All things smoking…

Great work on that UDS!!!!! good luck.

I just picked up a Brinkmann gourmet charcoal smoker at a local garage sale never used for $15! I’ve been modifying it so far and this weekend I’m going to season it and check how well it holds temp. Any advise for a first timer?

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Wade

@Ruger2506

I did buy one of these this spring and it works really well.

http://amazingribs.com/bbq_equipment_reviews_ratings/thermometers/auber-syl-1615sys-w

It does a great job of keeping temp steady in my weber. A couple knocks is it doesnt have a sensor like some when you open the lid so the fan will run while the lid is off. I have just been unplugging the fan cord before i open the lid and it wont spike my temps at all. also its alittle confusing to set your alarm temps right out of the box but I have it somewhat figured out after a few cooks on it.

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Cp3 wrote:

I just picked up a Brinkmann gourmet charcoal smoker at a local garage sale never used for $15! I’ve been modifying it so far and this weekend I’m going to season it and check how well it holds temp. Any advise for a first timer?

first cooks people say to do a meat loaf or a log of some sort to get some good fat and grease building up in your smoker. I think I started with a couple beer can chickens, they take any temps well and if you are all over the place with your temps they turn out good. Depending how much time you got you can do a pork butt too. that brinkmann might have a smaller charcoal pit so it might be a pain on some of your longer cooks.

the overall smoking process is pretty simple. hardest part is trying to get your timing down so you have some sort of idea when its going to be ready. allow a good 30 minutes to get your coals and smoker up to temp. and allow a good half hour (longer for larger cuts) or so to let your meat rest before you serve it.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html

^^ thats a good website for ideas and cooking temps.

out_fishing wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Cp3 wrote:</div>
I just picked up a Brinkmann gourmet charcoal smoker at a local garage sale never used for $15! I’ve been modifying it so far and this weekend I’m going to season it and check how well it holds temp. Any advise for a first timer?

first cooks people say to do a meat loaf or a log of some sort to get some good fat and grease building up in your smoker. I think I started with a couple beer can chickens, they take any temps well and if you are all over the place with your temps they turn out good. Depending how much time you got you can do a pork butt too. that brinkmann might have a smaller charcoal pit so it might be a pain on some of your longer cooks.

the overall smoking process is pretty simple. hardest part is trying to get your timing down so you have some sort of idea when its going to be ready. allow a good 30 minutes to get your coals and smoker up to temp. and allow a good half hour (longer for larger cuts) or so to let your meat rest before you serve it.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html

^^ thats a good website for ideas and cooking temps.

Thank you! Great info

It’s a 2 butt day. One of my co-workers is having a big birthday party for her daughter and asked if I could smoke some meat for her. So, 16.5 pounds of butt are rubbed and patiently awaiting its time in the smoker. Plan is to put it on tonight about midnight for late afternoon serving tomorrow.

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Cp3 wrote:

I just picked up a Brinkmann gourmet charcoal smoker at a local garage sale never used for $15! I’ve been modifying it so far and this weekend I’m going to season it and check how well it holds temp. Any advise for a first timer?

i got one of those years ago. I ws told to spray it down with vegetable oil before I used it. only thing I smoke in it are nords!

glenn, no need for the vegetable oil. Run a hot, meatless smoke for a few hours to burn off any film on the inside of the smoker. IMO, pork butts are the most forgiving but a long smoke. Chickens are an easy first smoke followed by ribs. I’ve recently started smoking my meat loafs and those are pretty dynamite too. I guess a better question for you is, what are you craving?

to scared to try to smoke anything else!!!!!!!! afraid to screw it up and have to throw away. before I try I would like a smoker above a charcoal smoker. someday when I retire!!!!!!

These are my smoked beans. Because they require frequent door opening, I do them in my gas smoker. I buy an inexpensive cut of pork and put it on the rack above the beans so that the drippings can go into the beans. I then chop that piece of meat fine and add it to the beans as a garnish. With the high meat to bean ratio, these are great as a side or as the meal.

Dave’s Smoked Beans
2 – 28 oz. Cans of Bush Original Baked Beans
1 lbs. Jimmy Dean “Hot Sausage” (Any flavor if you don’t like hot)
1 lbs. Hamburger
½ Diced Onion
½ Cup Diced Bell Pepper (Any Color, I like the Red or Orange for Color)
½ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Molasses
2 hot peppers, minced

Brown sausage and hamburger, drain excess grease.
Drain beans and add all ingredients to a large foil roasting pan.
Put roasting pan in the smoker on a grate under the meat for drippings.
Lighting stir beans about every 20 – 30 minutes to incorporate smoke flavor.
Try to pull beans off the smoker after an hour and a half to 2 hours to prevent beans from going to mush.

Man that looks real tasty Dave!!! Got to try that. Reinhard

Time to eat!

One last money shot.

Brisket on top basting the pork shoulder below! Pretty New to smoking. Really enjoying it though!

I can’t figure out how to post the picture.

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Got it.

If you have them in roasting pans, how are you getting any basting of the item below?

Poked a couple holes right over the center of the shoulder.

I haven’t noticed it limiting the smoke and it makes it much easier to handle when meat starts falling apart, I am no expert, just trying things that I think work for me.

Where’s the smoked cabbage?

I have some bradley racks that I have been using for chicken legs/wings. they work great for handling the meats before and after the cook. I think they would be too small for a brisket but you could probably get some smaller cuts on them.

It was a feast.

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wow that looks awesome, going to be a two butt night tonight. One for the freezer, one for pork tacos. I do a kettle of chili on the smoker, make it with some cubed smoked brisket, crack the lid 1/2 way while cooking, don’t need a bunch of wood just a chunk of apple wood or two. stir a few times. Can also clean the jalapeno plants up with all the remaining peppers (before first frost) put on the smoker for an hour, seed and dehydrate, then grind up in the processor, store in an airtight seasoning shaker. Nothing beats a smokey jalapeno pepper seasoning to kick things up a notch. My kids love to come home and grab a frozen chunk of smoked pork butt. Depending on the size of the roast. I’ll vacuum seal up 1/3 or 1/2 of the roast, not shredded just the chunk. They take it back to their apartment, pop into the crockpot and their friends all show up because of the smell. I always have several packs in the freezer.

Damn – now I’m hungry. Oddly it seems like more people around me have delved into smoking their own meat lately. I wonder what the push was?

out_fishing wrote:

I have some bradley racks that I have been using for chicken legs/wings. they work great for handling the meats before and after the cook. I think they would be too small for a brisket but you could probably get some smaller cuts on them.

Some guys on one of my smoking forums have been using cookie cooling racks as they can be a little more cost affordable.

That all sounds awesome chomps!

Dave, I guess I just like smoked things and figured might as well try it myself, everything has turned out great so far, everything I try for the first time is sort of an experiment, so that is fun too.