The new guy !

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sawnoff

Newbie
Original poster
Hi all, my name is karl, im a cabinet maker from county wicklow in ireland, my nickname is sawnoff because only 5' 4" [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]

Im brand new to smoking & as you can imagine being from ireland we dont get the weather for lots of practice ! I got a cheap & small offset smoker, the smoke box is not much bigger than 18" in circumfrence & the main chamber is just over 2'. I've had some sucess with ribs using 3-2-1 method with apple wood but find it hard maintaining 225 twards the end as i find im get a build up of ash, im thinking of doing a brisket any advice would be great lads, can i do a long smoke on a small rig ? Also i have some ash wood that i use for wood turning its fairly common here can i smoke with it ?
Lookin forward to hearing from you.....
 
Hey Karl, welcome to SMF!  Glad you are here and enjoying your smoker, having some success.  We should be able to give you a hand with your issues. 

You can absolutely do a long smoke on a small rig. 

Ash is a perfectly acceptable wood for smoking; light flavor, but distinctive taste from what I've read.

The temp issue on the ribs isn't a big concern.  I let my temps float up toward the end.  It speeds things along and the ribs don't care.

An ash buildup is a problem.  Sounds like too much airflow through your firebox and chamber.  If you restrict the airflow a little bit at the firebox inlet, that should help with both your ash buildup and rising temps. 

Happy to see you here!

Ray
 
Thanks ray, really appreciate the help,i seem to find my temp dropping the longer i smoke & i think, wrongly, im adding more coals thus adding to the ash problem, i am using a chimney starter but i think im having to add way to many, how many times should i have to renew coals over a 6 hour smoke for example ? Again many thanks.
 
Karl, it sounds like you've been using charcoal for the entire smoke with your side burner, is that correct?  If so, I'll have to let the stickburners answer. 

Charcoal will get ashy and any disturbance will send it into the airflow.  You can always use the charcoal to start the fire, then add small splits of that ash wood to keep the fire going and the temp up.  That would solve your ash problem, but using all charcoal, someone with a side burner will have to answer.   
 
Welcome to the forum!

welcome1.gif


Al
 
Ah to be sure to be sure !!!![emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]
Thanks for the warm welcome lads, just got home from work & going to take full advantage of the rare bit of sun we get & fire up the smoker with a pork tenderloin & some well seasoned blocks of ash, any suggestions ???
 
Ah to be sure to be sure !!!![emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]
Thanks for the warm welcome lads, just got home from work & going to take full advantage of the rare bit of sun we get & fire up the smoker with a pork tenderloin & some well seasoned blocks of ash, any suggestions ???
Pork loin and tenderloin are easy and relatively quick.  Rub of choice. Just about any chamber temp will work, but lower (225-250F) means more time in the smoke.  Smoke until internal temp  is 140-145F, cover, and rest for 10-15 minutes.  Will be slightly pink inside but so tender and juicy. 
 
Great thanks, i've got it on now with a paste i put on last nite :
White sugar
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Mustard powder
Small amount sea salt
finely finely chopped onion
Dark soy sauce
Japenese toasted seseme seed oil

Lets see how it goes !...
 
Hey Karl, welcome! I started off with smoker just like yours and had the exact same problems you're describing. If you have a source of wood readily available a wood fire is your best bet. There are several different ways to go about it and each smoker has a way that works best. Each smoker also has a temp range it likes to run at and it might take a few smokes to figure it out. My suggestion would be to start by figuring out how much lit charcoal it takes to get to 225 and add that to your fire box. Next put a couple splits on top and let them catch. What you want is a hot clean fire just big enough to keep you cook chamber in your temp range. Keep your stack wide open and control your fire with you intake and fuel. You want your wood to burn (flames.) this keeps creosote and other nasty crap from condensing and collecting on your meat. You want to keep an eye on your stack. What you're looking for is clear to thin blue smoke coming out of the stack. Don't worry, your is meat is still getting smoked. From there keep adding splits as needed to keep your temp in range. This could be 225-250, 250-275 etc. mine likes to run at 265-285. Basically, when the wood has burned down to coals (no flames) or your temp starts to drop, add another split or two. Like I said it will take a few smokes to figure out how your pit likes to run but it's really not all that complicated once you figure it out. Kick back, drink some Guinness and enjoy the process.

Lance
 
Oh, by the way, that black tenderloin looks awesome.... Points!! Sadly it's too hot in Mississippi right now to drink Guinness, one of my favorites!

Lance
 
Slaīnte !to ray & lance, a bit of good advice like that goes a long way, thanks lads...so basicaly i can use lump or briquettes fired up in the chimeny starter to get going & then just carry on & set temp with timber ? Because in my line of work i have access to some serious hardwood off cuts, cherry maple, oak, beech, you name it...do i need to use coals again at all through a longer smoke ? Or is it just a case of long nites bonding with the smoker, drinking guinness outside, neglecting the wife & kids & learning how it all works ??? [emoji]128513[/emoji][emoji]128513[/emoji][emoji]128513[/emoji]
 
Or is it just a case of long nites bonding with the smoker, drinking guinness outside, neglecting the wife & kids & learning how it all works ??? [emoji]128513[/emoji][emoji]128513[/emoji][emoji]128513[/emoji]

That's pretty much it! Just keep adding splits to keep it in your temp range and keep yourself hydrated with Guinness. And yeah, if can get all that wood that's going to be your best road.
 
"Go raibh mile maith agat a chairde" translated from gaelic that means a thousand thanks my friends for all your help today,its midnight here on the emerald isle so its time to hit the hay, happy smokin' lads & lassies....
 
Thanks gary [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Quick question, has anyone else used ash wood in the smoker ? Its actually really really good... nice & strong flavour but not overpowering, but i am a novice, any opinions ?
 
Thanks gary [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Quick question, has anyone else used ash wood in the smoker ? Its actually really really good... nice & strong flavour but not overpowering, but i am a novice, any opinions ?
I have used ash wood to smoke. I like it on pork when I want the light herbs to stand out. If you google Len Poli, he has a wonderful site. It is mainly geared towards sausage making, but he has a list of woods for smoking along with description of the smoke flavor. You might find that an interesting read while tending the smoke.
 
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