Well, I do, but I'm curious as to why exactly it is necessary to refresh this bowl? Simply to maintain the humidity in the box?
Also, has anybody used an additional water pan, say with a simple mixture ( w. beer, onion, garlic, bay leaf, juniper berries, cloves, e.g.) in the BS on the bottom-most shelf while smoking? Do you think, honestly, it made a difference? Or is brining the only way to guarantee added juiciness?
Finally, if I use a separate water pan, will it still be necessary to change the bowl?
This question is a good one to bring out the opinions. First you want a water bowl to catch and extinguish the pucks. Second, moist heat is required to cook food. Third the bowl of water if hot when initially started helps bring up the temp in tower -just some mass already warm.
So the story goes...
Other than the first point I dont buy any of it and I would not buy the first one if I thought someday a fire would not start. The third is true more because we have only got the heat from a half dozen light bulbs to cook with.
The spices would probably look pretty but with the smokes I have done the water does not boil away and dont to how it would effect the food.
Similar question to another thread going around about the water smokers. Without the heat source under the water and above 212 deg (boiling point), I don't think you would generate much moisture and most here have stated to leave the vents open (especially on poultry) to keep moisutre out so there is a little opposing theory here. Water definatly will put out the pucks and keep the fat drippings collected in an environment to keep it from starting a fire. I believe the 2 most important aspects of the water bowl in addition to being a bit of an equalizer for the heating element temp swings.
I agree...I don't see how an additional water pan could make a difference, especially at such a low temperature. I just wanted to see if anybody had had any experience with this, as I'd read about it in several different places, some of which I feel are trusty resources.
If I wanted any of those spices to flavor my product, I'd either include them in the brine, the rub, or the mop (if using). Some of those spices are, in fact, in my rub.
Interesting point about the water bath acting as a hydro-aero-thermo-liason.
Do I win in Scrabble with that?
You win!
Leaving the puck burner ON after the smoke also seems to help with temp swings (though some here object to the extra wear and tear due to the 3X/hr cycles of the puck advance).
do you get points when you run off the board or is that an automatic win?
QuoteWell, I do, but I'm curious as to why exactly it is necessary to refresh this bowl?
QuoteWater definatly will put out the pucks and keep the fat drippings collected in an environment to keep it from starting a fire.
I think the recommended refresh is purely the time deamed by Bradley that during a typical smoke the number of pucks collected in the bowl plus the collection of fat from the V tray has reached safe operating limits, probably allowing for a reasonable safety margin.
That's good enough for me, all the others comments make for interesting discussion but a couple of folks have posted here on the forum about having their BS ignite and it clearly ain't funny! And it has always been down to not following instructions properly (eg V pan upside down), not the fault of the smoker itself.
Ceeuawlsune,
I was getting worried that one of the tornadoes that touched down last Friday may have hit you. I know one or two dropped down west of Kingston and traveled through Kingston into Lake Katrine.
Here's my opinion on the topic. As I have stated in previous post, I don't believe in the moist heat theory; which is moist heat will produce meat that is more moist. The extra moisture in the BS will bring the cabinet temperature down. It takes a lot of energy to evaporate water, and that energy is taken from the hot air in the cabinet. Water evaporates at temperatures way below 212°F (sea level). It will evaporate when it is below freezing. The rate of evaporation does increase as the air temperature rises.
I agree with Manxman's post on the use of the water bowl, and why refreshing the water bowl is a good practice.
The idea of leaving the smoke element on seems interesting to me.
I'm not particularly worried about extra wear & tear on the wood puck advancing mechanism as I am about running that heating element "dry."
Do you clean the element off after the smoke-phase is over with while still hot, or do you just let the dirty girl do her thing?
I clean the smoke generator when it has cooled down, using either a dry clean paint brush or canned air to get rid of bits of wood lodged around the puck delivery area and I also use a paint scrapper every few smokes to get rid of the burnt on deposits on the plate itself. Certainly doesn't need cleaning after every smoke.
Use of bubba pucks markedly reduces the burnt on deposits in the first place and are recommended, the bubba pucks can sit on the heater element safely over the additional time it takes to cook something after smoking has stopped, the smoke generator stays on the whole time I am smoking and or cooking. :)
Quote from: ceeuawlsune on December 04, 2006, 09:38:48 PM
hydro-aero-thermo-liason.
Do I win in Scrabble with that?
Quote from: West Coast Kansan on December 04, 2006, 09:43:22 PM
You win!
Moderator Veto!!!Scrabble doesn't allow hyphenated words and you couldn't pull that together only having 7 tiles! ;) ;D ;D
Back on topic, I agree on the safety aspect of the water bowl and don't believe it contributes anything to the flavor or texture. I've seen first-hand pictures of the melted mass one can become if this is ignored.
On the other hand, if I have a lean meat that I want to keep moist, I use the bacon-drip method. Much more effective & way more flavorful. If you wanted to impart, say juniper flavor, to the meat with out actually putting it on the meat, I would suggest rubbing the bacon with it. (I've never tried it, but bet it would work, at least a lot better than in the water.)
The basis for my theory is as meat cooks, it is expelling water, not absorbing. The fat drip would be more readily absorbed into the tissue IMHO.
Kirk
Quote from: Chez Bubba on December 06, 2006, 05:53:58 PM
The basis for my theory is as meat cooks, it is expelling water, not absorbing. The fat drip would be more readily absorbed into the tissue IMHO.
Kirk
Well put.
I was trying to think of a pun for that line, but gave up on it. You remain the master in that area. :)
I believe the term that was coined for this process was " THERMALLY INDUCED COLLAGEN FLAVOR INFUSION". ::) Then again, "Bacon Drippings" works for me. :D :)
My short answer...
Me no change or refresh water nor do turn off pucker burner.
I knew there was a scientific name for all this! ;D
TICFI
We will see if it sticks and anyone remembers what it means. I still struggle with FTC
Quote from: West Coast Kansan on December 07, 2006, 05:17:08 PM
TICFI
We will see if it sticks and anyone remembers what it means. I still struggle with FTC
I dunno, Follow The Chicks seems pretty easy to remember.... :D
Arcs_n_Sparks
im not into jaw jacking like these genius yahoos however i use one of these roaster pans for my water bowl...
i like the one that goes wall to wall... it holds lotts of goo...
(http://www.pactiv.com/Products_NA/Hefty/HeftyEZFoil/images/HolidayPanGrouping.jpg)
you gotta eat...
owrstrich
Hey guys, I'm getting to old to memorize more acronyns and it is even harder after a couple of cold ones. I would like to make a suggestion that this forum create a link to a forum dictionary. The US Navy and the legal profession had enough of them to last me a lifetime and even though I am now retired, they are still floating around in my head. I'm still having problems figuring out IMO and a couple of others. The only one I know for sure is FTC.
QuoteThe US Navy and the legal profession had enough of them to last me a lifetime
Add the medical profession to that, and if there isn't one some of them just make one up and expect everyone else to work it out!! :D
And then you get the typo errors, I remember one funny ...... the diagnosis "post op TURP" (prostatectomy) becoming in error "post op TURD", no wonder the poor guy was wondering why he was getting funny looks from the nursing staff on the ward! ;D ;D
I have been dumping the bowl contents, since it really looks funky after a long cook. I wipe moisture from the door, also, but have been leaving the inside "seasoned," so to speak, like I've done past smokers. When company sees the smoke-colored coating inside your smoker, they automatically assume you know what you're doing. <Grin>
In my case, I usually vacuum marinate my meat before cooking, so I just pour the old marinade in the Bradley bowl and hope that it adds a bit of extra flavor.
I don't know what you all use, but (unsweetened) apple juice is my old standby when I'm not experimenting. For the last wings I did, I removed the tips and put all 24 into a 2-1/2 quart vacuum jar. I dumped in a tbsp of garlic powder, 2 tsp of kosher salt and then covered them all with apple juice. I left them under vacuum in the refrigerator for 3 hours, then drained and wiped them before coating lightly with EVOO.
The vacuum marindade is not that much different from brining, depending on the amount of salt you use, IMHO. I usually prefer to marinate with a water solution, rather than oil, but something like Italian salad dressing with a bit more garlic added is a darned good change up when you want to try something different.
In another thread, I mentioned that the skin turned out just a little rubbery from the humidity, so I crisped them a tad on my IR grill before serving. Mrs. Nonnymus is my most severe critic, so after 40 years of blissful marriage, I'm always prepared for her helpful suggestions. In this case, Mrs. Nonnymus told me and the folks we'd invited over that they were the best wings I'd ever cooked, so to my way of thinking, they were tolerable.
Nonny
Quote from: West Coast Kansan on December 07, 2006, 05:17:08 PM
TICFI
...... I still struggle with FTC
Man of Left Coaster
What do you mean there....type of meat....how long....what? It has been my life saver some time and probably more often than I know of.
I think it has become too complicated sounding...if you look at the early threads when I brought it over from the AZBBQ board, it was just a simple as wrap the darn thing up in foil, than a towel and put in a cooler for a while...dazz it, nothing more...nothing less. It is just a simple way to give your product a little "Grace" and improve flavor. But to me it does make BIG DIFFERANCE.
Yea, I know, mostly, well kind of... unless i am tired