# Smoke Hollow



## shorty (Apr 16, 2007)

Hello all,
            My kids just bought me a smoker from Gander Mountain. It is a smoke Hollow Brand, it looks alot like the GOSM that everyone here is talking about. I just got done putting it together. What is the next step and what would be easy to try and smoke for my first attempt. I have smoked salmon when I lived in Alsaka but that was a long time ago with a little chief smoker.


----------



## smokin stang (Apr 16, 2007)

Shorty,
     I would season it with lard or cooking oil first then I would throw some chicken halves on.  Check the temp with a gauge other than the one on the door because mine burned way to hot.


----------



## salmonclubber (Apr 16, 2007)

shorty

that is a awesome looking smoker i want the 38 inch smoken vault made by smoke hollow i would spray the inside with pam cooking oil and put a pan of wood in and let it burn this will season the smoker and as smokenstang said check internal temp of the smoker set at 225 and put in a couple chicken halves in and smoke chicken until it reaches 170 internal temp in the breast have fun and enjoy your new smoker
huey


----------



## shorty (Apr 18, 2007)

I am seasoning the smoker now I am haveing trouble with maintaining the temp at the 225 range. iwas thinking of drilling an extra vent clost to the bottom to promote better air flow, would this be a good Idea or is there a better way to get air flow. I would like to try to do my first smoke on friday night. most likely chicken quarters does anyone have any good suggestions for me as far as brining or rubs for chicken.


----------



## smokin stang (Apr 18, 2007)

Shorty,
     Did you check the internal temperature with another thermometer other than the one on the door?  I would do this first before I cut up my smoker, then smoke some quarters until the internal temp of the chicken reached 165 or so.  Don't panic if you can't keep the temp at 225.  You can cook those halves at a hotter temp such as above 250 and they will turn out ok with crispier skin.  Just watch the internal temperature.  Remember, this is your first smoke with the Smoke Hollow.


----------



## shorty (Apr 18, 2007)

Stang,
          I checked the internal temp with a meat probe thermometer and it read about 100 degrees difference than my smoker temp gauge. I stuck the probe thru a bun to keep it off the grateing to try and get a better reading so my temp gauge read 210 and the probe read 317 which means I would have to maintain a temp of 115 on my smoker gauge to smlke with a long slow smoke if doing ribs or bisket. Am I figuring this right. or should I go by my temp gauge.


----------



## deejaydebi (Apr 18, 2007)

Shoty -

Did you check the calibration of the thermomter first? Stick it in a cup of boiling water shold read 212F.


----------



## oar (Apr 18, 2007)

I too have a Smoke Hollow.  My Temp gauge is way off meaning the unit runs hotter than it says it does. Also, even at its lowest setting I cannot get it down to an acceptable temp.  I turn the valve almost off on the LP tank.  This helped.  For seasoning, I just ran the smoker til it did not smell of sprayings they put on it.  Can someone help me with the link for modifying the LP valve?  I can't find it.


----------



## smokin stang (Apr 18, 2007)

Shorty,
     I have two taylor digital thermometers which I use one for the chamber temperature and the other one for the internal temperature of the meat.


----------



## deejaydebi (Apr 18, 2007)

Nice Smoker Shorty!

Is the thermometer adjustable? Both mine hae the little nut on the back to calibrate them just like a regular dial thermometer.

Even if/when you calibrate the thermometer I'd keep a dial or a digital in there as well - just to be sure. But check them against boiling water at least. I've bought meat therometers hat needed to be calibrated up front too.


----------



## shorty (Apr 19, 2007)

Hi Miss Debi,
I checked the thermomters tonight in boiling water. My pyrex professional read 206* {that is my digital} my other meat thermomter read 210* in boiling water. Then just for my curiosityI took the gauge off my smoker and stuck it in the boiling water and it read 200. So my question is These should be my accurate readings correct? I hope I am not being a pain but I want to make sure I am doing everything as close to right as I can get being a newbie.


----------



## smokin stang (Apr 19, 2007)

Good Point Debbie!  I forgot to tell shorty to calibrate his thermometers in boiling water first.


----------



## deejaydebi (Apr 20, 2007)

Well Shoty -

There only off a tad so they should be reliable. Check them every now and again they do go bad.

Alway use more than one to be sure! Good luck hon!


----------



## shorty (Apr 23, 2007)

Here is my first attempt at smoking, I believe I got the smoker to hot I miss calculated when I made my adjustments for the amount of degrees my gauge is off and I had everything to hot and they did not get enough smoke, but they are nice and moist with some smoke flavor the fatty has very little smoke flavor. Let me know what you think.


----------



## bbq bubba (Apr 23, 2007)

i just realized u had 2 post's going on the same chx, but i'm curious... what kind of wood did u use? 
like i said on the other post, it sure looks good!!!


----------



## deejaydebi (Apr 23, 2007)

You did good Shorty!


----------

