Hello from Michigan

[Smokem if you got em]

Hi all, glad to be a part of your community.  I have been a fan of eating BBQ for a long time. For the past 5-6 months I've been shopping for a smoker in hopes I could prepare my own.  I happened upon the Smokin-It site about a month ago and have been a frequent visitor ever since. As I read many of the posts a few things became apparent to me.  First, you folks really enjoy your Smokin-It smokers.  There is no disappointment with the product, the customer service and the value these units represent.  One other thing became evident as well.  You have established an online community that is devoted to helping others become better at preparing great BBQ.  Your posts made me very comfortable choosing a Smokin-It smoker but I struggled with the unit that would work best for me  Eventually I decided on the Model 3.  I've added the Auber and Maverick as well, again your posts made the decision easy.  I'm planning to pick up the unit and equipment as soon as I can line my calendar up with Steve.  I want to thank you for your posts and the willingness you've demostrated to help Newbie's like me.  I look forward to getting my 3 and learning more on how to prepare BBQ I'll be proud to serve to family and friends. Thanks

 

[NDKoze]

We're happy to have you join our Smokin-It family. Welcome from a couple states west of you (ND).

As a fellow #3 owner, I think you made an awesome decision.

Do you have any smoking experience, or is this your first foray into this hobby?

What kind of smoking are you planning on doing?

 

[swthorpe]

Welcome, Dean!  Thanks for the compliments on our forum and we are glad you have joined us.  We look forward to hearing more as you get the #3 seasoned and up and running.  I know you will be as pleased as the rest of us...happy smok'in!

 

[Smokem if you got em]

Thanks guys!    I am new to smoking.  I am anxious to come up to speed on my smokin' skills and am confident I have chosen the right unit to make that happen.  I did not want to get a unit that demanded I sit with it for the duration of the smoke monitoring temps and adding more fuel.  Electric smokin is for me. I have been taking notes off the forum for a few weeks with regard to suggested temps for various meats, binders for the rubs and issues I will no doubt experience when I season the smoker.  I am brand new to smoking but have become a bit obsessed with to topic of late.  I want to do something simple to start and I'm thinking about a boston butt to start.  What do you think? 

 

[DivotMaker]

Welcome to the cool kids club, Dean; we're glad you're here!  The great thing about these smokers is that even a complete novice can become a pro in no time!  Boston butt is a great first smoke, in my opinion (it was mine).  You really get to know your smoker on a long smoke like that.

Let us know how we can help, and I look forward to pictures!

 

[NDKoze]

I agree with Tony. A Boston Butt is what I would suggest to any new smoker as their first smoke.

There are lots of great threads/recipes in the Pork section. I would recommend brining the butt. I brine 100% of my butts and won't go back. The moisture and deep flavor that it provides is so awesome.

There are many posts in the Pork section for smoking butts. But here is a good one from Tony:
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1012.0

I use the same brining recipe and have always had great results.

The best tip that I can provide is to start the butt early (I usually start mine at Midnight) if you want to eat on time. Typically Boston Butts take between 1.5-2 hours. But things like weather/wind can change the time.

These long smokes are notoriously hard to estimate. So the best thing is to start early and if it reaches temp early, you can allow the but to rest for several hours by leaving it in the smoker at 135-140. But if it goes longer than you end up eating at 10:00 at night . Then 1-2 hours before you are ready to eat, pull the butt, double foil, and then rest in a cooler with a couple old bath towels placed on top for 1-2 hours. This lets the moisture absorb back into the meat instead of flooding out when you cut it open.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. It's not required, but we love pictures.

 

[swthorpe]

The butt is fine, I cannot lie!  However, for something a bit shorter to produce quick results that you can taste, you might try a rack or two of baby back ribs that will take about 5 to 5.5 hours (see methods in the pork section).  Something a bit quicker would be chicken thighs (for pulled chicken) or a whole chicken -- either one would take about 4 hours.  I think I did ribs on my first smoke.

 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks for the brined butt endorsement, Gregg!  Just to clarify one thing in Gregg's post, I'm sure he meant to say butts typically take 1.5-2 hours per pound.  Just didn't want you thinking it would be done in 2 hours.  

You can go for the short-term gratification of ribs or chicken, but the venerable Boston butt tests your commitment!  Anything that takes 12+ hours to smoke is definitely worth the wait!  Hehe.  Seriously, anything you want to do as a first smoke is a great choice - it's ALL good!

 

[NDKoze]

Good catch Tony.

I guess I didn't proofread that one prior to posting.

 

[DivotMaker]

Got your back, Gregg!   Happens to me all the time, sadly.  Most of time, I don't catch stuff until I read it again after posting... :-[

 

[Smokem if you got em]

You guys are great! I feel like I just moved into a new town and you all stopped over to telll me I could borrow all your lawn equipment whenever I need it.    I'm picking up the #3 and all the accessories this Saturday morning from Steve.  Stopped at a local meat market on the way home and they didn't have 8-10 lb boston butts.  Special order.  They did have baby back ribs on sale.  Hmmm.  I have time to check some other places though.  Do you use the mustard binder method on all the meat you smoke?  Just pork/beef?  And can you give me your opinions on the seafood rack.  I do want to try my hand at smoking some salmon.  Does it make a big difference vs using the standard racks?  Thanks again for all the help.

 

[DivotMaker]

Dean, you can borrow my mower anytime, but you have to cut my lawn too.   Too bad about the butts at your butcher.  Do you have a Sam's Club nearby?  Excellent place to buy meat.  Best ribs and butts I can get in my area.  Also, a lot of grocery stores sell Tyson pork products - they're Boston butts are pretty good, too.

As for mustard as a binder - yes, I use it on everything but poultry (that gets olive oil).  The mustard taste goes away completely, and I like the way it makes the rub stick.  It promotes a really good bark, and I believe it helps keep the meat moist.  This is just based on my experience, not science.

If you plan to do fish, jerky, or anything small enough to fall through the standard grates, by all means get the seafood racks.  They definitely make a difference for anything small or very fragile.  Btw, there are some really good salmon posts in the fish section!

Say "Hi" to Steve for me on Saturday!

 

[Smokem if you got em]

Tony, I will let him know you said Hi.  We have Sams and Costco in the area.  Got my Costco card so I may try there first.  Will add the seafood rack to my order so I can get that on Saturday too.  I confess I am getting more than a little excited about this.

 

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, Dean, it is exciting!  I believe Costco only sells boneless butts, which don't smoke as well as the bone-in kind.  You'll love your new smoker, just like we all do!  Looking forward to seeing your successes!

 

[NDKoze]

Costco does only sell boneless butts. But they have excellent St Louis style ribs though.

Sam's is my goto for bone-in butts though.

 

[Smokem if you got em]

Thanks, that is good to know. 

Looks like I might be getting my Sams Card soon.

Do you use a "special" type of mustard for your binder or just a French's yellow mustard?

Am I correct that you don't use the internal meat temperature probe on ribs?

 

[NDKoze]

Just plain old French's mustard. In the end the mustard flavor goes away. So no need to use any fancy mustard.

Most people cook ribs by time as it is hard to get a probe into a rack of ribs without getting too close to the bone and throwing your temperatures off.

Best is to let them go for five hours and then use a toothpick next to the bone to see how easy the meat pulls away from the bone.

From that point you let them go until your personal preference of fall off the bone is reached.

Some like to sauce at 5 hours and put back in the smoker. I prefer to sauce and finish under the broiler on a large cookie sheet in my oven for a couple of minutes to caramelize the sauce. Less mess on the grill grates to clean up.

 

[Smokem if you got em]

Thanks Gregg.  I've been reading the brining instructions you noted earlier for the boston butt.  I am so ready to get rolling.  I ordered some extra Hickory from Steve as part of my original order.  Do you think I need any other kind of wood for the boston butt?  Do you use more than one kind of wood during the smoke?  Appreciate your assistance.

 

[NDKoze]

Hickory is great on Butts.

I ordered extra Hickory from Steve too along with some Cherry from him.

I typically use about 6 ounces of wood, half Hickory and half Cherry.

However, using all Hickory would be just fine as Hickory pairs really well with pork. You may want to weigh out closer to 5 ounces instead of 6 as Hickory provides a pretty strong smoke flavor. If you like a strong smoke flavor go all out with 6 ounces.

I would suggest ramping up your temp starting at 140 (others have had luck with different temps) or so for 30-45 minutes to help avoid the infamous belch.

I haven't tried the Sugar Maple that I see Steve has now, but the Hickory and Cherry from him is awesome wood.

Many here also buy wood from Fruitawood and Maine Grilling Woods. Bing search will help you find the sites.

I would stay away from the big box store wood as it is often extremely dry and will catch fire way easier than higher quality smoking wood.

Sounds like you are on the right track.

 

[DivotMaker]

Hey Dean, wood is very "subjective" to your taste.  For example, some people really like apple wood smoked pork; I hate it.  If it's mixed with a little hickory, it's OK, but I don't like it alone, as apple has a very unique flavor (at least to me).  I love hickory on just about everything (it's "traditional" Q just about everywhere).  On pork, I usually do a mix of cherry and hickory.  Peach is also good on pork, especially with a little hickory mixed in.  I even like oak!  Bottom line:  find the woods that suit your taste, not mine.  Experimentation is the key - you'll find the combinations that work for you.  There really IS a difference in wood smoke! 

Here's a start:  Brine a butt, and smoke it with the SI hickory dowels; you won't be disappointed.  As your experience progresses, try some different woods and see what works for you.  Just be sure to get good quality wood, like Gregg said; it does make a difference. 

Good luck with your first smoke! ;D