I guess I'm a little late to post here, since I've already got 25 posts on the other forums, but figured better late than never. Just so you know, we don't really say howdy out here, (I think that might be Texas). I'll be bringing you adventures in smoke cooking from my DBS 6rack with cold smoking attachment. I am new to smoke cooking, but have been cooking my whole life. I am an avid hunter and fisherman and do all my own meat processing, and wanted to get the smoker to try some new ideas. To all of you who have already helped me - a big THANK YOU!!! and to those I'm about to engage with, I'm looking forward to it. So far it's been a pleasure dealing with all of you, and I look forward to many years of conversation, food, fun, and yes maybe the occasional swig or two. You people have a great sense of humor, and are very pleasant to deal with!
Kevin
Kevin,
Welcome aboard. Sounds like you will be a good addition to the forum. Please share with us your smoking and cooking experiences as we all continue to learn. If we can assist you don't fail to ask.
KyNola
I think I gave you the ole forum welcome, incase I didn't welcome and join the fun.
Welcome to the forum Kevin. What part of AZ are you from? Lived there for a year and it has some pretty nice areas. And a few hot ones! ;D
Welcome to the forum Kevin!
Carolyn
Hey KevinG welcome to this great place. But on here it is best not to walk softly as long as you don't carry a Big stick. Sorry, sorry, I just had to. My bad.
Quote from: Quarlow on October 08, 2009, 09:03:45 PM
Hey KevinG welcome to this great place. But on here it is best not to walk softly as long as you don't carry a Big stick. Sorry, sorry, I just had to. My bad.
You just couldn't resist could you?? ;D ;D
KevinG welcome to the greatest fun and the nicest bunch and the addiction of smoking.
HR
W E L C O M E to the Forum KevinG!
Welcome to the fun of smoking and the addiction of smoked food
Welcome KevinG enjoy the forum.
MIke
Well Hawkeye, currently I live in a small town called Apache Junction, its' just east of Mesa and North of Tucson, but I have lived in many cities throughout the state. It definitely does get hot here, but the Superstition Mountains get snow in the winter and I can usually make it in about 10 minutes. Quite interesting to go from steaming hot to frozen cold in a matter of minutes. Quarlow, my stick is very big, (thanks for noticing) but I only bring this up because you did. :D Thanks all the rest for the warm smokey welcome!
Kevin
Welcome to the forum KevinG. You can hang out here while you're doing smoking and that low and slow cooking.
Welcome neighbor, I am from Albuquerque, NM right next door. Great forum and really a good bunch of people!
Welcome KevinG!
We can go from hot to freezing cold here IL, but that is just our crazy weather, the elevation remains pretty much the same from tip to tip.
You can smoke ribs and pork butt at home, then take the Bradley with you to the mountains to do some cheese..
Thanks, only been to NM once. Reminds me of alot of AJ. Seems kind of quiet out that way though.
Kevin
Quote from: squirtthecat on October 09, 2009, 09:08:23 AM
Welcome KevinG!
We can go from hot to freezing cold here IL, but that is just our crazy weather, the elevation remains pretty much the same from tip to tip.
You can smoke ribs and pork butt at home, then take the Bradley with you to the mountains to do some cheese..
I used to live in IL, in the Northwest side of Chicago. Haven't been back in a while, but sure do miss the people. Always a friendly face back there.
Kevin
Ahh, I'm sure you enjoy your winters out there better..
The big Chicago Marathon is this weekend, and it'll be in the 30s when the race starts.
I live down closer to St Louis.
Yea, winters are a little milder, but it I do miss throwing snowballs at cars and getting chased by angry drivers. Ha Ha. Of course I'm a little too old for that now. One thing I don't miss is the mosquitoes in the warm weather.
Kevin
Glad to see another hot weather compadre.....it does pose challenges, as you may see....but...dang...when the weather is nice....it's really nice.
Nice for us girls to hear about your "stick" as well... ???
Couldn't help myself on that one, I tried to keep it clean but it was left wide open.
;)
Kevin
Yeah...pretty funny too!!! :D
Arizona, where bouts would that be? Oh its over by LQ'S way
Yeah just over 100 or so miles away!!!! :) Well at leat the border anyway!!
Well if you're at the border, I'll be as close to you as possible with out being in your backyard in November. I'll be on a deer hunt in Nogales on the Arizona side. Scare some up my way for me would ya!
Kevin
Welcome KevinG. I'm a newbie too. Having a great time. Had my 1st smoke just yesterday. Turned out amazing. Next Rib Roast tomorrow.
You're a little more adventurous than I, I've only tried a couple of chickens and some cheese. I still need a little more experience before moving on to the big stuff. I already messed up on all of them, the first chicken I went into a panic because the internal temp never got above 140, the other chicken (too salty), and the cheese was too overpowering (according to my friends). Live and learn! I'll get it right one of these times. :)
Kevin
Quote from: KevinG on October 16, 2009, 06:03:42 PM
You're a little more adventurous than I, I've only tried a couple of chickens and some cheese. I still need a little more experience before moving on to the big stuff. I already messed up on all of them, the first chicken I went into a panic because the internal temp never got above 140, the other chicken (too salty), and the cheese was too overpowering (according to my friends). Live and learn! I'll get it right one of these times. :)
Kevin
Kevin if it was too overpowering it sounds like you didn't let it rest in the back of the fridge for 10 days or so. The cheese will really mellow out during that time. NW of Chicago is that Rockford? or more like Crystal Lake?
Definitely Kevin you have to let it sit for at least 10 days. I let mine sit 14 days but I tried a little right away. It was like licking an ashtray.
I think 10 days is a minimum. I opened the first of my last batch yesterday, mozzarella, 15 days. It was pretty nice. I had a bit more today - maybe even better. I still have the cheddar, pepper jack and Swiss sitting in the fridge. It's a difficult thing, but it's worth it.
Tenpoint - I was actually in the Northwest side of Chicago in the city. I do have relatives all over the place though, Palatine, Franklin Park, Elk Grove Village, Hawthorn Woods, and Schaumburg to name a few.
I did let my cheese sit for 5 days, I guess that might not have been long enough. I think I made another blunder too, which was to cut the cheese up in 1" chunks before smoking. I think between the two, it was a little too much. My next batch, I'm going to switch to apple wood instead of hickory, smoke for only 1 hour instead of two, and leave the cheese whole instead of cutting it up, and finally leave it set for 10 days instead of 5. Hopefully that will clean out the ashtray effect.
Kevin
My daughter lived in Tucson for a while. My strategy for a visit was to tie a 30 foot rope to a sonic drive inn. I could finish my route 44 in less than 30 feet and then used the rope to bring my dehydrated delerous body back for the next one. :P :'(
Next strategy was they come to CA to visit. 8)
Hey KevinG, I agree with you that cutting it up is probably not the best, but then again I think I will make my blocks a little smaller. I had 1"x4"x8" and next time I will go with 1"x3"x6". I will smoke for 2 hrs again. I am going to try Maple or pecan as it is a bit stronger than apple even though one of my fav store boughts is done with apple. And 5 days is not long enough. 14 days is really minimum. I suspect with yours cut in little cubes like it was you would not want 2 hrs of smoke. 1 hr is probably even to much for that size.
I did have another concern. I wasn't sure if I should vacuum pack the cheese after smoking to sit or if I should just keep them loosely wrapped. I'm beginning to think that the vacuum pack that I did actually made the smoke taste stronger also by trapping in.
Kevin
by all means vac pac
I don't have a vac sealer yet - coming next week. But, I'd certainly vac seal the cheese. Currently, I triple wrap it in plastic getting out all of the air possible. Last comes the "Don't eat before date". Then, I put it in the fridge and try to forget about it - difficult.