2013 SOUTH FLORIDA GATHERING (THIRD ANNUAL GATHERING) NOV. 8-10TH COME JOIN IN..............

[boykjo]

 
how much sausage does a 8lb pork butt make?

Hey mike, Is this a trick question?........ LOL ... after the bone is removed and the leftover meat in the grinder and stuffer and wherever else you lose anywhere from 1/2 to 1 lb depending on the bone size and your equipment....

 

[dougmays]

I got me a big ol' stack of coups (think Ron White) for ice from IceDaddy! Thanks Ed!

 

[ice daddy]

 
I got me a big ol' stack of coups (think Ron White) for ice from IceDaddy! Thanks Ed!

Doug that would  be COUPUNS.  

 

you guys are gonna have some bodacious weather down there.  

 

[JckDanls 07]

Ed.. thanks for the ice, buddy.... I'll be sure to buy ya a drink at NFL

 

[mike65]

No trick question. Just wasn't sure how much sausage is made.

Hey mike, Is this a trick question?........ LOL ... after the bone is removed and the leftover meat in the grinder and stuffer and wherever else you lose anywhere from 1/2 to 1 lb depending on the bone size and your equipment....

 

[JckDanls 07]

OK.. have some good news and bad news.... Good news is... work put out the schedule for the next 3 weeks... when I look at next week.. it's regular.. but when I look at the week after that.... starting on the 7th it's highlighted for me for 2 1/2 weeks... it say's "VACATION"..... :yahoo: .... So y'all got 2 weeks... eerrrr..... I have 2 weeks to get this house going....

So I got the rest of the parts today (Friday)... went straight for the burner and was a little disappointed on the size.... After watching Tim's build ( http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/149279/sausage-maker-electric-build )
and seeing that he was struggling with temps, I have been worrying about temps in mine... My fears have come true... Ran the burner in the smokehouse with it plugged straight into the receptacle... only got to 135` (all vents closed) in an hour....

So I started thinking.. Dahell am I gonna do now ???

option 1... to use a propane assist.... Hmmmmmm .. exactly what I was trying to get away from.... what else besides propane ????

option 2... cut a piece of plywood to fit inside the smoker and act as false ceiling ... Hmmmmmm..... liking this idea more and more...

So that's what I did.. option 2.... put some dowel rod across the bottom rack and set the plywood on that... (it's all going back to the original idea of making a mini smokehouse).... so now It's only heating half of the smokehouse.... turned the burner back on full strength... It took 1 1/2 hours to get to a max of 169`... got to 130`, 140` pretty quick tho....

Should we be ok with those temps ?? Joe, and Jar... thinking y'all should still bring gas burners just in case ?

What I'm gonna do is make the divider, the "floor"... that way the top half will be heated since the dowel racks are up there already...

Sorry there's no pics yet.. but I was working feverishly trying to get this worked out.... I just made a temporary box out of left over plywood to house the control panel....

will make more progress tomorrow...

Let me know what y'all think...

 

[JckDanls 07]

Something I did different on the wiring.... I put a receptacle on the backside of the control box (broke the tabs off between terminals)... wired one side of receptacle for the heater to plug into... wired the other side for the thermocouple to plug into.. I will put a male plug on the thermo so it will plug into the proper outlet.... this way I can unplug the two and take the control panel inside without having to remove the burner or thermocouple from the smokehouse.... I'm also thinking of putting a couple more on/off switches in (since five came in a pack) and put lights inside and outside.... but that won't be until I get it set in it's final resting spot (here at the house).... I will do receptacles the same way for those...

It's getting there...

 

[rubbin butts]

"Should we be ok with those temps ?? Joe, and Jar... thinking y'all should still bring gas burners just in case ?"
 

Keith, I'm bringing a low pressure propane burner set up, and also a double electric hotplate.

We'll put something together that will work.

 

[boykjo]

I would like to see it get to 225...... If conditions change we need to compensate. Are you testing temps inside where theres no elements..... The smoker temps will change from 10 to 30 degrees in either direction if its shady, sunny, windy etc. IMHO. I like the idea of making it smaller. The smoke house is huge and it will take a lot to heat it. The smaller the smokehouse the better we will be able to control temps. Is it possible to "whack"...LOL a 1/3 of it off the bottom of the smoker....... My smoker can get up to 325 but its metal and retains heat. I have two 2" holes under the burner and I crack my exhaust stacks about half way open for a little air flow and try to hold heat. My problems are trying to keep temps down... I have to run my burner as low as it can go to stay at 140....... I usually smoke at night when theres no sun and ouside temps are lower.

Im trying to find some more of these skins......food lion carries them but there out at all the stores I been to.... Want to make them at the gathering..... I'll have my bacon skins as a back up if I cant find them..... This post dropped like a rock when I posted it.. Only got 1 reply..LOL

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/137821/pork-cracklin-may-not-make-it-to-pork-rinds

 

[rubbin butts]

I would like to see it get to 225...... If conditions change we need to compensate. Are you testing temps inside where theres no elements..... The smoker temps will change from 10 to 30 degrees in either direction if its shady, sunny, windy etc. IMHO. I like the idea of making it smaller. The smoke house is huge and it will take a lot to heat it. The smaller the smokehouse the better we will be able to control temps. Is it possible to "whack"...LOL a 1/3 of it off the bottom of the smoker....... My smoker can get up to 325 but its metal and retains heat. I have two 2" holes under the burner and I crack my exhaust stacks about half way open for a little air flow and try to hold heat. My problems are trying to keep temps down... I have to run my burner as low as it can go to stay at 140....... I usually smoke at night when theres no sun and ouside temps are lower.

Im trying to find some more of these skins......food lion carries them but there out at all the stores I been to.... Want to make them at the gathering..... I'll have my bacon skins as a back up if I cant find them..... This post dropped like a rock when I posted it.. Only got 1 reply..LOL

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/137821/pork-cracklin-may-not-make-it-to-pork-rinds

Joe, those cracklins look awesome. I've never seen them in a store, but there is a pork processor about 10 miles from me, I'll have to get some and try them out.

 

[JckDanls 07]

ok.. so I raised the floor up to the middle of the house (2 story)... temps got up to 180-185` within an hour....

here's what I did

Smokehouse 012.JPG

• JckDanls 07
• Oct 26, 2013

gonna try and lower it about 8-10 inches and see what happens...

here's the temporary PID control box....

Smokehouse 011.JPG

• JckDanls 07
• Oct 26, 2013

the back side with the outlets for the heater and the thermocouple to plug into... also the heat sync out the back...

Smokehouse 013.JPG

• JckDanls 07
• Oct 26, 2013

I have the PID running a shorten program right now... everything's working fine at the moment...

trying to figure this controller out.... how to work it....

 

[jarjarchef]

I may have missed it on an earlier post, but how many watts is your electric element? The reason I ask is looking at the cubic space compared to an MES. It looks like you have much more space to heat. What about a second element down the road or maybe an oven element?

Not an electrician only throwing ideas out there........

 

[JckDanls 07]

Jar... I was thinking the same thing as far as a second element... or a bigger one... (down the road).. this one is 1500W....

I did kinda go overboard on the build (dunno what the hell I was thinking)... We'll be ok... I'll revamp it when I get back home and set it up permanently...

 

[jarjarchef]

I am planning bringing the burner I have and it will deffinately get the smokehouse up to temp. I think I have an old turkey fryer burner. I'll look to see if I do and if it works.

As far as pots, pans and other kitchen wear. Is there anything else that is needed? I also have some portable chaffers if you feel they are needed.....they are pretty cool. They are made of plywood and assemble like Lincoln Logs/Tinker Toys.......

 

[JckDanls 07]

OK.. so barrok66 (Keith) had to back out and can't make it.. he has cancelled his reservation for site number 86.... If anybody has somebody that wants to come but no sites were available.... there is one now... so lets get this site reserved so there is not a stranger in the middle of our group....

Sorry you can't make it Keith.. maybe next time... there should be a N. FL. Gathering in April... waiting for details to emerge for that... maybe you can make it up there ?

Also.. Bill (smokedapple) won't be making it this year ether as he has family coming into town that weekend....

 

[jarjarchef]

I was just at Lowes and noticed they still have some bags of charcoal left. 40lb for $19.99 not a bad deal. I have enough for what I need, does anyone need me to pick some up for them?

 

[boykjo]

I have 80 lbs left. Sams club has them for 17.98 also but 'm done with Sams.....Their tire service is the worst. Been buying tires their for 25 yrs and had enough at the Garner nc store......They are lazy with any excuse not to work with no direction.... Copletley pitiful... sorry, lost my mind there for a moment..LOL

 

[dougmays]

I am planning bringing the burner I have and it will deffinately get the smokehouse up to temp. I think I have an old turkey fryer burner. I'll look to see if I do and if it works.

As far as pots, pans and other kitchen wear. Is there anything else that is needed? I also have some portable chaffers if you feel they are needed.....they are pretty cool. They are made of plywood and assemble like Lincoln Logs/Tinker Toys.......

In the past between all of us being there we've never been short in the pots and pans area. I'll be bringing 2 cast iron skillets (14" and 17") anyone is welcome to use. i'll also bring a dutch oven and a couple other non-castiron pots for misc cooking. 

OK.. so barrok66 (Keith) had to back out and can't make it.. he has cancelled his reservation for site number 86.... If anybody has somebody that wants to come but no sites were available.... there is one now... so lets get this site reserved so there is not a stranger in the middle of our group....

Sorry you can't make it Keith.. maybe next time... there should be a N. FL. Gathering in April... waiting for details to emerge for that... maybe you can make it up there ?

Also.. Bill (smokedapple) won't be making it this year ether as he has family coming into town that weekend....

hmm...maybe if Ron's guests with a RV want to move from behind his site to this middle spot so that we dont get the random stranger? Or we all pitch in and cover the cost of Barrok's site to keep it and use it as another public gathering area? or "smoker alley" :)

I was just at Lowes and noticed they still have some bags of charcoal left. 40lb for $19.99 not a bad deal. I have enough for what I need, does anyone need me to pick some up for them?

I have 3-4 bags i'll be bringing plus i have a bunch of wood now that should keep my smoker going all weekend

 

[dougmays]

Got 2 of Jeff's books in the mail this weekend for giveaways at the Gathering! Big Thanks to Jeff for supporting us each year!

 

[jarjarchef]

Sounds good.

I will pack what I can and if I am missing anything..........well I will just figure it out.