Rain, rain go away, come again another day

All of this talk of smoking and brisket and ribs and jerky. . .I went and bought a smoker.

Since I have the condo regulations, it's an electric one, living happily on my deck. But, we have no real overhang or structure under or in which it can live and stay dry, so it's currently unhappily covered in vinyl or some such constricting material.

And, if you thing the smoker is unhappy, you should see the racks of back ribs, the brisket, and turkey legs that are reclining in my fridge! They can't wait to get out of their brine (well, I've already removed the legs as they coudn't wait any longer and demanded I free them of the salt water) and jump into the smoker. Maybe not all at the same time. . .

I keep gandering at the radar and the hourly forecasts . So far, the rain just doesn't want to leave. I wonder how late I can stay awake

maybe you could rig up some sort of pup-tent type thing? A little lean-to of sorts with a tarp to keep your smoker high and dry?

you should post a pic of your balcony setup and I'm sure someone will have a suitable solution!

Good luck. I operate under the same circumstances (balcony with no overhang), so my heart goes out to you. But I think you'll find it was worth the wait.

Argh!!!! The sun is out. . .and I am not smoking. I am taking the smoker back to the store

I had the bright idea of taking off the legs and putting on wheels. But the Made in China bolts had a different idea and the leg broke off, leaving the part of the threaded bolt in there. I would be willing to drill it out, but my partner is annoyed at the construction (what to you want for a cheap-ish smoker???? We didn't buy a CookShack!) so he wants to take it back for a new one.

He'll leave later; if I'm lucky, we'll have a replacement about the 8 PM. . .it better not be raining!!!!

Per the pup tent, I've been thinking of everything imaginable. As Costco, I joked about getting one of those tents that are like a one car garage - 10 feet by 20 feet - and covering my whole deck. The deck is not quite that big, but. . .

ViewsAskew wrote:Argh!!!! The sun is out. . .and I am not smoking. I am taking the smoker back to the store

I had the bright idea of taking off the legs and putting on wheels. But the Made in China bolts had a different idea and the leg broke off, leaving the part of the threaded bolt in there. I would be willing to drill it out, but my partner is annoyed at the construction (what to you want for a cheap-ish smoker???? We didn't buy a CookShack!) so he wants to take it back for a new one.. .

Was this one of the Brinkmann electrics from Home Depot? If so, I've used one for years, no mods or anything, and it cooks great. The biggest issue I've had is the thin metal sucks on a windy day, but I cover it in HD aluminum foil (shiny side in) and it brings the temps up nicely. If you get another one, make sure you cover the seam that the lid goes in with foil when you're cooking. I've cooked whole hams and turkeys in that beast that you could cut with a fork...

No, it was a Masterbuilt. My partner is an engineer - he can't stand things that aren't built and designed well. . .so, I knew I couldn't get any of the les expensive things that don't have temp controls, won't let you put in wood without opening the door, have dents when they arrive, etc. So, I thought this would be a workable compromise, though I knew it wouldn't be exceptionally wonderful as it isn't exceptionally pricy, lol. I'd love to go up to the $500 range, but haven't yet convinced him that a smoker is totally worth it (to me, more than a grill, as I love this type of food more than grilled food).

It's wonderful out. . .I WANNA SMOKE!!!!!!! He still hasn't left and I'm finally off my conference calls, so I guess we'll wait until about 6 PM and then drive to Gurnee to swap it. If I'm lucky, we'll be back and it will be set up by about 9 PM. I hope there is no rain in the forcast tonight!

Well, it is returned and replaced. But, after an unexpected trip to Menards, we didn't arrive home until after 10 PM. I have tied partner to a promise to have the smoker assembled by the time I get up (I tend to be a later riser than he) so I can start with the turkey drumsticks, then on to the other items awaiting the smoker's kiss.

Menard's has a Grillpro vertical smoker for $100 that's pretty kick-ass. The sole downside is that the whole door needs to be opened to add wood or charcoal, but it's not like the food suddenly drops to ambient temp when the door opens. It's thick steel, but not incredibly heavy (I bought it to take to parks for picnics). I think I remember the Masterbuilt smoker you're describing, I'd probably have taken it back too.

Whatever you decide on, be sure to do some test-cooks before inviting people over. It's as much for you as breaking in the smoker. Also don't forget to season it before your first cook, and at least every 2 years. It'll help you keep the insides from rusting...

Well, it's working!!!! Smoke is dancing out of the vent as I type. I have three kinds of meat in there. The drumsticks should be done in another 1/2 hour or so, but the back ribs have a while to go and the brisket...well, we probably will be eating it about 11 PM tonight

So far so good with this replaced Masterbuilt. Nope, it's not made perfectly, but an insulated box with a way to add chips without opening the door and a digital control to set both temp and time? For $200 it seems worth it to me. Partner agreed after I showed him the other options that given what we wanted as a minimum (way to add chips without opening door, wide temp range, etc.). This one was missing two screws - the unit operates without them, but after having problems 2 for 2 (though neither of them related to operations), they could use some more attention to detail.

I've only had it running about 2 1/2 hours. It did take quite some time to get to 225 degrees F. It says to put the meat in and then turn it on, but I'm just not sure I like that method. After it gets to temp, you add the wood chips. This means that the meat is already at 100 or more by the time you start smoking - higher if the piece of meat is small like the turkey legs. So, if anyone else has an electic insulated box smoker, let me know how you handle it.

In the meantime, the meat looks wonderful so far. The turkey legs look so nicely smokey-borwn in color. I did baste them once - opening the door only one time to check the internal temp, so taking the opportunity to also baste. The oven thermometer that I put on the middle rack was very close in temp to their digital thermometer's reading - about 8 degrees different - they are also in different places. It was a little cooler on the over thermometer. I'll see how this comes out set at 225 and possibly raise it to 235 or 240 next time. I wish I had thermometers to set on each rack .

Bed Bath and Beyond has digital wireless thermometers for ~$30. I use two of them, one in my smallest piece of food and one at the grate the food is cooking on. Keep the temp anywhere 250 and you're good. That 10 degrees won't make a big deal time wise, as I recall.

Enjoy the cook, and the finished product! Take some pictures and post 'em here if you can keep from eating it that long...

[laying on ground, flailing arms, rhythmicly beating feet and fists into ground, etc.]

It started to RAIN!!!!! What's up with that?????? It might not last, but I just didn't want to chance it. So, off with the smoker, in with the meats.

Oh, well. The turkey legs were done anyway, and the ribs just about. While I like ribs tender (not chewy and not soft - you know, Goldilocks just right ), my partner likes soft. So, I threw two of the four halves into the oven to finish for him.

The brisket? Well, it will have that nice smoky taste - it's already at 160 - but could be there for a few more hours. It, too, is making its home in my oven . It will still be delicious and better than anything I could have done on my gas grill (and those were pretty good). All and all, a good first outing. Not sure of the final taste, but the corners I've managed to break off were excellent.

Hi,

Is there a reason why you cannot continue smoking during the rain? I have a Weber Smokey Mountain that simply keeps on chugging through the rain.

Regards,

Yes, it's an electic smoker - we aren't allowed to use coal/wood on our condo's deck. While it may be that some electric smokers can be used outside in the rain, many cannot. Mine cannot (according to the manual - and who am I do discount what they say when it's still under warranty???).

Of course, the sky is blue agin in some spots, so maybe I'll move the brisket back out. . .

HI,

I wasn't sure if it was the limitation of your electric smoker or your sensibilities. Following the manufacturer's instructions is usually a good idea.

Regards,

The ribs and the turkey legs were wonderful. I am, so far, extremely happy with this smoker (in terms of ease of use and results). The brisket got finished too late for us to eat any of it tonight.

Here is a picture of the ribs and turkey before we ate - not sure how we managed to take pictures instead of grabbing with our hands, ala Fred Flintstone.




The worst part was cleaning the racks in the smoker...anyone have any ideas on an easy way to do it? I ruined a scrubby sponge. edited to add: these are stainless racks and this is electric, not charcoal, so it's not like the grates in my grill. As I was cleaning them, I kept thinking of how nice it is that we can't see the oil and grunge on our grill grates .

Oh, yeah, the cover I bought for it at Menards is by NO means waterproof. Yikes. Anyone know of a brand that will keep the water completely out? I tried the Bradley cover when I was at the store buying this but it wasn't long enough.

Hi,

I use brass long handled brushes usually to scrape off the grates. During the winter, my brush got buried under snow. In a pinch, I used a brass scrunchy used for cleaning pots. I found I like it better than the brush. I now keep it on the smoker grill between uses. I will admit I am not looking for perfection, I just want the crust off.

Regards,

ViewsAskew wrote:The worst part was cleaning the racks in the smoker...anyone have any ideas on an easy way to do it?

Oil the grill grates before using, use a grill brush when you are done, then put the grates in your dishwasher.

Ditto what Steve said. I got a spray bottle from The Container Store and I keep corn oil in it for just that purpose. You can use any oil (or Pam, for that matter). I also toss my grill grates in the dishwasher from time to time.

ViewsAskew wrote:The ribs and the turkey legs were wonderful. I am, so far, extremely happy with this smoker (in terms of ease of use and results). The brisket got finished too late for us to eat any of it tonight.

Here is a picture of the ribs and turkey before we ate - not sure how we managed to take pictures instead of grabbing with our hands, ala Fred Flintstone.

The worst part was cleaning the racks in the smoker...anyone have any ideas on an easy way to do it? I ruined a scrubby sponge. edited to add: these are stainless racks and this is electric, not charcoal, so it's not like the grates in my grill. As I was cleaning them, I kept thinking of how nice it is that we can't see the oil and grunge on our grill grates .

Oh, yeah, the cover I bought for it at Menards is by NO means waterproof. Yikes. Anyone know of a brand that will keep the water completely out? I tried the Bradley cover when I was at the store buying this but it wasn't long enough.

Nice lookin' Q there! When you get a chance, pop into www.bbq-brethren.com and browse some of the recipes. You may get some ribbing (pun intended) for using what's called a "lazy-Q", but it's all in good fun and the Q at the end is what's really important.

Some folks use a waterproof tarp with bungie cord at the bottom to cover their stuff. Others just let Momma Nature have at it. You can always sand any rust spots down and spray with high-heat enamel as a touch-up.

Lastly, experiment with different juices in the water pan. I always use apple juice in the pan when I smoke a ham. I get a hint of apple flavor in the meat. I've also done hot peppers in the water pan, but not so much flavor like that.

Thanks for the tips on the water pan. . .will try out different things.

Funny, after I tried to scrub one of the racks, I wrote the post here, then went back and threw the other three into the dishwasher. Remarkable how much came off. Then I just had to do a quick finish with a scrubbie thing to get off the residual. So, it's definitely the dishwasher for me.

I have a cold and all that meat didn't look interesting at all to me (my partner, he had a different story!), but today for lunch I heated it up. It was very good. The ribs were strange, though - not in taste, but I've never seen baby backs with that much meat on them. They definitely weren't spares or even a St Louis cut. . . just a TON of meat (maybe the pig wasn't such a baby). I had three just now and I'm full. I guess I'll have to try the Costco ribs again in the future.

One thing that's been universal: properly-cooked que tastes better the next day. Don't know why or how, but with or without sauce, leftover que makes for a great snack or meal.

I'll be making Costco spares this weekend. I usually get them from Peoria on Lake just west of Racine. Crap, I still need rib tips from Peoria, maybe I won't be shopping at Costco this weekend after all...

Leftover BBQ?!? I've never heard of such a thing! Leftover potato salad, yes. Leftover 5 layer dip, sure. I've even heard of (but not experienced) leftover beer after a BBQ, but actual uneaten barbecue? It boggles the mind

I agree for braises/stews/soups that some time overnight will improve the product.. but barbecue?

I've never known barbecue that got better overnight.

You just need to live in our house. We bought a smoker with four racks. I HAD to put something on every rack and HAD to try different food items. Alas, there are only two of us and 4 turkey legs, 2 full slabs of back ribs, and a 10 pound brisket. If there was no leftover que, then I'd be in the hospital having my stomach pumped! Not sure about my partner...he'd probably do OK, but have to undo the top button on his pants