Goin' for it!

[Horsepowerfarm]

My second smoke and I'm going for most of the marbles. 13lb brisket, 8lb porkbutt, 24 Italian sausages. I need to take some food to Indianapolis for our race team.
Wish me luck! They are going on now.

 

[UWFSAE]

That's a big load.  Be sure to shock the sausages in an ice bath once you pull them ... it'll help the look and texture of the skin since you'll be putting them in a cooler.

What wood are you using for all of this?

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

Thanks Joe, I was planning to give then a "bath". Using 3 small lumps of charcoal and about 5oz of hickory.

 

[UWFSAE]

Let me know how the charcoal trick works ... I'm debating it for the purposes of smoke rings in brisket and what not but I never quite get around to it ...

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

Here is what it looked like before going in.

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

I am hoping for a smoke ring, I'll post a picture when I cut into the brisket tomorrow..

 

[smokeasaurus]

IMHO, I think the smoke ring is more for the eyes than the taste buds....just sayin...but I am sure interested to see if ya get one  8)

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

If I get a ring it will make me happy. If it happens, then I will think this is the best smoker ever. I think it is going to happen because I used 2 lumps of charcoal with my baby backs and they showed a little red ring. I have smoked over wood and charcoal for years torturing myself with clean up and preparation, but always proud of the resultant look and taste. I really hope it happens because this smoker is too easy to use.

 

[smokeasaurus]

The biggest problem I had when I got rid of all my charcoal grills and got a pellet grill and a gasser and my Smokin-It #3 was just getting used to having nothing to do when the meat is cooking. Pick your rub, pick your wood, plug em in, flip a switch and go find something else to do.

Of course, I didn't let the little lady know that they don't need any tweaking during the cook though 

I should have sold my off-set years ago  ;D ;D

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

IMHO, I think the smoke ring is more for the eyes than the taste buds....just sayin...but I am sure interested to see if ya get one  8)

I didn't get a ring. What I did get, was an otherwise perfect brisket, butt, and the sausages were awesome.

I'm not giving up on the ring. I am quite sure there is another smoke in my future.

 

[DivotMaker]

How about some pics of the finished cook, Winslow?  Smoke ring or not, we LOVE pics!  Telling us about it only arouses our appetite without bedding her back down! 

 

[Spresso]

nice little group you smoked there...
too bad about the ring.
i have tried the ring with a brisket but no luck for me either.  i only put 1 large piece in though.  i will try 2 next time.

 

[swthorpe]

I don't know what a ring tastes like, but I know what good meat tastes like... ;D

 

[DivotMaker]

I don't know what a ring tastes like, but I know what good meat tastes like... ;D

Nicely put.  I love the look of a smoke ring, but have learned to not stress about it.  Taste is SO much more important!  I can live without it, and I haven't had anyone I've cooked for notice it, or CARE about it!  I think it's just us cooks that stress about it. ???

 

[Spresso]

Hehe,  no  stress , honest Gov.
just wanted to see if it would work that's all...
it wasn't a huge effort to try  ;D

 

[DivotMaker]

Hehe,  no  stress , honest Gov.
just wanted to see if it would work that's all...
it wasn't a huge effort to try  ;D

Me too, Zed.  Tried one chunk (plain chunk charcoal) on one cook, and it didn't work.  I may try it again, with more, just for kicks.

 

[Horsepowerfarm]

Here is the follow up. We took all that meat to Indianapolis and shared it with a couple of our fellow race teams. Well they ate it all. They all thought Austin had good BBQ, now they know for sure.

I did let them know that the smoker was from Ohio, they just kept eating. 24+ lbs of meat gone in an instant!

 

[DivotMaker]

Nice job, Winslow!  What they don't know definitely won't hurt them!