First round of Dumb Questions

Grillin and Chillin · June 22, 2005, 11:59:27 PM

Told ya'll I'd have a million dumb questions, well here are some.

Dumb question #1
I purchased a Maverick 73 thermometer. Where is the best place to run the probe wires that will still allow me to get a good seal with the door? (hinge side, top ?)

Dumb question #2
In the owners manual under the maintenance procedures paragraph #3 it states to clean the tower then it states that the tower must be re-conditioned. Then the note says leads me to belive that it is better to let the tower season and not clean. Unless I assume that it is in real bad condition then clean and re-season. Surely this doesn't mean it has to be re-seasoned every time.

Dumb question #3
Do I want to let meats come to room tempature so that they will not drop the pre-heated tempature of the tower as bad as if they were straight out of the fridge?

Dumb question #4
When you guys state that you use 4 hours of smoke then 4 hours of cook time. Does this mean that you would used 12 pucks (not counting the Bubba Pucks). Do you still leave the switch on the smoke generator on? I assume this is the main ON/OFF switch not only for the smoke generator.

Thanks in advance

HCT · June 23, 2005, 12:37:51 AM

Great questions.Took the words right out of my mouth.

JVR · June 23, 2005, 01:17:49 AM

Let me take a crack at these.
From one nOOb to another.

DQ#1: I've run mine through the vent in the top of the unit.
DQ#2: No clue
DQ#3: Yes, I believe its a good practice to let your meat warm to room temp before loading your unit.
DQ#4: Yes, 4 hours equates to 12 pucks. I don't think it makes much difference if you shut off the smoke generator after 4 hours or not.

OK. Now let the experts weigh in!

nsxbill · June 23, 2005, 02:05:53 AM

I run the probes through the door. There really is no problem with the seal. Some go hinge side, some go open side. I have two BS sitting side by side. I run left side through hinge and of course the open side on right side.

I seasoned the cabinet(Tower) when I first bought it. Knock off the crud once in awhile.

I leave meats out for an hour while cabinet comes up to temp. It would be nice to have at room temp, some do - some don't.

Maximum of four hours - 20 min per puck. I use less time on chicken, otherwise taste seems to strong. Leave the smoke generator on all the time you have meat in the box.

There are no stupid questions, only the one you don't ask.

Bill

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

Chez Bubba · June 23, 2005, 02:11:10 AM

First of all, there are no "dumb" questions here, at least you've thought it through prior to action. "Dumb" questions are "Hey ya'll, how come my smoker didn't cook right? I thought by turnin' it upside down, it would make the top skin crispier. Now my smoker don't work."

#1 Personally, I run mine through the side of the gasket. If you've kept it clean, there is minimal smoke leakage & your probe wire stays much cleaner & works for a lot longer.

#2 The manual is confusing. IMO, season it the first time & let the yummy black gunk begin. Just make sure you clean the gasket & the face of the smoker where it meets. Obviously, wipe out any gunk & food-bits from the inside with a dry paper towel. It's a smoker, it will never be shiny again![8D]

#3 Not necessarily room temp, but do pull them out an hour before. That will help the problem you describe.

#4 I always just leave it on, but I'm thinking if you shut off the generator, power won't go to the tower. I'll certainly defer to anybody else though that has tried it.

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

Oldman · June 23, 2005, 02:14:24 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">#1: I've run mine through the vent in the top of the unit.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I agree.

#2 Is poorly written in my opinion. This is what I suggest you clean:

A.) The vent. I place a towel inside and at the top against the vent so that no cleaner gets to the inside of the box.
B.) The door seal--spray cleaner on towel then apply. I use windex. Make sure to keep that seal clean or you will be replacing it.
C.) The V shaped pan *
D.) The water bowl *
E.) The generator-- Keep the hot plate shinny. I use a fiber disk on a drill. The type you would use to remove paint off of metal--no wire brushes on a drill. Pull the puck tube out and turn the generator upside down. Now lightly tap it so any woods dust will fall back out. You allow this to build up and you can bust a gear.
F.) Wipe down the outside of the box.
G.) Clean the racks.*
H.) The pan the bowel sits on--use a non-caustic cleaner.
I.) If our box is black then wipe it down with a mild dish soap. If SS then use a SS cleaner.

As far as the rest of the inside of the box goes I strongly suggest doing nothing to it. When I'm though I leave my box cracked open.

*I use oven cleaner on these items.

Note: Always keep your vent open enough so the smoke does not back feed at the generator or one day you will have a gummed up generator--then she no workie. Pay close attention to this on windy days.

While we are talking about the V shaped pan make sure you put in it point side down. Like this: V Don't put it point side up like this: /. Some have by mistake and then shorted out the controler because the jucies ran out the door.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I don't think it makes much difference if you shut off the smoke generator after 4 hours or not.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">On very hot days I don't run my generator after the smoke period--do note you will need to add an in-line fuse if you by pass the generator. If you live in a cooler climate you will need to leave the generator on.

Olds

Grillin and Chillin · June 23, 2005, 04:25:53 AM

Top notch responses. Get ready for round two.

#1
If I use only one cut of meat (brisket, or whole chicken for instance) does it matter which rack it is placed on? I know heat rises but the heating element is closer to the bottom. Gut feeling tells me maybe second rack from top.

#2
If one cut of meat (whole chicken) takes "X" amount of time to cook won't four take longer. And which tray would you put the probe into to determine the internal temp?

JJC · June 23, 2005, 04:27:51 AM

Just wanted to add that the crucial issue about leaving meat out to warm up is not to worry about getting it to room temp, but to make it sure it does not stay out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, or you could experience some serious food safety problems!

John
Newton MA

Oldman · June 23, 2005, 01:30:40 PM

#1 If it is only one piece I generally place it in the middle. On a butt at the 4 hour mark I generally turn it over.

#2 When doing say 4 chickens, it does not matter as long as you rotate your racks. BTW As long as we are talking about chickens I don't care for hens/ bakers. I rather have a larger frier. (Up to 3 pounds.) These are birds that are raised to be eaten. Many hens/ bakers are rasied to lay eggs then as they get to the end of their life-cycle are destined for the stew pot.

Olds

Grillin and Chillin · June 23, 2005, 01:47:44 PM

Rotate the racks? I have not seen this posted anywhere before; sounds like good advice.

Olds you are a wealth of info, The Swami of the Smoker, The Sultan of Smoke. You must be butter cause your on a roll.

zeek · June 24, 2005, 05:35:02 AM

I am a newbie but agree with Oldman on keeping the puck generator clean otherwise the pucks will jam up and make mess. May also damage the generator. Happened to me on my second smoke. The paint scraper is a good idea. Another good newbie thing to know is bacteria may grow if meat is cooked under 140 degrees for over 3 hours, unless you cure the meat (someone correct me if I am wrong). That is also why you don't want to leave the meat at room temperature too long. Good to bring the meat temperature up before you smoke but watch your time. Don't have to worry if you hot smoke since meat is not at lower temperature for a long period of time.

A good informational site is
http://susan.rminor.com/forums/
see the section on hygiene.

Oldman · June 24, 2005, 09:16:37 AM

Hello zeek!
[:D]

Olds

Phone Guy · June 24, 2005, 04:56:44 PM

I learn something new every day. [:)]

JJC · June 27, 2005, 10:28:31 AM

Just wanted to add that since this post contains some comments on food safety issues, I would STRONGLY URGE all nooBies to read Manx' pieces on the Olds Recipe Site on Food Safety. There is also some preactical food safety-related info on Curing and Brining in a piece that Hab and I did on that same site. Can't be too safe when it comes to food, right Manx?

John
Newton MA

Mctuber · January 24, 2007, 05:05:01 PM

??? Ok here is my dumb question.These bubba pucks are they the same diameter and thickness as the flavor biscuit?How many should I have?Do I only use them as weight for the feeder,will they help to clean the smoke generators heating element??

fishing (noun) The art of casting,trolling,jigging or spinning while freezing, sweating,swatting or swearing!