New smoker - looking for advice.

[agent75]

Good to know Wade. Thanks.

 

[agent75]

Just been drooling over some ham joint recipes. Would a gammon be good for smoking?

 

[smokin monkey]

Did a Gammon Hock at the weekend, Flavour was amazing, with or without the glaze.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/258928/smoked-gammon-hock#post_1673066

 

[wade]

I did several over Christmas for customers and kept one for myself. It was worth all the effort 

 

 

[agent75]

Right, the base has been modified, I'm desperate to smoke this weekend. However, the forecast is heavy rain. Does anyone use their garage for smoking in inclement weather?

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• agent75
• Feb 23, 2017

 

[agent75]

I got a chicken today for my first attempt. I have two questions regarding preparing the bird. Should I brine it? And should I spatchcock it?

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[wade]

That is totally up to you. Just because you spatchcock it does not mean that you cannot brine it too.

To be honest I don't find that brining does a lot for chicken size birds but for larger birds (like turkey) it is worth doing. The important thing is to cook the bird to a temperature to keep it moist. It is safe to eat once it has reached 74 C in its thickest part however I like to take mine up to 80 C. Any higher than that and you will just be drying it out.

If you are cooking it whole then a garlic/ginger/lemon butter under the skin works well. Do not stuff it and keep the cavity open as you want the heat to penetrate from both the outside and the inside. If you have a beer can holder or frame then that is good too.

You may find this helpful http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/146957/of-course-charcoal-is-better-than-gas-isnt-it

Do not be tempted to smoke it low-and-slow as this will tend to dry the meat out too much. A moderate heat of 160-165 C (325 F) is good. Also don't forget to capture the juices from under the bird as these make great gravy.

 

[agent75]

Chhers! I was planning on making a bbq sauce and basting it after the first hour.

 

[agent75]

Learning some valuable lessons right now. Taking ages to get up to temp as I didn't use enough beads in the chimney to start.

 

[smokin monkey]

That will be another lesson learned and you will know next time.

 

[agent75]

Can't get above 300F with a full 4kg bag of heat beads.

 

[wade]

What! Send a photo of what you are doing. With that amount of Heat Beads you should be able to power a blacksmith forge...

 

[agent75]

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• agent75
• Feb 25, 2017

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• agent75
• Feb 25, 2017

 

[wade]

Are the coals directly on the bottom of the fire bowl or on a rack. Could the air vent be being blocked by the coals?

 

[agent75]

There's a small rack. I've fashioned an ash poker from a metal coathanger and have been periodically poking the vents, but I suspect I need to raise the grate and perhaps drill a few more holes to increase airflow.

Internal temp is 165C, nearly ready to eat.

 

[smokin monkey]

165'C is a high temperature for low and slow cooking.
Average low and slow temperatures range from 105'C to 125'C
So 165'C is plenty high enough.

 

[wade]

There's a small rack. I've fashioned an ash poker from a metal coathanger and have been periodically poking the vents, but I suspect I need to raise the grate and perhaps drill a few more holes to increase airflow.

Internal temp is 165C, nearly ready toi 

I hope you are referring to the Smoker IT and not the Chicken !

 

[agent75]

I was following Wade's suggestion of smoking a chicken at 165 C. It took about 2 hrs 30 mins for the chicken's IT to reach 80 C.

 

[smokin monkey]

So did you manage to get the smoker to sit at 165'C?

The timings are about right to reach that IT.

 

[agent75]

Yup, managed to hold it steady eventually.