Worked out my kinks

[chronos]

Everyone,

     Thanks for bearing with me while I figured out how to properly use my smoker. I've since smoked 2 separate instances where everything went very well. Turns out I did the following things wrong:
     
     * Drip tray upside down
     * Smoking with vent closed
     * Cooked based on time as opposed to internal temp

     These caused too much condensation and the smoker leaked a lot of fluid from the bottom. Also caused too much smoke in the cooking process, so the food was overly smoky and I couldn't tell the difference between wood types. Plus, since I overcooked the food it was drier than it should be.

     Now that I've corrected all of that, things have been great. The food is so much better than anything I could have cooked on a normal grill. This weekend is going to be a big test. I have 30 people coming over for a picnic and I'm cooking 3 racks of baby backs, 2 racks of spare ribs, and 2 whole chickens.

Thanks,

Jerry

[nsxbill]

Just too easy!

Glad you are doing well.

Bill

<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>

[Phone Guy]

I have learned something in my short time of smoking. The people on this web site are very knowledgeable. They are also very quick to answer questions and help whenever possible. You all have made the art of smoking much more enjoyable and no doubt more tasty.

[bsolomon]

Remember that the more you put in, the longer the cook time.  5 racks of ribs and 2 chickens at the same time would probably run you into at least the 10-12 hour range, possibly more.  Plan accordingly and leave enough time for at least 1-2 hours of FTC.  Depending on your schedule, you might want to do the chickens separately first since they will reheat well, and then you only have to worry about the ribs...