# New Smoking Apprentice



## nicklynn1 (Jan 5, 2015)

I am 50 years old, Christian, have three kids, live in Michigan, married for 30 years, and we are recent empty nesters.  A friend of mine recently shared his recipe for smoked venison sausage and it turned out fantastic.  It was so good…I had to buy my own smoker and associated tools.  Bought a MES 30" with digital control and one for my son for Christmas so we can have some fun.  It is now seasoned and ready for use.  Time to decide on the first project.  Any suggestions?  Is there a standard recipe form which captures all smoking/cooking parameters?  Looking forward to some good eats and lessons from the team.


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## gary s (Jan 5, 2015)

*Good evening and welcome to the forum, from a cold day here in East Texas. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything. *

*Gary*


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## wolfman1955 (Jan 5, 2015)

nicklynn1,

Welcome, from southern Ohio, to the best forum on the internet if you are looking to learn how to BBQ/smoke/brine/cure/inject. Well you get the picture if you can do it to something you put on a plate to eat then someone here has probably done it then smoked it.

Use the search bar at the top of the page and you will be led to the answer to most every question you can think of. If you don't find the answer there then just post it and someone will chime in with their opinion on the subject.

Always remember the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask!!
GO BUCKS!!
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf


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## themule69 (Jan 6, 2015)

Glad you joined the group. The search bar at the top of any page is your best friend.
About anything you wanna know about smoking/grilling/curing/brining/cutting or slicing
and the list goes on has probably been posted. Remember to post a QVIEW of your smokes.
We are all smoke junkies here and we have to get our fix. If you have questions
Post it and you will probably get 10 replies with 11 different answers. That is
because their are so many different ways to make great Q...
Happy smoken.
David


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## gary s (Jan 6, 2015)

Try out some chicken and sausage its cheap, and will lit you get familiar with your smoker before you jump in there on a long smoke

Gary


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## timberjet (Jan 6, 2015)

Welcome. Jeff, the owner and founder of this site has a free 5 day E-course you can take. I highly recommend it to brand new smokers. It will give you the basics you need to make great  Q every time.


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## nicklynn1 (Jan 6, 2015)

Thanks for the 5 day training heads up.  Chicken it is.  I also have a family Hungarian sausage recipe that has not been smoked, to my knowledge, which soon will be.....


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## timberjet (Jan 6, 2015)

Ok now you got me hooked. Whole bird or parts? Do tell.


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## timberjet (Jan 6, 2015)

nicklynn1 said:


> Thanks for the 5 day training heads up.  Chicken it is.  I also have a family Hungarian sausage recipe that has not been smoked, to my knowledge, which soon will be.....


You get a newsletter too. With an awesome recipe every month, sometimes twice a month. I look foreword to it to give me ideas. I find myself doing the same old things way too much. Have you ever spatchcocked a chicken before? you could surprise and amaze your family with a presentation that they have never seen before. Maybe.


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## nicklynn1 (Jan 7, 2015)

Not sure I follow the whole bird or parts question.  The Hungarian sausage is pork sausage...I didn't say pork sausage sorry.  What is spatchcocked chicken?


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## timberjet (Jan 7, 2015)

nicklynn1 said:


> Not sure I follow the whole bird or parts question.  The Hungarian sausage is pork sausage...I didn't say pork sausage sorry.  What is spatchcocked chicken?


Is it a whole chicken or are you doing Breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings??? http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/158055/spatchcocked-chicken-the-art


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## wade (Jan 8, 2015)

This may also help when preparing the chicken itself


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## bbq pit vulture (Jan 8, 2015)

You Tube is another good source for BBQ


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## brazosbrian (Jan 8, 2015)

Spatchcock Chicken:  The only thing that I don't like about cutting down either side of the backbone is that it quickly either wears out, or loosens up, cheap kitchen shears.  I got some of these _quality kitchen shears_ and they last and last.  Also, per Gary Wiviott, I do like to break the joint between the drumstick and thigh prior to cooking.  This allows you to arrange the drumsticks so they can stay closer to the torso, and also makes it easier to cut them apart after the chicken is cooked.

OK ...now PM those venison and Hungarian sausage recipes to me!  Don't be teasin' the fat man with hints of good eats!!

Welcome aboard!

Brian


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## gary s (Jan 8, 2015)

You have to careful on YouTube  some of the things on there are not good or safe.  On lady doing chicken who loads her gas smoker up with charcoal and wood chunks then peels off the coal black skin because it taste funny.

Gary


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## timberjet (Jan 8, 2015)

gary s said:


> You have to careful on YouTube  some of the things on there are not good or safe.  On lady doing chicken who loads her gas smoker up with charcoal and wood chunks then peels off the coal black skin because it taste funny.
> 
> Gary


That is funny. I commented on that video when she put it out on her channel. She joined SMF that same day and saw the error in her ways. Hahahahaha...... It's a good one.


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## bbq pit vulture (Jan 8, 2015)

That's not burnt that's Cajun blackened.

Yes, you are correct, you have to pick and choose.  

These are a few of the You Tube channels I like.

T Roy Cooks

Ballistic BBQ

BBQ Pit Boys

Smoking pit.com


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## bean vog (Jan 9, 2015)

How about posting the venison sausage recipe you  commented about.


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## gary s (Jan 9, 2015)

And pictures !!

Gary


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## link (Jan 9, 2015)

Welcome to the forum. Lots of good information here and if you do not see something just ask and someone (or many someones) will give you their suggestions.

Also if you go to the Groups button at the top there is a Michigan smokers group you can join if you want to.

Enjoy


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## gary s (Jan 9, 2015)

Start out simple then expand, Easy stuff first then a little harder. After your there, start experimenting with flavors on what you and your family like best.

You'll be dolling out information in no time

Gary


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## offshore ginger (Jan 11, 2015)

link said:


> Welcome to the forum. Lots of good information here and if you do not see something just ask and someone (or many someones) will give you their suggestions.
> 
> Also if you go to the Groups button at the top there is a Michigan smokers group you can join if you want to.
> 
> Enjoy


Very interesting  and are you a member of the Mich Smokers group ?


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## todbnla (Jan 11, 2015)

*Welcome to the addiction! *









*Grill on w/smoke*


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## smoked alaskan (Jan 11, 2015)

What Ben said 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





    Would love to see that recipe !  Have my first summer sausages in smoker now but don'y own a grinder or stuffer yet so had a friend prep it for me.  Looking forward to getting my own equipment and going ballistic on sausages.


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## link (Jan 11, 2015)

OFFSHORE GINGER said:


> Very interesting  and are you a member of the Mich Smokers group ?


Yes, I am.


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## nicklynn1 (Jan 24, 2015)

Been out of town.  Trying the spatchcock chickens tomorrow.  Should be good.  Now I need to do some research on time/temperature profile.  Thanks.


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## gary s (Jan 24, 2015)

We will be watching

gary


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## nicklynn1 (Jan 24, 2015)

Going to use 50/50 mix of mesquite and hickory with a lemon pepper rub on one and tony cachere's on the other.  Found Jeff's time/temp chart.  Good stuff.  I'll try to post the venison sausage recipe in the next few days.


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## nicklynn1 (Jan 24, 2015)

Don't think so.  How do you join?


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## covertaire (May 28, 2016)

Today is my first time firing up and using my BGE. 6 HOURS in to it.....smoking the 3-2-1 method....the smells are AMAZING......cannot wait to eat!! Baby back ribs btw.


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## gr0uch0 (May 29, 2016)

Looks like he went Defcon 5 when asked for trade secrets, boys....


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## wa0auu (May 30, 2016)

HI from a smoker in north east iowa.  Just take your time, smoking goes slow just don't try to rush it.  Be sure to give yourself plenty of time.   As you can see we put a rotisserie in ours !  you may e













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__ wa0auu
__ Nov 10, 2015





   You may email me direct at     [email protected]


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## smoke n brew (May 31, 2016)

Other than low and slow there isn't really a "recipe." Rubs are a very personal thing; some people like to use a lot of black pepper for their briskets and use less black pepper on ribs and chicken, and some people use one rub for everything. Some of us brine before we smoke, and some of us don't. If you enjoy chicken ( which is probably the least expensive of all the meat you might want to smoke), make a 1-1-1-brine. One cup sugar, one cup salt, and one gallon water is a standard brine ratio for both chickens and turkeys, and once again there is not a recipe, but a ratio. The recipe happens when you add a flavoring to your brine, onion, garlic, bay leaf, etc.

     If you go to Alton Brown on the Food Network you will see he has a ratio based dry rub "recipe". Look at the ingredients see if you like all of the flavors in it, then give it a try his way and next time make it your own my using your own recipe..

     There are lots of pre-made rubs available at the grocery store and hundreds available online; they are often not cheap and usually  have salt as the primary ingredient. I have a semi-local store where I can buy all of my spices in small quantities. The killer with making rubs is, if you don't already have most of the spices in your pantry then the pre-packaged spices can add up dollar wise.


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## balcy (May 31, 2016)

I just did my first attempt at smoking a bone-in pork butt. I got 2 on sale for .99/lb, one for now and one to freeze for later. Both were just under 8 lbs. I fired up the nearly new to me MES 30 1st gen and while it heated up mixed up the spices from Jeff's famous recipe {yes, that was a plug!). I followed his instructions using yellow mustard as the holding agent. Once the butt was covered in rub, I inserted the Maverick 733 temp probe. For smoke I used the recommended AMNPS loaded with their hickory pellets. I got a late start (2 PM) but planned on being at it until midnight or so. Temp was set in the 245F range. For 3 hrs the butt registered LLL on the Maverick then started to slowly climb. At about 5 PM I noticed there was no smoke visible so I opened the door and saw all the pellets were turned to ash. Hmmm? I thought it was supposed to last longer than 3 hrs? I reloaded and lit it and closed the door. At 8 PM the butt stuck at 149F and stayed there until 11 PM so I turned up the smoker heat to 275F. It quickly went up to 159F and stuck again for several more hours. At 3 AM I turned up the heat again to 290F and the butt slowly raised to 190F. At 6 AM, a full 16 hrs after starting, I was done even if the butt wasn't. I took it out of the smoker and pulled the bone out by hand. That was a good sign. Using 2 table forks I pulled it apart for a quick cool down in the refrigerator. Dinner would be later after getting some much needed sleep.

I left the pulled pork covered in foil and put it in the over to reheat for 30 minutes. The pork butt was excellent! It was tender, juicy and the bark was addicting to eat. How could something that looks burnt taste go good? Yes, I wholeheartedly recommend Jeff's rub. The hickory taste was there even though it only smoked for about 3 hrs. total. When I opened the door at 6 AM I saw the hickory pellets had gone out the second time. Here is a photo I took just before taking it out of the smoker:













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__ balcy
__ May 31, 2016






I learned some things for next time. One is I put the fat side down and didn't score it. It pulled off when I took the butt off the rack. Second, I will try starting at a higher temperature next time to cut down on the smoke time. I think the issues with the AMNPS was I used my gas kitchen stove to light it and may have lit 2 rows at once and obviously didn't light it well enough the second time. I really need to use a torch! All in all it was a success!.


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## cflbob (Jun 2, 2016)

They are a beautiful thing when you pull them out of the smoker, aren't they? 

When I smoke a butt, I rub it the night before and put it in the refrigerator.  The morning dance is to take it out of the fridge so it can warm up a bit, then get the smoker ready and warming up (also a 30" MES, but the one with the controller on the top in the back).  Once the smoker is at temp, I put the butt in the smoker.  The butt barely warms up at all before hitting the smoker.  A few weeks ago, I did a bone-in "picnic", which is like a Boston Butt in being a shoulder, but has some of the upper arm.  Also around 8 pounds, if I recall.  It was done within 11 hours.

But a bow to your toughness for sitting up all night with the smoker, though.  With my wife, when I tell her I'm going to smoke something, she expects it to be done by Her Dinner Time, and it's up to me to start it in time.  If I were to do a big brisket, I'll probably need to start it at midnight so I could smoke it 'til the next night at 6.

This Monday, I did a small brisket flat.  It was under 5 pounds, so I figured it would take five or six hours.  Had it in the smoker by 6:45 in the morning and figured it would be done by 1.  No such luck.  Even though it was only a 4.5 lb. flat, it took until 5:30 PM for the temp to get over 203 Internal Temp.  Let it rest for an hour and it came out great. 

Bob


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