Enough smoke with Smokin-it ... ??

[bigmeat5242]

Hi guys, 

Just wanted to get some thoughts from the regular users of the Smokin-it products - 

Do the the Smokin-it smokers produce enough smoke with loading in wood at the beginning and letting it go?  Or do you need to add wood at some point or use an AMNPs (I've seen a lot of discussion regarding AMNPs and modifying the smoker etc)?   

I need to do some more trial and error with my Smokin-it #2 but thought I'd try to get some other opinions.

Thanks! 

 

[dabigbozman]

Hi guys, 

Just wanted to get some thoughts from the regular users of the Smokin-it products - 

Do the the Smokin-it smokers produce enough smoke with loading in wood at the beginning and letting it go?  Or do you need to add wood at some point or use an AMNPs (I've seen a lot of discussion regarding AMNPs and modifying the smoker etc)?   

I need to do some more trial and error with my Smokin-it #2 but thought I'd try to get some other opinions.

Thanks! 

For the money you would think that they would work just fine

 

[chef jimmyj]

PM Old Sarge. He offers a lot of advice on Smokin-it products...JJ

 

[litterbug]

I have a Smokin it #3 and I have only added wood in the beginning. I have never found a need to add more.

 

[801driver]

We have the Smoke-it #2 also. We do like more smoke flavor than many people.  A couple chunks will usually smoke about two hours at the first of a normal smoke, then I usually add a few extra chunk after a couple hours or so for a longer smoke to add a little more as it goes.  I have found the chunks that came with it initially do not put out as much smoke flavor we prefer vs other wood chunks I have found.

I have also re-smoked pulled pork by smoking normal, pulling it, mixing in the finishing sauce, then putting it in open foil pans and back in the cold smoker while heating it back up with new chunks for about 20 minutes.  Give it another good stir, and it adds a lot.  I have done the same with sliced and chopped brisket.  Again, sometimes we desire a lot of smoke flavor.

It is a great smoker, but wood chunks will only smoke so long. They will definitely not last a full 20 hour smoke.

I do not think you would have enough airflow to keep something like the Amaze lit, the Smoke-it has a very small air flow to keep it lit.

Good luck finding a combination that works for you.. 

 

[bigmeat5242]

Thanks guys ... I appreciate your thoughts.  I'll probably try both ways and see what sort of results I get - thx again

 

[old sarge]

bigmeat5242 - You will get plenty of smoke/flavor with very little wood. But you need to adjust for your tastes. On my very first butt in my newly acquired Cookshack (APR 2012), I totally ignored the instructions. I used one chunk of wood.  When the smoke died I added another, then another, etc. The butt was over smoked,  Pitch black, and extremely bitter.  Threw it out.  I decided to weigh the wood chunks and found I had used a total of 12 ounces.  On my next butt (MAY 2012 when I took the photo), I played safe and used 2 ounces of wood. The results are at post 38 in the link below.  The color reminded me of what I would get from my old offset stick burner.  Really nice, but a tad light on the flavor.  But it was very moist and good. And I gradually built up the  wood weight to get the taste profile for the meat I am smoking.  

 A small dense chunk (tight cell structure like heartwood) may weigh as much as or more than a slightly larger  yet less dense chunk of the same species whose cells are clearly a little more open. And the denser wood, close to being heart wood, will burn slower/smoke longer than one with more open cells.  My theory and I am sticking with it.

As for flavor, and there are disagreements on this, I learned after that first butt by visiting many sites that meat will absorb smoke until it reaches about 140 degrees. After that, it just layers up on the outside because the meats cell structure has sealed up/glazed over. It is still flavor but it is not reaching the meat interior. The second link goes into a lot of detail on smoke.  Worth reading.

As for modifying your smoker, I have read on the Smokin-it site that some are using the AMNPS with no problems, and no drilling of holes. In the first link, you will come across a poster with a SmokinTex 1400.  Drilled additional holes which can be plugged when not needed. I have never seen the need.  But each to his/her own desires. There are photos. Also worth reading.

Dave

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/133283/smokintex-1400-owners-out-there-help-me-get-tbs

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/zen_of_wood.html

 

[bigmeat5242]

Thanks 801Driver for the feedback ... might just take a little trial and error, just like it did when I started with my WSM back in 2012.

 

[bigmeat5242]

Old Sarge - thanks again for the feedback / the links were helpful as well.  Just curious if you've used wood chips or soaked some of the wood chips or chucks in water just to try to slow down the smoke flow?  

And just to get your take a on 8-10hr or 10+ hour smoke (for brisket or butts), you'd just start with 4-6oz of wood and let it go?  Thanks again  

 

[old sarge]

If I feel that the wood is to light for it's size or my moisture meter gives me a reading below 10 I will soak the wood or rinse it for a few minutes and then when its surface is dry I will put it in the smoker. I am not soaking for hours. Just enough to freshen the wood. It is rare when I have to do this.

Wet wood adds steam to the equation. So no I do not use wet wood. You could wrap wood in a foil boat to retard the entire chunk from smouldering all at once.

6 ounces of wood at the beginning should do it. If it is too strong. It back on your next smoke. Too light and you might add an additional ounce. I use only Hickory so my tastes may be different than yours. The SI site has more info on woods.

 

[bigmeat5242]

Thanks again ... I'll see how it goes, can always adjust the next time around.

Thx for the feedback.

 

[toysejr]

With my #3.5D I have been happy so far with the recommended ounces of wood and that was the hard part to believe that it took that little wood ...

I smoked some Longhorn Cheese yesterday using the cold plate and a AMNTS tube. The only thing I did different was remove the wood box, drip pan and only latch the top latch, place the tube by the drain hole and it worked fine. I started 1st with just the bottom latch locked and there was not enough oxygen to keep the tube smoldering so I switched to the top latch closed and had no problems .

-Toyse