How to Begin.....

[mplsbrewer]

So I'm new.  Completely green.  Well, at least I grill often with charcoal so I have that going for me.  I have no equipment and am looking for a starting point.  I was thinking of just testing out our barrel grill by putting some meat at one end with the charcoal/wood/whatever I need at the other.  I've talked to someone who said that this is possible but a bit of a pain.  I guess then my questions are:

What would be a good starter meat for this kind of process?

What are the general cooking times for this meat? 

What should I use as fuel? 

Should I use a water pan above that?

Is it worth it experimenting this way or should I just buy a new smoker?  I'm on a budget, with all available resources really directed toward my brewing hobby and was thinking of just starting out with a modded ECB.  I thought about the offset box but the grill is one of the cheaper Charboil grills and I haven't yet read great things about those boxes.  Could be wrong, I have no idea what I'm talking about...

Thanks in advance!

 

[uncle mo]

1. baby backs , not too expensive  and  pretty easy  to smoke 

2. 225- 240 about 4 hrs

3. charcoal  and soaked hickory wood chips soak the chips about 30 mins before placing on the coals

4. water pan is optional it ensures the meat  stays moist, i use a spray bottle  to spritz my ribs every hr or so . what you use to spray is up to you .... i have heard of everything from beer to melted butter .  

the trick will be to keep your heat a constant temp  

my smoker has a thermometer built into the lid , makes it super easy maintain my temp 

there are plenty of forums on this site for more in depth info 

i hope this helps

 

[daveomak]

mpls, evening and welcome to the forum....  uncle mo has you covered.....  you should think about a good thermometer....  temps are important....  An remote therm would be ideal.... 2 probes.... 1 for the smoker temp and 1 for the meat temp.....  You're good to go.....  Fire up the charcoal, less than you would use for grilling to keep the smoker temp about 225-250 and throw on a chunk of mesquite of hickory let her rip......    Let us know how it went and take pics..(Q-Views)...  we love pics here....  

Dave  

 

[pineywoods]

I would suggest starting with chicken it's cheap and cooks pretty quick. I also suggest signing up for Jeff's 5 Day Ecourse it's free and has some great info in it

 

[s2k9k]

I know this really won't answer your questions but I think it's where to begin, read...read...read....There is so much good info on this forum....find some threads that apply to a smoker/grill that is similar to yours....pick an easy meat to start like chicken or ribs like they already mentioned and read some threads on them....3-2-1 ribs are easy and will give good results. like Dave said,a good therm is very important and really makes things easier so you aren't guessing. Take it slow and don't get discouraged, we are here for you!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Pineywoods is right , start with the cheaper meats , Chix , Fatties , CSRs(Country Style Ribs) - these are a good 'pre-curser for ribs - and cheaper for those on a 'Budget'.

There are a world of things you can do that are good and less expensive than some of the Premium meats . Ox-tail , Pork Neck (great for soups) , Pork loin , Pork Butt , Chuck Roast , etc.  You can also Smoke Veggies , Fruits , Cheeses , Nuts... the list goes on. Our recipe files offer a plethora of choices.

Seriously , IMHO , being strapped also, I would opt for the less expensive and eat just as well , plus you get a lot more practice...

Have fun and...

 

[mplsbrewer]

Well thanks to everyone who has posted.  I found what I thought to be an ECB on craigslist for ten dollars.  Turns out that it was the Brinkmann two door vertical smoker and even though it wasn't what I thought it was I picked it up because it is hard to argue with $10.  I'm still working my way up there but I'm going to get a decent thermometer and maybe rig together a large charcoal basket out of expanded metal so I can try out the minor method.  Either that or I might just drill a bunch of holes in it and get a grate or by a grilling wok to hold the coals.  The guy I bought it from said he struggled to get it up to temp and I'm assuming it is because of lack of airflow. 

It's funny being on the other end of the spectrum on an online forum.  Read, read and read is usually the advice I give to people on brewing forums who are thinking about jumping into all-grain beer brewing.

 

[roller]

I would suggest starting with chicken it's cheap and cooks pretty quick. I also suggest signing up for Jeff's 5 Day Ecourse it's free and has some great info in it

I agree totally ! Good luck your gona love this...