P 10 info needed

[Shasta bob]

Hi, I'm interested in a new smoker and I'm wishing to be able to place a full rack of ribs or brisket in the smoker, is this possible in the P 10?

[Habanero Smoker]

The cooking area of a rack is 14 x 13-inches. A lot depends on the size and cut of the meat. I haven't tried a brisket, but the way I trim my St. Louis spare ribs I can get a full rack, and depending on the width of the of each rack I can get two racks on each shelf. If you are smoking whole untrimmed spare ribs you may be able to get one per shelf with a little trimming. Most baby backs should fit, though you may occasionally find some you will have to trim off an end rib, or place an untrimmed rack diagonally on the shelf.

When I'm trimming St. Louis cut. I will generally cut to last rib (and on occasion the last two ribs off). Those end ribs don't cook properly anyway. When I place my rack of ribs on the shelf I push the ends and top/bottom towards each other. This reshapes them in a way which shortens length and width of each rack. This also helps the racks cook more evenly.

Though I haven't smoke a brisket in the P-10, I just check and a 9 lb. brisket (untrimmed) that a have in my freezer will lay flat on the shelf. So larger brisket, you can still use the "bending" method, or laying the brisket diagonally on the shelf. Plus the P-10 shelves are sturdier.

PS
I read your other post, that you apply 3 hours of smoke to your ribs. I realize that smoke flavor is subjective, but I find that in the P-10 the smoke flavor tends to be stronger. If you get a P-10 you may want to cut down on your smoke time.

[Shasta bob]

Thanks for the info, i was thinking of and old member here when i made Cilantro potato salad, recipe from ClassicRockgriller

[Habanero Smoker]

Overall I'm pleased with the P-10. It is important to know you cannot cold smoke with this smoker. Another issue; according to a third party thermometer, my cabinet temperatures run about 10 degrees higher at 225°F than displayed, but once it reaches its temperature it tightly maintains it. This may only be a problem when making sausage, where you may need temperatures around 140° for a period of time. There are no 10° to 20° swings, it generally will keep the cabinet within 2° to 3°. So it just a matter of me learning how it cooks, and I'm still learning on this. Now that it's warming up, I'll start using it more. For Easter a did a double smoked spiral cut ham in it, and that worked out well.