Hello all. I am looking to getting into smoking and would like some advice on what to get. I have been looking at the Bradley Original Smoker, the Bradley Digital Smoker, and the Masterbuilt Digital smoker. I will be making food for 3 people regularly. I would like to smoke basic meat, turkey, and fish. I am concerned about the cost associated with the bisquettes since it seems like it will get expensive compared to wood chips. However, I am more concerned with the quality of the smoked food. Is the extra cost worth it? I have never smoked before and looking to get some experienced opinions so I make the correct purchase the first time. I live in North Carolina and would be smoking year round. Is the Bradley something I can use in my garage or do I have to use it outside. I appreciate any assistance offered!
Hello Dood56 and welcome to the forum. As for the cost of smoking when you figure it out in comes out to around $1.25 an hour. That is not a lot to me. You have to understand that with the bradley you don't smoke for hours and hours. Most things only smoke for 1.5 to 2 hrs. A pork butt which cooks for 14 to 20 hours only gets 3 to 4 hrs of smoke. That to me is not a lot of money for the best damn tasting food you ever ate.
W E L C O M E to the Forum dood56!
I have an Original Bradley Smoker. I have not owned a masterbuilt, I cannot speak to that comparison.
For me, the cost of the bisquettes is not really an issue, since in comparing it to the brinkman I had before the "maintenance" was much higher in cost to me.
I think it works out to about $1.00 an hour to run the smoker. I put four hours of smoke on most things.
The smoke that the Bradley produces is cleaner - since the pucks are extinguished before the bitter stuff gets generated.
I am a Satisfied Bradley customer.
but even if you get the Masterbuilt you are still welcome here!
welcome dood, Quarlow is exactually right on the money.
Good Luck in your decision.
Sorry I had to go answer the phone. As for which one to by I am sorry but I can not recomend anything other than the Bradleys as I have never used any others and for me the Bradleys are the best. Which model to buy is not to hard to figure out, but you need to answer some questions. Do you think you will want to smoke salmon and make smoked sausage and stuffed meats like that or are you just going to be smoking simple for yourselves. Will you smoke food for large partys or not. If you are just going for simply smoking for yourselves and no big partys or gatherings then you can probably manage with a 4 rack digital. But if you think you will do smoked salmon, pork butts and briskets that take along time then you might want a 4 rack original and add a PID to it. A PID is a temperature controller that plugs into your Bradley and gives you better temp control and also allows you to program strategic temp changes at critical times so as to produce nice finished food. If you are going to do sausages and salamis and stuff like this then you probably want a 6 rack which only comes in a digital and you may want to add the PID to that cause sausages don't like to much temp swings or you get whats called fatted out and you won't enjoy your product.
Hi dood. Welcome to the forum. I don't think many people here would recommend the Masterbuilt ;D
My cost comes out to about $1.26/hour for the bisquettes plus electricity. The smoke is quality smoke, therefore shorter smoking times.
Quarlow summed it up pretty well as to which unit and such. I have the OBS and it works quite well. Bradley customer service is second to none.
Well, I can definitely say I will be using brisket. When I lived in Texas, my wife and I came to absolutely love brisket. Salmon is another item we enjoy, but we have not tried anything smoked yet. As far as sausage is concerned, we would probablly just be cooking stuff bought from the store. In time, it may be something we would get into, but I assume when you are talking sausage, you are talking the raw stuff like you would make from deer meat. I appreciate the assistance on the cost factor. I was under the impression you were running the smoker for 7 or 8 hours and you could see how that would drive costs up. Any other inputs are greatly appreciated, but thus far the Originial with a PID sounds like my cup of tea. I am familiar with how a PID works since I have something similiar set up on my kegerator. I appreciate the responses!
Aawwww, a kegerator and a Bradley! Now that's livin!
Quote from: classicrockgriller on January 11, 2010, 11:27:36 AM
Aawwww, a kegerator and a Bradley! Now that's livin!
Yeah, you'll fit right in around here!
Go with the Bradley OBS + PID, you won't be disappointed.
The only problem is, I have a leak somewhere and my homebrew is not carbing. I hope to have that fixed this week and would like to enjoy a cold one with some pulled pork this weekend. That is why I am looking for some advice.
Yeah the money you save on buying the OBS(original Bradley Smoker=4 rack analog temp control) is well worth the cost for the PID. It just makes for a well rounded package. With smoked salmon you want to start with a lower temp and then ramp the temps up as things progress and the same with sausage. Briskets and pork butts, you benefitfrom the PID as you can set it up and then don't have to babysit the thing. For me in a perfect world I would have an analog 6 rack with a PID, but the world isn't cause they don't make a 6 rack analog. I would like to have the 6 rack for doing large loads of smoked salmon but at least I can borrow my bro's 6 rack digital. I usually do 30 to 40 lbs of salmon at a time. Well good luck with what you choose and any more questions just fire away.
All I can tell you is that I have not had a bad meal from the Bradley.
I live in Texas and "usually' don't have to fight the cold.
There are several members that have a home for their Bradley in the Garage with vent systems for venting the smoke outdoors.
There are several members that have taken a utility cabinet and insulated it and smoke outdoors in the negative degree temps.
If the OBS is the one you want, Amazon has it for $288 and free shipping to your house.
If you have anymore questions just ask. This forum is got some really talented people that love to help.
I will list a few pluses I have seen or personally experienced and then you can compare with others.
OBS + PID is a great setup, but even the OBS is nice by itself.
I have a PID cause I don't want to fuss with a temp slider trying to get it dialed in to what I need.
This awsome forum, but it is for anyone regardless of your equipment.
The stuff I have seen here on this forum regarding the bradley support is just mind blowing. The service these guys & gals get from bradley with issues they may of had is top notch. I never had any issues with my bradley, so I never got to deal with support, but I feel better knowing they are great.
Clean smoke, and you only smoke for maybe 4 hours top on an item (depending on size, type, etc..).
So cost isn't as high as one would think, it's not like you need a lot of pucks to do a dinner. Twelve pucks will give you 4 hours of smoke (look into bubba pucks as well, more on that can be found on this forum).
I have used my bradley twice since christmas, and using it is simple, clean up is easy, the food that comes out of it is great.
I use mine outside on the front porch which has an overhang and some wind protection. But I have seen some nice setups where people have them in the garage with a vent hood, etc.. If interested look on this forum and you will find a few ideas.
I have never used a masterbuilt smoker so I can't say anything about them.
Never owned a Masterbuilt, but have or do own several smokers - 6 or 7 at last count. No gas ones and no electric ones except the Bradley (the Traeger I don't consider an electric). They all cost to run and they all seem to cost about the same. It'll cost me $15 to $20 in charcoal and store bought wood to do a smoke in one of the bigger stickburners or it will cost me $5 to $8 in a Bradley. Traeger willl be $8 to $15. Of course the stickburners can cook a much greater amount of food for that greater cost in fuel.
The rest of the guys got ya covered.
My apologies, I sometimes forget that others will read this looking for advice on what to buy. For the record I want to say that all of the Bradley smoker's do an excellent job on their own and you do not have to have other peripherals to enjoy great success at smoking food. I personally do not have anything other than an OBS and I turn out great food with it all the time. I will say that I will be adding a PID when funds permit but this is a personal choice and not something that is a must have with in my personal opinion "The Best home smoker ever produced" which stands alone to produce the best quality smoked goodies. The customer service received from Bradley's team is second to none and that is a rare thing to get in this day and age of the disposable world we live in. With Bradley's fine service and quality products you will enjoy many, many years of good results with your Bradley choice. The addition of other components only enhance the outstanding results you will get from your Bradley smoker. This is not meant to be a commercial for Bradley's, but I feel in my enthusiasm I may have cause somewhat of a disservice to them and others by leading them to believe they needed to add costly components in order to make this smoker a viable choice. This is so far from the Truth and let me so bold as to say that you won't find many folks who have knowledge of this product that will say otherwise. My apologies to you and the good folks at "The Bradley company" if I have lead anyone astray.
Welcome to the forum Food56, alot of good info here!
Well, after some thought and y'alls advice, I took the plunge just now. I ordered the OBS from Amazon and got One day shipping so that I can cure it on Thursday. I also took advantage of their 4 for 3 offer on bisquettes and ordered a Mesquite, Hickory, and Special Blend. The other thing I got was the All Weather cover. I just need to do some research and find some recipes. I also placed an order for the Bubba Pucks. The only other things I can think I need is the wireless thermometer and the PID. Both of those are going to have to wait until the wife gets over the initial shock of me spending $360, but I am sure as soon as I get a rack of ribs in her, she won't be worrying about it any longer. Thanks for all the advice, now I will just be buggin y'all for techniques!
Here is a good interim remote thermometer..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ET-71os-Maverick-WIRELESS-Thermometer-Similar-to-ET-72_W0QQitemZ300385286042QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45f05bb79a
(you'll want this sooner than later)
I've ordered from that Ebay store - nothing but positive things to say about them.
Why is a remote thermometer important? Is it because you let the heat escape by opening the door and checking the meat temperature?
Quote from: dood56 on January 12, 2010, 06:59:11 AM
Why is a remote thermometer important? Is it because you let the heat escape by opening the door and checking the meat temperature?
Well, you don't absolutely have to have a remote one. It's just REALLY handy.
Get a decent wired one if you like - for the reason you mentioned above. (peaking lets the heat out)
Hal has a nice Oneida one if I recall. (from Bed Bath & Beyond or a similar kitchen/home store)
[edit](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_CbvAIVzmFFM/Sk97Zj2enfI/AAAAAAAA3yc/hKzQp5NMzHU/s800/Device%20MemoryhomeuserpicturesIMG00308-20090704-1054.jpg)
Quote from: dood56 on January 12, 2010, 06:59:11 AM
Why is a remote thermometer important? Is it because you let the heat escape by opening the door and checking the meat temperature?
The short answer is Yes. Wired or Wireless it doesn't matter, as long as you don't have to open the door.
Welcome Dood. Need recipes you say? Check out the recipe website. www.susanminor.org It has tons of recipes and helpful info about your Bradley and it has pretty much all been submitted by members of this forum.
KyNola
Dood Welcome to the forum and your new smoker. You'll love it.
Hey squirtcat that sure looks like a Cook Shack to me. I have you also sitting next to the Bradley,
Quote from: Roadking on January 12, 2010, 08:04:23 AM
Hey squirtcat that sure looks like a Cook Shack to me. I have you also sitting next to the Bradley,
That is Hal's Smokin' Tex. He's had it for a few years now.. It is very well 'seasoned'.
Alright, the Bradley is here and put together. My Bisquettes arrive today so I can season it and my Maverick will be here tomorrow. Now, the wife has mandated that I cook her ribs and I read the how to on the recipe forum. The question I have, what rub does everyone like? She is not a fan of heat, so if there are suggestions, please let me know. Additionally, any recommendations on some other meats that are good to start learning on this thing, I am all ears. I hope to be running my OBS all weekend. That means plenty of beer and meat for me!
Dood,
I'm partial to Jan's Dry Rub. ;) My wife Jan and I concocted it. It's on the recipe site. Also on the recipe site are several recipes for bacon wrapped chicken breasts. Vey simple and very delicious. One piece of advice when doing poultry, vent open 100%. Poultry contains lots of moisture and you want that to escape pronto. Another good one for your first weekend is a pork butt for pulled butt. Very long smoke/cook time but pretty much foolproof. Butts are very forgiving.
Have fun and let us know what's going on. Don't be afraid to ask any question you may have.
KyNola
I too am enjoying Jan's rub. But I had to leave out the cayenne as I can't take the heat. I love spicy but my colitis doesn't.
By all means, leave it out if it is going to cause you distress. Dood, you could leave it out or cut back on the cayenne as you said your wife doesn't like heat. I will say that Jan's Rub has very little heat to it, you just sort of know it's there but in Quarlow's case he should definitely leave all of the cayenne out as colitis is nothing to fool around with.
KyNola
I am also going to try some with extra sugar to get a sweet rub. I want to try it on salmon. But I still like the basic. Thank's Jan.
Nothing to take away fron Jan's Rub cause it s a Very Nice (In Fact it's GREAT) rub, but if you have a seasoning or rub already at home that you like
on ribs use it first. That just gives you one less thing to worry about on your first smoke.
Use that brain power to decide other things, How much beer to get, what game to watch, when to take a nap, and plans for you next smoke.
But Jan's Rub needs to be on your list to make soon!
CRG,
Your advice is very solid. I agree with you 100%. Dood, as CRG is saying, if you have a rub that you are already familiar with and like it, you should use that on your first try at ribs. That way you know what to expect and don't have to worry if momma is going to be unhappy.
You can try Jan's later.
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on January 14, 2010, 01:07:48 PM
CRG,
Your advice is very solid. I agree with you 100%. Dood, as CRG is saying, if you have a rub that you are already familiar with and like it, you should use that on your first try at ribs. That way you know what to expect and don't have to worry if momma is going to be unhappy.
You can try Jan's later.
KyNola
And when you try it you will be using it on a regular basis.
I have made it up 3 times in a 5 months and it makes a lot.
It is a staple at our Deer Camp, on the Front Row of all the spices.
I made up a batch and bottled it in smaller bottles and gave that and
smoked cheese to some friends at Christmas and EVERYONE loves the rub!
Ky Nola & Jan did a great job and made a great rub.
I have a weekend of smoked meat planned. Tomorrow we are going with baby rack ribs using the competition rib recipe. Then on Sunday we are using Mr. Brown's pulled pork recipe on a pork butt. Finally, we will be having some bacon wrapped chicken on Monday. Got the fridage stocked with beer and some homemade wine. Should go well with some football. Anyhow, how do I post pics so I can show you guys the final product. I appreciate all the help. Got the smoker seasoned and got my Maverick Thermometer tonight so I should be all set. Will be posting updates.
Try this link to get your pictures going.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11
I agree with the rub, when I did my first smoke I just went to the store and bought the same rub I always used before.
McCormick Grill Mates pork rub:
http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Dry-Rubs/Grill-Mates-Pork-Rub.aspx
Next time I think I will make Jan's rub and try it out.
I actually have some of that, but went with the recipes I already listed. Got about 5 more degrees before my bacon wrapped chicken is done. Licking my chops already.
Well, a lack of reading the complete directions prompted me to cook the bacon wrapped chicken last night. I used Special Blend and smoked it for 2 hours at 200 F. I thought it was delicious, but my wife felt like the smoke taste was over powering. Definitely juicy and tender. Will be doing the pork butt tonight. Pics are included!
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/SmokedChicken.jpg)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/SmokedChicken2.jpg)
Well, I am not "everyone" but here is our all-time favorite rub for ribs and butts. It is take-off from Wild Willy's Rub from
Smoke and Spice by Jamison.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/2 cup coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup paprika
1 tbsp garlic granules
1 tbsp onion granules
1 tbsp chili powder
Now, I am a bit of a heretic. I use the smokers (a Bradley OBS, a SMI 20 lb smoker and a Little Chief) for smoking a variety of sausage (such as Polish, pepperoni, and beef stick), salmon, mussels, clams, cheese and so forth. This is all characterized by a temperature range ramping from 120 degrees to 165 degrees F. I see you ordered an Auber controller, which is a great investment. I have a much less expensive Ranco controller ($75 from Grainger), it works very well but is not a PID, and I have to go manually set each temperature for ramping, it is not too difficult.
I use a Brinkman Electric Water Smoker (about $70) for ribs, butts and chicken. I installed a thermometer in the dome on mine, and usually wrap the smoker in an old rug for insulation. The temperature range on the Brinkman is 250 to 300 degrees F., no controller used. Look at it as a substitute for a wood-fired pit BBQ, which I would use if I could stand around tending a fire all day. It uses wood chunks placed directly on the electric element, and recently I have been using some hardwood pucks (more solid than the Bradley pucks, I forget the brand). At these temperatures, ribs take 4-5 hours and a butt invariably takes 10 hours. The rub forms the best "Mr. Brown" (they tend to call it "bark" here on the butts as the sugar carmelizes and mixes with the meat juices. The butts are always tender and juicy for pulled pork served on squishy buns with Mephis Magic Sauce and coleslaw on the side. The ribs get a crunchy outside and are tender and juicy on the inside.
To me, it's using the right tool for a particular job. To me, using the Bradley to cook a butt seems like cutting a 2x4 with a hacksaw. But then, like I say, I am a bit of a heretic on this score here.
Quote from: dood56 on January 14, 2010, 07:48:30 AM
The question I have, what rub does everyone like?
using the Bradley to cook a butt seems like cutting a 2x4 with a hacksaw
So according to your analogy it takes longer and is harder work to cook a butt in the bradley? Providing a hacksaw means a fine-tooth saw with a blade under tension in a frame, used for cutting materials such as metal or bone?
I am not getting the same experience when I do butts in the bradley. I just did a butt couple weeks back and it took about the same amount of time (10 to 12 hours) at around 220 cooking temp, pretty much cooked itself while I slept.
It fell apart, bone fell out, all was very moist and tasty :)
So overall I think cooking a butt in a bradley is a perfect fit or like cutting a 2x4 with a power saw, just my 2 cents. Then again I never tried one of those water smokers by brinkman.
@dood, I never tried the bacon wrap chicken, it is however on my list. I hear from others that bacon really absorbs the smoke, maybe others can confirm this. Maybe that is why your wife thought it was "strong".
Bacon does absorb smoke well. It is the oils that is why if you rub your chicken with oil before smoking you will get good smoke flavour.
Anderson,
When you're doing butts in your Brinkman what temp are you running to get those butts done in 10 hours? The reason I ask is I have both a Bradley Digital and a MAK smoker/grill and I find the time it takes me to smoke/cook butts is essentially the same in both. I've never finished a butt in 10 hours. It was also the same in my Traeger.
I would hate to think that I bought not one but 3 hacksaws to cut a 2X4.
KyNola
I see that "hacksaw to cut a 2x4" line is getting a bit of traction!
I actually have two Brinkman Electric Water Smokers, one in Fall City (green) and one in Birch Bay (red). I don't know if the color difference means they are a different model or what, they were each around $69, but that was a long time ago.
The Birch Bay one gets more use (weekend place) and so is the one I stuck the Brinkman BBQ thermometer in the dome. I heard somewhere that Lowe's sells a BBQ thermometer with a big dial, short probe and a nut to install it for under $10 - I think the Brinkman thermometer was $29, so I am going to check out Lowe's for sure! I just replaced the electric element this weekend at Birch Bay. This is what the one at Birch Bay looks like, except mine has a thermometer in the dome and is quite a bit, well, well-used looking:
(http://www.bbq-fyi.com/image-files/brinkmanngourmet.jpg)
According to the thermometer, when I wrap it in an old rug, it is 300 degrees F. or so. Yesterday, with the new element, it was reading 350 degrees F, and I sadly overshot my mark on some country ribs. ???
Quote from: KyNola on January 17, 2010, 05:52:12 PM
Anderson,
When you're doing butts in your Brinkman what temp are you running to get those butts done in 10 hours? The reason I ask is I have both a Bradley Digital and a MAK smoker/grill and I find the time it takes me to smoke/cook butts is essentially the same in both. I've never finished a butt in 10 hours. It was also the same in my Traeger.
I would hate to think that I bought not one but 3 hacksaws to cut a 2X4.
KyNola
Last night we ate the butt....haha. Anyhow, not sure I made it right. I followed this recipe:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=86
However, it was not like pulled pork I have had back home in Cincinnati. My wife really enjoyed it so that was good. However, I guess I am confused because everyone talks about cooking it for 10 hours, but that recipe had me smoke it for 4. I actually smoked it for 5 since I did not reach 175 F until then. I then placed it in my microwave for 30 minutes since the recipe said to let it rest for 30 minutes. Did I miss something or is this correct. Sorry about not having pictures, but we were so anxious to eat, I forgot. I will have pics of the ribs tonight. Thanks for all the help!
Quote from: dood56 on January 18, 2010, 09:49:31 AM
Last night we ate the butt....haha. Anyhow, not sure I made it right. I followed this recipe:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=86
However, it was not like pulled pork I have had back home in Cincinnati. My wife really enjoyed it so that was good. However, I guess I am confused because everyone talks about cooking it for 10 hours, but that recipe had me smoke it for 4. I actually smoked it for 5 since I did not reach 175 F until then. I then placed it in my microwave for 30 minutes since the recipe said to let it rest for 30 minutes. Did I miss something or is this correct. Sorry about not having pictures, but we were so anxious to eat, I forgot. I will have pics of the ribs tonight. Thanks for all the help!
Personally, I take butts to 190-200F. Four hours of smoke, and about another 12-18 hours of cook.
What was it that you didn't like?
We liked it. Had great flavor. I just wanted to be sure I cooked it right. Seemed a little undercooked. Next time, I will be sure to cook it longer. Just seemed like a short time to cook after reading several posts here on the forum.
At 175F it is definitely cooked to doneness, even if you hit a fat pocket (which will be ~10F higher).
Tenderness on the other hand... is somewhat subjective.
Ask and you will get several target IT's for a pork butt, all of them right.
I never stop experimenting... I've pulled them as low as 180F and as high as 210F.
And the "pigs fault" variable is there too. I've taken them to 200F and had one butt that had tough spots, especially in the "white meat" section, while the other one from the same package was perfect.
The pork shoulder (butt) can be but is not necessarily the most tender cut of meats. It will have to go through the low-n-slow magic. That collagen still has to break down/melt and the fat has to (at least partially) melt out to produce that succulent, tender goodness you are aiming for. Low-n-slow is cooking at a temp of somewhere between say 200 and 250. Some stay on the high end and some stay on the low end although I don't want to wait that extra time. I usually shoot at 225. Particularly on the butt, keeping an exact temperature is not all that important - you can have a big swing (say 20 - 30 deg) without detrimental effects - as long as you are generally in the 200 to 250 range. If you can stay in the 225 range, a butt will generally take 1 1/2 hour per pound- plus/minus. In the Bradley, it quite often takes longer as the the average temp can often be less for a variety of reasons - no preheat, putting cold meat in, peeking, cutting the smoke generator off when the smoke part of the cook is complete, ambient temperature, weather..... Without looking at the recipe, the 4 hours was just for the actually smoking time. It still needed to be cooked (without smoke in this case) until the desired IT was reached. Most on this forum, will only smoke for a portion of the cook, say 2 hours to 6 hours on a butt. I prefer a heavy smoke on a but for various reasons, so I generally go even longer. Sometime during the cook you will hit the plateau. I generally hit it anywhere between 145 to 165 IT. The plateau is a good thing! It's your friend and you should hope it stays around as long as it can. While it is with you, great things are happening to your meat. When you first put meat in your smoker, it gradually, but steadily increases in temperature. But something else happens at about 140 deg. At that point the collagen (the tough stuff) starts to breakdown and the fat starts to melt (render). That is a good thing - a really good thing! But it doesn't magically do that good stuff instantly when the IT reaches 140 - it takes a while and depends on amount of collage, amount of fat, and how much moisture is within the meat. Ideally, for pull apart meat, you want most of the collagen broken down. So the longer the plateau, the more collagen is broken down, the tenderer your meat. But you don't want all of the fat to melt until you reached your planned "done" temperature - keeps the meat moist. Why the plateau? The plateauing is caused by a phase change; the collagen and fat in the meat are changing phase from a solid to a liquid. You must supply heat to accomplish this phase change. While the fat and collagen are absorbing the energy (heat) from the smoker to melt, none is available to raise the temperature of the meat. It is similar to ice melting. When ice and water are in a glass, the water will remain at 32F (0C) until all the ice is melted, then the temperature will increase. The heat goes into melting the ice, not raising the temperature of the water. You can decrease the amount of time of the plateau by increasing the CT, but you run the risk of adding enough heat that the fat and collagen cannot use any more and it throws off the extra to the meat. The meat then gets done (gets to your target temperature) before all the collagen is changed and you have tough meat.
FLBR,
If I'm reading Dood correctly, it was in the Bradley for only about 5 hours. Dood, am I right on this? Assuming I'm right, the 4 hours was just the smoking process time. After that, it still needed several hours to go to get to at least 175 IT minimum. What temp were you smoking/cooking at?
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on January 18, 2010, 12:07:03 PM
FLBR,
If I'm reading Dood correctly, it was in the Bradley for only about 5 hours. Dood, am I right on this? Assuming I'm right, the 4 hours was just the smoking process time. After that, it still needed several hours to go to get to at least 175 IT minimum. What temp were you smoking/cooking at?
KyNola
That is correct. I had it in the OBS for 5 hours. IT was 175 when I pulled it out. I kept it between 200-210F for smoking.
Only 5 hours? That must of been a very small butt (4lb or under?)
The first butt I did was around 8lb or so and it took about 11 to 12 hours or so. The second one I did was like a 10lb and it took about 24 hours cause I also did a 9lb brisket with it at the same time.
I did what most recommends here, 4 hours of smoke, the rest was cooking, at 220F temp, until around 180F IT.
It was an 8 lb butt. I went off of what the Maverick told me.
Dood,
Don't get me wrong buddy. It's not that I don't believe you. I believe you. I'm just amazed that you got an 8 pound butt to 175 pounds in 5 hours at 200-210 degrees. I've never come close to that. At the least, a single 8 pound butt would take me at least 12 hours.
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on January 18, 2010, 02:35:00 PM
Dood,
Don't get me wrong buddy. It's not that I don't believe you. I believe you. I'm just amazed that you got an 8 pound butt to 175 pounds in 5 hours at 200-210 degrees. I've never come close to that. At the least, a single 8 pound butt would take me at least 12 hours.
KyNola
That is the cause for my concern. I am wondering what I did wrong. Could I have had the Maverick misplaced?
Dood, How far in did you push the probe? You should try to get the tip near the center, but not touching the bone.
My butt had no bone. I bought a pork butt and it had no bone. Now the pork shoulder that was available had a bone, but everyone said to get a butt and that was what I bought. Did I get the wrong cut?
Did my ribs tonight and momma loved them. She said I need to cut back off the cayenne a bit, but great flavor. Smoked them for 3 hours and then went to FTC for 2 hours. Didn't fall off the bone, but plenty tender. Thanks to all for the help!
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/ribs.jpg)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/ribs2.jpg)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/ribs3.jpg)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/dood56/ribs4.jpg)
Now we just have to figure out what we want to smoke when I return from a business trip. We are thinking a brisket will be up next.
drooling drooling drooling. man that looks scrumptious.
Trump me if I am wrong, but a pork shoulder and a Boston butt are the same thing. You can buy it bone-in or boneless. Cut and paste from Cook's Thesaurus:
Pork Shoulder Cuts
(http://www.switcheroo.com/Photos/porkshoulderroast.jpg)
pork shoulder = pork shoulder butt = pork blade shoulder Meat from this section is relatively fatty, which makes for juicy, tender, and flavorful roasts as well as clogged arteries.
Cuts:
pork blade steak = = blade pork steak = pork 7-rib cut = pork steak Notes: These are cut from the Boston butt, and they're a cheap and flavorful alternative to pork chops. They're a bit too tough to fry, but they're wonderful if slowly braised. Substitutes: pork arm steak OR pork loin chop
Boston butt = Boston roast = pork butt roast = pork shoulder Boston butt = Boston-style shoulder = Boston shoulder = Boston-style butt = fresh pork butt Notes: This economical, rectangular roast is the cut of choice for pulled pork barbecue, since it's marbled with enough fat to keep the meat moist while cooking. You can buy it bone-in or boneless. Substitutes: pork picnic roast (also works for pulled pork) OR pork center cut loin roast (This is lower in fat, so roast it at a lower temperature and avoid overcooking it.)
Quote from: dood56 on January 18, 2010, 04:44:55 PM
My butt had no bone. I bought a pork butt and it had no bone. Now the pork shoulder that was available had a bone, but everyone said to get a butt and that was what I bought. Did I get the wrong cut?
IMHO - I think he hit a fat pocket for that temp reading. That would explain the time and temps.
I always stick multiple places - usually about 3 sticks and one of them will be 10-12F higher than the rest. I always go with the low readings.
Dood,
Those ribs look great. Reading your rib post I have to ask the same question again. Did you have those ribs in your Bradley for a total of 3 hours and then FTC? If so, your Maverick has to be way off on your temp readings. Ribs being done in 3 hours and a butt at 175 IT after 5 hours tells me the temp in the tower is much higher than what your Maverick is telling you.
Please don't think I'm being critical. I promise I'm not. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. The good part is momma loved the food. That's all that matters! ;)
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on January 18, 2010, 06:29:35 PM
Dood,
Those ribs look great. Reading your rib post I have to ask the same question again. Did you have those ribs in your Bradley for a total of 3 hours and then FTC? If so, your Maverick has to be way off on your temp readings. Ribs being done in 3 hours and a butt at 175 IT after 5 hours tells me the temp in the tower is much higher than what your Maverick is telling you.
I did not use the Maverick on the ribs. I used it to tell me the OBS temp and I placed the ribs on the second from the bottom rack. I pulled them after 3 hours because a toothpick went in easily. I had the OBS at 225 F for the smoke.
Quote from: anderson5420 on January 18, 2010, 05:09:29 PM
Trump me if I am wrong, but a pork shoulder and a Boston butt are the same thing. You can buy it bone-in or boneless. Cut and paste from Cook's Thesaurus:
True, but the butt is from the upper parts of the shoulder - in the shoulder blade area. While (at least here in the South, the shoulder (also called the "picnic") is from lower and includes some of the front leg bone.
PS - Dood, them ribs look great. If your momma didn't like them, my momma would!
Quote from: dood56 on January 19, 2010, 04:37:21 AM
Quote from: KyNola on January 18, 2010, 06:29:35 PM
Dood,
Those ribs look great. Reading your rib post I have to ask the same question again. Did you have those ribs in your Bradley for a total of 3 hours and then FTC? If so, your Maverick has to be way off on your temp readings. Ribs being done in 3 hours and a butt at 175 IT after 5 hours tells me the temp in the tower is much higher than what your Maverick is telling you.
I did not use the Maverick on the ribs. I used it to tell me the OBS temp and I placed the ribs on the second from the bottom rack. I pulled them after 3 hours because a toothpick went in easily. I had the OBS at 225 F for the smoke.
Dood, I agree with the others that the total time for the ribs is fast. If I understand correctly, you smoked the ribs on the second rack and my question is, where was the sensor for the Maverick located? If it was above the ribs they would be getting cooked at a higher temperature than the Maverick was showing. Just a thought.
Quote from: HawkeyeSmokes on January 19, 2010, 06:40:49 AM
Dood, I agree with the others that the total time for the ribs is fast. If I understand correctly, you smoked the ribs on the second rack and my question is, where was the sensor for the Maverick located? If it was above the ribs they would be getting cooked at a higher temperature than the Maverick was showing. Just a thought.
I had the Maverick sensor hanging just below the ribs. I just let it dangle underneath the rack the ribs were on.
Quote from: dood56 on January 19, 2010, 08:14:47 AM
Quote from: HawkeyeSmokes on January 19, 2010, 06:40:49 AM
Dood, I agree with the others that the total time for the ribs is fast. If I understand correctly, you smoked the ribs on the second rack and my question is, where was the sensor for the Maverick located? If it was above the ribs they would be getting cooked at a higher temperature than the Maverick was showing. Just a thought.
I had the Maverick sensor hanging just below the ribs. I just let it dangle underneath the rack the ribs were on.
Dood, don't have many more ideas. The only other thing I can think of is to check your Maverick. Place the tip of the sensor in boiling water to check the accuracy of it. Make sure to keep the wire away from the water, that can destroy it.
Alright, so I am back from my business trip and I have me a brisket in the smoker. I was looking at the WTSBrisket recipe, but I am confused on one part. I know to smoke it for four hours and then stick it in the oven to boat it. However, how long should I go with the boating process? I saw times for smoking and FTC, but nothing with the boating. Any help will be appreciated!
Quote from: dood56 on February 13, 2010, 06:03:45 AM
Alright, so I am back from my business trip and I have me a brisket in the smoker. I was looking at the WTSBrisket recipe, but I am confused on one part. I know to smoke it for four hours and then stick it in the oven to boat it. However, how long should I go with the boating process? I saw times for smoking and FTC, but nothing with the boating. Any help will be appreciated!
That would be because you want to go by temp not time. I believe it should be in th eneighborhood of 10-12 hours with this method.
That is what I thought too 10.5, but according to the recipe, he says he does not go for a temp. It is like he uses PFM (Pure F'in Magic) to make his brisket.