Just do it! It's a learning process and taste is subjective. What I might like, you might think is too smokey or too spicey or too salty, or maybe not enough.

Everyone has what they like. We smoked bacon and I loved it, but elery's son says it needs "more smoke". I really liked the canadian bacon we did. So did everyone else, LOL, so now we have to do more. My favorite, though, was the smoked duck.

So just jump in and do it. Oh, and pick up a copy of Brian Polcyn's "Charcuterie", the best book I've ever seen on the subject. There's a lot of information on line too, try Steven Reichlan, he does a lot of the smoke/BBQ stuff. I like "Charcuterie" because it also covered sausage, pancetta (which is cured, not smoked) and other forms of charcuterie besides just smoked.

Annie

No tips, but I'm watching closely. I'm glad that you took the plunge. I have been contemplating for two years and have looked at several types and brands of smokers. My brother is a fabulous smoker and he doesn't have any special equipment.

You and me both Cathy!

Thanks for imbibing me with a little confidence Annie. Taking that first step is a thrill or a chill, I suppose! I should keep reminding myself IT WILL TURN OUT, It Will Turn Out, it will turn out...and watch for it to happen.

I'll be watching too :) Hopefully our custom made BBQ/Smoker will be ready in few days and then we will be playing with it until my DH birthday in few weeks. My first will be chicken and flounder. I have not had smoked flounder since I left Estonia,more than 20 years ago, so I really, really want some. Also, I love smoked chicken, so I want to try to make my own, and if either comes out well, will be on the menu for the birthday. Other things, bacon, I want to try for sure as well. Not sure I ever had smoked ribs, so eventually I will try that as well.

From my point of view you are starting out with the best beginner equipment. The upright, vertical electric or propane smokers are the easiest, most forgiving and most all round useful pieces of equipment out there.

I had three smokers, two units and a purpose built walk in actual smokehouse. Now i only have two, the smoke house and an upright propane smoker that i use far more often than the house.

Invest in a good remote thermometer. Either a dual probe one or get two units. You need to know what temp your meat is as well as what temp your smoker is. don't rely on the temperature gauge that came with the unit, they are way to often really out, insofar as readings go.

Google video or YouTube video Alton Brown's shows on smoking, he has a few. He is good at explaining technique, eh?

When you buy bags of wood you will find both chip and chunks and large sawdust. Get the chips and chunks. don't bother soaking the wood, it doesn't do a thing.

When I began getting serious I did one thing, pulled pork, almost exclusively and I kept detailed notes on the rub, the temp, the size, the time in the unit, etc. Outside temp, etc. Now i can do a pulled pork meal in my sleep. Then I moved on to other things. What I'm saying is i mastered one item before i moved on to something else.

I wasn't certain I could remember what i did with the chicken last time if we had tried brisket, ribs, shoulder and sausage in between, so I didn't.

No one complained.

Have fun, you really can enjoy it a lot, it only seems like a lot of prep and work and waiting in the beginning.

buy beer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Smoking website.

Another one that says just do it! I like to rub my ribs, brisket, and pork butt the night before with a dry rub. I love the Head Country rub and you might be able to get that in your area. We love their BBQ Sauce as well. It's made here in OK and I know they have expanded their market to neighboring states. Brisket and pork butt is a long process but so worth it. Ribs generally take around 5 - 6 hours depending....I just wait until the bones tips are exsposed about a half an inch or so. I use mesiquite, hickory, pecan, and apple wood for the most part. Here is a good rub recipe that I've shared over the years.

Memphis Rub

1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons accent (MSG; optional)
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all the ingredients in a jar, twist the lid on airtight, and shake to mix. Store away from heat or light for up to six months. Makes about 1/2 cup. Enough for 4 to 6 racks of ribs.

I really think y'all are going to love it once you get going. I know we just had TG last week but you have to smoke a turkey in the future. It's wonderful. Have fun and enjoy your new smoker!!!

David

One more thing:

I know the unit will let you raise the heat but you have to decide if you want to cook with smoke flavouring or actually smoke.

Long, low and slow is the mantra of good smokers.

For instance, I pull my pork butts out when they reach 190ð while running the smoker at 210ð
That takes 12-15 hours depending on outside temp.

Yes, it will be "done" faster if you turn up the heat but its not the same. Has to do with collagen melting and such.

"Smoke 'em if You Got 'em"

Lucky you. I wish I had one. I spend a lot of money buying smoked salmon.

dcarch

Congratulations on your new smoker.
Cookshack has a great smoking forum - especially read the posts by smokinokie - wealth of information.
http://forum.cookshack.com/groupee

Our favorite smoker items are ribs, turkey and pastrami.
My great niece and nephew are coming this weekend - they always ask for pulled pork.

I hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoy ours.
Donna

I like pulled pork but it takes at least 12 hours. Turkeys are great. I tried a few with the marinade injected like you do for a fried turkey. It was so tasty it didn't need gravy. 13-14 lb turkey takes about 6 hours. Last week I used pecan wood, apple juice instead of water and a rub with no strong hickory smoke taste. It came out really mild and different. Any ribs are yummy.

Just don't start with a brisket. That experiment didn't turn out too well for me. I may try again one day.

Hi Donna! (Waving at you!) Funny, we bought a small Cookshack, so I'll be checking out the video. We've been kind of slow getting started because of the Thanksgiving holiday (and extra Christmas cooking/little freezer). My goal was being able to get parts I could replace.

Thanks so much Metaxa and David. Yes, that's exactly how we've done ribs (low and slow) and 12-15 hours for great pulled pork doesn't deter me at all. (Sometimes I think I'm queen of slow cooking.) I'm covered on a good remote thermometer. Once I learned to test temperatures, everything started turning out MUCH better. The Memphis rub sounds great David. After tasting the pulled pork we had in Memphis, I'm raring to go!

dcarch, maybe you'll want to make the investment someday. It's taken me a while to get there, but I'm looking forward to the adventure.

joanm, I'll bear that in mind. This seems like a great time to find turkey on sale, so I have that as a future goal. I may just start with a couple of chickens though and proceed from there. I'm with you on the brisket. My dad had a pretty good recipe for brisket that went in the oven, which I don't mind making that way for now.

Thanks for all tips, hints and recipes. I appreciate them all!

I just used my smoker for the first time not too long ago, and we were really happy with the results :-) Turkey's up next, although I think I may have to wait a few weeks for Thanksgiving to settle in LOL. I did beef ribs, and I'm including the recipe/instructions that I used - they were detailed enough for a beginner like me that I didn't feel too intimidated. The website where I got them is noted at the bottom of the recipe.

Becky

* Exported from MasterCook *

Aromatic Beef Rib Rub

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

This rib rub recipe contains lots and lots of spices and herbs for a rich, full flavor. To put together the rub, combine 3 tablespoons of onion powder with 3 tablespoons of white sugar, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of Old Bayî seasoning, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons of celery salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher or canning salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon powdered sage, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

Combine all of the ingredients well. This will make about one cup of rub, which should be plenty for two racks of beef ribs. Apply a light coat to the ribs and rub it in. Now, sprinkle on another coat, shaking off what doesn't stick. A light coating is all you need. You could put these on the smoker now, but itâÂÂs better to let them rest overnight in the fridge, so the flavors can get into the meat.

Smoked beef ribs will need six to eight hours of low temperature cooking to reach their ultimate state of perfection. Shoot for a smoker temperature of 225 degrees for the entire smoke session. Oak or pecan is perfect for smoking these big boys.

Four hours into the smoke, take a look. Flip the ribs over, and check the water level in the pan if you're using a water smoker. In two hours, look again and test for doneness. Grab a side-by-side pair of ribs and pull them away from each other. If the meat tears easily, they're done.

If you like, you can baste the smoked beef ribs with a thinned down bbq sauce during the last half hour of smoking. A mix of half sauce and half apple juice or beer is fine. Just don't let the baste burn. Sugar burns easily, and it would spoil the taste you've been working so hard to achieve.

Now that they're done, separate the slab into individual ribs, and serve 'em with your favorite sauce. It's time for the real fun to begin

Source:
"http://www.smoker-cooking.com/smokedbeefribs.html";
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks Becky, for the recipe and encouragement. I can always use some of that!

I have a more traditional type smoker with an offset firebox, the heat comes from the burning wood. Everyone is right, there is a bit of a learning curve, but even your mistakes are delicious. Be sure to keep notes so you know what you did and changes you might like to make. One thing I did learn, someone told me that meat will absorb as much smoke flavor as it's going to in about 3 hours, after that you 're just using the heat from the burning wood to cook the meat. What I do is after three hours take the shoulder or ribs or what ever, and put it on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 deegrees. It gives me much better control over the final cooking process and doesn't take 12 hours! Have fun and experiment, that's the best part.

Steve

Steve, good tips! I always keep notes on every recipe I make, since I've forgotten more than I remember. (Learning to use a smoker seems the perfect place for any kind of help to ''remember''.) I like the idea of having a 3 hour time limit for adding smoke so that's a big help.

I was tempted to buy a smoker for the Thanksgiving Turkey but didnâÂÂt. Now I wish I had. IâÂÂm very close to pulling the trigger...

From my youth, I remember my dad smoking a Roast Beef. To this day, the memory of that roast is the best thing I have ever had.

I whole heartedly agree that even your "mistakes" are delicious.

But I'm going to disagree with pulling stuff out of the smoker and finishing it in the oven. especially at 350ð

And there is an easy manner to prove my point of view. Do two chickens, both in the smoker for the time you like. for me that is two smoker boxes of chips used. Now, leave one chicken in the smoker, low and slow and remove one to a pan and finish it in the oven.

Have a piece of each, you tell me.

Try it with pork butt, ribs, brisket (well, maybe brisket I make an exception), anything you want.

Its better from the smoker than it is from a hybrid cooking method. I'm no expert/foodie/whatever and if I can easily discern the difference, so can you.

Now, if you are going to pour a bottle of sweet bbq sauce over it or if you are in a bit of a rush...well, sure. But if you are inclined to celebrate the journey, enjoy the process almost as much as the food...I actually ponder the slaves, the dirt farmers, the folks who perfected these things while I'm out there. It gives me reason to reflect on the how and why. The end result is very social but the long journey to get there is my solitude, my thinking time. Plus I drink beer while I'm doing it. So, both things are enjoyable to me.

So, for me, its a triumvirate; the thoughts that come my way in my solitary tending of the fire, the effects of time and beer on me and the release of being with family and friends as we devour my offering. Life is good when all that comes together.

I try and not be a "my way or the highway" type but my recommendation would be learn to smoke food, not cook food with smoke flavouring.

"-----So, for me, its a triumvirate; the thoughts that come my way in my solitary tending of the fire, the effects of time and beer on me and the release of being with family and friends as we devour my offering. Life is good when all that comes together. ----------"

I like. :-)

dcarch

Me too, dcarch.

Metaxa, I'm with you. I have no problem with slow food (except maybe in a crock pot. That's a texture thing which I simply prefer not to indulge in.) A long cooking process has its advantages, and some things just shouldn't be rushed. I don't even care if the process is a social one; I'm more interested in the end result!

Low and slow is the way to go for real pit style BBQ. I've owned and used smokers of all types and by far the easiest & best is an electric Smokin' Tex........very similar to an electric Cook Shack. Both are very good smokers. It is IMPOSSIBLE to mess up meats in these type smokers. You will produce restaurant quality smoked meats on your very first try. Masterbuilt makes a cheaper model that works very well too.

Awesome Pork spare ribs:

Just before smoking, season ribs with Tony Chachere's "More Spice" seasoning mix. Place in the smoker. Add two pieces of Apple Wood (the size of a chicken egg) to the smoke box. Set temperature to 225 degrees. Do not open the smoker or turn the ribs......let it go. In four hours your ribs should be done to perfection.

To die for Brisket:

Get a trimmed brisket if possible. Just before smoking, season well with Tony's "More Spice" seasoning blend. Place brisket on smoker shelf. Insert a digital wire thermometer probe into the thickest part of the brisket. Pass the thermometer wire through the top hole of the smoker and plug into the thermometer. Place 2 small pieces of Apple Wood in the smoker box. Set the temperature to 225 degrees F and smoke until the thermometer reads 180 degrees F (about 8 to 10 hours for a 10 pound brisket). A word of caution.......because the brisket was cooked hours at a low temperature, much of the fat will be rendered. What is left behind of the fat is a sweet tasting bit of heaven. The fat gets magically transformed by the low temperature and tastes so dog gone good. Definitely not healthy. I use it in baked beans then remove it after the beans are cooked.

To die for Boudin:

Do not season. Smoke at 225 for two hours using one piece of Apple Wood in the smoke box. This stuff is so good.

Also.....these electric smokers work great in keeping foods warm for large parties. They produce hamburgers that do not shrink and remain juicy....I usually do not smoke my burgers. Produces excellent smoked Turkey, Chickens, and Cornish hens too.

Do you get the feeling that I love my smoker?
Dan

Dan, I do get the feeling that you love your smoker, LOL.

Donna, pastrami is one of my favorites too, we've done it a couple of times now and I took some with me to Chicago for one of the get togethers at Peppi's. It's Makayla's favorite thing that comes out of the smoker.

I might have to try beef ribs that way, though. They are usually far to fatty for my taste, but maybe this will be better, thanks.

Annie

One suggestion for those of you with smokers is to add a metal piepan with a 1/4" layer of salt to it when you're smoking bacon, ribs, etc. The salt will get a smoky flavor and is a great seasoning for baked potatoes or vegetables.

Dan, like Annie, I get that feeling too! Thanks for all the great recipes and ideas. I can always use a solid dose of confidence!

Ruthanna, that's a great idea, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

You're all are great for helping me out! Tomorrow we season; Sunday we smoke!

NEVER use a softwood like pine or cedar! Too many resins, and your food will end up tasting like turpentine.

Hi claire de luna! I agree with the "just do it" advice. We got a Big Green Egg this summer which I wanted for long, low, slow cooking of ribs and pork butt for pulled pork. We also use it for grilling but the ribs and pulled pork were to die for even though we were complete novices at this. The BGE uses lump charcoal and we used apple wood for the ribs and hickory for the pork. I have a "standard" rub that I mix up and always have on hand and used that for both. DH is the grill master at our house and was skeptical of my desire for the BGE and the whole slow cooking and smoking thing but he was sold after the first batch of ribs. Can't wait to hear how it goes!

Hi Back At Ya, Gibby! (Gibby was my FIRST CF member to meet. Gosh that seems like a long time ago now.) I've had several people recommend BGE to me. If I hadn't bought a grill already, I might have considered it, but opted for the electric smoker. Glad to hear it's worked out for both of you, and DH is a skeptic no longer.

Friends of mine got the BGE over the summer.

We're having smoked pulled pork this evening.

The only semi-disaster was the beef brisket. It was over cooked and dry, but still good.

To my mind brisket is the hardest to do properly.

That is why so much of it ends up as that pressure steamed deli pastrami and such.

But, if you buy the chubbier top part instead of the leaner bottom or back part you will have a better chance.

Most places only have the leaner bit, you may have to ask the butcher to order you either a whole brisket or the chubbier part. Sorry, I don't know the exact nomenclature.

I'm only starting to get real comfortable with brisket, it does take time to learn to do right in a smoker.

I agree with Metaxa, brisket is a huge challenge for me. I'm not the type to give up but I'm getting close!

Ribs, chicken, pork shoulder we love it all. I had great success this summer with a smoked ham too. I'll do that again soon.

I think the best thing I've had so far though is smoked trout. I'm not a fish lover but it was so delicious.

I have two smoker cookbooks I really like. Annie gave me a copy of "Charcuterie" last fall and it is a fabulous cookbook. Very comprehensive.

The other I have is "Smoke and Spice" Lots of good recipes but more a Southern "BBQ" type cook book.

Cookshack is a great site, lots of info and this site is good too. http://www.amazingribs.com/menumachine/sitemap/navigation.html

The most important thing is to just go for it. Long and slow, good wood, not to heavy on the rubs because it interferes with the smoke flavour. Enjoy!

I don't know if I stole this or invented it.
I do know its all I use, ever.

222 Rub

2 Tablespoons pure salt
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar*
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons black pepper, ground
2 Tablespoons onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (heat)
1/4 cup paprika

* I spread the brown sugar out on a plate and dry it.

Everybody into a zip lock or a jar and mix well. Then I process it in batches in the spice grinder until it is quite fine.

If you start with heaping Tablespoons, all should be heaping. Level Tablespoons = all level.
Adjust paprika accordingly. Plain old paprika, no need for smoked or hot Hungarian or...

I love it all...Thank You for recipes, rubs, and advice.

Charcuterie is on my Christmas list!

We had to clear a space for the smoker, as I wasn't sure I wanted it on my deck. (Or do I need to be concerned with having a greasy foil pan on my deck? Tell me Oh Wise 'Q Gurus!) Before that happens, we had leaves to clear so things aren't happening in the order I'd hoped. It's always sumthin' isn't it?

CdL, if you don't want grease on your deck, I'd advise not parking the smoker there.

Now, maybe other people are more careful or patient or whatever, but I seem to make a mess regularly...

Annie

Both my main grill and my small smoker are on my deck but I'm very careful.

all I have to do is look over the the next door neighbour's melted siding to remind myself.

I lay one of those cheap hardware store mats down. They are black/charcoal coloured and generally come three sizes stapled together. Hope I'm describing them, ribbed, made from some kind of recycled poly pop bottles or something.

So, on top of the mat I place concrete patio stones, those square or rectangular concrete blocks that are used for walkways or patios when you are first married and can't afford rock work.

So, the mat protects from grease drips, the concrete is a bit of fire/heat protection for the deck boards. The smoker is out, away from the house and siding even tho we have Hardie board and even tho the smoker doesn't run hot (the grill does!)

When I'm done the concrete and the mat go into a deck box and the grill or smoker get covered and put up against the railing on the far corner, out of the way.

Usually the grill gets left set up all summer but I move the smoker because its used not as often and you want it out of the way because after you use it a while it smells good and smoky.

Whenever I'm either cleaning the grill or using the smoker I bring the fire extinguisher up from the workshed as well. Never had to use it in 50 years but I still have it on hand.

We have a Treager Little Tex smoker. When using very hot temps it will drip grease so we put cardboard underneath. Usually smoking is done with lower temps. Yesterday Bruce did a brisket and salmon.
Some of the foods we have enjoyed a smoked asparagus, brusel sprouts,and mushrooms. Grand biscuits, pizza (grilled on very high heat). Babyback ribs are our favorite meats.
Welcome to the world of smoking.

A Treager unit is next for me.

We now have a distributor who stocks the pellets so they don't cost an arm and a leg. (freight costs I'm referring to.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Its not just the grease on the deck to worry about if you chose to put heat emitting units on a wood deck.

Over time the heat bakes the wood to a dryness far beyond where it gets normally. This vastly lowers the ignition point of the wood. Result can be a fire, not just charring or heat damage. There is a name for the process that escapes me and it the reason why house framing can't be run tight to a chimney by code.

Put something under your grill or smoker more substantial than cardboard or nothing, please.

Oh MY. The ribs were fantastic. Or I should just say they are fantastic, since we made three racks. (My notebook is started.) The rub I've used in the past was entirely too hot for this method; I guess we were moving the ribs around quite a bit before on my old grill, to make sure they were all cooked evenly. My old method of smoking didn't create as much bark either. Next time, I'm trying several rubs to see which one I like best, since there are three racks to a package! I didn't realize you could get such an awesome product with so little effort with the right smoker. (Yes, I bought the right smoker for me.)

We also solved the question of where to put it, even though we have a GFI outlet that needs replaced before it can be moved into ''position''. It's going on the ground with no wood nearby; next to/in front of an old metal glider, and I can probably see what the temperature is from inside the house. (Leaves need to be removed and the repair made first.) At any rate, I can tell this is going to be fun! Thank You ALL for your help and encouragement. Now, what shall we make next?

Try smoking a brisket as I have described. When using one of those temperature controlled smokers it is IMPOSSIBLE to mess up......it will be perfect (tender & juicy with a nice bark) and oh so so good.

The neat thing about these "low and slow" insulated electric smokers is that they are SUPER EASY to clean. And you can use them during cold weather. Since you cook at only 200 to 250 degrees, the food WILL NOT BURN OR STICK to the racks. The racks can be washed in the dishwasher....but, it is much much easier to clean them by hand in the sink. NO SOAKING or hard scrubbing is needed. Like I said...no burnt food to clean off those racks. Man I love my smoker.

Claire, let us know about your next smoking experience. I smoked some pecans in mine the other day and some mac & cheese for my lunch. Right now I'm stuck on using applewood for its mild sweeter flavor.

FYI, If you are using wood chunks in your smoker, you can get good aged smoking wood cheap on ebay. I had my wood cut into egg sized pieces at no extra charge.

Dan

Found it.
For those who do not like links:

The available practical guidance i.e., the fires that have been documented to have occurred when
wood members were exposed to heating sources at 77úC (170úF) or higher forms a reliable, scientific basis for
concluding that an ignition hazard exists if a heat source at 77úC or higher is applied to a wood member for a
protracted period of time.

Glad your ribs worked out, glad you have a safe and usable spot to place it. Get a cover for it. I just use a reasonable quality grill cover and bungee cords to wrap up the excess. way cheaper than the specific ones for the smoker.

Here is a link that might be useful: low temp wood ignition

Buying a cover is a must. Our smoker is stored in the garage. When we smoke on it, it's either on concrete in the driveway or the front porch depending on which direction the wind is coming from.
Good idea to put something other than cardboard down when smoking on a wood surface.
Smoked pecans, now that sounds wonderful for a pecan pie. At Thanksgiving I used a recipe that you first roasted the pecans for a minute in the microwave....best pie ever!

Dan, I'll be sure to report on my next experience and will post here. Yes, I'll try a brisket at some point too and have your instructions so I'll know what to do.

Metaxa and Trudy, we bought a cover when we ordered the smoker. I knew it was going to live outside, and things last much longer when protected!

A friend smoked some pork chops for us one night for dinner at his house. They were incredible, and given the shorter time may just have to be my next experiment. I'm looking forward to trying everything!