So, I smoked over the weekend with the smoker I modded. This was the first time I attempted smoking in about 10 years, and I was doing it WAY wrong back then in so many ways. This time was a lot better.
The meats: St. Louis ribs and chicken breast, dry rubbed with regular ol' Weber dry rub. I did the ribs the night before and the chicken the morning of the smoke.
Did the "minion" method for the coals. Dug out my old coal starter and got things going.
Then, this happened. The thermometer on the lid died and zeroed out. Not cool.
I had to improvise, so I grabbed my meat probe and tossed it in there. It was a little wonky since it's not really meant to do this type of reading, so I eventually got the heat to where it was bouncing in between 225-250 degrees and called it good.
After 3hrs (I was doing the 3-2-1 method with the ribs) they were looking good. I tossed on some of my favorite BBQ sauce, wrapped them in foil, and tossed them back on for another 2hrs.
At the end of the cook, this is what everything looked like. Nice.
The ribs were perfect! Good flavor, tender meat, and even had the proper "smoke ring". The chicken was good, but I left them on for too long so it was a little drier than I like. I also tried potatoes right on the coals, but I left them on for too long as well; they were nuked! All in all, it was a good experience, and I have leftovers for the rest of the week! Planning on replacing that thermometer, and I have a pork butt lined up for next weekend.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Just replace the lid thermometer with a digital. Use the hole as a port to run the wire through.
Which is more important to you, the temperature at the lid where there is no food, or the temperature where your food is?
In reply to RevRico :
The current thermometer is right in front of where the top grate sits. It should be a good location to get temp readings for the smoker. The meat probe I was using works fine for getting in-food temps, but I need something to properly regulate the temp of the smoker itself.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
What's wrong with attaching a digital probe to the grate then? Far far far more accurate than any bimetal dial could ever hope to be, and won't need replaced every year as seasons and humidity take their toll on the dially bits.
Grab a cheap digital for that specific purpose and everything is good. Make a small metal bracket or stab it through a potato so it's not directly on the grate and bobs your uncle.
My maverick has a special "grate probe". The only difference between it and the meat probe is the blunt end in the grate version verses a sharp point on the meat version.
This isn't "you need to spend $10 instead of $5 to look like a better smoker". This is "I've wasted years with dial body mount thermometers and they're just garbage compared to a cheap digital for overall temperature control".
Noms... couple of pork butt halves this weekend.
Your pork looks really good.
We had a few racks of beef ribs that I couldn't separate so I thawed them all and tried 3 different methods. Put some in the slow cooker, grilled some, and smoked a small piece. The smoked ones turned out very close to the tenderness of the slow cooker and not as rich or fatty.
I Smoked my second ever brisket last monday. It turned out delicious. I pulled the point for for burnt ends, which also turned out delicious.
I did my first Boston Butt over the weekend.
Used Bad Byron's Butt Rub and let it sit in the fridge overnight. After putting it in, I got the temp to about 225-250 and let it rip. I wrapped it about 5 hrs in. Then, it went on for another 5 or so.
Bone pulled out as it should with zero effort. I cooked it fat side up, and there was little to no fat left to deal with. Let it rest for 15min in the foil, and shredded it up.
This was some of the best pulled pork I have ever had. This was a 5lb butt, and it yielded a ton of meat. I did the cornbread and potatoes in there too, which came out excellent.
Only problem I was having was maintaining temp toward the end of the cook. I kept having to add charcoal, but temp dropped to 200 degrees toward the last hour or so. It was a windy day, so that could have played a factor. This is a ton of fun!
Got a Camp Chef SmokePro pellet grill, currently doing the first burn off. The test ribs will be going on soon.
Best overall:
Dyna-Glo Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker.
Best pellet smoker:
Traeger Renegade Pro Wood Pellet Grill.
Best electric smoker:
Masterbuilt 30 Inch Digital Electric Meat Smoker.
Best propane smoker:
uisinart Vertical 36-inch Propane Smoker.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
I recently did a 10lb butt in my OK Joe smoker and noticed the same problem maintaining temp after about hour 10. I haven't smoke since, I might this weekend, but I suspect too much ash build up is responsible for the drop. I might need to position a metal bucket, or terracotta flowerpot, for ash scoopage every several hours.
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