Thanks for making a newbie feel welcome.

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johns

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 12, 2006
6
10
Hi everyone,

I want to thank you for making the new guy feel welcome. I look forward to making new friends and of course learning the fine art of smoking. I look forward to learning from all of you, and making some mouth watering meals. Again, thank you.

John
 
i too am a newfish here JohnS and you really do become part of the family quick.

what kind of a grill are you using john? maby if im using the same style we can share some tips.

it always amazes (where is spell check when i need it) me at how much informtaion is to be found on here. i just search and find new stuff everyday.
 
Hi buzzard,

I have an offset firte box smoker.......Don't think you want my tips...My attempts at smoking ahve been fair at best. Hoping to learn what I'm doing wrong. Of course I'm trying the hardest thing to smoke....if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.
 
John im not an expert by any streach of the imagination but i have been doing this about a year now. tell me why you think it has only been fair at best and what you think your having problems with and ill see if i can lend a helping hand.
what is it your trying to smoke?
 
Patience, practice and asking us lots of questions (especially when something doesn't turn out right) and you'll be turning out some awesome smoked foods JohnS. We're glad you're part of the family!
 
Have been trying to smoke a brisket, I have the flavor that I want, as in that nice red ring around the outside edges of the meat, and the flavor that goes along with smoking meat, where I'm coming up short is in the tenderness of the finished product.....it is always on the tough side...Part of that is trying to keep my temp. down, I have my lower vent almost closed, but my heat still runs at 225 or better. So I have a couple of problems running, both may be linked together. Wife keeps wanting me to smoke it for a couple of hours, then let her put it in the oven....I keep telling her it will be over my dead body (LOL), Haven't checked to see if she has taken out any life insurance :lol:......Will not let her stick it in the oven.
 
John if you're having trouble keeping temperatures down then you're most likely burning too much fuel at a time. Cut the amount of fuel you're using to about 3/4ths and see if that helps.

A brisket will look good and taste good long before it gets tender. What temperature is the meat when you remove it from the smoker? I cook a brisket to 195* most of the time but different ones can be done anywhere from 180* to 200* depending on muscle density and fat content.

For example, I cooked two butts yesterday. One took 14 hours and was tender at 180*, the second took 21 hours and didn't get tender until it reached 195*. Sometimes I cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 205*.

Good luck on you next attempt. :D
 
thats one of the problems i had, maintaining temp. i just keep playing with my smoker till i get it down, and i still dont. what has been working well for me, is when i started using a combination of wood and lump charcoal. if the temp falls get some extra charcoal hot and put it in the firebox, when the temp is droping and the wood is prety much burned up i will just add wood. it all just depends on what i need and what my mood is.

on the brisket the smaller end of my brisket is usually a little tough, or should i say not as tender as the fattier side, but it dont bother me. i have read a few posts in here, witch may help you, that explains either to smoke it for a while (4-5 hours) then wrap it in foil till its done (around 185*+ or 205* if you want to pull it) or cook it to around 175-180* then wrap in foil and stick in an ice chest wraped in blankets, towels, pillows, what ever you want to keep it nice and warm, it will still cook for a while (i think they said up to 4 hours) and become more tender.

i think the only hard thing about brisket is my attention span over 12 good hours. its hard to keep me focused all day witch is why i usually have to take at least one small break thru out the day :lol:
 
To be honest, I haven't been going by temp, been going more by time. ie 1.5 hours per pound. But after reading some of the info on here I'm going to try a couple of things. Lowering the amount of wood/charcoal I use, inserting a meat thermometer, and pulling the meat, wrapping it and storing it in a cooler for 2 hours. I will let you know how it goes.
 
Hi everyone, been a while since I posted.....Finally was able to smoke some meat last night, and still am, however, I put on a 9 pound brisket, Followed (for the most part) the recipe in the e-book on this sight, I'm happy with the way the brisket turned out as far as tenderness and moisture, need to work a little on the flavor. Still having problems controlling my heat. Tried the Minion Method that I've read about, not happy with the results, so, still playing, I'm still smoking a Pork Butt, Both meats make for great left overs. Interested in hearing others on how they are doing. Bye for now.
 
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