Newbie here: I need help for tomarrow! Silver Smoker

[jmccalip]

Hi, I just acquired an old rusty SS. I sanded off all the rust and then repainted the outside with high heat grill paint. I will season it later today, and then I want to try to smoke some chicken(maybe legs/thighs and some breasts) tomorrow.

However, I am totally lost on how I cook the meat...

1. Can I even use wood, or is this a charcoal only smoker?
2. If I can use wood, Pecan or Apple?
3. Any tips on how to set up the firebox with wood?
4. I understand I need to keep the temp under 250, but approximately how long do I smoke for(I don't want to keep opening the lid to check).

Thanks a lot!

 

[pineywoods]

Welcome to SMF please stop by the roll call section and tell us a bit about yourself and your smoking experience. As for what to do I would use charcoal and lump if I could find it. The just use small chunks of wood to produce smoke you don't need much smoke it should not be billowing white smoke instead it should be thin and blue or pretty much not there if you can smell it your smoking as for temps check out this link

http://www.wyntk.us/food/smoking-tim...eratures.shtml

Also check this link

http://virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html#minion

 

[ibsmoking]

Welcome JM to SMF i might can help a little bit
1. I use mostly lump charcoal and a couple of chunks of wood, Apple sounds good.
3. I use two or three lite charcoal chimney to get started and put the wood off to the one side.
4. As far a temp goes a lot of people like the skin to be cripes so the run the temp up to 300 -325. I'll do mine like that for about 1 hr. then flip them.

Hope this help, Im sure there will be some folks to come along with some other ideas

 

[agmeyer]

I'm pretty new also; and bought a Silver Smoker to start off with. I took some aluminum foil and made a baffle that blocked the upper half of the opening between the firebox and the smoke chamber. I took some red head gasket maker stuff (from WalMart) and put a bead around where the doors close on the firebox and smoke chamber. I put plastic wrap on the doors and sprayed them with PAM and closed them and waited 24 hours. I got a good seal on both doors. I put a thermometer at about grill level on the smoke chamber at each end of the door. I got a remote therometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. I put an Aluminum foil on the bottom racks leading from the opening on the firebox about 1/3 rd of the way down though the smoke chamber but made it narrower than the lower grates by an inch on each side. So the smoke and heat is forced under the lower grate coming out of the firebox and to each side. I made an Aluminum shield around the exhaust pipe and made it draw from the very end and lower parts of the smoke chamber. So far it works very well and the foil has been a cheap way to get it to work like the fancier modifications I have seen on this site. I think I will make some more permanment modifications later this fall. I decided that after smoking my 6 briskets so far that finishing briskets in the over after 6-8 hours in the Silver Smoker is the way to go. Bring them along slowly and then at 145 or so double foil with the temperature probe in them and put them in the oven and take to 195 internal temp; let rest for about 4 hours and put in the fridge to serve the next day. I would reccommend buying some heavy duty Heat Pad Gloves like I got at WalMart for aobut $5.00. A pair at home and another pair at my cousin's farm really helps get stuff handled. Also a portable radio, cooler, comfortable chair, and plenty of shade and maybe a fan. Good Luck and happy smoke rings from Sedalia, MO.

 

[jmccalip]

Wow, thanks a lot for the info. I did some mods to smoker today, and I'll take some pics tomorrow.

One last thing. I tried searching, but how long do I leave skin on chicken breasts in a 1 cup/gallon, 1 cup sugar/gallon brine mixture? Thanks.

 

[mossymo]

agmeyer
Just a suggestion; instead of using automotive gasket sealant, I use Rutland 500º RTV High Heat Silicone Sealant for sealing and for a smoker adhesive. I have used it for quite a few years as many other SMF members have and it is food safe. Here is a pic of what a caulking tube of it looks like, and they also sell it in squeeze tubes.

 

[waysideranch]

Welcome to the SMF.

 

[skidder]

Get yourself two good thermometers. One for the smoker and one for the meat. Or a dual probe digital. It's all about temp control. You have to keep the smoker in the smoking range and the meat at the correct finish temp. otherwise your in the dark about what your trying to accomplish here. Which is make good Q. Some here can tell when the food is done but me I let the thermometer tell me. Oh yeah welcome.

 

[kratzx4]

Welcome to SMF, as you can see there are a lot of good folk here that are eager to help you out. Ask any questions you have ans someone will be along with the answer