I can't wait...

Me_Like_Meat · July 12, 2006, 09:17:11 AM

I am sitting at my desk nervously fidgeting as I wait for my 4 rack DS to arrive.. I can't take this tension much longer, it feels like Xmas eve when I was 6. How can I get any work done like this?

I've been thinking about buying a smoker ever since launching into sausage making last year (with excellent results I might add..) and finally I broke down last Friday and ordered one, then slinked home and confessed to my wife. Man I cannot wait to join the ranks of the smoke-addicted. Honestly, I'll try to minimize the number of stupid newbie question posts.. ;D

But here's a real question: if it arrives, oh say today or tomorrow, is it at all realistic to think that Sunday I would be able to do an acceptable job of smoking up a few pounds of chicken wings or drumsticks without disaster? I know there are variables there, such as am I a smoker klutz or not (we'll see..but I can cook) but I am simply asking about a reality check - I am going to a pot luck picninc Sunday afternoon and man would I love to show up with a tray of smoked chicken split between mild and wild sauces (sauces, now those I can do).

heinz · July 12, 2006, 10:07:08 AM

Hi,

I was like you only a couple of weeks ago.

My first smoke was a whole chicken and it was great, not counting the skin. Skin was normal judging by other posts, I.e. looks good but not for eating :-)
The rest of the chicken was super.

Have done ribs and butt since and while none were perfect, it is only I that knows that. I.e. everything got eaten.

I think it's really hard to screw up with the Bradley. At least I hope so as I'm doing Prime Rib on Friday and I'd to blow 60 bucks :-)

What would I do different starting up with a new Bradley? Check the temps of the internal sensor asap. I waited and it caused some uncertainty until I did. I basically checked a probe thermometer with boiling water and then used it in the Bradley without any meat in it.

Happy smoking.
Heinz

P.S. almost forgot. Allow more time than you think you need and if necessary FTC it longer.

Habanero Smoker · July 12, 2006, 12:07:00 PM

Quote from: Me_Like_Meat on July 12, 2006, 09:17:11 AM
I am sitting at my desk nervously fidgeting as I wait for my 4 rack DS to arrive.. I can't take this tension much longer, it feels like Xmas eve when I was 6. How can I get any work done like this?

I've been thinking about buying a smoker ever since launching into sausage making last year (with excellent results I might add..) and finally I broke down last Friday and ordered one, then slinked home and confessed to my wife. Man I cannot wait to join the ranks of the smoke-addicted. Honestly, I'll try to minimize the number of stupid newbie question posts.. ;D

But here's a real question: if it arrives, oh say today or tomorrow, is it at all realistic to think that Sunday I would be able to do an acceptable job of smoking up a few pounds of chicken wings or drumsticks without disaster? I know there are variables there, such as am I a smoker klutz or not (we'll see..but I can cook) but I am simply asking about a reality check - I am going to a pot luck picninc Sunday afternoon and man would I love to show up with a tray of smoked chicken split between mild and wild sauces (sauces, now those I can do).

Very realistic, you can be smoking the same day if your Bradley Smoker (BS) arrives in the morning When smoking chicken you need to take precautions, the skin of poultry is good enough to eat. It's not going to be crispy, and crispy is a reality texture, but it's not going to be like leather either. Finishing on the grill or oven will improve the texture.

When you do poultry with skin on you are going to create a lot of moisture inside the BS, and you need to keep the vent at least 1/3 or better yet 1/2 way open. If not the skin will come out leathery. The tendency is to close the vent, because the moisture will also drop your cabinet temperature.

So if you follow a few simple procedures you will avoid having to throw away the skin. First, don't do too much poultry with skin on at one time. I would not do more then 5 pounds of wings at one time. As I mentioned above keep the vent open enough so the moisture will be vented out. Finally smoke at the highest temperature you can get the BS up to. The last depend on how much chicken you have in the BS. If you have a small amount of chicken, then you may want to smoke at 210ºF-225ºF to allow enough time to apply the appropriate amount of smoke.

Do a search for chicken wings If you haven't been to the recipe site here is a sample http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117

manxman · July 12, 2006, 12:47:46 PM

Hi and welcome to the forum, I think we have all been in your shoes at one time or another. For me it was about 20 months ago but right from the word go it is possible to produce excellent offerings from the BS.

There is always room for improvement but having a good look around the forum and also at

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/index.php

is a good way to improve your chances of success.

QuoteI can't take this tension much longer,

It may also relieve the tension a bit and take your mind off your imminent arrival! ;D

asa · July 12, 2006, 06:37:35 PM

Welcome to the forum.
As the instructions suggest, you'll want to "season" it first by smoking for an hour or so without any thing in it. Then you should be ready to roll.

BigSmoker · July 12, 2006, 06:41:21 PM

Poultry soaks up the smoke really well so try 2 hours of smoke the first time out and increase as it suits your personal tastes. Have fun ;D.

Me_Like_Meat · July 13, 2006, 09:20:07 AM

Thank you all for your optimistic and encouraging replies, I am looking forward to both trying my new smoker, and chatting about food on this forum.

Darn thing better show up today.. :P

Mike D.

iceman · July 13, 2006, 09:34:59 AM

Quote from: Me_Like_Meat on July 13, 2006, 09:20:07 AM
Thank you all for your optimistic and encouraging replies, I am looking forward to both trying my new smoker, and chatting about food on this forum.

Darn thing better show up today.. :P

Mike D.

Your gonna have fun Mike. Don't forget to relax and have a cold one on your first smoke. Have a great time and keep us posted. ;)

Oldman · July 14, 2006, 02:54:10 AM

QuotePoultry soaks up the smoke really well so try 2 hours of smoke the first time out and increase as it suits your personal tastes.

I agree...

Welcome to the forums Mike D.

Me_Like_Meat · July 15, 2006, 08:14:25 PM

Quote from: iceman on July 13, 2006, 09:34:59 AM
Quote from: Me_Like_Meat on July 13, 2006, 09:20:07 AM
Thank you all for your optimistic and encouraging replies, I am looking forward to both trying my new smoker, and chatting about food on this forum.

Darn thing better show up today.. :P

Mike D.
Your gonna have fun Mike. Don't forget to relax and have a cold one on your first smoke. Have a great time and keep us posted. ;)

It's here, it's here, it's finally here, it's..... :D ;D :D

And, as I confirmed today, our local Canadian Tire does indeed have some (not all) varieties of bisquettes on the shelf.

So, today's project after conditioning was 5lb of chicken wings. Nothing fancy, preheated the oven to 220F, used 2:20 worth of special blend pucks, and dried & pre-warmed the wings for just a few minutes in the oven before dusting them with a blend of stuff (kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, chipotle powder, granulated garlic, brown sugar, thyme) and in they went. Only peeked once too.. okay twice.

Brushed on some chipotle/beer BBQ sauce and finshed them off on the grill for a couple of minutes.

Verdict: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmohyeahbabymmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Tomorrow wings and ribs. I love it already. Meat is good. Smoked meat is gooder.

Next week it's Andouille and smoked Brat sausages.

Smokin' and lovin' it! :D Now if I only lived in Hoboken I could make that a rhyme of sorts.

Habanero Smoker · July 16, 2006, 04:03:44 AM

Looks likes you are set to go. The seasoning also looks good.

Warming the wings prior to placing them in the smoker should work for this product, because the surface to mass ratio is large. Much more meat surface is exposed, as to its weight. The smoke will coat the surfaces, but not necessarily penetrate the wings. For large cuts of meat, if you preheat you will not get good smoke penetration, or smoke flavor.

I've always wanted to cook a batch of wings, then put them in the smoker to see if I could obtain enough smoke. One of those things I keep forgetting to do.

Me_Like_Meat · July 16, 2006, 08:04:21 AM

Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 16, 2006, 04:03:44 AM
Looks likes you are set to go. The seasoning also looks good.

Warming the wings prior to placing them in the smoker should work for this product, because the surface to mass ratio is large. Much more meat surface is exposed, as to its weight. The smoke will coat the surfaces, but not necessarily penetrate the wings. For large cuts of meat, if you preheat you will not get good smoke penetration, or smoke flavor.

I've always wanted to cook a batch of wings, then put them in the smoker to see if I could obtain enough smoke. One of those things I keep forgetting to do.

I wouldn't have done so ordinarily, but I had only barely defrosted them and thought they might be a bit too much of a heat sink in the state they were in. The smoke flavor did penetrate farily well from what I could taste, but with some more experience I'll have a better sense of what "right" is. Any how, wife, kids and I snarfed them down with gusto and they all loved the taste, so that's a good start I think.

Today's are going in room temp, same dry seasonings but I think I'll conjure up a different finishing sauce. I have some pepperheads to appease today (myself included), so time to root through my chile collection and get brewing.

So my first impressions of the DS are very positive, I found it intuitive, in other words everything made sense and worked as I expected. Good toy.

iceman · July 17, 2006, 08:44:54 AM

Glad to hear things turned out Mike. I'm like Hab, always forgot to take some wings out to thaw when I'm smoking. One of these days I'll remember. I'd better write a note to myself right now so I can have some next time I smoke. Have a good one. ;D

Me_Like_Meat · July 17, 2006, 03:47:36 PM

Quote from: iceman on July 17, 2006, 08:44:54 AM
Glad to hear things turned out Mike. I'm like Hab, always forgot to take some wings out to thaw when I'm smoking. One of these days I'll remember. I'd better write a note to myself right now so I can have some next time I smoke. Have a good one. ;D

My second batch turned out just fine too.. maple for 2:20 and set to 200F and a quick finish on the grill with a nice sauce. They had a nice caramelized glaze on them and from the comments I got at the pot luck I am on the right path. Comments like.."snort smack slurp jeez these are good, how did you do them? Slurp drip drool.." that sort of thing.

I might bring down the cooking temp a few degrees, and grill a bit more at lower grill temp. More smoke, not as well done inside, crispier outside. But I dunno, after only two sessions I am not too objective yet.. they were good.

This week the big project is 10lb of very perky Andouille.. drooling already.

Cheers!

p.s. I notice that, like grilling, smoking is beautifully accompanied by cold beer. Problem is, when you smoke for two hours that's a lot more beer than 20 minutes at the grill... though there are those that would not call this a problem.

iceman · July 17, 2006, 03:59:55 PM

Quote from: Me_Like_Meat on July 17, 2006, 03:47:36 PM

p.s. I notice that, like grilling, smoking is beautifully accompanied by cold beer. Problem is, when you smoke for two hours that's a lot more beer than 20 minutes at the grill... though there are those that would not call this a problem.

A man has to know his limitations. I just haven't found mine yet!!! A 16 hour smoke on a brisket could dang near kill a guy!!! ::) :D :D ;D