Social Saturday is BBQ Day V3 - How big is your meat?

[RerouteToRemain]

The "Smoke" setting, according to Traeger, slows the deposit of pellets by doing a "15 seconds on, 65 seconds off" cycle and in doing so it tends to keep the temperature between 150-180. People having to do this kind of silly shit to get the smoke flavor they desire is why I'm pretty much not interested in pellet grills. I've seen people with the Yoder pellet grills, at $2000+ and they're adding those Amazen smoking tubes to the cook chamber. Why the hell are you going to pay that kind of money for a smoker that doesn't give you the smoke flavor you want?

Anyways, play around with it, have some fun. Lots of people say they get much better smoke flavor / aroma from different pellets... I think 2 very good brands are the Lumberjack and Smoke Ring. Also lots of people say getting a single flavor is better than a "blend" so give that a shot and see how it works.

It took about 20 minutes to go from 275 to 225. Then it gets back to 275 quickly.

I grill (chicken breasts, burgers, steak, etc) a lot more than I smoke so if I have to do some stuff that's not a huge deal to me but it is a bit disappointing. They should really have smoke level options on top of temp. If I smoked meats often I would be getting something else.

The blend smelled fantastic, basically a fruity sweet hickory, we'll see how it goes. I might try my own mixture. In the past with wood chips I would often mix pecan and cherry or hickory and cherry. But I'll probably try out different brands as well. I'll see how this first smoke goes.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

Good luck with those ribs!

Accidentally put on a little too much rub and didn't realise it till later but other than that I was happy with how they came out.

 

[usmctanker242]

Accidentally put on a little too much rub and didn't realise it till later but other than that I was happy with how they came out.

Looks really good.. nice and juicy! Rub is one those things where "to each their own." Sometimes I go really heavy and other times I go real light... kind of just depends on my mood. When it comes to ribs I think they need a good amount of rub to give them some good flavor. I like pork but it's kind of bland without a good rub.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

Looks really good.. nice and juicy! Rub is one those things where "to each their own." Sometimes I go really heavy and other times I go real light... kind of just depends on my mood. When it comes to ribs I think they need a good amount of rub to give them some good flavor. I like pork but it's kind of bland without a good rub.

Yeah it's the salt content in the rub that was a bit much. Just a bit too much salt. Sauce fixed that though.

I was happy with the smoke ring and smoke flavor, was worried about both upon initial testing of the Traeger.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Now that I have a balcony. I going to buy a smoker and start bbqing.

Give me recommendation for first time smoker, and a dry rub recipe.

 

[MaureenCretis]

Now that I have a balcony. I going to buy a smoker and start bbqing.

Give me recommendation for first time smoker, and a dry rub recipe.

Weber Smokey Mountain, biggest you can afford.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Weber Smokey Mountain, biggest you can afford.

I dont want the biggest contraption. I probably cannot fit, and i wont be cooking for a restaurant. I want something small, and for beginners.

 

[MaureenCretis]

I dont want the biggest contraption. I probably cannot fit, and i wont be cooking for a restaurant. I want something small, and for beginners.

WSM comes in 3 sizes, you can never have too much smoker. They’re great pieces of kit, last for decades if you clean them once in a while. The small one is 14.5” in diameter, medium is 17” and the big boy is 22” or so.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

WSM comes in 3 sizes, you can never have too much smoker. They’re great pieces of kit, last for decades if you clean them once in a while. The small one is 14.5” in diameter, medium is 17” and the big boy is 22” or so.

oK I look into this.

 

[usmctanker242]

@MadSquabbles500, it really depends on what kind of fuel source you want. Weber Smokey Mountain is generally a very good, easy to use intro charcoal smoker that produces amazing BBQ. If you're good with your hands building a drum smoker is absolutely the best "bang for the buck."

Being on a balcony really limits your options as getting heavy equipment up there can be a challenge. I guess it really just depends on what type of cooker you want and what kind of real estate you have to dedicate to outdoor cooking.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

@MadSquabbles500, it really depends on what kind of fuel source you want. Weber Smokey Mountain is generally a very good, easy to use intro charcoal smoker that produces amazing BBQ. If you're good with your hands building a drum smoker is absolutely the best "bang for the buck."

Being on a balcony really limits your options as getting heavy equipment up there can be a challenge. I guess it really just depends on what type of cooker you want and what kind of real estate you have to dedicate to outdoor cooking.

I want to use the charcoal. ARent there some really small ones?

 

[usmctanker242]

I want to use the charcoal. ARent there some really small ones?

Yeah, the WSM sounds like it's probably the perfect cooker for you. Easy to use, light weight, small footprint, and as long as you use it properly it will make some amazing BBQ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=twister_B016PTQVF2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The 14.5" is small but you can do just about everything on it outside of a full packer brisket (though a small one might fit). There are TONS of videos on YouTube showcasing this particular cooker and how to use it.

Good "setup / unboxing video" :

Good video explaining how to cook on these types of cookers, ie adjusting the vents, adding fuel, etc :

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Yeah, the WSM sounds like it's probably the perfect cooker for you. Easy to use, light weight, small footprint, and as long as you use it properly it will make some amazing BBQ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=twister_B016PTQVF2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The 14.5" is small but you can do just about everything on it outside of a full packer brisket (though a small one might fit). There are TONS of videos on YouTube showcasing this particular cooker and how to use it.

Good "setup / unboxing video" :

Good video explaining how to cook on these types of cookers, ie adjusting the vents, adding fuel, etc :

Great thanks

 

[Jesus X]

I LOVE pork belly! I really like cutting the belly in half ; half the belly I cook to about 210° internal so I can pull it, and the other I will cook to about 205° so I can slice it. Chef Tom from All Things BBQ has a really good recipe for this and it's amazing for making some good sandwiches.



Edit: For crispy skin you'll need to do the last half hour or so at something like 350-400° or else it won't crisp up. You could also do the entire cook at 325-350° and that will have a much better chance of crisping up the skin. Scoring it into a cross-hatch pattern and rubbing salt into the crevices will also help and will give that nice crackling that people love. Here's another video showing a guy doing this with a rolled up belly, almost like a porchetta without the loin.

pork belly is good I like when it is in a ramen it comes out tender.

 

[usmctanker242]

pork belly is good I like when it is in a ramen it comes out tender.

I've never had pork belly in ramen but it does sound delicious.

 

[Hooran]

Which BBQ/Smokers do you guys have? I am looking for one for me currently, and I have found an interesting article on https://homus.org/best-grill-smoker-combo/ with some of them. I am thinking about Traeger TFB65LZBC from there. Have you ever dealt with it or with some similar devices? I would like to get some tips and thoughts on them from you. Thank you inadvance!

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Which BBQ/Smokers do you guys have? I am looking for one for me currently

I've got a normal Weber which you can use to smoke, roast, grill no problems. I bought a cheap offset which was a shit idea, leaky as fuck and very inefficient. I'd like to get s Smokey Mountain as has been posted in this thread before, or save up for a Hark Offset or something.

 

[usmctanker242]

I've had quite a few over the least couple years, but right now I'm very happy with my Johnson Custom Smokers "Ultimate Chargrill Trailer."

 

[RerouteToRemain]

outside of a full packer brisket (though a small one might fit).

What size are the smaller full packers around you?

Do you do flats often or mostly full. Looking for around 5lb flat or if I can find a small packer I might go for that.

Any tips on them. Online research is overwhelming. Foil, no foil. Inject vs no injection. Lots of options and opinions.

 

[Te Huna Matata]

Just bought an 18# packer at Costco this weekend. After trimming and separating the point from the flat, holy shit. I'd say the flat is down to 8# and the point is 5-6.

EDIT: It's prime too.