# Droopys in the House!



## droopydrawers (Jun 4, 2007)

Hi All,

Displaced Yankee living just south of the Mason-Dixon outside of Baltimore. Stumbled upon this site and thought I would get in on the great eats I see here (sometimes I think I can smell it too).  Never tried smoking before but long time griller. Had the family get me an early Fathers Day gift so I got a 20" wide GOSM gasser to start, partially cuz of the things I read here. Wife also didnt like the idea of charcoal. Gotta choose your battles, right?. So I assembled yesterday, will season it today or tomorrow and do a first smoke Saturday.

So a couple ?

Looking for suggestions for the first smoke. Was thinking a brined, rubbed chicken or turkey to keep it simple but any thoughts are welcome.

Has anyone added air vents to the smaller GOSM's similar to the big block and is it worth it?

Also, since I do a lot of fresh water fishing, was wondering if anybody smokes whole fish, like LM-SM bass, crappies, rockfish etc and would suggest seasonings and techniques.

Thanks in advance!

Brian


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## triple b (Jun 4, 2007)

Welcome to SMF from your neighbour up north in Canada!
Ther's a lot of people here to help you.
They'll answer your question shortly.
I don't have a smoker like that myself,but someday.


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## domn8_ion (Jun 4, 2007)

Welcome to SMF. Do we really want to know why you call yourself "DroopyDrawers". Pulled pork is pretty simple if you've got the time. Poultry is very forgiving about temp spikes, but since you have a gasser, shouldn't be a problem. Heck, do both. Just have the chicken for dinner one day, and pulled pork the next.


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## peculiarmike (Jun 4, 2007)

Welcome!
A chicken or turkey would be the perfect starter smoke, hard to kill them and they are good.
Black bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, are toys, not for eating.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 Catch and release only so they are there to catch again in the future. I bass fish for money.
Crappie, walleye, rockfish, on the other hand, get introduced to hot grease and served with hushpuppies, fried taters and coleslaw. Never smoked any. Have had smoked rainbow trout, very tasty! They were gutted and smoked whole, skin pulled right off, meat was flaky and smoky good.


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## droopydrawers (Jun 4, 2007)

>Do we really want to know why you call yourself "DroopyDrawers". 

Sorry to say its nothing interesting, just something my Dad called me when I was a pup.

>Heck, do both. Just have the chicken for dinner one day, and pulled pork the next.

Good idea. Will also appeal to the wife since its another day she wont have to cook.

>both largemouth and smallmouth, are toys, not for eating.

The wife marinates these with some soy, fresh ginger and garlic and grills them. It isnt walleye, but its still very good, and worth the cleaning and scaling.


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## hank (Jun 4, 2007)

What you have to do is make up a brine first for the fish:
1/2 Kosher salt  to 1/2 Sugar
That is the standard brine, to this you can add what you like, I prefer the juice of a lemon, or dill, or both.
If the fish is small, the fillets are under 2 inches, keep it whole. Gut and clean, then I like to PARTIALLY cut the backbone from the inside to butterfly the fish. Put in brine for 2-3 hours remove, rinse off, dry and let air dry for at least 1 hour. A chemical reaction will take place, where you will notice small drops develop on the surface of the fish, at that point you can smoke.
Butterflying the fish exposed the large end of the fillet to the brine, on larger fish I would cut it into quarters. How about smoked salmon?????
I have an old fish curing and smoking book that I converted to a pdf file, if you would like a copy, just e-mail me, I don't do PM.
Offer goes to all here.


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## hank (Jun 4, 2007)

Forgot......

Keep the skin on, or it will fall apart in the smoker!


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## smokin for life (Jun 4, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF, I have the GOSM gasser with the one vent in the top. No problem. it works just fine the way it is. The only mod.I can think of would be a little smoke stack for the top, for when it rains. There was a thread on here, where some one used "elbow" that way  you could point it away from the wind. I'm sure you'll be getting a lot of help here.


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## hank (Jun 4, 2007)

Excellent Idea. I rained pretty hard yesterday, could have used that idea. It will be installed tomorrow, still raining pretty good here today.

Thanks...... Thinking about a cone or "V" top.....Home Depot Road Trip comin' up


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## hillbillysmoker (Jun 4, 2007)

Hey Droopy,  Welcome to the forum.  Hope you will feel free to share your adventures, ask questions, and to join right in.  Here is a link to my first smoke way back when.  It is easy.  It is quick and is still one of the family's favorites.

Bill

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43


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## wvsmokeman (Jun 4, 2007)

Welcome aboard the SMF Droopy!


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## cheech (Jun 4, 2007)

It is also a good idea to brush with some olive oil so that it does not stick to the grate.


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## droopydrawers (Jun 7, 2007)

Another question please. As was suggested, I think I am going to try both a brined/smoked chicken and a pork butt for my first smoke. What is the right order to put these in the smoker? Is there a problem with the meat on the higher shelf dripping on the lower? Thanks


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## virgo53 (Jun 7, 2007)

Place the bird lower than other meat, That way you won't have problems.
Mike


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## crewdawg52 (Jun 7, 2007)

Agree.  I dont know of anyone who likes raw yardbird juices dripping their butt.


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## shellbellc (Jun 7, 2007)

If you want them done at the same time, you'll need to start the shoulder a lot earlier than the bird.  Brine the chicken, rub the shoulder.  There are some good recipes out there for finishing sauce for pulled pork...NC style, while you have it fired up, throw a fatty and some scrapple in there.  You've never had better scrapple!  I will start to "melt" through the grates though so you need to put it on foil or something.  

Where in PA were you from? You might be below the Mason Dixon line, but most people from the deep south would still consider you a yank!


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## droopydrawers (Jun 8, 2007)

Thanks for the advice. THe bird will be for dinner Sat and we will pull the pork for dinner on Sunday.

>Where in PA were you from? You might be below the Mason Dixon line, but most people from the deep south would still consider you a yank!

I grew up in NE PA, betwn Scranton & Wilkesbarre. Coal country.


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## deejaydebi (Jun 8, 2007)

Welcome Droopy

I like to move my birds to the top shelf just before there done it's hotter at the top.

PS my Dad used to call me that to.


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## up in smoke (Jun 8, 2007)

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m a displaced southern boy living in Pittsburgh, I was  raised in Catonsville, seven miles west of Baltimore! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






p.s. and I still warsh my car and miss the state of Marelin!

Welcome!


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## tonto1117 (Jun 8, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF droopydrawers
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 Sounds like everyone has you well on your way to a great first smoke. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	







Too funny Carl....had to read " Marelin" two times to get it


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## droopydrawers (Jun 11, 2007)

Warning, long post. Hello again. Now for the first smoke report. I got a shoulder picnic and a couple small chickens from BJs. Saturday night I brined one chix using DeeJays recipe and trimmed the pork to what I thought was about 1/4" fat cap. Then added Meowy's rub, wrapped in plastic and refriged o/n. Sunday. First mistake was not allowing more time for the pork to warm up out of the refrig. Set the smoker up with 50/50 hickory and mesquite chips and got the temp to ~230 and the pork went in at 9:30am. Pork was 50 deg. The chix was rinsed, dryed and then sprinkled with Old Bay. Went in the smoker at about 2pm. When the chix was 140 and pork 155, I stopped the chips. Took the chix off at about 5 pm, 168 deg and let it sit with my daughter guarding it from the cats. The pork was still at 170 at 7pm, so I finished it in the oven at 250 deg. and let it rest about an hour. Easily shredded it and added Jeffs finishing sauce and into the frig for dinner tonight. Meanwhile, we ate 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






. The chix was to die for, especially the dark meat. Great smokey flavor and moist as ...well u know. Since my wife was still at work, had to beat the kids off some so there was some left for her. We have yet to truely try the pork since it was so late but it was very moist and tender. Kids were picking at it till they went to bed. 
So overall I give myself a C+. Other mistakes I made were not believing it could take 12 hrs for the pork, probably leaving too much fat on the pork, not using enough rub on the pork, letting the chips catch fire once, and the biggest was not making sure my wife was home when we ate the first real Q. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 Overall, the GOSM gasser worked well. Heated very fast and started smoking within 5'. THe wind picked up in the afternoon and I had some problems with a steady temp then. It did seem that the chips went fast. I could only see visible smoke for about 45' tops per box. Is this normal? Would soaking or larger chunks help? But, since my daughter asked why I hadnt gotten a smoker sooner, it was still a success. Next weekend, its ribs. Any constructive advice very much welcome and thanks to all. Pictures show before and after.


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## hawgheaven (Jun 11, 2007)

Lookin' good Droopy! I can smell that Q from here!


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## ron50 (Jun 11, 2007)

Hey I think you are way too hard on yourself with that C+. Looks like you did a fine job, you have some nice bark on that pork and if the kids liked it that much you have to count that a big success; I know I do in my house.

I think you'll have better lucks with the chunks instead of the chips. I remember reading that for long smokes like a butt, use the chunks and for short smokes you can use the chips. I soak mine for awhile but some do it for 30 mins and others don't soak at all. Whatever works, experiment.

I just did my first ribs yesterday, used a couple fist sized pieces of apple and hickory and when I removed them sevral hours later there was still wood left.

Good luck with those ribs, they are going to be good.


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## virgo53 (Jun 11, 2007)

I agree that you are way to hard on yourself with the C+,,,  

The way it looks and the reception from Family require an upgrade!!

A- Maybe??

Mike


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## droopydrawers (Jun 11, 2007)

<I agree that you are way to hard on yourself with the C+,,,  

Well thanks for the kind words. The C+ is a composite score. I would have scored higher based on taste alone 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 but the darn technical half brought me down


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## t-bone tim (Jun 11, 2007)

Welcome aboard SMF,and a big hello from Canada eh !


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## deejaydebi (Jun 12, 2007)

C+ ? You had to pummel the kids to save some bird for the wife and it's a C+ ?

Are you a teacher?

Sometimes chips catch fire, a thin edge might ignite and get it going, that's not necessarily anything you can control. Just keep a spray bottle handy no biggie! Sometimes a drip of grease drips in the wrong place at the right time ...


Sometimes it's really hard to see the smoke when your doing it right. You really have to have something dark to look through to see the "thin blue smoke." If you are smelling it so isn't the food.

I for one think you did a really fine job!


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## droopydrawers (Jun 12, 2007)

Ok Ill adjust my grade to a B-. We had pork BBQ sandwiches tonight and they were very good. Could have been a little more spicy but the kids asked to take it for lunch so it was pretty good. Of course my kids are unusual in that those 2 will eat just about anything if they can get a fork in it. Even veggies. Cant wait to do some smoked stuffed zucchini.  Thanks again everyone.


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## deejaydebi (Jun 12, 2007)

Droopy -

Cajunsmoker has a recipe around here someplace for stuffed zucchini did you see it? It's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!


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## coleysmokinbbq (Jun 13, 2007)

Welcome to SMF Droopy! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 ...And...a Hearty Hello from WAY south of the Mason-Dixon Line!  Congratulations on your new GOSM too!


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## ron50 (Jun 13, 2007)

ROTFLMAO

If the kids asked for it as leftovers it's a definite A.

I aked my daughter if she wanted some leftover ribs for dinner the other (she never eats leftovers) and after she said yes the first words out of her mouth were , "Can I have some of those baked beans with it too! (Dutch's recipe)"


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## deejaydebi (Jun 14, 2007)

What is it with these kids and leftovers?


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## droopydrawers (Jun 14, 2007)

They probably realize it wont take 8 hours before they can eat!


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