D Model Delayed Start or Keeping Warm

[hdawgz]

Hi everyone, my new 2D just showed up yesterday and I am excited to start cooking. I have two chickens in the fridge right now, waiting to be cooked. I enjoy smoking but am not home very often so I only get to smoke a couple of times a year if I have to spend all day tending to the smoker. For this reason, I have purchased my set-it-and-forget-it Smokin-it!

I typically leave around 6:30am and get home around 8:30pm, however my wife gets home around 6pm most days and could remove the meat if needed. For long smokes, this works fine and I can just remove the meat when I get home or cook overnight and remove when I wake up. However, I will probably be smoking chicken or ribs 90% of the time.

Is it possible to set a program for chicken or ribs that gets the meat to the correct temperature/time and then keeps warm for a few additional hours without overcooking? For example, I could put chicken on around 10pm, cook to 165, then set to a low temperature (possible completely shut off) until 6am when I wake up and take the chicken out. I know that the program can do this, but I do not want to overcook. Does anyone have any idea if this will completely dry out chicken, I am not quite as worried about overcooking ribs?

The other option would be to delay the start of the cook. Is it possible to set the first program to 0 degrees for x hours, then a second program to start cooking? 

Final question! I found out after seasoning last night that there is an alarm when the program has completed. Is it possible to shut this off? I will be doing most of my smoking overnight and don't want to wake up the entire neighborhood if the program finishes before I wake up!

Thank you, I look forward to being able to post some delicious meat pics at some point!

 

[old sarge]

I would be very cautious because of bacteria about delayed cooking or excessive hold times especially with poultry. I do all my smoking between Friday and Sunday. Reheat throughout the week if there are left overs.

 

[JackT]

Hi everyone, my new 2D just showed up yesterday and I am excited to start cooking. I have two chickens in the fridge right now, waiting to be cooked. I enjoy smoking but am not home very often so I only get to smoke a couple of times a year if I have to spend all day tending to the smoker. For this reason, I have purchased my set-it-and-forget-it Smokin-it!

I typically leave around 6:30am and get home around 8:30pm, however my wife gets home around 6pm most days and could remove the meat if needed. For long smokes, this works fine and I can just remove the meat when I get home or cook overnight and remove when I wake up. However, I will probably be smoking chicken or ribs 90% of the time.

Is it possible to set a program for chicken or ribs that gets the meat to the correct temperature/time and then keeps warm for a few additional hours without overcooking? For example, I could put chicken on around 10pm, cook to 165, then set to a low temperature (possible completely shut off) until 6am when I wake up and take the chicken out. I know that the program can do this, but I do not want to overcook. Does anyone have any idea if this will completely dry out chicken, I am not quite as worried about overcooking ribs?

The other option would be to delay the start of the cook. Is it possible to set the first program to 0 degrees for x hours, then a second program to start cooking? 

Final question! I found out after seasoning last night that there is an alarm when the program has completed. Is it possible to shut this off? I will be doing most of my smoking overnight and don't want to wake up the entire neighborhood if the program finishes before I wake up!

Thank you, I look forward to being able to post some delicious meat pics at some point!

OK HDAWGZ, let's attempt to answer your question(s). Theoretically, there's no reason that you can't set a program at 0 degrees for a set number of hours. The red flag here is that you're letting poultry sit in the box at whatever ambient temp you're currently experiencing. If it's less than 40 degrees outside, you would probably be OK. Otherwise, with higher temps, you'll be taking those birds into the forbidden zone. As for the 2nd part of your question, as to setting a 2nd program to "hold" your birds at a lower temp, absolutely. Just set the next program at a holding temp, assuming it won't be tooo long. Unfortunately, in your case, you're taking a relatively simple smoke and complicating it with your work schedule. While I understand your situation, make sure you keep your meat in the right temp zones so you don't end up with a larger problem, like the Emergency Room

 

[hdawgz]

Thank you for the replies. You both hit on my concern with the chicken, I should have specified that I was really thinking of the delayed option for non-poultry. I would have less concerns for ribs or a smaller pork roast sitting in the smoker for a couple of hours before starting, particularly at night.

Once I get it all figured out, I can set up programs so that my wife can operate it with a touch of a button (or a few) on the weekends. Until then, I will probably just have to do overnight smokes and wake up to remove the chicken at the right time.
 

 

[SconnieQ]

JackT. Well put!  ;D ;D

 

[DivotMaker]

Congrats, dawgz, and welcome to Club Lazy Q!  Now that you're in, how about adding a first name and town to your signature line?  We're like family, around here!

Now, on to your questions!  Jack nailed it, but let me add another couple of thoughts.  First, this is a "set it and forget it" type of smoker, but I never advocate leaving it completely unattended.  It is still an electric appliance, with a heat source, so ask yourself if you would put a roast in your oven, and leave for work?  Most people would answer that "no."  Not that we've ever seen a SI smoker cause a fire, and I think the odds are extremely low, there is always that possibility.  No manufacturer is ever responsible for burning someone's house down, until the first time it happens.  Enough said, on the safety issue of leaving a smoker completely unattended.

Overnight smokes with poultry:  Probably not a good idea, given the "fragile" nature of "just right" and "overcooked" with poultry.  Setting a hold temp on a Boston butt, or brisket, is easy, because the meat is very forgiving if the temp goes a little over.  If I program the smoker to hold a pork butt, I will set the target temp 10° lower than what I want, and trigger the next step to 140.  The reason is that the SI is very tight, and doesn't cool down very fast.  If you take a chicken to 165, and then hold at 140, your goose will be cooked (figuratively speaking).  It will continue to cook for at least an hour before it cools below the cooking temperature!  So, bottom line is to cook poultry at 250, and pull it out as soon as it's to temp.

Alarm setting:  This is from the Auber manual:

"The third group is about the alarm. The alarm setting can be accessed by code 188. Table 4 shows the list of the parameters, their range and initial set value when left the factory.  Press and hold SET until "Lck" appears in the left window, the use the + button to dial in 188 in the right.

List of control parameters and its initial settings under code 188

Symbol    Description    Range    Initial
AH1    Probe 1 high limit alarm    0-200 °C, 0-392 °F    290  Set to 375
AL1    Probe 1 low limit alarm      0-200 °C, 0-392 °F    0        Leave at 0
AH2    Probe 2 high limit alarm    0-200 °C, 0-392 °F    200  Set to 205
AST    Step finish alarm            On,                            OFF    ON  Use +/- buttons to set to OFF

This should set your alarm off, and make sure your box temp high-limit is right (375).  Just press SET to get back to the main display.

Time to smoke?  I totally understand your schedule problem!  Personally, I'm in the trucking business and work 60-70 hours/week, but I find/make time to cook!  I highly recommend doing your smokes when you are home.  Running to the store, or other quick errand while smoking, is OK, but I would certainly encourage you to not spend a whole day away from it. 

 

[hdawgz]

Thank you. I appreciate the responses.

I was able to smoke two chickens last night. They turned out great!

I learned a lesson on thermometer placement. I stuck the probe straight into the breast, but was getting crazy readings once it got close. Once I slid it in horizontally, it worked much better.

Thanks for the help.

 

[DivotMaker]

Great, dawgz!  Now that you're part of the family, how about adding a first name and town to your signature line?  We like to know our new friends, and are pretty familiar around here!