Need help smoking beef sticks with Meadow Creek warming box

[alloyd]

Hello fellow smoking enthusiasts.  I recently received my dream smoker.  I purchased a Meadow Creek TS70 with the warming box and live smoke option, insulated firebox.  So far, I've done: ribs, pork butt, chickens, pork loins, beans, cheese, shrimp, and meatloaf.  I want to try and do smoked sausage and beef sticks in the smoker box with the vent open (live smoke option) at the bottom of the warming box and top of the fire box.  One of the recipes I've found talks about starting the smoker at 130* and placing the beef sticks in for 1 hour with vents open, then close the vents, add wood, and gradually increase the temp every 1/2 hour to 170*.  Hold 170* until meat internal temp reaches 152*.  

Where I need the help is controlling the temp in the smoker.  I'm getting better at controlling the temp in the main horizontal chamber, but don't really know where to start in the vertical chamber and such low temps.  Do you guys ever smoke your sausages with charcoal and wood?  Do you have any recommendations on number of briquettes?  How and when to add briquettes?  I was planning on doing a dry run.  Any advice from you experienced guys would be highly valuable.

Here's a pic of my new smoker.

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• alloyd
• Nov 11, 2015

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• alloyd
• Nov 11, 2015

Thanks for your help.

Allan

 

[chef jimmyj]

Pretty sweet rig...It is hard to say, " start with X number of briquettes, " because each smoker is different. Low temps for sausage means a small but hot clean burning fire and your smoke wood option. Practice a bit. Try a dozen briquettes and adjusting the dampers both the fresh air and the one between the firebox and warmer. I suggest adding additional lit charcoal so you don't have major fluctuation. It is not necessary to smoke the whole time. If a couple hours in and you have a nice color, move to the oven or hot water bath to finish and you have less aggravation maintaining the smoker temp...JJ

 

[nybbq]

If it was me I would just keep a small fire and use the normal cooking chamber. I would think it would be easier to control your fire and temps this way. I have a TS 250 and love it. I do not have the live smoke warming chamber so I cant help with using it at all. I would keep all the grease and mess out of my warming box though. I see you have a stack on the warming box, I have never looked close at one with live smoke. Sorry I could not help any more. If you figure it out post back so I can learn what worked for you. I only look on here from time to time.

 

[alloyd]

Thanks nybbq.  I love my TS70.  It holds temp really well.  It is built like a tank.  I've done smoked cheese in the warming box with a A-MAZE-N product.  It works great.  I'm ready to experiment with hanging sausage from the warmer box.  Good point about the greasy mess.  I'll have to put a drip pan at the bottom.  I'll see about the main smoking chamber if I can figure out how to hang the sausage from there.  I'll send pics once I try it.