Consistency. Are bigger smokers better at it?

[Dive Bar Casanova]

If I'm lucky enough I can have a few words with the owner of a good Smoke House.
THE most often heard word from them, the most important word is consistency.

The ribs I smoke are always good, but never seem to be the same from batch to batch.

I'm wondering if their is more consistency in those big commercial restaurant smokers compared to my 6 racks of backs capacity 20 gallon backyard smoker.

I try to stick to the exact same routine each time.
It's been 97F everyday and humid and I smoked ribs for the wife to take to a pot luck at work yesterday.
They were sensational, but inconsistent compared the last batch.

Does bigger mean more consistency?

 

[sandyut]

I dont think so. I think my smoked meats are pretty consistentlay similar. I could tell one batch of ribs from another If they all have the same rub Etc.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Might just be the cuts of meat... smoke two pork butts of same size, side by side, and there's a good chance they finish at different times.

Ryan

 

[schlotz]

Consistency comes from variable control. Residentially there might be more variation on meat purchased at your local store. Not certain about the commercial suppliers to restaurants though. There is equipment differences as well regarding temp fluctuation during smoking. I know my MAK has temp swings but at the end of the day, regardless of outside temp, using the same meat supplier and process the results are usually similar. I have encountered (rarely) an outlier and in that case the meat was from someplace else. I don't buy from them anymore.

 

[gmc2003]

Consistency in the final outcome is all that matters. There are too many variables involved with smoking meat outdoors. Ambient temp, meat, heat source, weather, number of beers consumed, etc. etc. I know my kettles pretty well, and I know from the get go that I can only get in the ballpark of what I've done previously, but as long as the final product is delicious. That's all that matters.

Chris

 

[tallbm]

If I'm lucky enough I can have a few words with the owner of a good Smoke House.
THE most often heard word from them, the most important word is consistency.

The ribs I smoke are always good, but never seem to be the same from batch to batch.

I'm wondering if their is more consistency in those big commercial restaurant smokers compared to my 6 racks of backs capacity 20 gallon backyard smoker.

I try to stick to the exact same routine each time.
It's been 97F everyday and humid and I smoked ribs for the wife to take to a pot luck at work yesterday.
They were sensational, but inconsistent compared the last batch.

Does bigger mean more consistency?

I don't think bigger means consistency at all.

I'm in the camp of controlling variables, especially with things that matter.

Things like, are the cuts of meat always similar. You will see differences in doing an 8 pound brisket vs a 15 pound brisket.
Things like, is the smoker always packed to the brim or is it 1 thing in the smoker. You will see differences because these are 2 different scenarios.

The more things that change the less chance that the outcome is the same. This is true of basically everything in life. You want to do things the same or as close as possible every time.

This is why in sports teams will dedicate some time to scrimmage or practice just like the game will be played in reality.
This is why in theatre there are dress rehearsals.
This is why in the software world (except maybe in the case of Crowdstrike lol) you perform software releases in lower and similar environments to that of the live (Production) environments.

All of this is done so that issues can be identified and fixed AND so that the result can consistently be the best product possible.
When there are issues replicating the variables properly then the outcome of the final product suffers and often that suffering is with consistency. Look at that consistency of the Dallas Cowboys over the years from game to game

I get really good consistency but I control all my variables very tightly.
For example I buy briskets that are about 15 pounds or heavier and are "flexible".
I trim them the same way so what goes in the smoker is always similar according to various characteristics like having uniform thickness of meat in the flat muscle AFTER I trim off the thin uneven thickness areas.
I smoke 1 or 2 briskets on the same rack configuration and do it the same way with the same time management at the same temps, with the same temp probing, same tenderness checking, etc.
My briskets come out consistent. Should I do 3 briskets at once, all bets are off because I've never done 3 at once and don't know how humidity levels might change things, etc.

So I'm pretty consistent in picking my meat and repeating my methods for any BBQ I smoke. You give me a different larger smoker or a smaller smoker and I have to start from square one :D

 

[SmokinEdge]

Consistency in the final outcome is all that matters. There are too many variables involved with smoking meat outdoors. Ambient temp, meat, heat source, weather, number of beers consumed, etc. etc. I know my kettles pretty well, and I know from the get go that I can only get in the ballpark of what I've done previously, but as long as the final product is delicious. That's all that matters.

Chris

I agree Chris. Small cookers and a single Packer brisket are repeatable, and large cookers are more repeatable for larger volume. Some good consistent Que comes off both but for different reasons.

I wouldn’t use a 250 gallon offset to cook a single brisket just because it may be “better “