Man, those tips are GREAT!!!! Have you tried to seal the door on the side of the unit? It looks like you don't use the thermo. on the unit. Do you use a digital? Is that the probe in the picture?
Thanks again
Steve
Hi Steve,
I've not had much leakage on the access door...I just bend it a bit to fit better and it holds the smoke pretty well. I only use the lid therm as a reference and have a hole in the side below grate level to stick a probe or fryer them...I've used both types.
I want to smoke 1/2 brisket and a pork shoulder. Can anyone give me approximate times. I get confused with all the different info I'm seeing. I would like to do both at the same time. I thinking about putting one on the upper shelf and one on the lower.
Stevea
If you have a center-cut brisket (trimmed flat cut), about 4.5lbs is max for the 15" diameter grate. A whole packer brisket will need seperation and trimming before it'll fit in the little brinky.
If you move the lower grate up a bit, you will get a bit more smoke to the lower grate, but it will reduce the head-space for large cuts of meat.
For a butt and brisket at the same time, be sure you have adequate mods done for the charcoal fire so it will handle the longer burn times you'll need...we're talikng 2 hours/lb of meat being pretty common @ 225* grate temps with pork shoulder/butt, and about 1.5 hrs/lb for trimmed seperated brisket flats, but I have had many run quite a bit longer as well.
I would probably toss the butt on the lower grate and the brisket on top. Then when the brisket comes out, just pull the lower grate up into the top grate position, unless you wanted to toss in some taters, onions, garlic heads, cabbage, etc...if you get creative, you can keep a smoker loaded up all day and most of the night...
Don't forget...lower grate is cooler than the upper grate if measured from the center, and stay away from the ouotside ~1.5" whenever possible...that's ahot area and will eventually overcook or scorch your food.
Eric