SMOKIN-IT SMOKER

[jond36]

Anyone soak chunks before using it in the smoker or before putting it in foil? I am still getting my wood chunk burning about 20-30 mins in to the smoke even when wrapped in foil. I can't really get a good smoke going in this smoker. Everything tastes over smoked and bitter. I am starting to get frustrated.  

 

[chef willie]

Might be best to post this ? under a new thread....you might get better response as this thread is getting old and long. My opinion, of course. Most people don't soak wood before using. This defeats the purpose and you wind up with a steaming effect from the water logged wood. The Smokin It units are designed to be oxygen starved. Most have found, myself included, that less wood is needed to achieve the desired effect in these units. I use chunks, usually from Home Depot, preferring apple and cherry which are milder. If you are using the hickory plugs provided it might be easy to over smoke. I cut down to about 1 plug or roughly 2 ounces or less of wood. I have yet to wrap in foil...I just lay the chunks in the tray. Sounds like you're getting some creosote from somewhere. Your vents holes functioning properly? nothing blocking the escape of spent smoke? Just curious...

 

[jond36]

Sorry about that. I figured I would post here because it is a smokin' it smoker. I use apple and cherry, but when I first seasoned it I used 4 chunks hickory. Could it be that I still have Creosote in the smoker from the original seasoning?

I have a smokin it smoker #1 and only use only 2 ounces per smoke. I have smoked 10 or so times with different types of wood and different meats. I seem to get white smoke every time.

 

[grimm5577]

i had good results for the first few months with my #2, then my wood started flaring, I tried soaking them but they still flared. I've been wrapping in foil and so far so good. I take a lot of foil and ball it up then un-fold it and then place the wood in it and scrunch it around the wood, leaving it open. I haven't had a flare up doing that yet.

I understand the frustration as i felt the same thing when struggling to get an easy good smoke from an electric set and forget unit.

 

[jond36]

Thanks. I will try again with a 1 ounce chunk in foil this sunday and let you know how it goes. I think someone mentioned before on this thread how a #1 is a small chamber thus requiring less wood. I think that is true considering the results of constant over smoke. - JD

 

[desjeany]

I had the same problem with my #1 as well. Over smoke and flare up that is, and I foil the wood now as well. It doesn't really take much wood to get a good flavor in the #1. I've been using Peterson Pucks, and one puck usually gives me 1 1/2 hrs of smoke.

 

[grimm5577]

You could also try adding a charcoal briquette and seeing if that flares.

 

[thetiler]

Hey guys

I'm having a issue getting the smoker up to temp

It ran fine during the seasoning

It will not go much over 200 with all the ribs in there

Just wrapped them in foil and not it hovering at 196

Do I need to adjust the time since it is running so low?

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[chef willie]

I would keep an eye on it and maybe go longer if they appear to be under done after the foiling. I already see some pull-back on the bones. That's a lot of ribs in at one time so some adjusting might be in order. The 'bend-test' will be a good indicator on those.....pick up the ribs with tongs (long ways) and they should start to bend over in the middle like 'drooping'. Very little meat to actually get a temp reading on....you can always whack off the last rib for a taste test....should pull apart fairly easily if done. Just remember, if you keep opening it up to peek heats leaking out. Not sure if that's what you're doing...just throwing that out.

 

[thetiler]

They turned out great

Everyone loved them

I need to find out the temp issue

I did not open it to peek

Jason

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[jond36]

Made some Spare ribs today with my #1 and 1 ounce of foiled wood. 3-2-1 method using the wood only during the last hour. Turned out perfect. Finally, a set of ribs without over smoke flavor. Thanks for the help. - JD 

 

[grimm5577]

Jond, meats usually stop absorbing smoke around 140*. I imagine that last hour you used wood your meat was above 140*.

 

[jond36]

I had the same perception on it. I figured I would rather have no smoke than over smoke this round considering recent failures, but the last hour did create bark. I wish I had q-view for you. If you could imagine the ribs originally looked a light almost tan brown the other 5 hours, but in the 6th hour it browned very well. Not too dark and just a light smokey bark. My father-in-law, a professional chef, said they were cooked just right too.

I have constantly heard no need for smoke after the first hour or two, but I think this Smokin' it may be a whole 'nother can of worms.  

 

[spresso]

Hey Grimm,

the no smoke after the meat hit a certain degree theory has really been bunked. 

What happens is the wetter the meat the more smoke it absorbs.  So let's say you foil your ribs then unwrap it , it is usually very moist, thus very able to absorb smoke flavour.

Try this theory. I did.   You start with 2 pieces of meat , one you start wet and spritz every 20 minutes for 2 hours into the smoke,  the other you start dry , no wet rub etc... and do not spritz.  see after that which one has the heavier smoke flavour.  try it you will be surprised :-)

oh and Jason those ribs looked very nice!!

zed

 

[grimm5577]

Spresso, thanks for correcting me, I mixed it up.  the smoke ring usually stops around 140*.

 

[jond36]

yeah definitely no smoke ring :(

I tried to add a briquette once too get the ring, but it raised the temp too much in this smoker. (Or at least I thought it was the briquette at the time. I am still new to this smoker.)

 

[spresso]

Btw if you ask, the majority of the smoking experts will tell ya that there is no point smoking your meat after a while.  But I think the electric smokers especially these very efficient ones that keep the humidity level high add a considerable smoke flavour after the initial smoke period ends.... come to think of it some people complain of too much smoke in the Smokin-it,  might just be because of the added humidity and the extra water particles on the meat....

Man, can't wait to add the S3 to my outdoor kitchen. I'm almost finished working on the backyard................. now no grill either :-(.

I wonder if anyone has cooked with it at 90F and 100% humidity.....  which is what we get for a considerable time here by the lake.....

I'll be sure to report on the success/failure.............

Zed

 

[highgeargal]

ok guys....I tried my new smoker this weekend.  it's a master forge gas smoker.  I smoked a small pork roast and meatloaf.  it did ok but I ended up using

a whole 5 dollar bag of hickory chips.  when the smoke would quit I would add.  just seems like a lot of chips.  not sure if mabey I should use some chunks

instead.  I am really thinking about getting the electric Master Forge instead.  if I don't do that then I will hold out for a month or so and buy a Green Mountain

pellet smoker.  have read some good reviews on that one...gotta save some money for the 800 dollar purchase though.  really don't want pellet smoker but I want

something that is built more like a real bbq pit.  I tried to baste the meat this past weekend and you just about have to take the rack out to do that.  i doubt that

the electric version would be any better on the basting though. 

I read on the net that the pork needed to be 145 internal....NOT!!  it was still tough at 140...I had already smoked it about 3 hrs at that time-wrapped in foil.,..out of chips so

I turn the heat up a little and left it about another 1.5 hrs...still not tender...brought in in the house in the foil and put it in my crockpot still in the foil for about 1.5 hrs.

then it was so tender that I could not even cut it...lol

does anybody out there have a pit that you think would fit the bill for me?  I have looked and looked and that Green Mountain is about the only one that I think would

be a good fit.  I would like to have a Yoder too but they are too expensive for my blood....

thanks everyone!

Lynn

 

[jond36]

Sorry, can't help with the humidity tests. I am in a dry desert in socal. 30% humidity 115F. 

Thanks for the tidbits on the humidity info BTW. - JD

 

[grimm5577]

ok guys....I tried my new smoker this weekend.  it's a master forge gas smoker.  I smoked a small pork roast and meatloaf.  it did ok but I ended up using

a whole 5 dollar bag of hickory chips.  when the smoke would quit I would add.  just seems like a lot of chips.  not sure if mabey I should use some chunks

instead.  I am really thinking about getting the electric Master Forge instead.  if I don't do that then I will hold out for a month or so and buy a Green Mountain

pellet smoker.  have read some good reviews on that one...gotta save some money for the 800 dollar purchase though.  really don't want pellet smoker but I want

something that is built more like a real bbq pit.  I tried to baste the meat this past weekend and you just about have to take the rack out to do that.  i doubt that

the electric version would be any better on the basting though. 

I read on the net that the pork needed to be 145 internal....NOT!!  it was still tough at 140...I had already smoked it about 3 hrs at that time-wrapped in foil.,..out of chips so

I turn the heat up a little and left it about another 1.5 hrs...still not tender...brought in in the house in the foil and put it in my crockpot still in the foil for about 1.5 hrs.

then it was so tender that I could not even cut it...lol

does anybody out there have a pit that you think would fit the bill for me?  I have looked and looked and that Green Mountain is about the only one that I think would

be a good fit.  I would like to have a Yoder too but they are too expensive for my blood....

thanks everyone!

Lynn

You posted this in the smokin-it thread, why not look into a smokin-it?