Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion
- Thread starter Statefan515ISU
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Brand of pellets can make a significant difference for any smoker / oven.
I switched to the Lumber Jack brand awhile ago and I'm much happier with the quality and results...and they're not really more expensive. Pecan blend is probably my favorite all-around blend, but I like to spike it with a little Mesquite if I want more smoky flavor.
I switched to the Lumber Jack brand awhile ago and I'm much happier with the quality and results...and they're not really more expensive. Pecan blend is probably my favorite all-around blend, but I like to spike it with a little Mesquite if I want more smoky flavor.
Ive had good luck with the Pit Boss pellets. Menards usually has a pretty good price on them too
I've heard if you have a Brand-A pellet smoker and you use non-Brand-A pellets and you have a problem with the smoker and need a new part or something, they can void the warranty and not cover it since you didn't use their pellets. Is that really a thing? I don't know how on earth they'd know what pellets you've used, but I thought I'd heard that at one point.
In my experience, that has not been a thing. Had to get several parts replaced over the years, never once had an issue with being asked about the pellets
This was my 1st attempt at a long smoke so I went with a pork butt. It was only around $14 for 6.5lbs so I wasn’t too worried if I screwed it up. Actually turned out pretty good. Next time I’ll probably only use the two rows of briquettes on bottom with wood chunks on top because it ran hotter than I needed it, had to keep the vents about three quarter shut throughout to maintain the 250-275 range.
8 hours total. I wrapped it in heavy duty tinfoil when it stalled around 167 and pulled it off when it hit 203. Then wrapped it in an old towel and rested it in a cooler for two hours before shredding.
The dual probe ThermoPro worked great. Was able to check temps from my phone in the house. Dialed in the temp the first hour and then just did slight tweaks the rest of the cook. Overall pretty easy and thinking about trying some ribs next.
Thanks! I think I’ve found a new hobby. Can’t wait to try it again.
Looks great! And Zombie Dust!?! - haven't had that in years but remember it being fantastic (and hard to find).
Eggplant emoji
Nicely done! You can use the shoulder blade as a test of "done" as well......when it's done it just takes a little twist and pull to remove the bone, and there shouldn't be any meat attached.
Good luck with ribs, IMO they are easier than pork butt.....hard to make them inedible.
ZD is still solid. I was in Minneapolis a couple weeks ago and found a bunch of 3 Floyd’s at Total Wine. I hope they start distro to Iowa soon.
I'm going to try to smoke some chicken thighs this week. What internal temp should I cook them to?
You can higher than 165 with bone in chicken and it will taste fine. It’s forgiving
I'm usually on the low side of cook temps. But I think i'd take thighs to 170 or even up to 180.
Perhaps I'm a slow adopter but here is what I am thinking and looking for input. In my mind pellet grills don't give the same smokiness of a dedicated smoker plus a 14-18 hour smoke would be a lot of pellets. I need my Weber Q220 little gas grill for quick things and tailgating but a traditional weber kettle grill would be best for steaks and other things. So I am looking for a Masterbuilt Thermotemp gas smoker which has a thermostat control for set and forget except for adding wood chips every couple of hours. Am I overthinking this and just go with my gas tailgate grill and a pellet grill/smoker to cover the rest or would having 3 devices not be as crazy as it sounds?
167, then pull them off and let them rest 30-45 minutes. What are you smoking them on?