A first Flop - help Required

[mickm]

Greetings all, I am putting this out to try and get some professional advice.

I purchased the Smokin-it 2 - awesome quality and build.

I got some chicken - soaked in brine for 2 hours

Two racks of ribs (you wouldnt believe what they cost in Singapore), got to room temp, applied rub left for 40 mins

Small brisket, set to room temp, applied rub, left for 40 mins.......

All went south from here. I put 4 blocks of wood in 3 cherry and 1 hickory (I think too much)

I was doing the 3,2 1 method on the ribs.

Took the chook out at 3 hours - very dry and too smoked flavour

At the 3 hour mark the ribs looked very blacked and dry.

Wrapped in Alfoil with apple juice and BBQ sauce.

Put back in for 2, unwrapped and then the remaining 1.

The temp kept changing, it was meant to be 220, but when I came back it was 310

Obviously too high

I was using the meat probe remote...

Has anyone got the smokin it or an electric that can offer me some advice?

Many thanx in advance.

Mick in Singapore

 

[mickm]

Sorry, forgot to add the photos....

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• mickm
• Dec 13, 2015

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• mickm
• Dec 13, 2015

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• mickm
• Dec 13, 2015

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• mickm
• Dec 13, 2015

 

[krex1010]

Ok you had an aweful lot going on for a first cook! I wade through it all and share my thoughts. First the chicken.....chicken takes smoke very readily, a little goes a long way with poultry, also chicken does better at higher temps, I prefer to cook chicken no lower than 325, will cook the bird fast enough that it doesn't dry out and gives better skin texture. 3-2-1 ribs works best at temps down around 225-250, above that the times shorten up. I don't usually foil pork anymore but when I did, if I was cooking at 275 degrees I'd say 2 hours of smoke, foil for an hour and maybe a half hour unwrapped (that's for baby backs, spares I'd increase the time a bit). notnsure how your brisket came out so I won't talk about that. Next cook I'd pick one cut of meat and focus on doing that, you had lots going on and all those meats do best with different cooking environments, ribs, brisket and chicken in a single cook is a challenge, I'd get some experience on each meat before trying to cook them all at once. Hope this helps!

 

[krex1010]

Also, if I read it correctly, you let the meat come up to room temp and then applied rub and then let sit out another 40 mins? In my opinion this isn't safe, food poisoning is no fun. Maybe 15-20 mins at room temp but I wouldn't push it much past that.

 

[ia hunter]

For the ribs, next time put about half that much rub on them and REFRIGERATE for at least 4 hours, up to 24 if you want a very strong bark. Pull them out when you start warming your smoker, 30 minutes or so before starting so they come up to room temp. Place in smoker and lightly smoke for 3.5 hours at 225. Your temp spike could have been from using wood chunks in an electric smoker... they probably caught fire and raised the temp. Check temp after 3.5 hours. If they are not done then wrap in foil and return to the smoker with no smoke until they hit 170. Pull at 170 and let rest in the foil for an hour or so. 

I think you had too much smoke and too hot of temp, just like you said. 

 

[paul6]

I always brine my poultry overnight , Like you said it got way to hot , On the bright side of things we have all had flops You Live And Learn !!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

There's a big Smoke in it sub forum here. Post your questions there. If you had the temps you posted, you may have something wrong with the smoker.

 

[golfpro2301]

I agree with Krex. A lot going on with this cook. Temp spike is probably from the chunks catching fire like hunter said. It has happened to me a few times when I first started. Thats why I went to an amps. One last thing is to me it looks like chicken is on top rack. Be careful with that as you really dont want chicken drippings on other meats. Use a pan or put on bottom. Good luck

 

[daveomak]

Use 1 hunk of wood ONLY .... 2 hunks can make a fire... One hunk will smolder and create smoke...