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Smokers and meat smoking

dun ploughin said:
Will it damper down with just the exhaust closed? Try setting bricks under it to close the gap?
New Braunfels always made good smokers.
I had an offset new Braunfels smoker for years, the legs rotted out and the bottom was getting thin so I retired it.

Are you missing any parts?
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I have all the same parts as that.
The heat seems difficult to control
 
ANGELO said:
I have all the same parts as that.
The heat seems difficult to control
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Vertical smokers like that are tough to control. All the heat goes straight up. This is where an offset or reverse flow smoker shines.
 
Pony_Driver said:
Vertical smokers like that are tough to control. All the heat goes straight up. This is where an offset or reverse flow smoker shines.
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You basically have to choke the fire down to a smolder. Gonna be a dirty smoke but it's the only way to really control the temp. Offsets are really the only smokers designed to run on clean smoke from a well oxygenated fire.
 
ANGELO said:
I have all the same parts as that.
The heat seems difficult to control
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Pony_Driver said:
Vertical smokers like that are tough to control. All the heat goes straight up. This is where an offset or reverse flow smoker shines.
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With the exhaust almost fully closed, just a sliver open, will it just pour smoke out of the door, etc?
Is there any way to fab a metal plate for the bottom? Maybe set it on some bricks or something and slide it in and out.
Can you get the heat down around 225*?
 
dun ploughin said:
With the exhaust almost fully closed, just a sliver open, will it just pour smoke out of the door, etc?
Is there any way to fab a metal plate for the bottom? Maybe set it on some bricks or something and slide it in and out.
Can you get the heat down around 225*?
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I had to have it almost closed where it would smolder the flame and smoke would come out the bottom. If there was a fire it would get way to hot
 
One thing I learned this weekend is go big or go home on briskets. I smoked a little 11 pounder simply because on a bigger brisket I'm usually having leftovers for a week but on this little guy I feel like I trimmed off almost as much excessive fat as I would have on an 18+ pounder and I just don't feel like it smoked as well. It was still good and the smoke flavor was great due to the larger surface area for the mass and it was still moist and tender but not AS moist and tender as usual. I just wanted to try to smoke a smaller one and came away saying... yeah, probably never again. I just feel like the bang for the buck isn't there. I didn't weight it after trimming or after cooking but like I said, I bet the waste wasn't much different than off an 18 pounder and I bet the finished product was only 4-5 pounds. That just ain't enough food for a long day's smoke.
 
Bump. Gonna cross post probably. Finally took time to try a smoke tube on a longer smoke. It took almost the whole time I smoked a big whole pork loin to get the smoke tube working right. What did I do wrong? Need different pellets to get it to take off?

I had a pound of thick cut bacon ready to swap out as I pulled the pork loin off and I smoke bacon for about an hour and a half. So it’s getting a killer smoke on it now. I’m just a little bummed I didn’t get that much going smoke on the loin.
 
I honestly have no idea what a smoke tube is. Some type of pellet grill contraption?
 
east_beast said:
I honestly have no idea what a smoke tube is. Some type of pellet grill contraption?
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Yes, contraption to make more smoke because pellet smokers make less smoke than a stick smoker. You stuff pellets in it and light them on fire. They won’t really flame, the pellets just smolder and smoke for hours.

Edit: sorry if I’m in the wrong thread. I’m a fraud with my pellet smoker, not a stick burner. I’m not going to be getting into the real deal stick burner for many years.
 
JR4X said:
Bump. Gonna cross post probably. Finally took time to try a smoke tube on a longer smoke. It took almost the whole time I smoked a big whole pork loin to get the smoke tube working right. What did I do wrong? Need different pellets to get it to take off?

I had a pound of thick cut bacon ready to swap out as I pulled the pork loin off and I smoke bacon for about an hour and a half. So it’s getting a killer smoke on it now. I’m just a little bummed I didn’t get that much going smoke on the loin.
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Lack of airflow will put one out. You might try placing it in a different location based on your pit’s airflow.

I don’t use one though, and have never had issues with getting good smoke in my pit boss pellet smoker. I keep it on the smoke setting for at least two hours before bumping up the heat. Depending on the weather, I may have to adjust the p setting to keep the fire from blowing out, but it always keeps a good flow of clean smoke flowing through.
 
JR4X said:
Yes, contraption to make more smoke because pellet smokers make less smoke than a stick smoker. You stuff pellets in it and light them on fire. They won’t really flame, the pellets just smolder and smoke for hours.

Edit: sorry if I’m in the wrong thread. I’m a fraud with my pellet smoker, not a stick burner. I’m not going to be getting into the real deal stick burner for many years.
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It's all good. I'm just no help on this one.

I'm assuming you would light one of these like a charcoal chimney starter. Make sure it's going good and make sure you have enough pellets in there to keep it smoldering but not so many that they smother themselves out. Gonna be some trial and error involved in it.
 
JR4X said:
Bump. Gonna cross post probably. Finally took time to try a smoke tube on a longer smoke. It took almost the whole time I smoked a big whole pork loin to get the smoke tube working right. What did I do wrong? Need different pellets to get it to take off?

I had a pound of thick cut bacon ready to swap out as I pulled the pork loin off and I smoke bacon for about an hour and a half. So it’s getting a killer smoke on it now. I’m just a little bummed I didn’t get that much going smoke on the loin.
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I've got one of these that I used on a propane smoker that I ended up throwing out. What I found was I had to light one end and let it get a good flame for a good while before blowing it out and letting it smolder. A lot more flame and burn than what I found other people doing on youtube and shit. I've still got the tray to use in a smoke shack some day to do cheese and salmon with.
 
JR4X said:
Yes, contraption to make more smoke because pellet smokers make less smoke than a stick smoker. You stuff pellets in it and light them on fire. They won’t really flame, the pellets just smolder and smoke for hours.

Edit: sorry if I’m in the wrong thread. I’m a fraud with my pellet smoker, not a stick burner. I’m not going to be getting into the real deal stick burner for many years.
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I just pile a bunch of real wood chunks of either mesquite or hickory on top of and around the pellet tray of my Traeger. Works pretty well.
 
Filthy McChevy said:
I just pile a bunch of real wood chunks of either mesquite or hickory on top of and around the pellet tray of my Traeger. Works pretty well.
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I’ve done similar in a gas grill. Do you soak them in water to get them to smoke but not combust?
 
Going to see Cody Jinks on Thursday night with the family along with a buddy and his family. He called me up yesterday pitching the idea to smoke a brisket and tailgate beforehand. Unfortunately, I have shit to do tomorrow and can't hang around and tend a smoker all day. So I'm gonna try something different. Picked up a little 12 pound prime brisket from Sam's last night and got it trimmed and seasoned up. Smoked it for about three and a half hours tonight at 225-250 to build up some bark and give it some flavor. Sealed it back up and put it in the fridge.

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I'll put it in the sous vide tomorrow morning at 155 degrees and let it go until I get home from taking a half day on Thursday. Should be around 30 hours or so. When I get home I'll throw it back on the offset and give it another smoke. I'll probably run that one a little hotter to try to set the bark. Probably 275-300. I should have enough time to give it about two hours before wrapping it up and chucking it in the cooler and heading that way.

We'll see how it goes. I'm sure it'll be good, but I'm not sure it'll be like a proper smoked brisket. I've done sous vide before with briskets and they're always good but never quite right. I've tried smoking before the sous vide and just finishing on a hot grill and I've tried smoking after the sous vide and prefer the after better. This will be the first time that I try both.
 
Interested to see how that turns out ! Keep us updated !
 
ANGELO said:
I have all the same parts as that.
The heat seems difficult to control
Click to expand...

It’s from the gaps around the door, it’s getting too much air onto the coals. I have an UDS and you can throw two loads of charcoal in the bottom, put a chunk of oak on top, and ignore it for 8 hours or until you need to wrap the meat.
 
east_beast said:
Going to see Cody Jinks on Thursday night with the family along with a buddy and his family. He called me up yesterday pitching the idea to smoke a brisket and tailgate beforehand. Unfortunately, I have shit to do tomorrow and can't hang around and tend a smoker all day. So I'm gonna try something different. Picked up a little 12 pound prime brisket from Sam's last night and got it trimmed and seasoned up. Smoked it for about three and a half hours tonight at 225-250 to build up some bark and give it some flavor. Sealed it back up and put it in the fridge.

PXL_20240619_012539847.jpg


I'll put it in the sous vide tomorrow morning at 155 degrees and let it go until I get home from taking a half day on Thursday. Should be around 30 hours or so. When I get home I'll throw it back on the offset and give it another smoke. I'll probably run that one a little hotter to try to set the bark. Probably 275-300. I should have enough time to give it about two hours before wrapping it up and chucking it in the cooler and heading that way.

We'll see how it goes. I'm sure it'll be good, but I'm not sure it'll be like a proper smoked brisket. I've done sous vide before with briskets and they're always good but never quite right. I've tried smoking before the sous vide and just finishing on a hot grill and I've tried smoking after the sous vide and prefer the after better. This will be the first time that I try both.
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It’s because you aren’t getting it hot enough the render the fat out between the muscle fibers, which is usually in the ~ 200 degree range. It’s basically pastrami, not Texas style brisket.
 
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Gatorgrizz27 said:
It’s because you aren’t getting it hot enough the render the fat out between the muscle fibers, which is usually in the ~ 200 degree range. It’s basically pastrami, not Texas style brisket.
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Yeah it is. A sous vide brisket is VERY tender. It's just not the same as a smoked brisket.
 
I have done that a few times. When I know I’m going to fire up the big pit, I ask people if they want me to get briskets going for them. Usually, I’ll smoke their briskets for 4-6 hours, then they pick them up, go home and put them in the oven to finish them off. Good smoke and done to their likeness. It actually works pretty well, for what it is.
 
Rttoys said:
I have done that a few times. When I know I’m going to fire up the big pit, I ask people if they want me to get briskets going for them. Usually, I’ll smoke their briskets for 4-6 hours, then they pick them up, go home and put them in the oven to finish them off. Good smoke and done to their likeness. It actually works pretty well, for what it is.
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I usually smoke them until the stall, then wrap and finish in the oven. If you're wrapping them it's done taking on smoke anyway. Might as well stop wasting wood at that point.
 
I think I'm gonna try the Goldee's method on my next brisket. They smoke unwrapped to 190 then an 8 hour hold with tallow wrapped in foil.

I honestly think 203 is overkill. Sometimes it turns out absolute perfect, but sometimes it's overcooked and pot roasty.
 
east_beast said:
I usually smoke them until the stall, then wrap and finish in the oven. If you're wrapping them it's done taking on smoke anyway. Might as well stop wasting wood at that point.
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That’s the way I see it too. And for those that don’t have smokers, it’s an easy way for fthem to get a good brisket without all the hassle.
 
I used to have an offset stickburner. Cranked out some good eats but it took a lot of work. Temp would spike then the wind would kill the heat so it required constant attention, open or close a vent every 15 mins and then you open it to toss another log in and shit goes crazy. It was cool, authentic, cranked out some killer ribs but it was not really what I was looking for.

Ended up selling it and got a Weber smokey mountain. Charcoal. Love it. Temp stays steady and it can roll at 250 all day and I dont have to babysit it
 
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