So here is the question

[lemans]

We all have mavericks, digi q's , pit master iq's that require meat probes and pit probes!! My smoker looks like a science project when I smoke a piece of meat...
wires and connections and fans.. can we all just put the meat on and let it smoke?? I want to go back to old school ... salt , pepper , vinegar and smoke...

 

[lemans]

What do you think?

 

[JckDanls 07]

I just built a 120 RF smoker and have been running it WITHOUT the digi Q to learn it without the science project... I have been using probes though for temps...

 

[mkriet]

I just built a 120 RF smoker and have been running it WITHOUT the digi Q to learn it without the science project... I have been using probes though for temps...

I would say yes. I learned how to smoke on nothing but a Brinkman and a temp probe for the meat and smoker. No adjustments on a Brinkman other than more or less charcoal

 

[chef jimmyj]

For me it comes down to where I want to spend my smoke time...At the Pit or in the recliner with a cold beer in a warm house. I do both based on weather and mood so I will take the gadgets and monitoring toys but use as needed...JJ

 

[cal1956]

i never used any of that fancy nonsense , and yet people will rave about my BBQ and smoked sausage ...go figure hahahah

 

[801driver]

I decided to go simple about 3 years ago.  Smoke-it #2 electric.  This was just before the "digital" option came out.  I put rub on the meat, put the meat on the rack in the smoker, put in a couple of small hickory chunks in the smoke box. 

Then turn it on and wait for the beeper to start probing with an instant read because every piece of meat will be different IT to be done.  Sometimes I add a couple more chunks  of wood after a couple hours.

I fist fretted about the box temp swings from 217 to 230 like an oven for 225 smokes, so what?.  Then decided it was not worth worrying about.  I then fretted about rubbing overnight, injecting, then decided it was not worth while for the difference it made for us.  Chicken in a salt brine a half hour or so before smoking or grilling is the exception..

Yep, most likely there are people on here  that can make their smokes %5 better than mine by staying up all night with their stick burners.  I have just found it is not worth while to me.

Find what works best for you, and do it.

 

[SmokinAl]

Like JJ, I do it both ways depending on what mood I'm in & the weather conditions.

Al

 

[cal1956]

no matter what their hobby is some men just enjoy playing with gadgets/toys ,if they think it makes what they are doing better...let em

but the truth is men have been smoking meat since the cave man,  and no matter what kinda toys they use,  smoking meat has remained

pretty much the same ...its not rocket science...its smoking meat

the fact is you can write many pages about how to tie your shoes , but that doesn't mean its complicated

so let they  have their fun  and just sit back and have a good chuckle

 

[slipaway]

What would I have to look foward to if there weren't any new gadgets coming out?

Seriously though, it is whatever you want out of your smoking experience. If you want to set it and forget it, then do that. If you want to play around with vents, digital readouts, keeping the offset burning, etc./ etc. then so be it. If you want to use the oven and the smoker - that works.

The goal is great Que. How you get there is everyones own secret way.

If salt, pepper, vinegar and smoke gets you great Que - you have found your own comfort zone.

Just my 2 cents...................

Happy New Year !!

 

[sqwib]

can we all just put the meat on and let it smoke?? I want to go back to old school ... salt , pepper , vinegar and smoke...

That's what I do, I don't worry no more, I just keep a clean fire and eyeball my thermos, then probe with a thermapen.
Most cooks are by feel now. I've been around my Pit long enough to relax. I can tell by the smell of the smoke if the fire is where I want it.
As far as my GOSM, I just fire it up on high, throw on whatever and cook away..
No injections, complicated rubs or sauces, just very basic stuff.

Now
I spend most of "worrying" on making new recipes.

 

[SmokyMose]

I suppose they made pretty good stew in a pot hanging in a fireplace or a roast on a stick over an open fire a couple hundred years ago but I prefer a modern range & oven. Just an analogy.
I use a stick Burner but I like my Mavericks.
Dan

 

[cal1956]

We all have mavericks, digi q's , pit master iq's that require meat probes and pit probes!! My smoker looks like a science project when I smoke a piece of meat...
wires and connections and fans.. can we all just put the meat on and let it smoke?? I want to go back to old school ... salt , pepper , vinegar and smoke...

hell man its just BBQ

  throw all those fancy gizmos in  the garbage where they belong and stop sweating it , in the end it will make you a better cook 

not the gizmos !!!  

 

[rabbithutch]

I've done almost all my smoking for the last 4+ years on a Weber kettle of one sort or another. They all have dial thermometers in them and I use a Thermopop for checking IT. I don't even get the Mavericks, et al, out any more BUT . . .

I've just got a stick burner, my first. It's an Old Country Brazos. I've never used a stick burner. The Brazos has no dial thermos on it (yet). I will be using my Maverick until I get more used to how the smoker heats and cooks. I suspect that I will give them up once I get comfortable enough controlling the fire and heat on the new smoker like I did on the Weber kettle.

 

[GaryHibbert]

My smoker is a MES 30 Gen 1, with an AMNPS/mailbox mod. Its pretty much set and forget.

I use my Mav 733 to get the cook chamber set where i want it, and then just ignore it. I know my temp will swing up and down and I just let it. I always have the alarm on the Mav turned OFF.

When I figure I'm getting close to the IT I want I probe with my inexpensive Weber "instant" read therm. Most of the time I get great Que.

Sure, I apply my rub the night before. But if I forget to do that, I just apply it when I'm ready to put the meat on the smoker.

If the weather's nice, I sit outside and enjoy the smoke. But if its cold, you gotta know I'm inside where its warm, looking out the window every once in a while to check on things.

BBQ for me is a relaxing hobby and I try to keep it as simple as possible.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Gary

 

[timstalltaletav]

 
For me it comes down to where I want to spend my smoke time...At the Pit or in the recliner with a cold beer in a warm house. I do both based on weather and mood so I will take the gadgets and monitoring toys but use as needed...JJ

 

[phatbac]

I like my smoking experience to be tending a fire. So i go simple in a lot of ways. i use Black Betty and really only look at the therm on her anymore. i use a insta-read thermapen knock off and that's about it. for most meats i know the hotter and cooler spots in the smoker and the times and temps of what i run so i put out pretty good eats. im always looking to smoke different things and recipes but at the end of the day i smoke in the cold in the heat whatever just to relax and get away from technology i work with everyday. So bring on the simple things in life and enjoy your smoke. When  in doubt start off low and slow and just taper off from there...

Happy Smoking,

phatbac (Aaron)

 

[palladini]

I agree  the KISS method is the best.  Chose your rub, marinate, inject, do whatever you think is the way to do it and smoke on. Go all wood or electric, or even propane, whatever you use, it will smoke food, maybe a little different taste between each method used.  As long as it tastes good at the end, who cares!

Smoke On and have a Happy New Year folks