# Yes!! A smoker!!!



## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

I received a smoker for my birthday yesterday and was hoping you guys could throw me your best tips, methods and recipes to help out a newbie smoker! Thanks!


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## HemlockNailer (Dec 22, 2000)

bmoffit said:


> I received a smoker for my birthday yesterday and was hoping you guys could throw me your best tips, methods and recipes to help out a newbie smoker! Thanks!


Start with the owners manual,it is a good basic guide for your smoker. All smokers smoke differently as do different meats. Practice with yours to get a feel for what it will do and how long it takes to do it. As for recipes, experiment with a basic one and add to or take away until it works. Make notes, it's a learning curve. Also try different types of wood. Enjoy.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

What type?


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm sure alot of us could write a novel on smoking.
First starting out use store rubs, eventually you can dink around making your own learn to cook on it first then worry about rubs

Second temp, spent so much time thinking 225 is holy Grail stressed when smoker got higher, I smoke most at 260-275 chicken 325 as skin has to get to 312 to crisp

Third buy a good dual probe thermometer, most factory are junk and a good insta read for chicken lean pork. I'm fixing dump 500 in new thermos but I can point you cheaper for quality if you wish
Fourth you can't cook to time or temp, brisket, butts, Chuck roast hits about 195 I shut thermo off probes when like butter it's done every piece of meat is different you can have two different butts same size and they may finish different times and times
Fifth a cooler is your friend, everyone asks when's it gonna be done, large cuts brisket butt a cooler with towels will hold for a few hours
6th wood start light apple, peach if you want more smoke flavor cherry or hickory
7th speaking of smoke, most beginners think billowing smoke is great, you want thin blue to none. It's doing its job and doesn't taste like a campfire

Start out slow learn your cooker. Pork butt is very forgiving, pork loin too, meat loaf. Learn your temps for loin or chicken I pull pork loin 140-145 chicken 165 in thigh

Seriously have fun with it. Every cook you learn, learn your smoker. I just bought a nice food trailer with a large stick burner with a four shelf electric rotisserie. I'll be doing some dry runs to figure it out

Check out the site amazing ribs it's awesome


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

It is an electric masterbuilt


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

bmoffit said:


> It is an electric masterbuilt


It will be simple but do recommend the thermometers, like I said start off simple cooks


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

Roger that!! Thanks



DEDGOOSE said:


> It will be simple but do recommend the thermometers, like I said start off simple cooks


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

I would pretty much agree with what DED posted. I do tend to smoke around 225-230. Thermometers are important. If you goggle 3-2-1 ribs you will find a procedure for ribs that is good. I make some pulled pork that everyone seems to love. I smoke at 225 for 4 or five hours and then throw in the crock pot for 4 or five hours, always seems to come out good. It's smoke flavor is milder than a full smoke. We serve this with sauce on the side.


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

The boys like this. https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Tener...7b&gclid=CJDLtYet_OQCFcjUDQodSLUBTw&gclsrc=ds


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## fels340 (Nov 9, 2011)

I would go online to ThermoWorks. They're products are a little pricey but outstanding. I basically don't cook anything without a Thermopen. They also make some products to monitor meat temp, smoker temp, etc. You could also buy an Igrill to do this and it's cheaper. Sold by Weber. But to me temp control is critical when doing any type of cooking of smoking. And by that I mean temp control in your cooker and temp control in your food. Smoking is somewhat of an art. It's not a black and white scientific exercise. If a recipe tells you it will be done in 3 hours, don't take that as gospel. The guy who wrote the recipe might be smoking in Texas where it's 100 degrees outside. Use your Thermopen to decide if your food is done. And don't let your wife tell you it has to be done at a particular time. I've heard a million times where she said I told her it would be done at 6 when I really said it would be done "around" 6. That could mean 6 or it could mean 7 depending on the conditions you're smoking in. Also if I'm sitting with friends having an adult beverage, it always takes longer to get the food done. Lol. Electric smokers can sometimes have trouble maintaining temps when it's cold outside. The thermocouple may read a certain temp but that might not be the temp where your meat is. No problem as long as you account for that. Just play around with it. It's a ton of fun and there's nothing better than people coming over and telling you how good your food is.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

fels340 said:


> I would go online to ThermoWorks. They're products are a little pricey but outstanding. I basically don't cook anything without a Thermopen. They also make some products to monitor meat temp, smoker temp, etc. You could also buy an Igrill to do this and it's cheaper. Sold by Weber. But to me temp control is critical when doing any type of cooking of smoking. And by that I mean temp control in your cooker and temp control in your food. Smoking is somewhat of an art. It's not a black and white scientific exercise. If a recipe tells you it will be done in 3 hours, don't take that as gospel. The guy who wrote the recipe might be smoking in Texas where it's 100 degrees outside. Use your Thermopen to decide if your food is done. And don't let your wife tell you it has to be done at a particular time. I've heard a million times where she said I told her it would be done at 6 when I really said it would be done "around" 6. That could mean 6 or it could mean 7 depending on the conditions you're smoking in. Also if I'm sitting with friends having an adult beverage, it always takes longer to get the food done. Lol. Electric smokers can sometimes have trouble maintaining temps when it's cold outside. The thermocouple may read a certain temp but that might not be the temp where your meat is. No problem as long as you account for that. Just play around with it. It's a ton of fun and there's nothing better than people coming over and telling you how good your food is.




Awesome post all truth. I've always run Maverick but gonna switch to thermo works my pt100 got stole,. My ET732 has been flawless
The thermapen is amazing but the thermopop is a great option for 35$ it's accurate and fast, great for someone getting into it.

Laugh about your time reference bbq all u can say "done when it's done"


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks for all the tips. Did some Italian sausage yesterday and it was amazing. Tomorrow it’s a chicken. Can’t believe I’ve been without one for so long!!!


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

bmoffit said:


> Thanks for all the tips. Did some Italian sausage yesterday and it was amazing. Tomorrow it’s a chicken. Can’t believe I’ve been without one for so long!!!


Brine you chicken in a simple brine of kosher salt and briwn sugar. Sruff the bird with quatered up onion, apple lemon and a garlic clove. Try to close uo the end of the bird with toothpicks after stuffing. Takes about 4 hrs but will be outstanding.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

https://buythermopro.com/product/thermopro-tp-20-digital-wireless-meat-thermometer/

This is the best one I've found for reasonable. Great company and support. Lifetime on their probes. 
Above comments are spot on. Everyone does it a little different, but it's all good. Some like heavy smoke, some like light smoke. Smoking food is always different. That's what makes it fun and a challenge. Pretty hard to screw it up. An easy one to try is smoked meatballs. Get the pre made frozen meatballs, thaw em out, throw them on a foil pan, or old cookie sheet. Smoke em for a while, then in a slow cooker with your fav BBQ sauce until they're done. They go fast. Great for parties and appetizers. Smoked chicken legs are easy. Work your way up after experimenting before you tackle briskets, and some of the more labor intensive projects. Meat is expensive.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

plugger said:


> I would pretty much agree with what DED posted. I do tend to smoke around 225-230. Thermometers are important. If you goggle 3-2-1 ribs you will find a procedure for ribs that is good. I make some pulled pork that everyone seems to love. I smoke at 225 for 4 or five hours and then throw in the crock pot for 4 or five hours, always seems to come out good. It's smoke flavor is milder than a full smoke. We serve this with sauce on the side.


Trying the 3-2-1 ribs tomorrow!!


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## thumbgoodfisherman (Dec 6, 2005)

Go on you-tube and watch videos to get some great pointers on just about anything you want to try and smoke . I just bought Aaron Franklin's book about how he got his start. Plus he gives his recipes on everything he serves at his restaurant in Austin Texas this guy is a BBQ genius. His favorite saying is you gotta make bad BBQ to make good BBQ. Good luck on everything you try and make!!!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

bmoffit said:


> Thanks for all the tips.


Another easy starter recipe is to smoke hamburger patties. Best burger you'll ever have IMO.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)




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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

They were out of this world


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

PunyTrout said:


> Another easy starter recipe is to smoke hamburger patties. Best burger you'll ever have IMO.


Tomorrow we’re doing venison burgers... can’t believe I’ve been without a smoker for all of these years


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

bmoffit said:


> Tomorrow we’re doing venison burgers... can’t believe I’ve been without a smoker for all of these years


Was there any fat added to the grind or is it pure venison? I'm curious either way how it turns out for you.

We used beef and the cheese was beautifully smoked too.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

She mixed it up with her secret spice recipe along with a little ground pork


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

They turned out awesome. Better than any grilled burger we’ve ever had!!!


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## No Mas (Jul 9, 2003)

Put in a 21lb bird Tuesday night expecting to have something to pick on for NYE.... When I woke up, noticed the temp was still ready under 50 degrees.. Ugh! 

My electric Masterbuilt finally took a crap and doesn't look like it's coming back. I will contact them today, but not expecting much. I'm looking at their Gravity Series Digital 560. Anyone use this model yet? Just wondering about pro's/con's. Thanks...


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