Gearing up for my first smoke tomorrow.

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trish6103

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 5, 2013
20
10
I have a butt and some ribs thawed and waiting to be rubbed in the fridge. I bought some great spices to make my own rub with. I am going to make some BBQ sauce tonight also.

A guy at work told me to season my Charbroil vertical gas smoker by putting a pan with a few onions and a pound of bacon in it and letting that smoke for 10 hours or so. It sounds kinda crazy to me, but I'm giving it a try anyway. The instructions say to spray it down with Pam, but I hate that sticky grease residue, so I really don't want to.

I have been through the 5 Day E-course a few times and have read quite a bit in the forums about smoking butts and ribs. I think I'm ready to go.
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Fry the bacon or wrap it around some chicken or a fattie!! Don't waste it in a pan with onions! Just run the smoker like you normally will for a few hours and it will be fine. If you are worried about a sticky greasy residue then you probably shouldn't use it because it's going to happen. I bet after the bacon the butt the ribs and all the smoke, you are going to have a sticky greasy smoker! That's just the nature of smoking!!!!
 
Hi Trish,

I agree with David, don't waste good bacon.  Honestly that pork but is going to season it up pretty nice but if you don't like a greasy mess you won't like cooking pork butts...  
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Good luck AND don't forget the Q-View.

Bill
 
I am having trouble getting it any hotter than 200. I have the gas all the way up, it's not very cold here (60 maybe?) and little to no wind. Should I let the water run dry?
 
What are you checking the temp with? Do you know for a fact that it's accurate?

Dump the water and fill the pan with sand. Water can't get above 212* so it will fight against the heat. You can still put another pan with some water on top of the sand to add some humidity if you want and to catch drippings. Sand will take all the heat you can throw at it and then help maintain the temp inside the chamber.
 
Thanks! I have some playground sand in the backyard. The water should be about gone now.

I am going by the stock thermometer in the door. I just got back from Lowe's with a digital one, but I have nothing to stick the probe in. I can get an oven thermometer when I go out to get the molasses I forgot.
 
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You can stick the probe through a potato or an onion and set it on the rack, just make sure it is not touching the metal.  Stock thermometers are typically are not very accurate.

Bill
 
You can cut a potato in half and lay it on the grate.  Then put the probe in that.  Now you can see the grate temp without having to open it.  I don't know if I would trust the factory one.  Before placing your digital one in, boil a pot of water on the stove.  Water boils at about 212, so check your thermometer against that.  Best of luck tomorrow!
 
Does that digital therm have a wired probe and is the wire metal?
Saw one on here the other day that had a rubber coated wire and it melted.
 
It has a cord, and it is coated in plastic. It says it can stay in the smoker, as long as the cord is not crimped. I wasn't sure I believed that, but it's the best they had.
 
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