Maiden Smoke - Humphrey's Pint

[dward51]

Well, I'm finally getting a proper smoke on in the new Pint. Lots of life stuff with my F-I-L (he's 92 years old with dementia) that has pushed playing with the new smoker to a back burner so to speak. But today I'm doing it. Sore as crap with pulled back and nerve screaming in the leg, wife's car died and had to be towed to the dealership, but I'm doing it anyway. I did not get any pre-smoke photos made as the hands were covered in prep stuff and rub and I was trying to keep the running back and forth to a minimum due to discomfort.

Today's smoke list is a single full rack of baby back ribs, and a bone in shank portion of ham (double smoked ham - NOT pre-sliced). Both rubbed with SPOG with butter powder added, and some good old Meat Church The Gospel. I'm trying to stay low carb and may do the ribs dry but spritzed with apple juice. Plan is to finish the ham with a glaze of butter/honey/bourbon which is my favorite! Smoke is over lump with apple chunks added for flavor in a T-maze inside the firebox, on a BBQ Guru DigiQ2 controller with a pit viper fan.

Took right at an hour from lighting the coals with 3 tumbleweeds to rock solid 225*. Running with the fire brick "heat sink" in the drop in pan location for temp stability (fancy version of a WSM clay flower pot mod but made for the Pint smoker). Using a full size and half Humphrey's "lift kit" each in disposable pans to keep the drippage contained to the pans. Start off clean, keep it clean!!!!

Been running with the meat on for about an hour as I post this. I'll get some photos as this progresses. Guru is doing it's job as the temp is rock solid at 225*, and the exterior of the smoker is just barely warm to the touch (nice!!!).

 

[jcam222]

Nice smokers

 

[dward51]

Ok, 2 hours in and I took some photos. Pit is rock solid at 225 with guru vent at about 1/2 open, ball valve 100% open (Guru is running the show) and exhaust at about a "pinkie" width open. This is an insulated double wall reverse flow cooker. No way I could hold my hand on the outside of my other smokers at this or any temp. Just barely warm on the outside. Nice!!!

Baby Back ribs. Note the "lift kit" holding the ribs up in the smoke but allowing the use of a full pan to catch drips. Easy clean up.

The ham, also on a smaller 1/2 pan lift kit.

Still have a way to go, but starting at the 2 hour mark I'm spritzing every half hour or so with apple juice. More to come.....

 

[dward51]

Nothing fancy, just a basic smoke. I'm doing the low carb / keto thing so I decided not to sauce the ribs. So here they are after about 5 1/2 hours on the Pint.

Letting them rest before tasting, but I had to cut into them to see how the smoke ring came out. I'll take it!!!!! Just apple chunks and charcoal.

The ham was a "ready-to-eat" ham that had been cooked before it was sold. So all I was doing is putting some extra flavor on it. My goal is a lot of sliced ham for sandwiches, so I'm going to let it cool and slice it up tomorrow after it firms up in the fridge overnight. All said, it looks and smells wonderful. Ok, I did have to take a slice to sample.