Re: [CH] I believe in BBQ
=Mark (mstevens@exit109.com)
Wed, 14 May 2008 18:51:05 -0400
I sort of disagree with the idea of starting with the WSM (Weber Smoky
Mountain). Starting out with a difficult, hard to control smoker really
teaches you about fire control. I struggled with a Brinkman water smoker for
a year before moving up to the WSM.
Believe me, futzing with a smoker with no vent controls is not a pretty
situation, when you have to poke and prod every 20 or 30 minutes, and
anticipate the need for fuel. As you know there can be a half hour lag when
trying to raise, lower or even maintain a steady temp. After a period of time
with that nonsense you get a real appreciation for what the WSM is capable of
when you finally go for it.
I'm intrigued by the DigiQ II, will have to look into it.
In the mean time, I don't know if you've seen this...
http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/fun_with_fire/outdoor/outerfire.html
=Mark
On Wed, 14 May 2008 14:54:21 -0700, Dana H. Myers wrote
> =Mark wrote:
> > Cool! What kind of cooker do you use?
>
> I started with a CharBroil/New Braunfels Silver Smoker offset,
> which is probably half of the reason why I had such an exciting
> learning curve at first. If you're using a Silver Smoker, you'll
> immediately want to extend the chimney down to the grate level
> with a few inches of 3" diameter aluminum dryer vent, and take a
> pie pan and bow it a little to create a heat shield in the
> opening betweent the firebox and cook chamber. With these
> changes, the Silver becomes pretty easy to control, but it's
> still pretty hard on fuel.
>
> On a whim, I got a cheap Brinkman's electric vertical smoker,
> which worked OK on calm, warm days but hates cold, windy
> weather. Nonetheless, I was surprised how well it worked.
>
> Eventually, I came around and got the cooker I really should
> have to begin with - a Weber Smokey Mountain. It only seems
> expensive until you use it; once you line the water pan with
> foil, fill it with an inch or two of washed sand, and cover
> it with 5-10 layers of foil, you can easily run it at 230F
> for 16+ hours on a single load of fuel.
>
> One thing led to another, and I added a BBQ Guru DigiQ II
> controller to the WSM. This took an easy-to-control, efficient
> cooker and turned it into something like a kitchen appliance.
> I think nothing of loading the cooker with lump, firing it up,
> setting the temperature, putting the meat in - and going to bed.
> The next morning, the cooker is sitting right on temperature.
>
> At the Hogfest, for example, I cooked a brisket for 12 hours
> (not quite enough this time; still getting dialed-in on brisket),
> then I cooked the 1st-place ribs, then we cooked chicken thighs.
> All on a single load of lump; the cooker was still at temperature
> after 19 hours when I had to quench the fire.
>
> BBQ, in my experience, demands a deft touch with the heat. You
> want good, flavorful peppers but you don't want to unbalance the
> results with raw heat. I wish I had some Calvin's sometimes.
>
> This makes me think, next time there's a ChileHeads' dinner
> around the SF Bay/Napa area, I'll have to do a couple of shoulders
> and maybe some spares... heck, I need to work on my brisket
> technique, perhaps I should surprise my wife and invite y'all
> over sometime :-)
>
> Dana
--
=Mark
http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens