First smoke attempt

bamber

Fire Starter

Original poster

Jun 26, 2015

35

10

Manchester [UK]

• Jul 23, 2015

• #1

Hi all

Just thought I'd share my stressful experience I endured on my day off on Monday.
Geared myself up to smoke roughly 4lbs of pork shoulder to make pulled pork.
Got my pork seasoned and ready, waited forever for my weber to come up to temp and when it did I lay down my butt and sat staring at the temp gauge.
Unfortunately either the temperature went too high over 300F or too low after I adjusted the vents... Eventually I did manage to keep it at 300F, perhaps slightly higher than I wanted but it was better than a constant fluctuation.

image.jpg

• bamber
• Jul 23, 2015

image.jpg

• bamber
• Jul 23, 2015

image.jpg

• bamber
• Jul 23, 2015

Given it taken me 6-7 hours of playing with the bloody vents but it actually turned out really nice.

Sorry no final pictures as the Mrs was annoyed tea was late but trying beef ribs next time.

Cheers
Bam

 

Last edited: Jul 23, 2015

smokewood

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 23, 2014

611

32

Peak District

• Jul 23, 2015

• #2

It's a learning curve mastering the amount of charcoal to use and also your control of the vents.  Once you have mastered these things it gets a lot easier, less stressful and more enjoyable.

 

bamber

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 26, 2015

35

10

Manchester [UK]

• Jul 23, 2015

• #3

I think my problem was not having patience, I'll certainly take more time next time

 

smokewood

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 23, 2014

611

32

Peak District

• Jul 24, 2015

• #4

That's the thing about smoking, you need plenty of patience, there are some things you just can't rush.

 

wade

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Apr 12, 2013

3,863

279

Kent, UK

• Jul 25, 2015

• #5

It can take a while to master.

What type of charcoal/briquette did you use?

From the photos you do seem to have rather a lot in there. The photos may be deceiving though.

snake2.jpg

• wade
• Jul 25, 2015

Something like this with either Heat Beads or Weber Premium will give you a constant temperature over 6-8 hours. You can use your chunks on top instead of the pellets.

I also find it easier to control the temperature by 3/4 closing the top vent and fine tuning using the bottom vent. Take your time building the temperature up. It is easier to take it up than it is to bring it back down.

 

bamber

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 26, 2015

35

10

Manchester [UK]

• Jul 25, 2015

• #6

How much coal have you got piled up @Wade  I can't quite tell off the pic.

 

kc5tpy

Master of the Pit

May 12, 2013

4,352

188

Newark on Trent, United Kingdom.

• Jul 25, 2015

• #7

Hello Bamber.  Wade has you covered on the briquettes snake method.  Get rid of the Tesco and buy the ones Wade recommended.  THAT will start to improve things.  You chose correctly with the shoulder.  It is more forgiving.  I would dial it back a knotch.  2 Spatchcocked chickens or several chicken leg and thigh quarters.  Sausages and or burgers.  If you are shooting for 225 and it rises to 300 for a time or drops to 200 for a time don't stress.  Watch it for 10 minutes or so and then make an adjustment.  Learn how to control YOUR smoker.  Each can be a little different.  THEN move on to harder stuff.

You think THAT was stressful.  You still have the HARDEST part to do.  Getting the Missus to understand that until you learn this; Tea is ready when it is ready.  Took me a while.  It is not like setting the oven temp and coming back in 1 hour.  It will all be worth the learning curve in the end but even then, because of weather conditions and so on, it is STILL not an exact science.  Wait until you are smoking for a party of 20-30 people.  Eating time has been set at 18:00.  Mid afternoon the breeze dies.  I mean NOTHING.  You are pulling EVERY trick out of your bag including bringing the fan out of the house to blow SOME air onto your coals.  Now the temp starts going crazy.  It is now 19:30 and the meat is STILL not ready; all the sides your Missus has made are now cold!  The appetisers are now all gone and the guests are starting to head to McDonalds.  AND by now the Missus has had AT LEAST 2-3 glasses of wine!  Well you see where this is going!  Think PHYCO!  On top of everything else you now have a crazy lady you do not recognise yelling and slamming doors!  You just ruined her BBQ party AND embarrassed her in front of her friends! .  It is now 22:00.  You are sitting outside by yourself, in the dark and that meat joint is STILL not done!  Oh YEAH! NOW! the breeze has picked up again AND it's cold.  You dare not go in the house because there are SHARP knives AND a crazy lady in there.  Sleep well mate!  Welcome to the FUN!!  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

• 

Reactions: bamber

smokin monkey

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Oct 27, 2013

2,357

278

Sutton In Ashfield, UK

• Jul 25, 2015

• #8

Danny, either you've been watching to many Horror Movies or Life in your house is never Dull!

Wade will guide you on the Weber.

 

thenegativeone

Meat Mopper

Nov 12, 2014

155

35

Lincoln UK

• Jul 25, 2015

• #9

KC5TPY said:

You are pulling EVERY trick out of your bag including bringing the fan out of the house to blow SOME air onto your coals.
Danny

Click to expand...

I melted my wife's hairdryer using it to blow air into my smoker once. She was not impressed haha

 

kc5tpy

Master of the Pit

May 12, 2013

4,352

188

Newark on Trent, United Kingdom.

• Jul 25, 2015

• #10

Way! Hey!  "Life is like a box of chocolates"!

To be fair; strange things like that only happened back in Tx. with the ex-wife.  What even made it worse was back there the sharp knives were not the problem.  I had about 7 guns in the house AND she knew how to use them all!  

  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

• 

Reactions: bamber

kiska95

Smoking Fanatic

May 2, 2015

468

22

• Jul 26, 2015

• #11

My Ex- wife liked to throw around sharp knives too, unfortunately I was the target!!!! God forgive Vodka and Coke, the Physco fuel

 

bamber

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Jun 26, 2015

35

10

Manchester [UK]

• Aug 1, 2015

• #12

Haha guys she's been told straight this week!

Luckily enough for me I haven't had the pleasure of cooking for 20-30 just 2-5 so far.

As we speak I've got two racks of baby back ribs on the Weber, smoking it's sweet heart out at the minute.

Hopefully if it's a winner then I'll post some pics up later 

 

OH AND IT'S BEEN RAINING BUT NOTHING'S STOPPING ME TODAY!!!

 

Last edited: Aug 1, 2015