Roll Call

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I'm afraid I started with very little knowledge and have been putting a basic rub on the meat and hoping for the best, my smoker has a simple temperature gauge that basically reads "too cold" "ideal" and "too hot", I think I need to start again from scratch, think I may have come to the right place!
 
First off, forget the built in gauge they can be 20-30'C out, plus they are not reading the temperature at the point of cooking.

Get yourself a dual probe thermometer, something like a Maverick. On probe goes on the grate for the pit temperature and the other inserted into the meat for meat temperature.

Are you managing to control the temperature?

Do a search in the search not for Jeffs 5 day course, this will give you a good insight into Low & Slow.
 
I've done no temperature control at all, just keep topping charcoal up, I've signed up for the 5 day course and will have a look at the thermometer you mentioned, looking forward to doing it properly!
 
Over cooked dry meats, burning lots of fuel, is a sure indication that your vents are wide open and running too hot.

The course will help you, then we can advise you.
 
Is it the Brinkmann Smoke and Grill? That is the one most commonly bought here in the UK. If so, it is not really a smoker that lends itself to smoking low and slow out of the box and requires some significant mods to make the temperature controllable. If it is the model it has no air real management other than some have a top vent - the air intake is a gap all around the bottom of the fire box. They are really designed for hot smoke roasting and by using the top vent will maintain a temperature of about 160-180 C without too much effort.

Without that air control you cannot sufficiently regulate the smoker internal temperature. If you look online you will see that there are mods that you can make to the smoker to give you more control for the Low and Slow cooking but you have to really ask yourself if it is worth the effort. 

The most effective way to progress with your smoking is really to replace your smoker - or more accurately add an additional smoker to the one you already own. For versatility a good quality 57cm kettle BBQ will give you what you are looking for at a very reasonable price. Look on ebay and you can often pick up a second hand Weber for £30-£40 and some of the larger garden centres often sell them off cheap at the end of the season. One of the guys who was at the smoking weekend this weekend picked up a second hand no-name kettle BBQ for £10 and cooked some great pulled pork on it.

Another option is the Callow bullet smoker at about £85. The guy who designed and imports the Callow actually used to sell Brinkmann smokers and so he has designed an entry level smoker that is aimed as a similar price point - but without the Brinkmann limitations.

With the Kettle BBQ you can obviously grill.

By putting the lit coals at either side of the coal grate and cooking using over the middle using indirect heat you can hot roast - similar to the Brinkmann

By making a snake of unlit coals at one side if the coal grate and letting it slowly smolder you can easily maintain a cooking temperature of about 110 C for 6-8+ hours for your brisket, ribs or pulled pork.


A couple of tips when cooking any meat low and slow...

You only really benefit from the smoke for the first 3 hours or so. After about 3 hours wrap the meat in foil for the remainder of the cook and it will stay moist inside.

At the end of the cooking time leave it to rest in several layers of foil for at least an hour. It will continue to cook and will be very moist when it is cut.
 
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Hi All

Pointed in this direction by Smokin Monkey (Thanks for the warm welcome)

Dave here, new to the smoking scene, but looking to pick up some tips and ideas.

Using a Landman offset smoker, Jumbuck 57cm Kettle, Jumbuck rotisserie & Swiss Grill gas BBQ.

Interested in hot & cold smoking (the problem with this is that I want to try everything... NOW)!

Also have the added advantage of working for a wholesale & catering butchers.

Based in Southampton, Hampshire.

Regards

Dave
 
Finally managed to work out how to post here. Swinging by after saying hi in main
Page then got redirected here.

So hello I'm Marcus. Smoked food for a while on a three draw filing cabinet then upgraded to
A Bradley digital. Ok yes I know an obs would of been cheaper but that was my only option
And I'm an impatient sof at the best of times.

Smoke most weekends since I got it six weeks ago. All the usua stuff for freinds and family.
Loving the learning curve. Could already cook this has just added a new dimension too
The whole cooking thing we all do.

Wonderful way to cook food. Never liked paying for it when we went out but now I have a whole
New outlook on what goes into making good smoked food in a little less tight. Lol.

Seems I have to work this place out can't even see how to post pics right now.

Have a smokey day people. Peace [emoji]9996[/emoji]️[emoji]9996[/emoji]️
 
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Hi All

Pointed in this direction by Smokin Monkey (Thanks for the warm welcome)

Dave here, new to the smoking scene, but looking to pick up some tips and ideas.
Using a Landman offset smoker, Jumbuck 57cm Kettle, Jumbuck rotisserie & Swiss Grill gas BBQ.

Interested in hot & cold smoking (the problem with this is that I want to try everything... NOW)!

Also have the added advantage of working for a wholesale & catering butchers.

Based in Southampton, Hampshire.

Regards

Dave

HI Dave welcome to the UK Group.

Plenty of time to try all aspects of smoking.

You certainly have an advantage over most, working for a catering butcher!
 
Hi everyone again! I seem to have posted my intro in the wrong place! Sorry! I will try again!

I am from Hampshire originally and have lived in Tokyo for decades. I came to bacon making as I was unable to eat the disgusting stuff they called bacon available in supermarkets here. (that's also the reason I became a baker -- couldn't eat the soft spongy stuff they called English Bread and needed to make hot cross buns!)

I almost exclusively smoke streaky bacon. I have developed my own method over the years, which is basically a dry rub consisting of roughly a level tablespoon of salt to each 400g of meat, a little less than half the quantity of sugar and these days sometimes the appropriate amount of prague powder. I used to add different types of dried herbs , juniper berries etc, but I don't find a significant difference in taste. I apply the rub, wrap the meat and leave in the fridge for a week. Then I unwrap it, and let it dry for a day or so before smoking on a tall stove top smoker for about 40 mins for the smoky flavour. I have to smoke at night, as I live on the ground floor of an apartment building, and don't want to risk complaints about smoky laundry! 

I  want to make back bacon. I have experimented but it usually comes out rather dry.Any tips would be welcome!

I also want to move on to small hams.. One of the challenges here is that it is impossible to get meat on the bone, or meat with the skin still on. I am always looking for good recipes for small pieces of meat. 

Current mission -- find a bacon slicer which is not too expensive, not massive, and is easy to use. I had a hand driven foldable one, but it didn't do the job very well.

Amy May
 
Hi my name is Randy. I live in Northern Ireland. I am originally from the states (Kansas). I started out with a charcoal grill and would add wood chunks. Then I upgraded to a green mountain pellet smoker but had to sell since moved to uk. I just recently bought an offset smoker from amazon and trying to master it now. The main thing is maintaining heat and keep fore going. Any tips would be appreciated. I am using ash wood logs and charcoal.
 
Hi my name is Randy. I live in Northern Ireland. I am originally from the states (Kansas). I started out with a charcoal grill and would add wood chunks. Then I upgraded to a green mountain pellet smoker but had to sell since moved to uk. I just recently bought an offset smoker from amazon and trying to master it now. The main thing is maintaining heat and keep fore going. Any tips would be appreciated. I am using ash wood logs and charcoal.

Hi Randy welcome to the UK Group!
 
Hi guys
UK south west here.
Pretty new to smoking - with a 47 WSM purchased a couple of months ago. Lots of youtube has been viewed.
I've run quite a few (probably about 10?) smokes on it, mostly minion with apple wood chunks and some chips sometimes.
Have done quite a few sets of ribs, pork shoulder, chicken thighs, beef hot dogs, beans, wings and a few packer briskets I've got from bookers.
I've a remote probe for temps which is a godsend.
Still learning the ropes to be honest - I think I've got it down but then next time comes around and I get some different (worse) results!

More practice required.

Currently looking (wifey knows...) for an offset to compliment the grill, and thinking of either a modified okie joe (that budget is about £500), a real high-end job from the guys in Essex (this would be £2K+) or a hand-made reverse offset from someone on Facebook.... which I'm leaning towards...

Pic or it didn't happen
IMG_0306.jpeg

Nice to meet you all :)
 
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