I am new to smoking meat. I recently acquired a Oklahoma Joes smoker. My first smoke was chicken drumsticks, a bologna chub, and hit links. It turned out okay,but the bologna wasn't done. I have since smoked a shoulder butt. I figured out on my first smoke that the thermometer wasn't in the right spot so I adjusted my cooking temp. So instead of cooking in the 225-250 range I cook in the 250-270 range. The butt turned out great but took a lot longer than expected. I have seen some of Gary S post and realised that the pound per hour rule is out the window. I am contemplating a brisket in the next couple of weeks. I hope it turns out.
Welcome aboard, Josh, and loved your thread title. Just some idle thoughts while reading your initial post:
1. Gary is a trove of info, as are a lot of folks here. I don't know if he's actually saying that the time thing is out the window, as much as to use internal temp as a truer barometer. The 1/1.5 hour generality gives you something to gauge start time and table time.
2. Is the OK Joe you acquired an old school (pre-1998) model or recently manufactured? Old ones were built like tanks and held heat very, very well: the newer models typically aren't as heavy gauge and need more attention to keep heat constant.
3. How were you measuring your pit temps? If thermometer on the lid and it's a new smoker, they're notoriously inaccurate out of the box. Calibrate it in boiling water and make adjustments accordingly. Equally important, if it's a lid thermometer, it's equally inaccurate if it's in the upper section of the lid, as many manufacturers like to do. It needs to be down at grate level. Al's recommendation on the thermometer is good advice: I'd also recommend moving the manufacturer's thermometer to grate level if it's not already there.
4. Here's a link to an old thread that details some of the various modifications that you can do to help keep more constant temps and reduce fuel consumption, temp yoyos, etc.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138813/what-mods-should-i-make-to-my-ok-joe-longhorn
5. You may want to keep a log book with your cooks. Some do, some don't chronicle things such as what you're cooking, initial and trimmed weight, ambient temps, what woods you're using, what charcoal you're using, etc. It does help (over time) identify any trends or patterns that you can learn from and adjust accordingly.
I'll bet you're going to enjoy your new toy: the more you learn about it by using it, the more successful and enjoyable it will be in the long run. Sure, you're going to have some stumbles along the way, but we all have and feel free to reach out for help. Good luck!
