# Quick slow cooks



## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Let's say I only have a few hours to try out my smoker...Is there anything I can I cook that wouldn't take 6+ hours...ideally just under 4? 

Thanks in advance
Charlotte


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## atomicsmoke (May 5, 2018)

Chicken, small piece of butt, wings.


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## phatbac (May 5, 2018)

I usually cook chicken in about 2-2.5 hours. I usually smoke 250-275 though. What kind of smoker are you using? If you have grill handy you can reverse sear some burgers or steak.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## normanaj (May 5, 2018)

Pork loin isn't a bad way to go.


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## phatbac (May 5, 2018)

normanaj said:


> Pork loin isn't a bad way to go.


I agree but when I smoke a loin I inject because they are so lean. It's cheap and makes a good supper!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## gmc2003 (May 5, 2018)

Meat loaf or a fattie.

Chris


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## bdskelly (May 5, 2018)

Chicken wings. An easy smoke.  250 2.5 hours and you are done


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

ABT's or some loaded beer can burgers.


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## atomicsmoke (May 5, 2018)

normanaj said:


> Pork loin isn't a bad way to go.


Is best if you brine it first.


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## SmokinAl (May 5, 2018)

Well you sure got a lot of different choices, so what ever you decide on, just remember to take some photo's!
Al


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Sorry guys had a crazy day....

but ended up bringing a variety of meat home and I think I've settled on spatchcock chicken and drumsticks.

They are all marinaded and ready to go but I'm feeling a little out of my depth now and wish I would of waited.

I've got my coals in and my wood chunks which are burning up a fair bit (hope that's supposed to happen haha) temp is 200F has been for a bit now...what temp do I need to be at? And can i just wack my chick on yet? :/ sorry I'm an amateur I have read loads and watched a million videos but nerves are getting the better of me and my brains drawing a blank o_O


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

phatbac said:


> I usually cook chicken in about 2-2.5 hours. I usually smoke 250-275 though. What kind of smoker are you using? If you have grill handy you can reverse sear some burgers or steak.
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)



Thanks Aaron... I'm only at 200F do I need to get temp up? I'm doing spatchcock and drumsticks on a Jumbuck duel fuel (it's like the char-griller duo). I havent put my chicken on yet as it's my first proper smoke I'm so nervous!


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## phatbac (May 5, 2018)

Let em get to 225 and you can slide your bird right on the smoker. Just relax smoking is something you should enjoy don't stress! Check the IT at about 1:45 mark and every 30 minutes till 165 at the breast 170 at the thigh. You got this!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

phatbac said:


> Let em get to 225 and you can slide your bird right on the smoker. Just relax smoking is something you should enjoy don't stress! Check the IT at about 1:45 mark and every 30 minutes till 165 at the breast 170 at the thigh. You got this!
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)


Bless you Aaron you are a life saver!
I'm gonna try and get it up a bit then, and then stick em on. 

Then I'm gonna grab a cider and try to chill out haha
Thanks again, really appreciate it! 
Charlotte


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## SmokinAl (May 5, 2018)

Good luck Charlotte, it gets easier each time.
Before long you will be the one helping out the newbies!
Al


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

I'm dying to peek under the hood but I heard 'If you lookin, you ain't cookin' haha I can probe in 50 mins so I'll get a quick look then :D


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## normanaj (May 5, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> I'm dying to peek under the hood but I heard 'If you lookin, you ain't cookin' haha I can probe in 50 mins so I'll get a quick look then :D


 
50 mins is more than enough time for a cider!


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Isn't it just...


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## Rings Я Us (May 5, 2018)

:cool:

You can keep your temps regulated well?  Hope it goes ok..  I usually grill my chicken after smoking them.  just a few minutes right before they reach done temps...
Enjoy!


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Breasts






Thighs 






Getting there...shouldn't be too long hopefully


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Temperature dropped for a while and it's taken me ages to get it back up...i was ready to throw the towel in but I'm not giving in. 

Back up to 220F now not sure if this chicken will still be edible but I'm gonna cook the beggar either way!


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

The thing about cooking this way is it is almost always an exercise in patience. Never give up! Sometimes you will learn more from failures than from success.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

oddegan said:


> The thing about cooking this way is it is almost always an exercise in patience. Never give up! Sometimes you will learn more from failures than from success.


Thanks oddegan for your kind words...
I'll sit out here all night if I have to...I'm literally sitting out in the dark with the torch on my phone :D  I don't doubt for a second this is a huge learning curve


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

You are living up to your handle! I'm thinking the time difference is six hours.  So maybe it's a little late there. Great food is worth it. You've got this! It will be awesome!


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

oddegan said:


> You are living up to your handle! I'm thinking the time difference is six hours.  So maybe it's a little late there. Great food is worth it. You've got this! It will be awesome!


Yep it's 11.04pm here and I'm running on cider! Haha but like you said it will be worth it


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> I'm running on cider!


Bwahahahaha!


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## normanaj (May 5, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> Yep it's 11.04pm here and I'm running on cider! Haha but like you said it will be worth it



Always is.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Breasts are done... is it just a case of waiting on the thighs and will my breasts dry out?


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

Skin on you should be alright.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

So I can take it off now??? Eeeek! That is excitement exploding from within


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Oh no I think I misread you meant the breasts will be alright :( haha bad times


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

I shall continue to wait :rolleyes:
I never thought I'd be rooting through my box at this hour for a smaller piece of wood to finish the job :D


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## pc farmer (May 5, 2018)

If the breasts are done, pull them off.  Looks like your doing a great job.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 5, 2018)

Looks and smells the part...














It's 2.40am now so I'm going to have a quick taste then it's straight to bed for me. 

I will update more tomorrow on my thoughts and findings. Thank you to everyone who helped me through my stressful first smoke and sorry I didn't get chance to reply to you all individually but you all know who you are.


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## bdskelly (May 5, 2018)

Nicely done Charlotte. Like! B


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## oddegan (May 5, 2018)

Looks pretty great to me. Good job! Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Remember the next time will be much easier now that you now more what to expect.


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## atomicsmoke (May 5, 2018)

Good job. 

I did a chicken too today. Just grilled not smoked.

Next time you are in a crunch remove the breast bone and ribs. Cooks faster.


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## Braz (May 6, 2018)

Looks really good from here. Congratulations.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 6, 2018)

Thanks guys :D I'm happy with it as a first attempt but of course there's always room for improvement...

My findings were that...
it was juicy and tender. The smoke taste was a little on the strong side for my liking...on the skin anyways (I used oak fist sized chunks about 7 in total unsoaked). My wood gave off a very strong offensive white smoke until it had burned for a while? Temp kept dropping to 200F vents no longer helping and I realised I was running low on coals (weber briquettes) wasn't prepared but I just kept pushing the remaining hot coals over to the left closer to pit adding extra coals on the right sometimes using wood to ignite them as they weren't catching quick enough. It was really late and I hadn't got a clue what I was supposed to be doing so just tried to think logically about it and just hoped I was doing the right thing. Also noticed a lot of ash below the fire grate. Skin wasn't fully crispy felt a bit synthetic.

I started with 3/4 weber chimney full was that enough, should I have added more at the start or after a while? 
How often should I have added the wood it seemed I used a lot by the end?
Should I soak the wood first?
Should I aim for a higher temp? 
Should I switch to lump wood or modify fire box to avoid the ash problem?

These are the things I have been thinking about doing differently next time... but first if its not too much trouble I would love sone feedback/advice.

P.S there was very little wind during my whole smoking session.

P.P.S sorry for the essay and the late update had a very busy day again.

Thanks in advance 
Charlotte


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 6, 2018)

atomicsmoke said:


> Good job.
> 
> I did a chicken too today. Just grilled not smoked.
> 
> Next time you are in a crunch remove the breast bone and ribs. Cooks faster.


Genius idea! I'm gonna need a better knife :) haha


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## gmc2003 (May 7, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> it was juicy and tender. The smoke taste was a little on the strong side for my liking...on the skin anyways (I used oak fist sized chunks about 7 in total unsoaked). My wood gave off a very strong offensive white smoke until it had burned for a while? Temp kept dropping to 200F vents no longer helping and I realised I was running low on coals (weber briquettes) wasn't prepared but I just kept pushing the remaining hot coals over to the left closer to pit adding extra coals on the right sometimes using wood to ignite them as they weren't catching quick enough. It was really late and I hadn't got a clue what I was supposed to be doing so just tried to think logically about it and just hoped I was doing the right thing. Also noticed a lot of ash below the fire grate. Skin wasn't fully crispy felt a bit synthetic.
> 
> I started with 3/4 weber chimney full was that enough, should I have added more at the start or after a while?
> How often should I have added the wood it seemed I used a lot by the end?
> ...



Seven chunks seems a little excessive to me. Poultry takes on smoke rather quickly. I usually use one maybe two good sized chunks. You'll figure out the level of smokiness that you like.

I can't remember which smoker your using so I can't say how much charcoal. In my WSM I fill the charcoal ring up completely and only add about 8 lit coals for a low and slow smoke. I'll leave all my vents open until the smoker comes up to about ten degrees above the temp I'm looking for. With poultry I'll start with about 3/4 of a chimney full of lit coals. Then I'll adjust the lower vents until it stabilizes. Do not soak your wood. Chicken can be done at lower or higher temps. Some cook at lower temps and broil or sear on a grill towards the end to crisp up the skin. I cook chicken at a higher temp usually around 325 so no searing required. Switching to lump will get you a hotter smoker. Some people make charcoal baskets out of expanded metal to help control ash and temps.

Good luck and keep on smoking.

Chris


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## phatbac (May 7, 2018)

I think you did very well your first time out. if you get to 154 degrees IT or even 145 and you want throw that bird on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes and crisp your skin and maybe add some sauce if you like and then be done! Also i like to smoke above 220 (250-275) but if you like the really low and slow then have at it. 
Sounds like you enjoyed it. i know i smoke early in the morning (5am) so i have a few led lights you can buy for your smoker/grill for my patio and i use my phone to jam to some music. you will find your groove with your smoking and you will become as knowledgeable as you are obsessed with it as the rest of us are!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## Bearcarver (May 7, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> Looks and smells the part...
> View attachment 362782
> View attachment 362784
> View attachment 362786
> ...




That Looks Beautiful !!:)
Looks like you've been doing this for years!!
Like

Bear


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 7, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Seven chunks seems a little excessive to me. Poultry takes on smoke rather quickly. I usually use one maybe two good sized chunks. You'll figure out the level of smokiness that you like.
> 
> I can't remember which smoker your using so I can't say how much charcoal. In my WSM I fill the charcoal ring up completely and only add about 8 lit coals for a low and slow smoke. I'll leave all my vents open until the smoker comes up to about ten degrees above the temp I'm looking for. With poultry I'll start with about 3/4 of a chimney full of lit coals. Then I'll adjust the lower vents until it stabilizes. Do not soak your wood. Chicken can be done at lower or higher temps. Some cook at lower temps and broil or sear on a grill towards the end to crisp up the skin. I cook chicken at a higher temp usually around 325 so no searing required. Switching to lump will get you a hotter smoker. Some people make charcoal baskets out of expanded metal to help control ash and temps.
> 
> ...


Sorry for the late reply and thank you so much for taking the time to reply in depth...

Yeah I thought it was an excessive amount too...it still tasted nice and like you said I think I'll get used to my own taste. I think it was mainly the skin. I did another smoke today (lamb) turned out great and only used 2 chunks of wood but I used a full chimney of coal this time and found out my hood temp was out by 50F so guess that could of also been my problem... I thought I was at 220F when I was actually lower. I have a Jumbuck duel fuel with offset smoker.

Thanks again for the advice really appreciate it :)


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 7, 2018)

phatbac said:


> I think you did very well your first time out. if you get to 154 degrees IT or even 145 and you want throw that bird on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes and crisp your skin and maybe add some sauce if you like and then be done! Also i like to smoke above 220 (250-275) but if you like the really low and slow then have at it.
> Sounds like you enjoyed it. i know i smoke early in the morning (5am) so i have a few led lights you can buy for your smoker/grill for my patio and i use my phone to jam to some music. you will find your groove with your smoking and you will become as knowledgeable as you are obsessed with it as the rest of us are!
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)



Hi again Aaron,
I think I found out the problem my hood temp was out by 50F when I compared with my probe on there. So I wasn't actually cooking at the 220F I thought I was. I was up at 5am today doing lamb and it went better because I used my probe to monitor both pit and IT...i also started with a full chimney of coal today and only had to use 2 chunks of wood. I still enjoyed the chicken anyway and have probably learned more this way.

The lights sound like a great idea...as well as the music! 

I'm already feeling more positive about it now, it's all starting to make more sense to me, so I could possibly be getting the hang of it. I'll still need help and prob mess thing's up but hey that's why we're all here :)

Thanks for the help the other night and for this reply also :)

Charlotte


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 7, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> That Looks Beautiful !!:)
> Looks like you've been doing this for years!!
> Like
> 
> Bear


Thank you Bear, haha I wished, but I do feel like I could be getting the hang of it now :)


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## Geebs (May 7, 2018)

For your first smoke I would say it looks pretty successful!


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## CharlotteLovesFood (May 7, 2018)

Geebs said:


> For your first smoke I would say it looks pretty successful!


Awww thanks Geebz...

Me too, it was thoroughly cooked, I ate It, enjoyed it and have lived to tell the tale that's a success in my book :D


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