Finally got a smoker!!

[Nelsonvan21]

Ive been wanting a smoker for quite some time now and my lovely wife got me one for Christmas. She got me a nice little starter smoker. I'm looking for some beginner tips and tricks and also any tips or tricks that go hand in hand with the smoker I got. I plan on starting off with cheaper meats like chicken... thanks ladies and gents!

 

[Braz]

That "little starter smoker" can serve you well for a good many years. For tips and tricks, this forum is loaded to the gills with them. Think about getting a pork butt (shoulder) and smoking that for pulled pork BBQ. The butt is a pretty forgiving cut and a great way to get started.

 

[Nelsonvan21]

That "little starter smoker" can serve you well for a good many years. For tips and tricks, this forum is loaded to the gills with them. Think about getting a pork butt (shoulder) and smoking that for pulled pork BBQ. The butt is a pretty forgiving cut and a great way to get started.

Awesome thanks for the advice. I'm going to try to smoke some whole chickens and chicken wings tomorrow for our New Years party but I'm going to try out a pork butt next!

 

[SmokinAl]

Welcome to SMF!
A great source of info can be found in the free 5 day e-course.
It's a great place to start.
http://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-basics-ecourse
Al

 

[Beanhall]

Welcome to the SMF. I am with braz, you should try a pork butt they are very forgiving. I recently joined SMF after creeping through here every now and then. There is a wealth of knowledge here and never be afraid to ask a question.

 

[Nelsonvan21]

Okay so I finally did my first smoke last night! I smoked 2 whole chickens and a mac n cheese... the Mac and cheese turned out phenomenal but I undercooked the chickens..

I was having a hard time controlling the temp on my smoker. I couldn't get it over 215 degrees to save my life... also my water pan kept running out of water rather fast...

Any tips or tricks to fix these problems? I was running wood charcoal. Thanks guys!