Newbie smoker

[todd2968]

I've grill for many year but never really SMOKED. I believe I have the theory down but still need help. I bought a Master Forge 2 door gas smoker from Lowes and with the help of my 5 year old son put it together. The Lowe reviews to.d me to buy 2 furnace rope gasket kits and seal the doors. I also used some left over adhesive on the roof vent, hoping just the glue alone will seal.
I never thought of sealing the bottom til I saw someone on this forum do it.
Plan on cooking ribs tomorrow and maybe a dry rub tonight any suggestions?
Before I even start I've got a really important question. The wood chip box should the wood chips be submerged in water or simply soaked and put in the box with no water in the bottom



A little about me: I'm just retired last July 2012 from the US Navy Seabees and am now a
1. College student. 2. A house daddy 5 year old son. 3. A military dependent wife is also a US Navy Seabee about to deploy.

 

[s2k9k]

:welcome1: to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 45,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 900,000 posts describing it!

The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but you can still ask too if you want!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-Course, it will teach you all the basics plus a whole lot more!

No need to soak the chips or add water to the chip pan, they won't make smoke until they dry out anyway.

Thank You for your Service! :PDT_Armataz_01_37:

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Welcome to the bunch and Thank You and The Wife for your Service.

Teach you son wel and he can pass the torch to the Grandkids.

Have fun and as always . . .

 

[seenred]

Welcome to the forums, Todd!  Glad you've joined us.  You've found a great place to learn and share ideas on our favorite pastime...grilling and smoking great food!  There are lots of friendly and knowledgeable people here who really enjoy helping one another.  Just ask when you need help and you'll get plenty!

Our webmaster, TulsaJeff, sells a great rub and sauce recipe that helps support this site.  Its great on ribs and pretty much anything else.  You can also use the search bar at the top of the page for rub recipes, or browse the recipes forum.  Your question about soaking the chips: I never do it.  IMO its a waste of time.  The water has to evaporate before the wood will begin to smoke.  Just toss a handful of dry chips in your chip box every 30 minutes to an hour.  And you definitely don't want to put the chip box in the smoker with water in it.  That'll slow the smoke production down even further for the reason already stated.

Good luck with those ribs!  Be sure to show and tell us how they turn out!

Red

 

[kathrynn]

to SMF!  We are so glad you joined us!


If you didn't read the "Terms of Service" notes.....please do.  There are a few things that everyone should know about those pesky little rules before plunging into the forums. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/terms-of-service

If you need any help roaming around the forums....just holler!  Happy to help out!

Happy Memorial Day! 

And Thank you for your Service!

Kat