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User Guidelines and Instructions => Guide to Smoking Times, Temps, Woods => Topic started by: stout on July 27, 2016, 02:21:50 PM

Title: Choice of liquids
Post by: stout on July 27, 2016, 02:21:50 PM
what are your favorite liquids to use with different meats?

i know many swear by plain water or beer or apple juice or some mixture of those or others  for the liquid bath at the bottom of the smoker.

feel free to keep your family secrets secret  :D
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: Limey on July 27, 2016, 05:58:47 PM
It really does not matter. I have experimented with everything from water through scotch(terrible waste) including all the obvious culprits like fruit juices of all sorts, beer, wine and various alcoholic beverages. None of them have any effect on the flavour of the finished smoke, at at least to my taste buds. They do affect the aroma coming out of the blow hole. Scotch smells fantastic, if expensive; Tony likes various fruitwoods I believe. However none of them see to affect the taste of the finished product-stick with water.
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: EFGM on July 27, 2016, 06:08:20 PM
So, I keep hearing about water and others things. I can see that none of it would have impact of the flavor,
but what about the moisture of whatever meat? I have never used water in an electric, have I been missing
something? I was under the impression that these really maintained the moisture so that water is not necessary.
So when and what do you use water on?

Thanks
Doug
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: NDKoze on July 27, 2016, 06:37:05 PM
I usually use Apple Juice or Beer. But as others have said, I don't think it really imparts much if any flavor on the meat. It just smells nice coming out of the smoker and if it helps a little bit, why not.

I wouldn't use expensive beer or especially scotch though as I don't know that it would be a good bang for your buck.

To answer your other question, yes it does make a difference to use liquid though. I add liquid in a disposable mini-loaf pan for pretty much all of my smokes except for skin-on poultry, jerky, fish, and sausage.

Hopefully this helps.
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: DivotMaker on July 27, 2016, 08:14:30 PM
I use apple juice for pork.  Don't taste it in the meat, but smells so good when smoking! :P   Everything else gets water.  Don't waste good beer for the water pan!
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: EFGM on July 27, 2016, 09:27:33 PM
Ok, there's a first time for everything. Have a Brisket going on at 11 tonight and I will put in the water pan. Will let you know how it comes out tomorrow.

 8)
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: stout on July 28, 2016, 11:40:10 AM
Ok, there's a first time for everything. Have a Brisket going on at 11 tonight and I will put in the water pan. Will let you know how it comes out tomorrow.

 8)

what time should we show up for taste testing?
Title: Re: Choice of liquids
Post by: EFGM on July 28, 2016, 01:07:28 PM
Well, I'll have to test the water another time. Didn't get er done last night. But if you close bring it on by. It just the regular melt in the mouth sausage and over the top brisket.