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***Official Grilling and Smoking Thread*** (10 Viewers)

I'm thawing some bone in thighs and legs to grill tomorrow and would like to try a quick easy brine for the first time.

Not necessarily looking to add flavor like a marinade, just hoping to ensure the chicken is juicy as can be.

Any suggestions?

 
Ended up having to leave the house and just got back... exactly 4hrs in on this 6.5 pounder, and thermometer already showing 160 degrees... 

Now, I know there is a "freeze zone" where the temp sometimes sticks for an hour or two... hope this is it, cuz it's reaching temp about as fast as my 3-4pounder did... 

 
Rain in FL is finally gone, at least for a few days.  Weber and all her grates/slow-n-seat have been given a bath and degreasing.  Tomorrow morning gonna throw on a 6lb chuck roast for pulled beef sammiches.  Looking forward to an afternoon of sitting, drinking, and smoking!

 
That one guy said:
Rain in FL is finally gone, at least for a few days.  Weber and all her grates/slow-n-seat have been given a bath and degreasing.  Tomorrow morning gonna throw on a 6lb chuck roast for pulled beef sammiches.  Looking forward to an afternoon of sitting, drinking, and smoking!
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explain this, because I have never smoked beef chuck roast and I sure as hell wanna

 
Soulfly3 said:
explain this, because I have never smoked beef chuck roast and I sure as hell wanna
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Treat it pretty similar to a pork butt:

trim the really thick, hard fat off.  Dry brine overnight.  Rub an hour before cooking with a mixture of pepper/sugar (small amount)/chili powder/cayenne/onion and garlic powder/ground mustard/black pepper.  Get the slow-n-sear* setup and kettle temp to 250.  Few chunks of pecan and meat on grate.  After about 3-4 hours, will foil w/ beef broth, crank heat to 300, and let go another 2 hours or until internal of 200+.  Wrap and put in cooler another hour, then pull/chop when ready to eat.  I'll also place a pan under meat to collect drippings for future dipping

*slow-n-sear: I think I've seen you mention smoking on a Weber, too.  It's an accessory for the kettle that turns it into fully functioning and quite easily controlled smoker.  I highly recommend checking it out

 
My first run at brining chicken this afternoon.

I found a basic brine online - 

1 gallon of water

1 cup kosher salt ( 1/2 cup iodized)

1 cup brown sugar

I cut the ingredients by 1/4 because I'm only doing 8 legs and thighs and used iodized salt because thats all I have on hand. 

They'll soak for about 4 hours or so before hitting the grill.

Will report back 

 
I was a little nervous that the chicken would be salty, it wasn't. I'd say it was seasoned with salt, but not salty. 

It was good. I'll do it again. Maybe play with different add ons to the brine next time

 
For chicken, brine 8 to 24 hours and cook to 160 internal temperature and you will have great chicken. You can get fancy from there, but start with those 2 things and the rest is gravy. 

 
Cowboysfan8 said:
I was a little nervous that the chicken would be salty, it wasn't. I'd say it was seasoned with salt, but not salty. 

It was good. I'll do it again. Maybe play with different add ons to the brine next time
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Key is to play with it and see. It most definitely CAN be too salty. But that's a factor of the salt percentage in the brine and how long it stays brined. And also individual pieces vs a whole chicken. Play with it and see what you like.

One thing I learned over the years is anything other than salt and sugar that goes into the brine is lost. In my opinion, it's 99% the salt and water retention making the meat more juicy. 

 
Joe Bryant said:
Key is to play with it and see. It most definitely CAN be too salty. But that's a factor of the salt percentage in the brine and how long it stays brined. And also individual pieces vs a whole chicken. Play with it and see what you like.

One thing I learned over the years is anything other than salt and sugar that goes into the brine is lost. In my opinion, it's 99% the salt and water retention making the meat more juicy. 
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My brine is 4 ingredients. Apple cider if I can find it (apple juice if I can't), salt, garlic, and pepper. I used to do an over the top brine with all sorts of strange stuff in it from fruit to herbs. Apple juice, salt, pepper and garlic is all I use now. 

Oh, and if I brine, I generally don't use any salt on the meat or salty rubs. 

 
That one guy said:
Treat it pretty similar to a pork butt:

trim the really thick, hard fat off.  Dry brine overnight.  Rub an hour before cooking with a mixture of pepper/sugar (small amount)/chili powder/cayenne/onion and garlic powder/ground mustard/black pepper.  Get the slow-n-sear* setup and kettle temp to 250.  Few chunks of pecan and meat on grate.  After about 3-4 hours, will foil w/ beef broth, crank heat to 300, and let go another 2 hours or until internal of 200+.  Wrap and put in cooler another hour, then pull/chop when ready to eat.  I'll also place a pan under meat to collect drippings for future dipping

*slow-n-sear: I think I've seen you mention smoking on a Weber, too.  It's an accessory for the kettle that turns it into fully functioning and quite easily controlled smoker.  I highly recommend checking it out
Click to expand...
I smoked a chuck roast today and it was probably the best pot roast I have ever made. 

Seasoned it with chicgo steak seasoning and augmented with a little extra kosher salt. Threw it on the camp chef and cooked it at 175 for two hours (that was a mistake, I set the temp wrong), cranked it up to 225 until it got to around 155 and then foiled it. Instead of beef broth I used half of a surly coffee stout. Pulled it around 205 and let it rest for an hour. Took about 7.5 hours including the reating period. I didn’t want to shred it so it was perfect tenderness for sammies this week. Saved the jus and will skim the fat, filter it and probably make a small batch of gravy to top the sandwiches.

Will do again. 

 
Cowboysfan8 said:
I'm thawing some bone in thighs and legs to grill tomorrow and would like to try a quick easy brine for the first time.

Not necessarily looking to add flavor like a marinade, just hoping to ensure the chicken is juicy as can be.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Salt, sugar, water, OJ

 
I'm one of the few ppl I know who cant STAND my chicken to be juicy.

Mine almost needs to be "dry".... And I cant find the word for it... It's not actually dry, but at 160 internal, Id vomit. Needs 175-185 for me.

 
proninja said:
Costco does the road show, and it's usually $100 cheaper than the regular price. It's only the cheaper grills, however - the elite series. 

For Father's Day, Traeger sells the pro grills for $100 off (usually) and I'd much rather have the pro grills. The pro 22 and pro 34 are the same grill apart from barrel size, they go for 800 and 1k normally, 700 and 900 on the fathers day sale I expect will happen. 
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After this weekend I think I will be looking at these very closely. Can you post if they are doing the sale this year? I might want wait till next year but I think I need a bigger smoker and one that isn't going to cause me issues if I get pulled away just when more fuel is needed.

 
proninja said:
Joe Bryant said:
On the Dry Brine, I tried it for the first time this year with Turkey and was happy. I'm a big Serious Eats fan. Followed them here https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/quick-and-dirty-guide-to-brining-turkey-chicken-thanksgiving.html
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Did it this way two years ago for the first time.  I'm also a huge SE fan, and I was quite happy with how it turned out.
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I must be doing it wrong....I followed this (also a huge Serious Eats fan) and the chicken wasn't even close to as good or juicy as my wet brine.

 
Hawks64 said:
I must be doing it wrong....I followed this (also a huge Serious Eats fan) and the chicken wasn't even close to as good or juicy as my wet brine.
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I do think it's worth arguing a bit about how Serious Eats claims the wet brine adds just water. I'm not sure one can fully distinguish water from juiciness. I didn't do them both ways to compare but the dry brine was outstanding and easier than the wet brine. 

 
Soulfly3 said:
I'm one of the few ppl I know who cant STAND my chicken to be juicy.

Mine almost needs to be "dry".... And I cant find the word for it... It's not actually dry, but at 160 internal, Id vomit. Needs 175-185 for me.
Click to expand...
White or dark meat?

 
TheFanatic said:
I do the same thing when I smoke bologna. Most people leave it as a whole chub and score the sides, I chunk it into cubes. More surface area, higher rib to meat ratio. The only downside to this method for either meat, is smaller window to get them right. Much easier to overcook. 

Here is a link to the smoked bologna bites. Forgive the REALLY old post and the fact that a couple pics aren't loading. Looks like I need to get my photog another assignment. I hired a guy to reshoot some old content. 
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How long did that take to get the good crust on it?

 
WHat wood do ya'll normally use for Pork?

Been using hickory, but wanna get into some pecan or applewood... and I will...

but what im mostly interested in, does anyone "cross" woods? like hickory+apple or hickory + pecan? what's your fave?

 
Soulfly3 said:
WHat wood do ya'll normally use for Pork?

Been using hickory, but wanna get into some pecan or applewood... and I will...

but what im mostly interested in, does anyone "cross" woods? like hickory+apple or hickory + pecan? what's your fave?
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I find hickory overpowering and only use it sparingly.  I usually use apple and pecan.  Apple is best flavor and I love the smell of smoking pecan in the backyard.  I've done mix and I've done all of one - doesn't matter too much for my tastebuds; except when I use hickory.  I can always taste hickory. 

 
Brony said:
I find hickory overpowering and only use it sparingly.  I usually use apple and pecan.  Apple is best flavor and I love the smell of smoking pecan in the backyard.  I've done mix and I've done all of one - doesn't matter too much for my tastebuds; except when I use hickory.  I can always taste hickory. 
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I mean... I do like the taste of hickory, but ya it can be a bit much.

I despised it when I did chicken with it. Was brutal.

I'll likely go apple and pecan... try both solo, then try maybe mixing.

 
i use oak for almost everything but do have apple on hand for chicken and pork(usually i do a oak/apple mix though).  I need to get some cherry now it sounds like.  :shrug:

 
Using more and more apple for everything.  It's subtlety more mellow and seems to help with the old lady's acid re-flux issues.  If I had my way it would be hickory most of the time, mesquite for pork ribs and apple for more delicate dishes, appetizers and non-meats.  Hickory-mesquite mixture for butts.

 
Anybody doing anything different lately?  Cuts of meat.  Process.  I guess it's "all been done before," but I'm pretty bored with the standard stuff.  I think I'll start buying cuts I'm less comfortable with and working through perfecting them. 

 
Grahamburn said:
Anybody doing anything different lately?  Cuts of meat.  Process.  I guess it's "all been done before," but I'm pretty bored with the standard stuff.  I think I'll start buying cuts I'm less comfortable with and working through perfecting them. 
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i have been wanting to do beef cheeks.  And Salmon as well. 

 
So this is now getting serious....Traeger or Camp Chef? Pros/Cons? Looking at the Traeger Pro 34 or the Woodwind. And Go!

 
joker said:
Camp Chef - Woodwind + Side Sear Station. Profit.
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That is the main reason I'm thinking about the Camp Chef. I do a fair amount of sous vide and that would be awesome to have but not sure about how well it smokes compared to the Traeger.

 
The Camp Chef smokes as well as the Traeger, according to the reviews I've seen, and has been fantastic so far in the few weeks I've had it. It's the side sear that is the difference maker for me, as I've been able to smoke the meat and then do a quick sear on it before plating. The side sear is also perfect for the times when you want to do something simple, like last night when my wife and daughter wanted to cook some quick brats while I was golfing. I'm sure the Traeger is pretty awesome, but I'd buy the Camp Chef again over it every single time.

 
joker said:
The Camp Chef smokes as well as the Traeger, according to the reviews I've seen, and has been fantastic so far in the few weeks I've had it. It's the side sear that is the difference maker for me, as I've been able to smoke the meat and then do a quick sear on it before plating. The side sear is also perfect for the times when you want to do something simple, like last night when my wife and daughter wanted to cook some quick brats while I was golfing. I'm sure the Traeger is pretty awesome, but I'd buy the Camp Chef again over it every single time.
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Ditto. I went back and forth between the two for  a month, bought the woodwind + sear and have no ragrets  

My buddy has a camp chef too and loves it. 

 
Going to look at the Camp Chef and Costco has the Traeger roadshow back....decisions decisions decisions..

 
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