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***Official Grilling and Smoking Thread*** (17 Viewers)

My dad did a smoked ham a couple years back when he held Christmas. That was some good eats. As luck would have it, xmas is at his house this year. Fingers crossed.

 
Planning to smoke a couple small-ish (10#) turkeys - SIL got a freebie at work, but we'll need more than just that one.

Do I plan on higher temp (like chicken) so the skin renders out and crisps up? If so, how hot? And about how long? I'm thinking the time shouldn't vary much adding a second bird; there's plenty of space in the smoker.

 
heckmanm said:
Planning to smoke a couple small-ish (10#) turkeys - SIL got a freebie at work, but we'll need more than just that one.

Do I plan on higher temp (like chicken) so the skin renders out and crisps up? If so, how hot? And about how long? I'm thinking the time shouldn't vary much adding a second bird; there's plenty of space in the smoker.
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Absolutely.  Brine them, spatchcock them, and go hot and fast with good clean smoke. 300-350. You may have to foil parts that brown quicker even with this method.  You'll be shocked how quickly they cook once flattened.  on 10#'ers maybe 2 hours max.

 
TheFanatic said:
While the owner of that site is an ###, it does have a lot of great info. And I've never had a WSM so I don't have anything on my site using one. 

That being said, every grill takes a bit to get used to whether my American Muscle Grill or an 18 inch WSM. Load it up with coals, cut the vent openings in half and come back in 30 minutes and check the temp. Cut them to a quarter and come back in 30 and check the temp. Open them up to all the way and check that. It will take a few cooks to get used to the vent controls. Stick to pork shoulders and ribs at first. Don't do a brisket until you can pin the temp at 250 for many hours. 

Also keep in mind that outside weather can have an impact. Cold, blustery days will cause the cooker to act different than on hot, humid days. 

In the end, the key here is practice. I think Arnold Palmer said, "Do you know how to become a great golfer? You hit thousands upon thousands of golf balls." And think about it. Practicing on the grill is better than just about anything you can do!
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Solid advice on how to learn a bullet or kamado style smoker, but don't buy into the brisket is hard hype.  As long as you buy a good quality brisket to begin with and follow basic instructions, pinning the temp at 250, 225, 275, or whatever for hours on end isn't really that critical. Some fluctuation is just fine.

 
Ron Swanson said:
Absolutely.  Brine them, spatchcock them, and go hot and fast with good clean smoke. 300-350. You may have to foil parts that brown quicker even with this method.  You'll be shocked how quickly they cook once flattened.  on 10#'ers maybe 2 hours max.
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Just be careful that they aren't pre-brined so to speak. If they have been injected with that saline solution adding them to another brine will not be good.

 
odin33 said:
Thanks, looking forward to it. Anyone with a WSM have any mods or add-ons they recommend? Thought I read the rib rack wasn't worth it.

I've been lurking for awhile and picked up pork shoulder was the first one up. Should go great with those fries. :) (Side note, picked up a french fry maker (big cast iron one) on the cheap. Makes a HUGE difference. worth the investment). One neighbor is still raving about the ones from 4th of July when I tried your recipe for the first time.

It's the whole, how much charcoal, lump or briquettes (I know it matters but how much), how much wood and when to add, open vents equals hotter and quicker burn, but dialing in how much each plays in. What about the top vent, when to add more fuel (temp drops 2 degrees, or 5 or 10). 

All things I will learn,  just looking for soem guide posts, and the your a dumb@$$ if you... lists.
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I have about 200 cooks on my WSM, so here's a few thoughts off the top of my head...

-Starting with a shoulder is solid advice. Can't really screw it up, so it's a good meat to get comfortable with your new smoker.

-When I'm doing anything past a couple hours I prefer the minion method. I used to get fancy by pouring the charcoal around a metal can, but now I just dump the coals in and push them aside in the center, then drop in 1/2 chimney of lit coals. This will give you quite a long cooking time, and with the WSM you shouldn't see temperatures too hot which makes overnight cooking pretty simple.

-As for the vents, as a general rule I always leave the top vent of any Weber all the way open. If the smoke circulates too much around the meat I find it gives it a sub-optimal smoke flavor. For a long time I would use all vents to control temp, but once I switched to the wide-open top and only used the bottom vents to control temp my smoke flavor improved to a more "clean" taste (if that makes any sense).

-A lot of factors go into the temperature of the grill, so it's not as easy as "1/2 open = 225, 3/4 = 250, etc." Two years ago I was in a competition and my WSM was at 235 with the vents wide open the entire time. The team next to me had WSMs and theirs were at 250 at 1/2 open.

-I think I switch up how I use wood several times a year. Right now I'm leaning on smoking hard early and then laying off for the majority of the cook, but that will probably change soon. Just gotta find what works for you. I almost only use cherry and apple, two woods that are a bit more forgiving. Lately it has seemed that heavy smoke early gives me a nice smoke ring, but it's not like many people care much about that.

-It's pretty easy to hold your desired temp, so once things start to drop you'll pretty much have to add more fuel. It doesn't take long to get things going though.... I usually leave the door open or off to get things back up to temp.

-I almost never use the 2nd rack. I wish I would have bought the larger size, but oh well.

It's a great grill - enjoy!

 
Hawks64 said:
Just be careful that they aren't pre-brined so to speak. If they have been injected with that saline solution adding them to another brine will not be good.
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Good point.  I'm always sure to order fresh birds but pre-brined is indeed very common and you don't want to duplicate.

 
Lit fire at 6am and prepped the brisket with a slather of yellow mustard and some of my standard pork rub with some extra salt and pepper added. Meat went on at 7, temp holding steady now at 270. I’ll peek at around 10 or 11 to see how the bark is developing and decide if it’s time to wrap in butcher paper.

My wife is out of town and two of my three kids have #### going on tonight...no idea who is eating this thing with me. No plans yet for sides, and no pressure for it to be done at any particular time. Could just be me, my son and a big slab of meat.   :shrug:

 
odin33 said:
Thanks, looking forward to it. Anyone with a WSM have any mods or add-ons they recommend? Thought I read the rib rack wasn't worth it.
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WSM owner here. For ribs, I don't use a rack. Cleanup is much easier if you use a metal skewer on a full rack and bend the rack into an @ sign. 

Like this

I'll do 3-2-1 ribs but times are shorter for me, more like 2.5 - 1.5 - 45 minutes. So you're just using the skewer for the first leg and much easier to clean than those racks.

The lid thermometer is garbage. If it's not off now, it will be in 6 months. After using a manual temp gauge at grate level, my lid thermometer is consistently 25-50 degrees too low  . I still use it but account for it being off., i.e. if I'm doing a pork shoulder, I need that lid to read just over 200. If I'm doing something important (holiday dinner/expensive cut of meat) or something first time, I use my Maverick probes and don't rely on the lid temp.

Best accessory for WSM is the Grill basket for veggies or small items you don't want to fall through grates. I use it more on my Weber kettle than the WSM though.

 
Good luck Odin. Great advice above. Echo the need for two thermometers - one for meat and the other for grate temp.  Watch a few you tub videos for a vibe on how much charcoal to use, go easy on the amount of smoke chunks that you add, and have patience on seeing impact on temps from changing vent openings.

on first try, you could keep the grill pristine until you get a feel for the vents and it's properly seasoned. #### that noise. You bought this thing to smoke meat... Throw some sausages on there for an hour and start eating

 
Have 5 girls ages 9-12 sleeping over tonight plus my 2 daughters — requested menu is BBQ boneless / skinless chicken breasts (brined, hit with rub, smoked w/ applewood, sauced and seared off to finish), baked potatoes, and @TheFanatic‘s grilled Caesar salad, with s’mores over the coals for dessert.

Wish me luck entertaining this crew on a cold, rainy day when they can’t play outside; something tells me I may be retreating to my man cave (garage) to drink beer and find some peace and quiet lol.

 
Coeur de Lion said:
Have 5 girls ages 9-12 sleeping over tonight plus my 2 daughters — requested menu is BBQ boneless / skinless chicken breasts (brined, hit with rub, smoked w/ applewood, sauced and seared off to finish), baked potatoes, and @TheFanatic‘s grilled Caesar salad, with s’mores over the coals for dessert.

Wish me luck entertaining this crew on a cold, rainy day when they can’t play outside; something tells me I may be retreating to my man cave (garage) to drink beer and find some peace and quiet lol.
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Two words

Net

Flix

 
Deep breath and grab a cold one. The fact they are requesting that kind of menu and your cranking it out, all with a bunch of added kids =dad of the year. Rock on. 

 
So do you guys have a dedicated smoking area? I've got limited space and a couple options for locations but would like to see/hear the creature comforts that you guys like/enjoy. 

No covered area so it's looking like the convenient (in terms of close to kitchen) back concrete walkway or the less covenient walk out basement that offers more room and working space. 

 
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odin33 said:
So do you guys have a dedicated smoking area? I've got limited space and a couple options for locations but would like to see/hear the creature comforts that you guys like/enjoy. 

No covered area so it's looking like the convenient (in terms of close to kitchen) back concrete walkway or the less covenient walk out basement that offers more room and working space. 
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I have mine out on teh deck, pull it in the garage with a box fan to push the smoke out if it’s rainy (like tonight).

 
odin33 said:
Deep breath and grab a cold one. The fact they are requesting that kind of menu and your cranking it out, all with a bunch of added kids =dad of the year. Rock on. 
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Step ahead of you GB — 4-5 beers deep by the time dinner came off of the grill, which was a huge hit with everyone. Fewer leftovers than I would have guessed, as per usual grilled Caesar was prolly the biggest crowd-pleaser and led the charge as far as 2nds / 3rds go. Girls toasting their marshmallows now and giggling away; I’m deciding on which big barrel-aged beer to crack and sip for my dessert. Wife doing dishes since I cooked — life is good.

 
Next weekend, for the first time in probably 5 years, I have no soccer, hockey, or any other kid #### to do.

Meat and beer. I may have a massive coronary over the top of my smoker. Wish me luck. 

 
Nothing hugely exciting tonight, big package of pork chops from Costco that I bribed / marinated in salt, pepper, and rosemary-garlic paste. Love cooking double on Sunday to take care of a weeknight dinner at the same time.

 
odin33 said:
Hoping this will do  at least for starters. Got this a few years back as a gift when I was toying with the idea of smoking back then.
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I had two of those. First one crapped out after a couple years so I replaced it. Same thing happened to the second one. Can't deal with something that is only used maybe 20 times over the course of a year shooting craps after 2 years. I hope yours lasts longer than my two. 

 
odin33 said:
So do you guys have a dedicated smoking area? I've got limited space and a couple options for locations but would like to see/hear the creature comforts that you guys like/enjoy. 

No covered area so it's looking like the convenient (in terms of close to kitchen) back concrete walkway or the less covenient walk out basement that offers more room and working space. 
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I have a 60 foot, three level deck with the last 17 feet of the one end covered with LED lighting (so I can shoot at night) and a ceiling fan to keep the skeeters away when shooting at night. I have a mini fridge and flat screen TV as well as four grills. My yard also backs up to woods to right now it's pretty spectacular out there. When I travel for whatever reason without the rest of the fam, my 18 month old daughter goes to the sliding glass door near that end of the deck and bangs on it yelling, "Dadda, Dadda!" Tis my Zen place!

 
odin33 said:
Thanks, looking forward to it. Anyone with a WSM have any mods or add-ons they recommend? Thought I read the rib rack wasn't worth it.
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I have three:

1) It's already been mentioned and not really a mod to the smoker but a digital thermometer is a must. I have a Maverick with one probe for the grill temp and the other for the meat temp. It's a must IMO because 1) The thermometer on the lid isn't dependable and 2) the digital device gives you the temp of the meat. You don't want to be lifting your lid to check the meat temp.

2) Lid hinge - At $59 it's over priced IMO but I bought it anyway and happy I did. I couldn't find anyone else selling one cheaper and maybe I could have manufactured one but sometimes its worth to say "F it" and be done with it. Love not having to lift off the hot, heavy lid and look for a place to sit it down.

3) Garage door handles - Phil in Florence is someone I follow on YouTube and he has several mods he's made. In this video (about about 1:03) he talks about adding garage door handles to make it easier to take off the middle section. He also mentions the lid hinge in this video at about 1:35.

 
Well my plan for this coming weekend is to make a batch of candied bacon except I'm going to use strips of 1" thick pork belly. I've never tried to make this and am still trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I figured it would use my weber kettle to get a nice temp around 350°. I will add a couple of chunks of apple wood to the coals. I' gguessing that some sort of combination of brown sugar, maple syrup, BBQ rub and /or black pepper or Chipotle pepper. Has anyone made this before and if so can you offer up some tips? 

I will also probably throw on a couple of chicken breast for the wife and maybe a few scallops because why not? 

 
In The Zone said:
Well my plan for this coming weekend is to make a batch of candied bacon except I'm going to use strips of 1" thick pork belly. I've never tried to make this and am still trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I figured it would use my weber kettle to get a nice temp around 350°. I will add a couple of chunks of apple wood to the coals. I' gguessing that some sort of combination of brown sugar, maple syrup, BBQ rub and /or black pepper or Chipotle pepper. Has anyone made this before and if so can you offer up some tips? 

I will also probably throw on a couple of chicken breast for the wife and maybe a few scallops because why not? 
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Funny you should ask.

Pig Candy with Crushed Pistachios

 
TheFanatic said:
I'm not sure you get the same results with belly. It might not every firm up.
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Based on my sliced belly "burnt ends" I think I can weigh in here. My slices were 1/4-1/3" thick and they firmed up but were not crisp. And that was on a smoker that probably ran at 225. If not much thicker than that I think it'll work out fine

 
TheFanatic said:
I'm not sure you get the same results with belly. It might not every firm up.
Click to expand...


msommer said:
Based on my sliced belly "burnt ends" I think I can weigh in here. My slices were 1/4-1/3" thick and they firmed up but were not crisp. And that was on a smoker that probably ran at 225. If not much thicker than that I think it'll work out fine
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I'm gonna give it a shot and see what happens. If worse comes to worse at least my dogs like my cooking.  :D

 
msommer said:
Based on my sliced belly "burnt ends" I think I can weigh in here. My slices were 1/4-1/3" thick and they firmed up but were not crisp. And that was on a smoker that probably ran at 225. If not much thicker than that I think it'll work out fine
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Firm is not the right word. It would be a much different texture. Pig Candy should almost be like a brittle and a little chewy. I don't see belly getting there. 

 
Doing some chicken thighs today that I marinated overnight in lemon juice / zest, scallions, garlic, thyme, and a little olive oil, along with a potato / onion / pepper packet and grilled asparagus with sesame seeds.

 
put a small pork shoulder on at 430 this morning....looking to serve around 1130 before i have to go to work....

 
My remote meat thermometer just died. What are people using these days. I know the maverick has gotten a lot of talk in here, what about the i-grill, or other?  Need two probes. Thnx again guys. 

 
phowler13 said:
My remote meat thermometer just died. What are people using these days. I know the maverick has gotten a lot of talk in here, what about the i-grill, or other?  Need two probes. Thnx again guys. 
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I have what used to be the iDevices iGrill, now owned by Weber. They f'd the app up horribly. Next up will be the Meater.  4 probes with the wifi block.

 
TheFanatic said:
Let me know what you think. I was skeptical at first too. 
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Ribs were a big hit on Friday. 

Followed it up with smoked wings on Saturday and the Super Spicy Honey BBQ wings were out of sight. 

Wife and daughter were out of town so it was a good weekend of eating with my teenage sons. :thumbup:

 
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