Droopys in the House!

[droopydrawers]

Hi All,

Displaced Yankee living just south of the Mason-Dixon outside of Baltimore. Stumbled upon this site and thought I would get in on the great eats I see here (sometimes I think I can smell it too). Never tried smoking before but long time griller. Had the family get me an early Fathers Day gift so I got a 20" wide GOSM gasser to start, partially cuz of the things I read here. Wife also didnt like the idea of charcoal. Gotta choose your battles, right?. So I assembled yesterday, will season it today or tomorrow and do a first smoke Saturday.

So a couple ?

Looking for suggestions for the first smoke. Was thinking a brined, rubbed chicken or turkey to keep it simple but any thoughts are welcome.

Has anyone added air vents to the smaller GOSM's similar to the big block and is it worth it?

Also, since I do a lot of fresh water fishing, was wondering if anybody smokes whole fish, like LM-SM bass, crappies, rockfish etc and would suggest seasonings and techniques.

Thanks in advance!

Brian

 

[triple b]

Welcome to SMF from your neighbour up north in Canada!
Ther's a lot of people here to help you.
They'll answer your question shortly.
I don't have a smoker like that myself,but someday.

 

[domn8_ion]

Welcome to SMF. Do we really want to know why you call yourself "DroopyDrawers". Pulled pork is pretty simple if you've got the time. Poultry is very forgiving about temp spikes, but since you have a gasser, shouldn't be a problem. Heck, do both. Just have the chicken for dinner one day, and pulled pork the next.

 

[peculiarmike]

Welcome!
A chicken or turkey would be the perfect starter smoke, hard to kill them and they are good.
Black bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, are toys, not for eating.

Catch and release only so they are there to catch again in the future. I bass fish for money.
Crappie, walleye, rockfish, on the other hand, get introduced to hot grease and served with hushpuppies, fried taters and coleslaw. Never smoked any. Have had smoked rainbow trout, very tasty! They were gutted and smoked whole, skin pulled right off, meat was flaky and smoky good.

 

[droopydrawers]

>Do we really want to know why you call yourself "DroopyDrawers".

Sorry to say its nothing interesting, just something my Dad called me when I was a pup.

>Heck, do both. Just have the chicken for dinner one day, and pulled pork the next.

Good idea. Will also appeal to the wife since its another day she wont have to cook.

>both largemouth and smallmouth, are toys, not for eating.

The wife marinates these with some soy, fresh ginger and garlic and grills them. It isnt walleye, but its still very good, and worth the cleaning and scaling.

 

[hank]

What you have to do is make up a brine first for the fish:
1/2 Kosher salt to 1/2 Sugar
That is the standard brine, to this you can add what you like, I prefer the juice of a lemon, or dill, or both.
If the fish is small, the fillets are under 2 inches, keep it whole. Gut and clean, then I like to PARTIALLY cut the backbone from the inside to butterfly the fish. Put in brine for 2-3 hours remove, rinse off, dry and let air dry for at least 1 hour. A chemical reaction will take place, where you will notice small drops develop on the surface of the fish, at that point you can smoke.
Butterflying the fish exposed the large end of the fillet to the brine, on larger fish I would cut it into quarters. How about smoked salmon?????
I have an old fish curing and smoking book that I converted to a pdf file, if you would like a copy, just e-mail me, I don't do PM.
Offer goes to all here.

 

[hank]

Forgot......

Keep the skin on, or it will fall apart in the smoker!

 

[smokin for life]

Welcome to the SMF, I have the GOSM gasser with the one vent in the top. No problem. it works just fine the way it is. The only mod.I can think of would be a little smoke stack for the top, for when it rains. There was a thread on here, where some one used "elbow" that way you could point it away from the wind. I'm sure you'll be getting a lot of help here.

 

[hank]

Excellent Idea. I rained pretty hard yesterday, could have used that idea. It will be installed tomorrow, still raining pretty good here today.

Thanks...... Thinking about a cone or "V" top.....Home Depot Road Trip comin' up

 

[hillbillysmoker]

Hey Droopy, Welcome to the forum. Hope you will feel free to share your adventures, ask questions, and to join right in. Here is a link to my first smoke way back when. It is easy. It is quick and is still one of the family's favorites.

Bill

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43

 

[wvsmokeman]

Welcome aboard the SMF Droopy!

 

[cheech]

It is also a good idea to brush with some olive oil so that it does not stick to the grate.

 

[droopydrawers]

Another question please. As was suggested, I think I am going to try both a brined/smoked chicken and a pork butt for my first smoke. What is the right order to put these in the smoker? Is there a problem with the meat on the higher shelf dripping on the lower? Thanks

 

[virgo53]

Place the bird lower than other meat, That way you won't have problems.
Mike

 

[crewdawg52]

Agree. I dont know of anyone who likes raw yardbird juices dripping their butt.

 

[shellbellc]

If you want them done at the same time, you'll need to start the shoulder a lot earlier than the bird. Brine the chicken, rub the shoulder. There are some good recipes out there for finishing sauce for pulled pork...NC style, while you have it fired up, throw a fatty and some scrapple in there. You've never had better scrapple! I will start to "melt" through the grates though so you need to put it on foil or something.

Where in PA were you from? You might be below the Mason Dixon line, but most people from the deep south would still consider you a yank!

 

[droopydrawers]

Thanks for the advice. THe bird will be for dinner Sat and we will pull the pork for dinner on Sunday.

>Where in PA were you from? You might be below the Mason Dixon line, but most people from the deep south would still consider you a yank!

I grew up in NE PA, betwn Scranton & Wilkesbarre. Coal country.

 

[deejaydebi]

Welcome Droopy

I like to move my birds to the top shelf just before there done it's hotter at the top.

PS my Dad used to call me that to.

 

[up in smoke]

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m a displaced southern boy living in Pittsburgh, I was raised in Catonsville, seven miles west of Baltimore!

p.s. and I still warsh my car and miss the state of Marelin!

Welcome!

 

[tonto1117]

Welcome to the SMF droopydrawers

Sounds like everyone has you well on your way to a great first smoke.

Too funny Carl....had to read " Marelin" two times to get it