch fire and go through wood quicker.

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That's huge. I noticed most of my temp spikes were due to adding wood and when it caught fire and went up, it really upped the temperature out of control. Soaking helped but it still happened.

I also am not convinced the water pan does anything....maybe it depends on the ambient humidity of where you're smoking, but I have both used it and not used it and I haven't noticed anything obvious.

Also, wood chunks vs chips is always a question. Although chunks are a bit harder to find.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

The water pan should help from drying out. That will also depend on how much fat is in the meat.

In my experience its more helpful to have it there to catch the drippings.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

That's huge. I noticed most of my temp spikes were due to adding wood and when it caught fire and went up, it really upped the temperature out of control. Soaking helped but it still happened.

I also am not convinced the water pan does anything....maybe it depends on the ambient humidity of where you're smoking, but I have both used it and not used it and I haven't noticed anything obvious.

Also, wood chunks vs chips is always a question. Although chunks are a bit harder to find.

Don't soak chips. Just creates dirty smoke. You don't want dark looking smoke.

As long as your temps are between 225-300 you are fine. Set it at 225 and if it jumps to 275 for a little bit you are fine. Even up to 325 isn't the end of the world.

Water pan will help there be less direct heat, and help with temp fluctuations.

Chunks are better, but not sure how viable they are in your smoker since space for wood is less limited? Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, etc should have chunks.

[pietasterp]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Don't soak chips. Just creates dirty smoke. You don't want dark looking smoke.

As long as your temps are between 225-300 you are fine. Set it at 225 and if it jumps to 275 for a little bit you are fine. Even up to 325 isn't the end of the world.

Water pan will help there be less direct heat, and help with temp fluctuations.

Chunks are better, but not sure how viable they are in your smoker since space for wood is less limited? Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, etc should have chunks.

Can you comment a bit more on the dirty smoke from soaked wood? I tried to read up a bit on the interwebs about it, but it wasn't clear to me that there's any consensus there re: smoke from soaked chips. But I'm inclined to agree with you that soaking the chips doesn't have the effect you would necessarily want. I'm going to have to "mod" the smoker a bit to get what I want out of it.

Have any of you guys ever smoked a ham? It's hard to find uncooked hams anywhere, and I don't know if it's a good idea to smoke a pre-cooked ham (which is what is in all the grocery stores). I'd like to give it a whirl but I'd like to hear some of your anecdotes about it first. I mean, who's more trustworthy than some guys on the internet?

[mestevo]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

It's super easy. Spiral sliced hams have already been cooked, you're just dressing/heating them up, basically.

I get hams that come with their own glaze and Google up 'pit boss smoker hams' for a refresher on times/Temps.

One of the easiest things you can make imo.

Unrelated, more wings last night. Covered in dry ranch and pit boss chicken seasoning. 20 minutes at 350 flipping every 5 minutes.

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[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Can you comment a bit more on the dirty smoke from soaked wood? I tried to read up a bit on the interwebs about it, but it wasn't clear to me that there's any consensus there re: smoke from soaked chips. But I'm inclined to agree with you that soaking the chips doesn't have the effect you would necessarily want. I'm going to have to "mod" the smoker a bit to get what I want out of it.

Have any of you guys ever smoked a ham? It's hard to find uncooked hams anywhere, and I don't know if it's a good idea to smoke a pre-cooked ham (which is what is in all the grocery stores). I'd like to give it a whirl but I'd like to hear some of your anecdotes about it first. I mean, who's more trustworthy than some guys on the internet?

I can't remember the exact science, but wet wood just doesn't burn well. That's why you have to let log splits "season" for a year to dry out.

You can 100% re-smoke a cooked ham -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw_YlfFB3lE

[pietasterp]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Thanks guys! Appreciate the tips.

I'd be worried about the ham drying out in the smoker as it's precooked, but I'll give those videos a look-see.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Thanks guys! Appreciate the tips.

I'd be worried about the ham drying out in the smoker as it's precooked, but I'll give those videos a look-see.

You gotta warm it back up one way or the other. You are really only taking it to 165° or whatever the packaging says to do.

[TheShizNo1]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

You gotta warm it back up one way or the other. You are really only taking it to 165° or whatever the packaging says to do.

I did this for Thanksgiving. I don't remember what all I did, but it was basically in a foil pan with glaze mixed with apple juice.

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[pietasterp]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

Thanks guys - will give it a shot at some point for sure. I'm definitely still learning the ropes, but the possibilities are certainly tantalizing...

[slickdtc]

Re: Official OS BBQ/Grilling Thread

I’ve been up in this thread for years with my little Weber charcoal grill, staring at all of you with jealous eyes at your delicious meat creations... NO MORE. Courtesy of a fantasy football championship, I treated myself to a Traeger pellet smoker. Today I made my first smoked meats: 3 racks of baby back ribs.

They’re pretty good.

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