So if I wanted to tell you guys about my New Pellet Grill?

[chicago husker]

I use a foil (some call it cheating or a Texas crutch) wrap to finish my pork butts occasionally, as well. Once they hit 150° (about 5 hours), I wrap them and throw them in a 400° oven until they hit 195° - 200° internal. You don't get as much bark but you retain all of those juices from the pork and the rub.

The key here is that every brand and type of smoker acts differently and you need to find out what works best for you and your smoker. Takes notes regarding temp, time, method and results. Compare notes regularly to find what works best for you and your smoker. By testing and keeping notes you get to eat more great food. What a great concept.

 

[KingTM]

The key here is that every brand and type of smoker acts differently and you need to find out what works best for you and your smoker. Takes notes regarding temp, time, method and results. Compare notes regularly to find what works best for you and your smoker. By testing and keeping notes you get to eat more great food. What a great concept.

Indeed. When I first got into smoking years ago, I spent every waking hour thinking about how to improve and streamline the effort. I'm one of those guys whom likes to stand in the smoke, drink beer and grunt while poking at the fire. I genuinely love to BBQ. My BIL built my drum smoker for me as a prototype for a side hustle he was putting together making smokers when he first finished welding school. It's very rudimentary but I figured it out over the first summer that I had it. His brother helped me get started on the cooking part of it and gave me a ton of great tips along the way. He is also the source for most of my wood as he seems to have an endless supply of apple (I get my Hickory from another guy I know). I honestly don't use that smoker much anymore as it's kind of a bitch to get to the fire if I need to. My BIL has really honed his craft over the years and is building some really, really nice smokers. I'm thinking of buying one but the one, big drawback is that they're all based on 55 gallon drums and they don't hold that heat when its cold out. The seams are good but not great so that tends to add a bit of challenge when attempting to maintain a uniform temp., as well.

Now? I mostly smoke on my Weber kettle using the snake method since its usually just me and Ms. King. I've done butts, pork ribs, pork belly, Flintstone rib plates, whole chickens and the last two years, I've spatchcocked and smoked whole turkeys. I'd really like to have a nice stick-burner one of these days, though.

 

[chicago husker]

Indeed. When I first got into smoking years ago, I spent every waking hour thinking about how to improve and streamline the effort. I'm one of those guys whom likes to stand in the smoke, drink beer and grunt while poking at the fire. I genuinely love to BBQ. My BIL built my drum smoker for me as a prototype for a side hustle he was putting together making smokers when he first finished welding school. It's very rudimentary but I figured it out over the first summer that I had it. His brother helped me get started on the cooking part of it and gave me a ton of great tips along the way. He is also the source for most of my wood as he seems to have an endless supply of apple (I get my Hickory from another guy I know). I honestly don't use that smoker much anymore as it's kind of a bitch to get to the fire if I need to. My BIL has really honed his craft over the years and is building some really, really nice smokers. I'm thinking of buying one but the one, big drawback is that they're all based on 55 gallon drums and they don't hold that heat when its cold out. The seams are good but not great so that tends to add a bit of challenge when attempting to maintain a uniform temp., as well.

Now? I mostly smoke on my Weber kettle using the snake method since its usually just me and Ms. King. I've done butts, pork ribs, pork belly, Flintstone rib plates, whole chickens and the last two years, I've spatchcocked and smoked whole turkeys. I'd really like to have a nice stick-burner one of these days, though.

before diving back into another stick burner at least check out the different pellet smokers available. While you don't get the smoke ring a stick burner will produce they are a lot easier to maintain temp. as the pellets are fed in by demand of temp. desired and you get the same smoke flavor. Some like my FEC100 which is a competition smoker are insulated as well which helps maintain a constant temp even in cold and windy conditions. I can put a brisket or pork butt in before i go to bed and set the desired temp and after so many hours it will automatically increase or decrease the temp depending on what i want it to do.

 

[KingTM]

before diving back into another stick burner at least check out the different pellet smokers available. While you don't get the smoke ring a stick burner will produce they are a lot easier to maintain temp. as the pellets are fed in by demand of temp. desired and you get the same smoke flavor. Some like my FEC100 which is a competition smoker are insulated as well which helps maintain a constant temp even in cold and windy conditions. I can put a brisket or pork butt in before i go to bed and set the desired temp and after so many hours it will automatically increase or decrease the temp depending on what i want it to do.

Your method would drastically reduce my volume grunting and beer drinking.

Seriously though, all of the BBQ that I've ever had out of a pellet smoker didn't seem the same as a stick burner. The smoke flavor almost seemed "watered down" if that makes sense.

 

[chicago husker]

Your method would drastically reduce my volume grunting and beer drinking.

Seriously though, all of the BBQ that I've ever had out of a pellet smoker didn't seem the same as a stick burner. The smoke flavor almost seemed "watered down" if that makes sense.

check out the cookshack line as there is a huge difference in quality of pellet smoker. I smoke often and feed a lot of people so my FEC100 may be an over kill but they have commercial and residential smokers, pellet or wood chunks, and they are all insulated. My brother bought a residential wood chunk one several years ago for about half price on craigslist and loves it. http://www.cookshack.com/

I think my FEC100 has been replaced with their FEC120

I am sure there are many great pellet smokers out there such as the one Skunk posted but my experience has been on my first bullet smoker (actually went thru a couple of those in my early days), a treagor smoker which i liked but not insulated and my FEC100.

 

[NU_Alum]

Your method would drastically reduce my volume grunting and beer drinking.

Seriously though, all of the BBQ that I've ever had out of a pellet smoker didn't seem the same as a stick burner. The smoke flavor almost seemed "watered down" if that makes sense.

Check these out.

Nebraska company pellet smokers. I have their traditional one and it's amazing.

Holds heat like you can't believe and the smoke flavor is excellent (buy good pellets).

I bought the "sear kit" that let's me reverse sear easily as well. I spent a lot of time researching what I wanted for a smoker to replace my my old smoker (safe shaped, propane flame with wood chips). This is easily as good, if not better and holds the temp amazingly well. Also, I can grill on it easily.

 

[SierraRed]

Ever try the 3-2-1 method? I've found that to work very well. Obviously, time will vary depending upon conditions.

What temp are you at? I usually smoke at 225 and 3-2-1 turns my ribs mushy.

 

[Skunkman1]

What temp are you at? I usually smoke at 225 and 3-2-1 turns my ribs mushy.

I just did two racks of ribs smothered in rub and just put them straight on the grill at 225 for 4 and a half hours and the bones pull out with melt in your mouth meat. I did not bother with the foil just spritzed them every half hour or so
Damn do I love my Grilla!

 

[Skunkman1]

Also my gosh is candied bacon something else!

 

[SierraRed]

Your method would drastically reduce my volume grunting and beer drinking.

Seriously though, all of the BBQ that I've ever had out of a pellet smoker didn't seem the same as a stick burner. The smoke flavor almost seemed "watered down" if that makes sense.

Try a smoke tube.

I just did two racks of ribs smothered in rub and just put them straight on the grill at 225 for 4 and a half hours and the bones pull out with melt in your mouth meat. I did not bother with the foil just spritzed them every half hour or so
Damn do I love my Grilla!

Love it! That's pretty much what I do, although a lot of the time I don't even spritz. Also, no sauce on the grill. I usually have some available if someone wants it, but a good seasoned and properly cooked meat shouldn't need any.

 

[Skunkman1]

Try a smoke tube.

Love it! That's pretty much what I do, although a lot of the time I don't even spritz. Also, no sauce on the grill. I usually have some available if someone wants it, but a good seasoned and properly cooked meat shouldn't need any.

Yeah, I am going the way of just a good rub and then just have the sauce on the side if someone wants it.

 

[Skunkman1]

The start of a mortal sin!

 

[Skunkman1]

And the finished product of Candied Bacon!

Hello clogged arteries!

 

[huskrthill]

If you want a real pit, contact @Smoker.
This is the rig he made for me.

 

[KingTM]

What temp are you at? I usually smoke at 225 and 3-2-1 turns my ribs mushy.

I should have clarified that its more a methodology for me than a strictly timed cook. I usually do two hours unwrapped, an hour wrapped and then another hour, or so to finish unwrapped. I usually don't go more than 4(ish) hours when doing loin backs, which is my preferred cut when it comes to pork ribs.