Two Brothers New to Smoking

[SonnyE]

Mom let me start school an hour late today and craft up a DELICIOUS BBQ Sauce. Used it on my breakfast and it was awesome (steak and two eggs). Dad used it on his steak as well, and my brother (and fellow meat enthusiast) said he was tempted to just eat it right out of the jar. That's both weird and awesome.

And so begins the bloom of the Rose....

When I was your age, I never went for any school sports. I spent my free time going into the local Santa Monica Mountains and hunted for Quail and Mourning Doves. When I'd get one or two, or a rabbit, I'd bring them home, clean'em, and cook them and eat em.
Yeah, I was that kid. The wild boy who'd rather be in the hills, than the football field. My Sisters were all afraid I was going to become a hermit. Pellet rifle and Bow & Arrows, running away from my city childhood into the hills.
I spent 3/4 of my life moving away from the city, and living off my hunting and fishing skills.
Now I'm just an old Grandpa who is well loved and happy. Gimme Sam's Club abd the meat counter to browse

When I was pushed into really bar-b-queing, I began to take an interest. Along the way, like you, I began compounding things that tasted good. I decided one day with a side table of seasonings I was putting on meat, "Why not just combine these?" And I started making my own version of rub. But I didn't know it was called a Rub. I just called it "Sonny's Secret Seasoning's".
Now I take that "Rub", and I mix it with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce, and a big ol glob of Sage Honey (Thanks Dad), and I paint that on Baby Back Ribs I grill.
Must be good, because I got told in no uncertain terms, "DO NOT mess with the Rib recipe!" So I feel handcuffed to the grill with my Baby Back Ribs.
Could be worse I guess.

Point being Terry, you are starting to bloom. And you are making your own sauce already. And you are getting your foot in the door with smoking.
Pursue it, in as much as money will allow. You don't need to run out and buy stuff. Just work your way along, doin what you are doin now. Be a Harry Potter of the Spice Rack, and a Sorcerer of the Smoke.
In 3 to 5 years you might have your own Bar-B-Que joint, or mobile business! Serious.

 

[Bearcarver]

A pellet smoker or an electric smoker will be the easiest. But buying a stick burner or Smokey mountain will actually teach you something. I don’t know how old you are but learning the art or smoking when your young is something you can use the rest of your life. And you can teach people down the road as well.

With NO intentions of starting a war on this thread I can hosestly say I learned on a stick burner and did that for years before I ever bought an mes. And imho throwing something in a pellet smoker or mes doesn’t make you a pit master or anything near it. Again I’m not trying to rock the boat here but anyone can throw a slab of ribs on a traeger. It’s much different on a stick burner.

I bought a wsm this year just because I’ve never used one and wanted to learn. Always try to add to your craft.

If I was you I’d buy a wsm or a stick burner but I’m pretty stuck in my beliefs and ways.

Any which way you go welcome to the world of smoking! I hope you and your brother have as much fun and I have over the years!

Good luck
Scott

Hi Terry,
I can tell you that all I ever Smoked with was Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smokers, and I love them!
However I'm 70 years old, and not in Great Shape.
If I was 15 like you or 13 like your Brother, I would want to start out with a Stick Burner, like Scott said (above).
Once you master that, you can do it all.

If you need any tips or ideas of what to do, just click on my Link at the bottom of ALL of my Posts.----->>Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".


Bear

 

[Terry Turner]

Firstly, you had such a cool childhood!! I've only dreamed about hunting, and my parents have tried their best to get me to some fields, but I haven't shot anything yet. Someday though.

Imagine going hunting and shooting a deer, elk, or moose, tanning the hide, butchering the carcass (getting those select pieces of meat for special steaks), and then smoking the meat. Brine/marinate it, throw on some seasoning, grill/smoke it, and that's about the best living there is on planet earth.

In 3 to 5 years you might have your own Bar-B-Que joint, or mobile business! Serious.

Second, I'm totally taking you seriously on the possibility of monetizing this delectable craft . . .
I'm going to be tracking everything I spend for both budgeting reasons, but also the valuable insight it would provide if I decided to launch a business of some sort.

 

[Terry Turner]

Hi Terry,
I can tell you that all I ever Smoked with was Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smokers, and I love them!
However I'm 70 years old, and not in Great Shape.
If I was 15 like you or 13 like your Brother, I would want to start out with a Stick Burner, like Scott said (above).
Once you master that, you can do it all.

If you need any tips or ideas of what to do, just click on my Link at the bottom of ALL of my Posts.----->>Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".


Bear

Great, thanks Bear! I appreciate your advice! I'm checking out the link now.

EDIT: Wow. My jaw dropped when I saw all those links. I'm pretty sure I had the same expression on my face when someone sees a pile of cash sitting in a vault, Lol. Thank you!

 

[LanceR]

Excellent idea. I'll definitely have to implement that!
By the way, is this the smoker you have? Or is it similar?

That one is the Masterbuilt XL 40".

Hello Terry

I have a previous generation of this one.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Masterb...jSTHD0o89qwsuEfXtL0aAjTtEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds


Sorry for the delay in answering but my youngest son is visiting from Buffalo, NY with his wife and infant daughter and we made 75 pound of sausage today....

20+ pounds of cheddar brats

Some linked Italian, there's more bulk packed Italian in the near right corner of the first picture....

Jalapeno Cheddar Kielbasa ready for the smoker. (thanks boyjko!)

And some regular Kielbasa ready for the smoker...

There's more to life than BBQ!

 

[tbrtt1]

Well Young Terry, are we to assume money is no object? As mentioned already, cheap offset smokers are a bad waste of money. Stick burners need to be thick walled and well built (for heat retention and temp consistency). That means they cost a good penny for a real one.

I also think there is more to smoking than just putting meat on a smoker like an electric or pellet popper and calling it a day. Using these still requires learning about meat choices, learning about rubs and prep and most of all, when the meat is done (the most overlooked and under appreciation aspect of great Q).

My point is, getting an electric or pellet won’t make you automatically produce great Q. You will still learn a lot.

Having said all of that, as an owner of 5 smokers, I’d go with the WSM hands down. You will learn temp control, won’t break the bank (to buy and to operate), can use it forever and make killer BBQ. My humble opinion but it’s a no brainer.

 

[gmc2003]

One last option, since your father is buying a grill anyway. Why not talk him into a Weber kettle. You get the best of both worlds that way. The kettle is a great grill that can easily be used as a smoker. I use mine all the time for ribs, fish, chuckies, fatties, pork shots and anything else that doesn't require 12+ hrs on the smoker. The 22" can be had fairly cheap around 99.00 and the 26 costs about 299.00. Also if you check craigslist they can usually be had for allot cheaper. This will let you see if your really interested in smoking/grilling with charcoal and wood before spending good money on something that may be a passing fad.


Here's a link showing the size difference:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/it-finally-came-my-roided-kettle.279896/#post-1878513

Chris

 

[Terry Turner]

Hello Terry

I have a previous generation of this one.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Masterbuilt-MES-140S-Digital-Electric-Smoker-MB20072618/303551469?cm_mmc=Shopping|G|Base|D28I|28-22_BBQ+GRILL|NA|PLA|General|Fixed|71700000041074675|58700004389677021|92700036927063678&gclid=Cj0KCQiAg_HhBRDNARIsAGHLV52oDaAXy7djHaZSkPzb0G3ALpXgDvfOLeiljSTHD0o89qwsuEfXtL0aAjTtEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds


Sorry for the delay in answering but my youngest son is visiting from Buffalo, NY with his wife and infant daughter and we made 75 pound of sausage today....

View attachment 385587

20+ pounds of cheddar brats

View attachment 385588

Some linked Italian, there's more bulk packed Italian in the near right corner of the first picture....

View attachment 385589


Jalapeno Cheddar Kielbasa ready for the smoker. (thanks boyjko!)


View attachment 385590


And some regular Kielbasa ready for the smoker...

View attachment 385591


There's more to life than BBQ!

That's a ton of sausage! Amazing! I'm glad you had a good time with your family.

 

[JC in GB]

Well Young Terry, are we to assume money is no object? As mentioned already, cheap offset smokers are a bad waste of money. Stick burners need to be thick walled and well built (for heat retention and temp consistency). That means they cost a good penny for a real one.

I also think there is more to smoking than just putting meat on a smoker like an electric or pellet popper and calling it a day. Using these still requires learning about meat choices, learning about rubs and prep and most of all, when the meat is done (the most overlooked and under appreciation aspect of great Q).

My point is, getting an electric or pellet won’t make you automatically produce great Q. You will still learn a lot.

Having said all of that, as an owner of 5 smokers, I’d go with the WSM hands down. You will learn temp control, won’t break the bank (to buy and to operate), can use it forever and make killer BBQ. My humble opinion but it’s a no brainer.

I must agree with most of what you posted here. The one item I am in a bit of disagreement over is your opinion of cheap offset smokers. I use one of those cheap offsets and have gotten great results. I had to do a significant amount of modifications to get it to this point but I am okay with that as I like to tinker and tweak things to my liking. The reason that I am using the cheap model is it works as a great training smoker. I am still a newb for sure but with what I have learned on these forums and by experience will have me well prepared when I am ready to lay out $3000+ for an upgrade. I completely agree that the WSM is a great choice for a beginner and if you are only interested in adding fuel and meat then one of the cheap offsets may not be a good choice as a cheap offset will require modifications to get the quality of more expensive smokers. Thanks for listening and happy cooking!

 

[bbqbrett]

I must agree with most of what you posted here. The one item I am in a bit of disagreement over is your opinion of cheap offset smokers. I use one of those cheap offsets and have gotten great results. I had to do a significant amount of modifications to get it to this point but I am okay with that as I like to tinker and tweak things to my liking. The reason that I am using the cheap model is it works as a great training smoker. I am still a newb for sure but with what I have learned on these forums and by experience will have me well prepared when I am ready to lay out $3000+ for an upgrade. I completely agree that the WSM is a great choice for a beginner and if you are only interested in adding fuel and meat then one of the cheap offsets may not be a good choice as a cheap offset will require modifications to get the quality of more expensive smokers. Thanks for listening and happy cooking!

Yeah, cheap offsets are not bad. They can be tough at times but you can learn to cook on anything. My friend and I from work got a couple of calls in a KCBS contest on a cheap Brinkmann offset that did not have any mods. Have to agree with you on this.

 

[Terry Turner]

Funny Random Thought:

It's gonna be fun telling people "I've been a smoker since I was 15" . . . wink, wink

 

[tbrtt1]

I must agree with most of what you posted here. The one item I am in a bit of disagreement over is your opinion of cheap offset smokers. I use one of those cheap offsets and have gotten great results. I had to do a significant amount of modifications to get it to this point but I am okay with that as I like to tinker and tweak things to my liking. The reason that I am using the cheap model is it works as a great training smoker. I am still a newb for sure but with what I have learned on these forums and by experience will have me well prepared when I am ready to lay out $3000+ for an upgrade. I completely agree that the WSM is a great choice for a beginner and if you are only interested in adding fuel and meat then one of the cheap offsets may not be a good choice as a cheap offset will require modifications to get the quality of more expensive smokers. Thanks for listening and happy cooking!

JC I hear ya. I haver a rather cheap offset too. Makes great Q. I was just thinking as a first smoker a cheap offset could cause some frustration, require some modification and perhaps even cost a tad bit to operate, depending on wood source. If Terry is OK with tinkering and has patience, then by all means pursue the cheap offset.

 

[JC in GB]

JC I hear ya. I haver a rather cheap offset too. Makes great Q. I was just thinking as a first smoker a cheap offset could cause some frustration, require some modification and perhaps even cost a tad bit to operate, depending on wood source. If Terry is OK with tinkering and has patience, then by all means pursue the cheap offset.

Yes you are right on that. Very good advice. I hope we have been of some help in deciding what your first rig should be.

 

[Terry Turner]

Drum roll . . . the Smoker has been bought! Thank you so much to everyone who's provided such helpful advice! I really appreciate it.

I had been seriously considering the WSM. I still think it's a great smoker, and probably would enjoy having one sometime. After quite a bit of thinking, a couple chats with my Uncle, and a look around Lowes, I've settled on the Masterbuilt MPS 140b.

It may seem like a weird pick considering how popular the WSM was here, but I chose because:

1. A TON OF SPACE. It's huge. I love it.
2. Not too bad of a price.
3. A couple of different fuel options.
4. After eight years of smoking meat, and six different smokers, Uncle said it was his favorite (admittedly, there's probably a little bias for relatives).
5. It can be as hands on or hands off as I'd like. When I'm busy, or can't pay a lot of attention to it, I can just turn on the propane and let it smoke relatively on auto-pilot . . . BUT when I'm looking to enjoy myself, I can (and will be) using charcoal.

When I buy a cheap cast iron pan, I can just throw some charcoal on there in place of the propane burner and smoke meat similar to a WSM.

Also, one thing I just figured out about it, is that it can get super hot really quickly, which I love. That would open up the option of maybe just "grilling" meat at higher temps (300-400).

So, I hope I'm not disappointing any of you, and I highly respect all your comments and opinions. You guys are awesome!

In fact, it's just about time for me to go check on my first smoke. I CAN'T WAIT.

Before I go, here are some pictures:

(Sorry, bad quality) It's built and ready.

A selfie with the Masterbuilt when it came!

My first recipe half-way ready. Forgot to take pictures of it when I was done prepping it, but at least I'll get some when it's out of the smoker!

Frying up the leftovers from the recipe.

Delicious caramelized onions. Great breakfast.

They look like mini sloppy joes, Lol. Not that pretty, but they were pretty good.

Smoked some chicken legs along with the Bacon bite-things. Loved the smoke flavor.

Alrighty! First smoke down! I loved it. Can't wait to do this more often.

The chicken legs were amazing. Had a lot of juice (wasn't dried out at all), and a nice amount of smoke.

The bacon things a couple flaws . . . first, the strips were a little too thick and so they didn't crisp that well (I also wasn't paying attention and hadn't raised them off the pan).

Secondly, when I followed the recipe, I used 3 tablespoons of rub for 8oz of cream cheese, which probably would have been fine but I had a different rub on hand, and it contained a little too much salt and cumin in my opinion. So, unfortunately, it was a little too overpowering. The good thing is that it's a super easy fix.

 

[Braz]

Way to go! That box will serve you well.

 

[Bearcarver]

Everything looks Great, Terry!!
And Nice Pics too!
Good Job!!
Like.

Bear

 

[bbqbrett]

Congrats and enjoy! You are on your way to a lot of fun and good eating.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Great for a start just wait now that the bug has bitten you won't stop.
By the way I have a 40" Master Built about 7 yrs old now and still going strong.

Warren

 

[Terry Turner]

Great for a start just wait now that the bug has bitten you won't stop.
By the way I have a 40" Master Built about 7 yrs old now and still going strong.

Warren

That's awesome! Hopefully I'll be able to get a long time out mine too.

 

[berrya]

Hey, Y'all! My brother and I are meat fanatics. I'm 15 (coming up on 16) and he's 13. I've got a couple of questions and I was wondering if someone would have any advice.

Our family loves quality food, especially meat. My brother and I have approached my Mom about buying a smoker (my Dad already has plans to purchase a grill), and she whole-heartedly agrees. She's even agreed to pay us chore money to supply the family!

Anyway, I have plans to pursue meat smoking, meat grilling, and basic all-around-meat-awesomeness.

So here's my question:

What would you recommend as a starting smoker? Should we go with a cheaper one like the Weber Smokey Mountain that requires a little more hands-on attention, and just learn as I go?

Or should we try an electric/pellet smoker that is a lot easier to tend to . . . but might not have as good a flavor?

How obvious is the difference in the smokey flavor? Would I regret buying a cheaper one or easier one later down the road when I become more experienced?

Any tips?

Thanks in advance! Sorry if I made this too long.

EDIT:
P.S. Where's the best place to get LOTS of meat for an affordable price?
Costco? Wal-mart? Amish friends? Potentially raising our own?

This can be an exciting time for you and your brother. I might suggest building your own UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker) (https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forums/uds-builds.199/) There are plenty of resources on how to build, materials, etc. on this site. You can also follow step by step instructions on YouTube. I built my own a couple of summers ago and have been very pleased with it. It cost just over $100. My sons helped me build it and now help me smoke on it.
Doing this can add to the family experience for you.