[PhxCliff]

The hanging hooks are a nice feature of the Excel.  I use mini or small binder clips from staples as a cheap way to keep them from sliding around.

[RudedoggAZ]

Thanks for the advice... What do you usually use your hooks for? Any good success stories?

[PhxCliff]

I used them for sausage links once - just because they were there.  I can't see hanging anything else, but maybe I just haven't gotten creative enough yet! 

I've heard of people hanging ribs, but I don't want to risk tearing off that last one or two bones and have the rack crash down while cooking.   Has anyone on here hung a rack of ribs?  is there an advantage (other than being able to fit the entire rack in the 20)?

[Crash]

Great idea Cliff, I'll definitely use that one.

We have smoked small 10 inch trout on the hooks.  It worked great, but you'll need to put the hooks through both lips or they will fall off as they smoke.

[RudedoggAZ]

I was thinking if it would be possible to buy a half pig, use all 3 stackers and hang it. Or, a whole salmon.

I dont know about hanging ribs. Seems that it would be better to have them on the grill anyway. Last thing you need is for the ribs to break apart and drop.

[SlantedBBQ]

Another tip for any one using the hooks make sure you keep a rack in at least at the very bottom. I tried smoking some special custom sausage I had made. The sausage was 5 pounds worth about 16 links all together. I had them on cooking  came back to the smoker an hour later and they where gone. The chain links broke and they fell to the bottom on to the coals and I burned my wienies. So keep a rack down low to keep your wienies out of the fire.

[bbqphx.com]

Whole pork belly when smoking homemade bacon 

[RudedoggAZ]

Whole pork belly when smoking homemade bacon 

Mmmm... bacon! 

[ron b]

i did some sausages and meat kabobs was to afraid to put anything heavy on them  due to my legs were already weak from 1 15lb brisket

rjb

[barbedQ]

If you aren't against having some strange markings on your sausage you can run butcher's twine in a half hitch truss pattern from one end of the chain of links to the other.   I've done this for years and the only drawback is the "clean" spot in the middle of each link.   I start by tying off on one link pretty tightly, then a half hitch at the link twist, skip a link, half hitch at the next twist, half hitch at the next link, repeat till the chain of links is trussed.

We've hung salmon, halibut and trout filets in the Pro-Q using a standard clam-shell style fish basket.  Keeps everything right where you want it.

[force]

I used them when I made sausage a couple of weeks ago...... worked great........