serious smoking info

[averagedave]

hey folks, 

got new chargriller charcoal smoker today. im certainly not bragging. they were on sale  at lowes for the grill section at 109, and then the firebox was $70. So I hope I did good. Any important suggestion's  for baby backs ? use water/don't use water, use heat diverter/don't use heat diverter........I read somewhere online   that cold meat will take on more of the smoke particles? So really gang up on the wood chuncks in  the beginning?

basting, with anything, will attract more smoke particles ? anyone ever read something like this.?

 

[golfpro2301]

To answer your first questions about water pan I would say its personal preference. Personally I always use a water pan to keep as much moisture as possible in the cooking chamber. Especially on long cooks like butts and brisket because I don't foil them. this helps them stay moist. 

2nd - I would get to know your cooker first. Put a nice season on it before the first cook and figure out the temp variances across the grate. How much the temp will move by playing with the damper on firebox and chimney. Also, look at how the water pan will affect temps depending on where is placed. Once you do this then you will get a feel as to where you can improve the cooker. Probably a gasket around the doors and a heat baffle on the inside. One thing I learned on here is it doesn't matter how nice your rig is if you cant master it. You have a basic setup. Master the pit and you will crank out some good BBQ.

3rd - I would always let your meat sit out at room temp for about an hour. This will help bring in the smoke flavor.

Baby Backs - Use the 2-2-1 method. Smoke for 2 hours between 225-250. then wrap them with whatever flavors you would like. Most people on here either use apple juice or a mix of brown sugar, honey, butter, and a few other spices. Put them back on for 2 more hours. Remove foil and let them firm up in the smoker for the final hour. I sauce mine the last 30 min. I would def. purchase Jeff's rub. you will hear a lot about it by searching the threads and trust me it is worth the money. I have 2 awards to prove it. Hope all of this helps. Happy Smoking

 

[averagedave]

golfpro, thanks  for  the tips amigo!!!!!!!!! much appreciated

 

[bluewhisper]

One trick for learning a new pit's heat patterns is to cook up a batch of pop-open biscuits to compare cooking rates in different parts of the pit.

 

[beerwagon]

 
One trick for learning a new pit's heat patterns is to cook up a batch of pop-open biscuits to compare cooking rates in different parts of the pit.

This sounds pretty cool, what do you mean by pop open biscuits? Like Pillsbury flakey ones or those ones with a million layers?

 

[golfpro2301]

Bluewhisper is right. Either use biscuits or bread and place them in multiple locations across the grate. After a while some pieces of bread will be burnt and others will look like it hasnt been touched. This will let you know your hot and cold spots which is great info to have.

 

[demosthenes9]

 
This sounds pretty cool, what do you mean by pop open biscuits? Like Pillsbury flakey ones or those ones with a million layers?

Yep, any brand of canned biscuits will work.  You can even use frozen ready bake biscuits, or ready bake dinner rolls, or slices of bread.

1003445_415758948540374_258729701_n_zpsf6c6f26a.jp

• demosthenes9
• May 2, 2014

calibration.jpg

• demosthenes9
• May 2, 2014

This will tell you what your hotspots are when your smoker is mostly empty.    Be aware of the fact that if you load it up with meat, the hotspots might wander to some degree depending on your smoker.    This is because the mass of the meats can change the thermal dynamics within your smoke chamber.

 

[kcpigman84]

Never done baby backs--I prefer spares.  I never use a water pan.  If there's too much moisture introduced into my cooks, my meat comes out spongy.  I do foil about 1/2 way through the cook.  I just use a little bit of water to keep the ribs moist.  I'm more of a rub guy than a sauce guy, so I don't sauce mine.  I'm also like my ribs a little more fall-off-the-bone, so I let them finish in the foil.  I go for ~6 hours, but again, that's spares, and I try to keep it as close to 225 as I can.  They come out tender and juicy.  If you like a firmer rib, I'd go with pulling the foil off the last hour.

 

[averagedave]

blue.............this isa  great idea. thank you for   the input man...............