# Sealing my smoker



## kid bwapo

Hey guys

I'm brand new to the forum and pretty new to smoking so could use some expert advice from y'all.

I have a Landmann Kentucky Offset which was used to reasonable effect last year with a couple of key issues:

1) It seems to leak smoke and some heat. Can I seal it to prevent both from occurring or to make it more efficient?

2) I managed some nice ribs and brisket last year but they weren't as juicy as I would like. Is that because of 1 above?

Best

KB


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## martyn c

Kid Welcome,

I too am fairly new to smoking and the forums, there are some great guys on here who give good advice.

I found my weber also leaked so I  bought some sealant , here's a link for some http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Island-Out...r-Pit-Gaskets-Seals-/_i.html?_fsub=4081490013

With regards to the ribs not being too juicey were you basting them enough through the cooking process ?

Martyn


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## kid bwapo

Hi Martin

I probably didn't baste them enough as I was worried about losing too much heat from the smoker. How often should I baste and, I assume, I'll need to do the same with brisket?

Thanks

KB


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## smokin monkey

kid bwapo said:


> Hi Martin
> I probably didn't baste them enough as I was worried about losing too much heat from the smoker. How often should I baste and, I assume, I'll need to do the same with brisket?
> Thanks
> KB



Let's us know how you cooked them, step by step, temperatures etc and how long, then we can help you.


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## kid bwapo

Ay carumba! It was last summer 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






.

Effectively got the temperate to about 115C in the smoker. Had already put the rub on the ribs and left them out overnight so the internal temperature didn't drop.

I seem to remember I put them in the chamber on the opposite side to the water tray but near the charcoal and left them undisturbed until the internal temperature was about 80C. (I have a digital thermometer). At that point I smothered them in BBQ sauce (homemade) and left until they got to 88C.

Once they were ready I took them out, wrapped them in foil for about 30 mins and served them up. They were very nice, had a good smoke ring but were a but drier than I expected.

I assume I've done a quite a bit wrong here? 

Cheers

KB


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## homeruk

I would not leave them out of the fridge overnight, maybe an hour max, was there any hospital visits after eating them


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## smokin monkey

Hi KB, have a look at this link.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/165976/first-time-ribs

These are ribs from Bookers, very meaty.

The guide for ribs is 3-2-1 method. 3 hours in wrapped in the pit. 2 hours wrapped in foil with apple Juice. 1 hour un wrapped with sauce on, if that's your preference.

Of course these times can be altered depending on the thickness of the ribs. 

These ribs could of gone 3- 2.5 - 1 to give fall of the bone tenderness. But it's all down to personal taste on how you like the ribs.

There are different schools of thought on cooking ribs, wrap no wrap, sauce no sauce. It's all personal preference.


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## kid bwapo

That's really helpful advice, I'll definitely give that a try. I've been told it's really down to experience and perseverance. I've no objection to continually eating Brisket, Ribs and Pork until I get it right :-)


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## wade

kid bwapo said:


> I have a Landmann Kentucky Offset which was used to reasonable effect last year with a couple of key issues:
> 
> 1) It seems to leak smoke and some heat. Can I seal it to prevent both from occurring or to make it more efficient?
> 
> 2) I managed some nice ribs and brisket last year but they weren't as juicy as I would like. Is that because of 1 above?


Do not worry too much about a little smoke leaking from the cooking chamber door seals. Unless there is a big gap which is enough to prevent a good stream of hot air/smoke coming out of the flue then this will not noticeably affect the cooking or the flavour. If you see smoke billowing out through the cooking chamber door seal then add some stove tape but if it is the odd puff or small leak then you do not need to worry. Sealing around the door and lid in the fire box is more important so that you can control the air flow hitting the coals.

The meat dryness will be different...

Firstly, were you relying on the lid thermometer to measure your temperature? If so then it is likely that you will have been cooking at a higher temperature than you thought. It is always a good idea to invest in a dual probe digital thermometer that will allow you to measure the temperature at the cooking grate where the meat is.

The smaller offset smokers create  quite a temperature gradient along the cooking chamber due to the relative close proximity of the food to the fire box. It is therefore important to rotate your meat periodically to ensure that it cooks evenly. The ribs closest to the firebox were probably cooking significantly hotter than the ones at the furthest end - and certainly hotter than the temperature gauge was telling you.

It is always a good idea to foil for part of the cook time until you are very comfortable with the temperature profiles of your smoker. Steve mentioned above that the 3:2:1 method is good for meaty ribs. This will keep them juicy and give you fall-off-the-bone texture. If you like them a little firmer then you can adjust this to 2:2:1

The brisket is more challenging than the ribs and it is easy to dry out. This does need rotating regularly in an offset smoker or one side will cook faster than the other. A good method for brisket is to smoke unwrapped for the first 3 hours and then foil for the remaining time. Most of the smoke flavour will have been picked up in the first 3 hours. Continue to cook foiled until it reaches temperature but then it is then important to wrap it in several layers of foil and leave it wrapped in towels (and preferably inside an insulated box) for an hour or so to let it continue to cook in its own heat.

The important thing is to get to know the temperature management and heat profile of your own smoker. Once you have mastered that you will be able to adjust the different techniques that you read about on here to suit your specific smoker.

Dont forget to post photos... We love photos


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## kid bwapo

Wade said:


> Do not worry too much about a little smoke leaking from the cooking chamber door seals. Unless there is a big gap which is enough to prevent a good stream of hot air/smoke coming out of the flue then this will not noticeably affect the cooking or the flavour. If you see smoke billowing out through the cooking chamber door seal then add some stove tape but if it is the odd puff or small leak then you do not need to worry. Sealing around the door and lid in the fire box is more important so that you can control the air flow hitting the coals.
> 
> The meat dryness will be different...
> 
> Firstly, were you relying on the lid thermometer to measure your temperature? If so then it is likely that you will have been cooking at a higher temperature than you thought. It is always a good idea to invest in a dual probe digital thermometer that will allow you to measure the temperature at the cooking grate where the meat is.
> 
> The smaller offset smokers create  quite a temperature gradient along the cooking chamber due to the relative close proximity of the food to the fire box. It is therefore important to rotate your meat periodically to ensure that it cooks evenly. The ribs closest to the firebox were probably cooking significantly hotter than the ones at the furthest end - and certainly hotter than the temperature gauge was telling you.
> 
> It is always a good idea to foil for part of the cook time until you are very comfortable with the temperature profiles of your smoker. Steve mentioned above that the 3:2:1 method is good for meaty ribs. This will keep them juicy and give you fall-off-the-bone texture. If you like them a little firmer then you can adjust this to 2:2:1
> 
> The brisket is more challenging than the ribs and it is easy to dry out. This does need rotating regularly in an offset smoker or one side will cook faster than the other. A good method for brisket is to smoke unwrapped for the first 3 hours and then foil for the remaining time. Most of the smoke flavour will have been picked up in the first 3 hours. Continue to cook foiled until it reaches temperature but then it is then important to wrap it in several layers of foil and leave it wrapped in towels (and preferably inside an insulated box) for an hour or so to let it continue to cook in its own heat.
> 
> The important thing is to get to know the temperature management and heat profile of your own smoker. Once you have mastered that you will be able to adjust the different techniques that you read about on here to suit your specific smoker.
> 
> Dont forget to post photos... We love photos


Hi Wade

Many thanks for the detailed reply. It does get a bit leaky around both the fire box and the cooking chamber so I'll take steps to address that. Re your points:

1) I have digital probe thermometer that I inserted directly into the meat via the flue so have as accurate a reading as I can get.

2) Noted re rotation, I'll do that next try.

3) 3-2-1. Good idea will also go with that.

4) Brisket: Will do, that sounds like good advice.

I assume having water in a foil container also matters? I tended to put that in the cooking chamber on the opposite bottom shelf to the meat. Does it make a difference by maintaining humidity? Also, how often should I be adding the smoked chips, only once or periodically? I've added a shot of the brisket for you to see. As is obvious is much drier than I wanted to be but I think the smoke ring looks ok? I'd be interested in your opinion and many thanks indeed for your help,

KB













IMAG1177.jpg



__ kid bwapo
__ May 19, 2017


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## wade

kid bwapo said:


> 1) I have digital probe thermometer that I inserted directly into the meat via the flue so have as accurate a reading as I can get.
> 
> I assume having water in a foil container also matters? I tended to put that in the cooking chamber on the opposite bottom shelf to the meat. Does it make a difference by maintaining humidity? Also, how often should I be adding the smoked chips, only once or periodically? I've added a shot of the brisket for you to see. As is obvious is much drier than I wanted to be but I think the smoke ring looks ok? I'd be interested in your opinion and many thanks indeed for your help,
> 
> KB


Hi KB.

The dual probe thermometer is used so that you can use one for the meat and the second to measure the temperature of the cooking chamber at the cooking grate. This will be different to the temperature shown by the lid thermometer.

The foil container of water does not actually contribute much to the moistness of the meat but is more there as a temperature buffer that helps even out heat spikes from the firebox. It is more effective in the bullet type smokers than it is in an offset. Some use sand in the water bowl in place of water. Burning wood/charcoal actually produces water vapour naturally as a bi product of combustion. Some use water/sand baths and others dont. I often do but I am not convinced that it actually makes much difference.

If you are using a Minion in your firebox then liberally sprinkle your chips/pellets over the unlit coals and as they catch over time they will create a constant level of smoke. For low and slow you are looking for a low controlled burn. If you need to add more chips/pellets then do so every 30 minutes or so for the first 3 hours. After three hours the additional smoke contributes little more to the flavour. This is why people often foil their meat after the first 3 hours. If you have billowing smoke then there is too much. You are ideally looking for a constant thin wispy "thin blue" smoke. The smoke ring is also formed early on in the cooking process - and contrary to its name is not actually formed by the smoke itself.

From the photo the brisket looks tasty. Foiling would have help keep it moister and so would mopping with apple juice or a broth.


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## kid bwapo

Hi Wade

Gotcha. I have a single probe so perhaps a dual probe would be a better investment. I'd never heard of a Minion until this point but having now researched it, it looks like a very good idea. I did seem to have billowing smoke initially and then it got wispy so I probably am going overboard with it. It's such a trial and error process isn't it damned enjoyable! Foiling to be tried next time too. I'll let you know how I get on,

Cheers

KB


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