Equipment and shit

[MadJohnShaft]

Hey - after reading an amazing ribs.com how much they hate the offset smokers that I have - I got barrel smoker for Father's Day.

I am so excited. That offset model that I have is just about unusable.

[Jor el]

Sweet

[MadJohnShaft]

I made two chickens and a bag of potatoes as a trial voyage - delicious! If you start it the right way it sits at 275-300 for hours. Never need to add additional coals.

[MadJohnShaft]

I started it about 2pm and it held steady at 335 or so until 11pm when I went to sleep.  You could stick a big pork shoulder or brisket in on the hook, wrap it in foil at 3-4 hours but otherwise not have to babysit it at all. Good stuff.

Next time I'll light it with less coals and I should get it in the 300 range or below. It's really nice not having to add charcoal once an hour or fuss over it.  I like.

[Lumpy]

The meat doesn't fall off the hook by the end?

[black]

Smoke a turkey in there next!
Man, smoked turkey is deelish.

Been smoking them for the last 3-4 Thanksgivings.

[MadJohnShaft]

The hook thing is a blessing and a curse, per the many reviews I read. It helps it function - apparently even the bottom bit of a rack of ribs closest to the coals will not burn since the barrel has little ventilation, is a small volume inside, and has thick steel walls and lid it stays one temp top to bottom.

But - if you don't hook them on good enough they may fall off I suppose.  Just about everything has a bone to grab.

If I was going to hang a pork butt or a brisket I might be inclined to tie a few runs of string around the outside, but by the time it is that tender, you are putting it in foil and setting it on a normal rack.

Guess I'll find out.

[RAGER]

Gotta get me a smoker.  I half ass smoke stuff but I half ass do everything.  it always seems to work out though.

[MadJohnShaft]

I guess i'll junk that offset smoker. It is impossible and frustrating to use and a big giant thing. If I wheel it in the alley it will be gone in 15 minutes.

I'll keep all the metal racks.

[Pissy]

That seems to me like a high temp for smoking.  I like my Brinkman water smoker.  pretty simple, it will hold the coals for a long time as well.  If I'm at it for 14 hours, I'll need to add coals once.  never gets that hot though.  The water just barely boils in it.

[MadJohnShaft]

Yeah it does and that's what I thought too but that's how the thing works - the Internets has spoken. Most of the reviews discussed that.


I'll try a pork shoulder (actually it's the ham cut) and report back.  For me, being able to hold it steady at 300 for as long as needed without a lot of fuss will be miles better than my offset smoker that needed feeding once and hour and varied wildly and uncontrollably in the temperature (or that's my theory for now anyway).


Progress report: okay when you open the top if you throw a I handful of ice in the bottom it keeps it under 300 easily. I got the shoulder hanging in there on two hooks. I'm in a make homemade pork and beans and set the whole cast iron pot on top of the coals underneath the pork shoulder.

[mortlock]

every kitchen needs a wooden spoon.. 

[MadJohnShaft]

Or 8

[RAGER]

The Wonderbag.  Get one.

http://nb-wonderbag.com/Pages/Default

[black]

Nice idea/concept, but seeing that I have a vintage, family heirloom, Rival Crockpot™ (that still totally kicks ass) and a fancy newer one, as well as plenty of electricity, I'll skip the bag and spend the 60$ I saved on food or drugs or rehab.

[RAGER]

Great thing for folks who don't like the voodoo of electricity working while they're at the job.

[black]

I can dig that, but my pad's fully insured.
Now if the Crockpot™ caused the joint to burn down, I might consider using some of the insurance settlement on one of those bags.

And a new house.

[MadJohnShaft]

You could cook a human head in that lo tech cook beanie-bag, discretely.

[RAGER]

The message is not cannibalism but coal dependence.

[black]

The Soupness Monster

[Jor el]

Sweet

[deleted account]

whoa!  I've been looking for a mythical creature ladle that can stand on its own, holding soup, without the messy soup mess dripping off the outside and onto the counter!  how does she do that?

[black]

More of a bigfoots thread question don't you think?



/fartsoup

[deleted account]

but wait!

how much would you pay for the No-Messy Nessie ladle AND the Skunk Ape potholders?

[Jor el]

Every time I cook the kitchen smells like Skunk Ape