I really appreciated the tutorial.
I have a couple questions. Well, actually 4.
1. Do I need a 2 prong thermometer, one for the meat and one for the tower?
2. If the answer to the above question is 2 prongs, I assume I put the meat prong in the thickest part of the meat, just as in my oven. Where should I put the meat prong in ribs.
3. Where do I put the tower prong. Some one suggested tucked under a cut of meat. Is that good? Should the tower prong be closer to the top, center, or bottom of the tower?
4. How do I route the leads into the tower? Should I drop them down through the top vent, or is there a better route?
As I have never smoked anything, I need to know some of the basics.
Thanks in advance,
Roget
Roget, Yes it is best to be able to read meat and cabinet temps. I have a probe that reads meat and cabinet with one probe. Paulder is the brand, from Cabela's. More experts will be along, but no need to read meat temp for ribs. There is the 3-2-1 method for ribs that someone shortly will give you a link to.
Ribs no matter how you do then are usually judged by site and not by IT.
The pull back on the bone, the bend of the ribs tells you when it is done.
You should monitor your cabinet IT.
The cabinet probe should be under the lowest rack of ribs you are doing. (not touching the meat)
You will have to rotate the racks after a cple hrs.
Top to bottom, front to back.
I route my temp probes thru the door so I can angle the moisture away from the probe.
Once again, what ever I have missed, someone will be by soon!
You have the link to 3-2-1 and that is a great start!
Link for Ribs
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=10182.0
I like to do as I saw someone on here do. I put 2 paperclips hanging from the bottom of the lowest rack of meat and then slide the probe into it. Gives a good representation of what your meat is recieving for heat.
Good idea Quarlow, have not seen that before.
Welcome Roget. A real newbie - no matter - you will be up and running with the big dogs in no time. Remember low-n-slow = patience! Also keep the water pan filled and the vent open.
The 3-2-1 is for spareribs - the 2-1-1 method is for babybacks. or do like I did on Sunday 4 hours of hickory on 230 no foil, no juice, no sauce and done. Not fall off the bone, but I do not want fall off the bone.
You know I am going to try that. Yesterday I 3-2-1'd 4 racks and they seemed more tender at 3 when I went to put them in foil. When I picked them up they were starting to falling apart. I think next time I will go 4 or so hrs, no foil and see if there different.
Q, I've pretty much stopped foiling ribs and find I'm having pretty good luck with it.
Well thats good enough endorsment for me to try it next time.
I rather like being able to see if the meat is beginning to pull back from the bone and I have learned to slide my tongs over and under the rack of ribs starting at one end of the rack and go not quite half the length of the rack and lift it up and watch for the amount of bend in that rack I'm looking for. If they're bending pretty good and I'm seeing bare naked bone end, I'm taking those boys off 'cause they're ready for me.
Besides, I like playing with my food. ;)
:D :D :D I hear ya.
You know KY, we need to have a contest to see who can put a name to that move! I'm sure that some of the....uhhhh.......uhhhhh...........insan.......fertil........errr..........creative.......yeh,.......creative minds around here can come up with something.
Caney, nope...not me......not EVEN going there. I'm fairly confident that STC, Hal, CRG and 10.5 could give a name to that method. I'll yield to their wisdom. :)
I'll give it a shot... (like we NEED more acronyms around here...)
THC! (no - not THAT THC)...
(That Hottie's a Contortionist!)
;)
Ok, I confess, I'm a Bewb! I had to google THC. I knew it did not mean Tennessee Historical Commission.
Retired chemist - had to solve a synthesis problem of THC as a organic chem problem decades ago. :o
Better living through chemistry! 8)
I've worked with THC in my younger Chemist days. ;D
Quote from: classicrockgriller on June 04, 2010, 04:12:37 PM
I've worked with THC in my younger Chemist days. ;D
Gee CRG, and all this time I thought you were on the agricultural side and preferred growing the all natural products. ;)
I was NEVER young.
I have no idea what y'all are talking about.
That's my story.
Awrighten.
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on June 04, 2010, 04:51:44 PM
Quote from: classicrockgriller on June 04, 2010, 04:12:37 PM
I've worked with THC in my younger Chemist days. ;D
Gee CRG, and all this time I thought you were on the agricultural side and preferred growing the all natural products. ;)
Well strangely enough in India this stuff grows naturally along the side of most of the roads and fields there. I knew there was a reason I always wanted to go there. ::) ::) :P
Roget, another quick note, I started out running my temp probes out through the top vent and have since changed. Since you want the probe below the meat, that means the cord will have to run up past all of the racks of meat. I fould this a hassle when it comes to rotating racks. I now just run it straight out the door with no problems.
Quote from: Quarlow on June 04, 2010, 11:22:07 PM
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on June 04, 2010, 04:51:44 PM
Quote from: classicrockgriller on June 04, 2010, 04:12:37 PM
I've worked with THC in my younger Chemist days. ;D
Gee CRG, and all this time I thought you were on the agricultural side and preferred growing the all natural products. ;)
Well strangely enough in India this stuff grows naturally along the side of most of the roads and fields there. I knew there was a reason I always wanted to go there. ::) ::) :P
In TN, you have too types growing. One naturally, and one not so naturally. One type is leftover vestiges of a fiber industry that once thrived in TN. Hemp fiber mainly for ropes and lines on sailing ships. It's said many a youngster has been disappointed after lighting up.
The other, causes me not to get out in the wild in some parts of TN. The Highway Patrol likes to fly their helicopters around looking for that type! Since tobacco isn't the money crop it used to be - had to make up for it somehow. Well that and 'shine!
Can I get a Dukes of Hazzards "YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW". 8) 8) 8)
Quote from: Quarlow on June 04, 2010, 11:22:07 PM
Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on June 04, 2010, 04:51:44 PM
Quote from: classicrockgriller on June 04, 2010, 04:12:37 PM
I've worked with THC in my younger Chemist days. ;D
Gee CRG, and all this time I thought you were on the agricultural side and preferred growing the all natural products. ;)
Well strangely enough in India this stuff grows naturally along the side of most of the roads and fields there. I knew there was a reason I always wanted to go there. ::) ::) :P
That would explain some tech support calls I've been on.
Or just let the little boys in the Red Light district in Amstedam sell ya a little!
Quote from: Caneyscud on June 07, 2010, 06:28:12 PM
Or just let the little boys in the Red Light district in Amstedam sell ya a little!
Just go to any Coffeshop in Amsterdam, walk up to the bar and ask to see the menu.
I was more stupefied and disquieted by the lines of people lined up to get into some of the "establishments" in the area - geesh! Besides I would have been more concerned with finding a coffee shop rather than the coffehouses! Shame that a city with such a history is more known for that crap than the history. I wonder how few know that Anne Frank lived there? I have a cousin living there that is a chef and his wife is a private chef, and says he wants to move - it has gotten bad. With freedom comes responsibility, and he says lots of people can't seem to grasp that! For the last couple of years, the gov't has announced it will be closing down many of the coffeehouses due to a myriad of problems.
Wife is Dutch and all of her family is still there. We go and forth a lot. In The Netherlands if you want coffee you look for a Koffie shop. If you want recreational chemistry products you look for a Coffeeshop (one word).
The major issue in The Netherlands is their longstanding open door policy to immigrants (they have always welcomed all the downtrodden) and their reliance on social conformity. Those two don't always go together as intended. Over the past couple of years they have been seeing serious problems with violent crime, which was nearly absent in their past.