- May 15, 2017
- 14
- 10
Hi all, I'm looking for some help here. My lovely wife got me a Camp Chef Smoke Vault vertical smoker for Christmas, and I haven't made anything good in it yet. I've tried two racks of ribs and two briskets, and for the most part they've turned out terribly.
I've been extremely patient, tried to follow the recipes and instructions I've found online, and gotten help from friends with smokers, and I just can't seem to get it right.
For example, the last brisket I cooked was a ~9.5lb from Costco. I covered it in a basic dry rub, put it in the fridge overnight, got it out, fired up the smoker, and put it in at ~230. I threw some wood chunks in there and it smoked up. I then tended to it for 14 hours!! It took forever to get up to the 185 I read was the target. I opened the door as infrequently as possible, probably about four times to check on the water level and top it off. I kept the temps at around the same level as much as possible.
First, is it supposed to take that long?
And second, I don't mind if it does, but the results had better be fantastic, and they just...weren't. I'd say the middle was very good. Nice and tender. Didn't blow me away but I liked it. The rest of it, however, was very tough and dry.
Lastly, how do I know the right amount of wood to put in? My wife and I thought the brisket ended up TOO smokey. It was kind of overwhelming. I did put quite a lot in there, but maybe I should dial it back? I just don't know what the right amount is!
Please help. So far, I've been very disappointed with this purchase. The results just aren't worth the effort I'm putting into it, or the expense of the equipment I've purchased...
*edit*
I should mention that I'm not trusting the thermometer on the door of the smoker. I have a digital thermometer with an ambient probe in addition to the meat probe. I kept it at 225 the whole time, and the whole time the door said 195!
I've been extremely patient, tried to follow the recipes and instructions I've found online, and gotten help from friends with smokers, and I just can't seem to get it right.
For example, the last brisket I cooked was a ~9.5lb from Costco. I covered it in a basic dry rub, put it in the fridge overnight, got it out, fired up the smoker, and put it in at ~230. I threw some wood chunks in there and it smoked up. I then tended to it for 14 hours!! It took forever to get up to the 185 I read was the target. I opened the door as infrequently as possible, probably about four times to check on the water level and top it off. I kept the temps at around the same level as much as possible.
First, is it supposed to take that long?
And second, I don't mind if it does, but the results had better be fantastic, and they just...weren't. I'd say the middle was very good. Nice and tender. Didn't blow me away but I liked it. The rest of it, however, was very tough and dry.
Lastly, how do I know the right amount of wood to put in? My wife and I thought the brisket ended up TOO smokey. It was kind of overwhelming. I did put quite a lot in there, but maybe I should dial it back? I just don't know what the right amount is!
Please help. So far, I've been very disappointed with this purchase. The results just aren't worth the effort I'm putting into it, or the expense of the equipment I've purchased...
*edit*
I should mention that I'm not trusting the thermometer on the door of the smoker. I have a digital thermometer with an ambient probe in addition to the meat probe. I kept it at 225 the whole time, and the whole time the door said 195!
Last edited: