First cook on the Yoder w/ Qview

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Ok, 3 firsts today.

1. First cook on the Yoder. My previous smoker was a WSM, so this is my first experience cooking with an offset. The Yoder has been fired 3 times to season the inside of it and the last time I fired it I did throw some Brats on, but that was a "test", not a cook :)

2. First ever smoking of a Pork Loin. On the WSM I have smoked lots of ribs, a pork butt and chicken, but never a loin.

3. First cooking / try of Wicked Baked Beans

Ok, first things first. I plan on posting a lot of pictures. I welcome and hope for conversation and expect advice and critical feedback. Unless I am making a critical error please save all "You should do's, I would have done's, you should try's" until I am finished. I have a plan in my mind and don't like to adjust on the fly. I would like feedback, suggestions and advice ... else I wouldn't be here .. but unless Im about to ruin my cook, please save that for the end.

First pics.

Ingredients

IMG_0535.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

Loin taken out of bag, rinsed, covered in my own rub recipe and wrapped in Saran Wrap .. I went medium coating on the rub. Not a light coat but less then I did on Pork Butt. Going to let it get happy for about 3 hours

IMG_0536.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

dirtsailor2003 · Feb 18, 2017

Should be a tasty meal!

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Pulled the smoker out of the garage a put it on my walk way, there is no wind right now but I do expect wind out of the south so I positioned the firebox on the south side for air flow. Yes I did check the weather.

I do not like having my smoker right in front of my house for everyone to see. I initially had it on my back patio but it is uncovered and I do have garage space to keep it out of the elements. My yard is enough that I was winded after rolling it from front to back and I am not going to roll it around to the back when I use it. The Yoder cover is a "steal me" sign and yes I realize I can keep the outside covered and seasoned and the metal will never rust through, but I have garage space to keep it out of the elements and I intend on taking care of it so I never have to buy another smoker again.

Plus the street right next to me is a popular street for healthy people to run and there are a lot of ladies that pass by my house :) maybe I can get some attention

IMG_0537.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

I started my fire at 9:30 am. I figure the loin will take 3-4 hours to smoke but I want to allow myself lots of time incase it takes longer ... My plan is 2 hours from fire start to cooker warm up, stabilization and ready. Put meat on at noon, beans on at 1pm and food ready 3-4pm

Fire start

IMG_0538.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

Lump coal, once it catches fire I will put larger pieces on. Let cooker get to steady temp and plan on putting hickory split on 15min before I put meat on to let that blast of white burn off

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

30min later lump is going well .... Ran the probes for my ThermaQ ... put on some larger pieces of lump I picked out of the bag so they can fire and build my coal pile .. closed top doors so temp can start building and left fire box door open since there is no wind .... I want cooker to stabilize and run steady temp for 30min before I put wood on ... I plan on cooking at 250deg +/- 25deg

IMG_0542.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0543.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0541.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0544.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0546.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

With door wide open my temp stalled at 175ish .... Closed cook box door with vent wide open and temp continued rising

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Temp is slowly rising but did note the cooker metal is getting warmer and there is a lot of metal there to absorb heat ..... I am the kind of person that can stare at the TermaQ for 6 hours and be ok .... Gonna take 45min break ... ignore the cooker and make use of time .... Cooker door closed, vents wide open

firemanjon · Feb 18, 2017

Good luck with the smoke!! Looking forward to seeing how it comes out...love those yoders

gr0uch0 · Feb 18, 2017

Bon voyage on the christening!! May want to go hotter and shorter on the loin: lean cut that doesn't do well with long low cooks. I try and keep mine close to 300, and pull it around 145.

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

12:20 and cooker has reached 285deg ... took longer then I expected ... Put on hickory split, gonna let it burn for 15min then put on meat. Then plan on adding 1 split every hour

IMG_0549.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Loin down .. Gonna let it cook for an hour then put beans down

Noted the temp suggestion ... upped temp to 300 +/- 25

IMG_0553.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Oh .. ThermaQ probe into the thick end of the loin. Gonna cook to 138deg, pull then wrap in foil to rest ... I did note the 145deg temp suggestion .. I counting it it raising to that temp

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

I do think my smoke is a bit white ... but my comparison is my WSM which was purely invisible

Here are 2 videos ... Comments on how it is and how to correct if it is a bit white?

gr0uch0 · Feb 18, 2017

Little white ok, billowing white not. Warm your splits before introducing to Mr. Flame. Should be good to go.

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Thank you ... Smoke has gone invisible now, just see vapor trails .. working on beans ... I gotta stay busy, as I said, Im the kind of person who can stare at the smoker for 6 hours .. need to just let it be

hardcookin · Feb 18, 2017

Warm splits and when you add a split leave your door cracked until the split lights off. Then close your door.

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Ok. lot has happened since last post

First the beans

Vegetables prepped

IMG_0559.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

Now. I do not like Bell Peppers. I would normally omit them, However I feel that Dutch knows more then I do so I added them, but put all the vegetables into the processor so it is more of a flavor profile, else I would eat around them

IMG_0561.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

Bacon chopped and cooked

IMG_0562.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0563.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

Beans prepped and ready to go into the smoker. Using a Lodge enamel coated cast iron pot

IMG_0565.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

I went out to put the beans in the smoker

IMG_0566.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

and noted the Pork was at 139deg on the tick end .... Checking with the ThermaPen found it ti be between 139 and 152 all over

IMG_0567.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0568.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0569.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0570.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

IMG_0571.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

I am not ready for dinner ... This is an hour or so earlier then expected .... I pulled it, wrapped it in foil and it will rest for about an hour

IMG_0572.jpg

tsonka
Feb 18, 2017

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

Now. My first big question ...... All of my previous fires have been 3ish hour fires to 225.

It took me forever to get the cooker to 300deg and right now my coals are gone .. no way I could have pulled off anything longer .. I lucked out.

Should I have built a much larger, roaring fire to begin with to get up the thick metal to temp? Is it ok to add more lump coal as the cook goes along? How do you keep the coals / heat for an all day smoke?

Remember, my previous smoker was a WSM .... I just filled the cooker to the top of the ring with Kingsford Blue and I was good for 8+ hours

tsonka · Feb 18, 2017

More information .

It is normally windy in Kansas, today there was no wind. I found myself leaving the vent wide open to keep a constant 280-300 temp

b-one · Feb 18, 2017

Looking great,good luck learning thenew smoker.Thumbs Up

First cook on the Yoder w/ Qview

Meat Mopper

Epic Pitmaster

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Master of the Pit

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Master of the Pit

Meat Mopper

Master of the Pit

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Meat Mopper

Legendary Pitmaster

Similar threads

Hot Threads