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First smoke with new used smoker

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autorotator

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No pics, sorry.

Picked up a smoker that my buddy used as a grill a few times then bought himself a propane grill. I immediately went to the store to get some supplies. Hickory chunks, briquettes, a thermometer for the grill, and a couple chickens. I wanted to do something fairly cheap just to kind of break it in and do some experimenting. I didn't want to have a $14 - $20 rack on there and screw them up. Bare with me, I'm new.

Before I started the coals, I put a smaller rack that the briquettes sit on in the fire box, which I later discovered was causing me a air flow problem.

I get the briquettes going and wait about 45 min before I spread the coals out and put the chickens on and add a hickory chunk. Everything went pretty well for the first 1.5 hrs or so. Then the air flow problem began. I thought I just needed to add more briquettes. I finally figured out to clear out as much ash from the bottom as possible. I will be putting the orig rack back in before the next smoke. It caused alot of time to the smoke due to how close it sat to the bottom.

I also put a loaf pan filled with water in the smoke box closest to the fire box for moisture. The chickens were placed on the opposite side of the fire box, closest to the exhaust.

I added about 2-3 chunks of hickory to the coals every hour, and kept the temp consistently at 250f. I had the exhaust open 100% and the baffle(?) open a little under a 1/4. The smoke took a little over seven (7) hours and I consumed my, yours, and his share of cold beer.

I guess I should mention that the chickens each weighed 4.17 lbs. One of the chickens I added some Montreal chicken seasoning to which I thought tasted pretty good. 

The chicken turned out fantastic!

All in all, I think it turned out better than I expected. Off to bigger and better next time!
#1 - August 15, 2009, 08:58:36 am

Crashs Wife

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Congrats!!!  Now your hooked.  No big on the pics, next time just invite us all over to be official taste testers!!   ;D
#2 - August 15, 2009, 09:01:10 am
Crash's Better Half :)
AKA Pit B!t@h

autorotator

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Sounds like a plan.  ;D
#3 - August 15, 2009, 09:09:54 am

azkitch

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Snoop around this forum, and you'll find a post of mine with a pic of the expanded metal grate I made--using that term loosely--for my side firebox unit. I took a 24 inch by 14 inch piece, bent 5" of each end up, and stuck it in the firebox. You can go several inches narrower--well a few. On my unit, a 16 inch diameter, even 10" wide would have worked fine. Length could have been different either way, too. As it was, it fits perfectly end to end. If it had ended up being shorter that would have been fine too. Holds a bunch of coal, sits much higher than the 9" grates it came with, holds finer pieces of charcoal. And the #9 weight exp. metal works good. And I have a charcoal ring leftover from the cut for a firebox for my drum smoker. It cost me $15 at Davis Metals on Washington St. near 32nd St.
#4 - August 15, 2009, 08:01:52 pm
CBJ # 53779
For cooking, lower and slower. For spices, mo' hotter, mo' better. Habaneros rule!

RobOConnell

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You need taste testers!!! Any else game? Just say the word and were there dude.

Rob
#5 - August 15, 2009, 08:30:54 pm
UDS (love it most)
Pro Q
Brinkmans Smoke n Grill (now belongs to my daughter)

olivesmoker

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SOOO!!!! How fun was that. I'm thinking now you are hooked and the rest is history!!!!
Enjoy the smoke..
#6 - August 15, 2009, 10:28:00 pm
Danny Petersen
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Thanks Quiggs!

AzJohnnyC

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Now you've done it...that's how it started with me.  A quick smoke to break it in...then you're cooking every chance you get.  Enjoy the addiction, you won't see any one of us at your intervention.
#7 - August 15, 2009, 10:36:31 pm
Whiskey Business BBQ
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azkitch

  • Karma: 9
Now you've done it...that's how it started with me.  A quick smoke to break it in...then you're cooking every chance you get.  Enjoy the addiction, you won't see any one of us at your intervention.
Good one, J. I'm applauding... ^-^
#8 - August 16, 2009, 07:07:43 am
CBJ # 53779
For cooking, lower and slower. For spices, mo' hotter, mo' better. Habaneros rule!

KidCurry

  • Karma: 1
Did you have fun!  ;)
#9 - August 16, 2009, 09:17:39 am
KidCurry@AZBarbeque.com
KCBS CBJ
Mike boils his ribs....pass it on.

autorotator

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Well hell yeah I had fun  ;D. Looking forward to the next drink fest, I mean smoke session  8).
#10 - August 16, 2009, 09:22:02 am

Lizard333

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I don't knwo if it will help you, but it helpped me when I was first starting out, but you may want to get a log going one what you cooked, for how long and at what temp.  Also, types of heat used, wood flaovor, and seasoning on you Q.  Once you ge the hang of it you won't need the log anymore, but it may help you to prevent future "mistakes". From the sound of it, you did pretty good on the first ones.  Sometimes, all of the "refreshments" can leave your head a little fuzzzy, and it may be forgotten what you did last time.  Not that that has ever happened to me..... 8)
#11 - August 17, 2009, 11:02:06 am
Bueller... Bueller...  Bueller..........

autorotator

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Great idea! I'm going to do that. Thanks alot!
#12 - August 17, 2009, 01:56:40 pm

azkitch

  • Karma: 9
I don't knwo if it will help you, but it helpped me when I was first starting out, but you may want to get a log going one what you cooked, for how long and at what temp.  Also, types of heat used, wood flaovor, and seasoning on you Q.  Once you ge the hang of it you won't need the log anymore, but it may help you to prevent future "mistakes". From the sound of it, you did pretty good on the first ones.  Sometimes, all of the "refreshments" can leave your head a little fuzzzy, and it may be forgotten what you did last time.  Not that that has ever happened to me..... 8)

Lizzard, did you type it that way to illustrate the fuzzy head??  :laugh: Slow down around those corners!
#13 - August 18, 2009, 01:29:41 am
CBJ # 53779
For cooking, lower and slower. For spices, mo' hotter, mo' better. Habaneros rule!

Lizard333

  • Karma: 0
Huked on foniks wurked fur mei.  I am just terrible at typing.  I USUALLY read my post before I send them, but must have been in a rush that day!!  OOPS!! :laugh:
#14 - August 18, 2009, 08:47:59 am
Bueller... Bueller...  Bueller..........

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