Brand new smoker
- Thread starter Recreational smoker
- Start date
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Do the break in per the manual first.
I broke mine is a number of times just to watch it smoke. ;^)
If you are wondering, try a Pork Butt (Boston Butt, Pork Shoulder).
Or any number of inexpensive things, Chicken, Hot Dogs even.
There will be some learning curve to it. Be patient, have fun!
Welcome to:
I broke mine is a number of times just to watch it smoke. ;^)
If you are wondering, try a Pork Butt (Boston Butt, Pork Shoulder).
Or any number of inexpensive things, Chicken, Hot Dogs even.
There will be some learning curve to it. Be patient, have fun!
Welcome to:
Welcome to the forum!
That's a bit of a broad question.
Number 1 tip I would give to a newbie is keep it simple. Start with forgiving cuts of meat or shorter cooks until you get a handle on your equipment. Go for simple cooks that don't take a bunch of steps. I find that people want to jump right in with brines and rubs and mops and sauces, etc. The problem with that, is that, when you are doing everything, it becomes difficult to decipher what each thing is actually doing.
I would recommend starting with chicken, which is a nice quick cook. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Seems simple, but I promise it will be delicious. This will give you a "baseline" for what chicken off the smoker tastes like. And next time, if you try to brine your chicken before cooking it. You will be able to tell what the brine is doing. Gradually adding things allows you to understand how the tools interact with one another. Walk before you run
Also, don't get hung up on types of wood just yet. Knowing how to control temperature and the quantity/quality of your smoke are way more important that what type of wood you are using. Once you get your temp/smoke control down, then try switching wood types to see what difference it makes.
Simple is the way to start IMO
Number 2 tip would be that meat is ready when it has reached the desired internal temperature (IT). Rarely should you ever cook for time. For example, a whole chicken usually takes me 1h30 to 2h. This will depend on the size of the chicken, the cooking temperature, and how steady that temperature is held. So I don't time the chicken. I know it is ready when the internal temperature of the breast is 160*. Almost always cook for temp, not time. There are some exceptions to this rule. Like ribs, if you are using the 3-2-1 method
And don't hesitate to ask questions on here. There are a bunch of people with years and years of experience who will be more than happy to give you more advice than you can shake a stick at.
That's a bit of a broad question.
Number 1 tip I would give to a newbie is keep it simple. Start with forgiving cuts of meat or shorter cooks until you get a handle on your equipment. Go for simple cooks that don't take a bunch of steps. I find that people want to jump right in with brines and rubs and mops and sauces, etc. The problem with that, is that, when you are doing everything, it becomes difficult to decipher what each thing is actually doing.
I would recommend starting with chicken, which is a nice quick cook. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Seems simple, but I promise it will be delicious. This will give you a "baseline" for what chicken off the smoker tastes like. And next time, if you try to brine your chicken before cooking it. You will be able to tell what the brine is doing. Gradually adding things allows you to understand how the tools interact with one another. Walk before you run
Also, don't get hung up on types of wood just yet. Knowing how to control temperature and the quantity/quality of your smoke are way more important that what type of wood you are using. Once you get your temp/smoke control down, then try switching wood types to see what difference it makes.
Simple is the way to start IMO
Number 2 tip would be that meat is ready when it has reached the desired internal temperature (IT). Rarely should you ever cook for time. For example, a whole chicken usually takes me 1h30 to 2h. This will depend on the size of the chicken, the cooking temperature, and how steady that temperature is held. So I don't time the chicken. I know it is ready when the internal temperature of the breast is 160*. Almost always cook for temp, not time. There are some exceptions to this rule. Like ribs, if you are using the 3-2-1 method
And don't hesitate to ask questions on here. There are a bunch of people with years and years of experience who will be more than happy to give you more advice than you can shake a stick at.
Welcome to SMF!
Plenty of folks on here with electric smokers to help you out.
You may want to check out the free 5 day e-course.
It has a lot of good info & will get you started.
https://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-basics-ecourse
Al
Plenty of folks on here with electric smokers to help you out.
You may want to check out the free 5 day e-course.
It has a lot of good info & will get you started.
https://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-basics-ecourse
Al
Welcome RS !!!
Here are a Whole bunch of Tips, Tricks, and Step by Step Tutorials for you to check out:
Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".
Bear
Here are a Whole bunch of Tips, Tricks, and Step by Step Tutorials for you to check out:
Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".
Bear
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