I think I will be able to make it to town tomorrow and be able to pick up my Bradley Smoker. It is a 70 mile trip to a Bradley dealer. Can't wait to try it out. I have been reading the forum here and have learned a lot of good information. Still need to figure out what I am going to cook for my first time. I don't need to have to travel another 70 miles to get something that I forgot. Checked on the weather and it is going to be 80 with up to 30 mph winds. That is a normal wind for this area, but the temp is kind of high for this time of year. I will let you guys know how it turns out.
Hi Sagemt and welcome to the forum!
Lots of guys try chicken the first go around. When I first started I did ribs right of the bat followed by a butt. I thought... what the he11, might as well jump in with both feet! It just depends on your experience but you can't go wrong with a butt or the chicken wraps are great as well. If you haven't checked out Old's recipe site you should. Just click on the picture of the smoker at the bottom of my post. Lots of great tried and true recipes there.
Good luck and keep us posted
Mike
Welcome aboard Sagemt , Season your BS , throw in some meat , Have plenty of adult beverages on
hand and let the smoke roll. Learning is a lot of fun...and it never ends. The folks on the forum are
out of this world..........and they can help you with your smoking too. :) Look foward to watching you progress through your post.
Let the smoke roll 8)
Coyote
Welcome. Ribs aren't too tough either and there's plenty of pointers on the site. Plus, pork isn't as prone to smoke absorbtion as fowl. If you dose a bird with too much, it can taste like a combination between an ashtray and 7-11 beef jerky.
Good luck and welcome!
If you want something sooner than latter chicken is faster. If you just want to dive right in without to much preparation, put some chicken thigh in the smoker and bring them up to an internal temperature of 162°F-165°F. Only apply 2 hours of smoke. I generally use maple, or apple, or a combination of both.
Be sure to pick up a meat probe so that you can monitor the internal temperature of the meat. If that store carries a Maverick ET-73, it would be a good idea to pick one up. If 30 mph winds are the norm, you should put some thought in where you place your BS. Protect it from the wind as much as possible. With those types of winds, you'll have a hard time maintaining your set temperature.
This was my first venture. It is quick and everything is spelled out and so simple to do. The end product is also fantastic and it is still among my favorites.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43
I am going to try the chicken. Got my shopping list and heading out the door. I think I might also throw a roast in with the chicken. Have the chicken for lunch and the roast for dinner. Hope it all works out. I think I will use hickory or mesquite for both, what do you guys think?
I would suggest not doing both at the same time. Chicken puts out a lot of moisture and that may not be a good combination with the roast. I have not done both but there may be some others here that have and may have a better (more experienced) suggestion than I.
Welcome and post experiences. ;D Much fun ahead ;)
QuoteI would suggest not doing both at the same time. Chicken puts out a lot of moisture and that may not be a good combination with the roast.
Welcome to the forum sagemt. I agree with Gizmo and would go for either chicken or roast, not both IMHO. Personally I did ribs and brisket for my first smokes.
Any which way....... enjoy! ;)
Welcome to the forum! Habs is on point, a Maverick is a very good accessory for the BS.
I have done chicken with skin, and pork loins at the same time. You didn't say how much chicken you were doing or what type of roast and how large. It should be alright, just make sure you check the internal temperatures of both. The only issue is that it will take a lot longer to get up to your smoking temperature. I always place the chicken above the pork. I have a lot of friends that restrict pork from their diet, so I do that as a precaution. If you are doing skinless chicken breast, moisture is not a huge concern. It's chicken with skin that creates the moisture problem.
Got the smoker home. Set it up and just started to season it. Smells great already. The only bad thing is I am going to have to wait until tomorrow to cook something. My other half has lined up a babysitter for the night and wants to go out. That only happens about once a year so I guess I have to take her out. I think I will just go with the chicken tomorrow. It is chicken breasts with no skin. The wind is blowing but I have the smoker on the south side of the house, out of the wind. I could not find the Maverick in town. I think I might have to order one of the internet. I will post my results and thanks for the tips.
Sagemt,
Wow, your wife must be very caring to hire a babysitter for your bradley on its first day home, not wanting to leave it there all alone. It must have been really hard for you to leave the house for the first time as it is always hard leaving the first time. We are with you in strenght. Good luck and let us know how your new arrival works out. ;D ;D
:) :D :D Now i understand ;D
The new arrival is doing good. Putting a lot of smoke out and needing a lot of attention, rest and fluids, for me that is.
;)
Welcome sagemt
Lots of good people here with great advice. Post your pics of your smoke if ya can ;D
nepas
Oh boy. Let us know how them chickens turned out. Very caring of you to liquidate your focus and attention. Make sure and let your better half know that liquidation and time is key to makeing this product develop and make magic at the dinner table. Once that roast is done and sliced up on a plate or open face with some Au Jus on a bagette or French Loaf she will understand that magic is still possible. :o
The chicken turned out great. I used the bacon wrapped recipe from here. I also put a kielbasa on and it was fantastic. I tried a brisket this week and it was good, but on the tuff side. I think I will follow a recipe from in here. I can see that I need the Maverick. Had trouble with the internal temp but I had already read about that in here. Have to figure out what I am going to try next week :-\