Here We Go!

[Joe Rinaldi]

I'm proudly seasoning my 4D tonight.  So far so good.  No real surprises unboxing and starting the process after reading everyone's great advice here.  I'm taking notes along the way and will post a full re-cap once the deal is done.  8)

 

[swthorpe]

Congrats, Joe!  I hope you have some smok'in plans for tomorrow!  Cheers

 

[Joe Rinaldi]

Thanks Steve.  Working tomorrow but it's going down Sunday! 

 

[Joe Rinaldi]

I'm completely blown away how this 4D is sticking to the 250 set point. I can't wait to put some meat in it.

 

[DivotMaker]

Congrats, Joe!!  Nothing like the "first seasoning" to get you fired-up!  Love it when that machine oil smell turns to the sweet smell of wood smoke!

 

[Joe Rinaldi]

Seasoning went smooth.  I thought I'd post a few bits of what I experienced.  It may help someone out down the road on their experience
Outside temps ranged from 38-34 degrees while it was seasoning.

Smoker was up to the 250 temp in 40 minutes

As people mentioned I did have some smoke escaping from the top left corner of the door.  Sounds normal.

I had the 3 wood blocks placed in the center of the box in the front center and back.  The front and center blocks burned to ashes.  The back block hardly burned at all.

The programming was super easy.  It is easiest to dive right in and play around with the settings.  Its much clearer when you are pushing buttons vs. reading the manual.

About 2 hours in the smoke got very light but it was still present.

For anyone concerned about the safety of the unit don't be.  There were no hotspots on the units exterior.  No chance of a curious pet or child getting burned.

That's about all I noticed.  It was a simple deal and now I'm ready to get some grub going.  Im trying 2 spatchcocked chickens tonight.  Brined and seasoned with Dizzy Dust.   

 

[swthorpe]

You are off and running, Joe!  Don't forget to post some pics of those finished chickens!  Cheers

 

[Paul Case Luca]

It's Sunday... Need updates.

Also pictures... No pictures it never happened.

 

[DivotMaker]

How'd the chicken turn out, Joe?  Inaugural smokes are always worth posting!

 

[Joe Rinaldi]

The chicken was on point.  Excellent flavor and moisture.  Just like everything I read the skins was not crispy as expected.  That doesn't really bother me.  If I were to do it again for company I would probably throw them on the grill for a bit to dry it out. 

As far as the cooker went, it was flawless.  The controller kept the temp stuck on 250.  Very little or no fluctuation in cooking temp.  Food probe hit 165 at 3:50 hours.  I double checked meat with my Thermapen and it was all evenly cooked. 

Great first cook.  Im looking forward to many more and cant wait to make my first batch of sausage.  I'll be doing 25 lbs of venison summer sausage this weekend or next. 

 

[DivotMaker]

Sounds good, Joe - congrats, again!