Time to get serious about a new smoker.

[Shaka]

I've been watching a lot of vids on smoking for the last couple of days. This is by far my favorite. Sort of a southern Bob Ross who smokes instead of paints.

http://youtu.be/FvP751HpyUo

[FN Phat]

"Gobble, gobble, gobble"

[snowcat]

This is an awesome brine for a smoked turkey.

Apple Brine For Turkey
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2 quarts apple juice
1 pound brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
3 quarts cold water
3 oranges, quartered 4 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Substitute 3/4 cup Morton Kosher Salt or 1/2 cup table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Combine apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F.

In a large non-reactive container, combine the apple juice mixture with the remaining ingredients. When adding the oranges, squeeze each piece to release the juice into the container, then drop in the peel.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey6.html

[Shaka]

Smoked some wings tonight in the new rig. The sucked.

I bought a variety of rubs and sauces to try out on them. I went to heavy on the rubs and the wings came out very salty. I basted with the sauces with about 30 minutes left but they were so overwhelmed with the salty rub that I really didn't get a good taste.

Also I slightly overcooked. I was aiming for 180 F but ended up about five degrees over. I started by smoking for half an hour then bumped things up to 275. Unfortunately I was using the pellets in the hopper that were left over from the Costco demo and ran out. The chicken cooled down significantly before I got things back up to temp. AFter an hour at 275 I turned the control to 325 for the last half hour or so to speed things up.

Next time I'm going to use just a bit of salt and pepper and watch my thermometer more carefully. I also think I'm going to try and cook really slow possibly leaving the gauge around 275 for the duration.

I do feel like I'm ready to tackle the turkey tomorrow. I can't wait to try more wings.

[CJF]

Smoked some wings tonight in the new rig. The sucked.

I bought a variety of rubs and sauces to try out on them. I went to heavy on the rubs and the wings came out very salty. I basted with the sauces with about 30 minutes left but they were so overwhelmed with the salty rub that I really didn't get a good taste.

Also I slightly overcooked. I was aiming for 180 F but ended up about five degrees over. I started by smoking for half an hour then bumped things up to 275. Unfortunately I was using the pellets in the hopper that were left over from the Costco demo and ran out. The chicken cooled down significantly before I got things back up to temp. AFter an hour at 275 I turned the control to 325 for the last half hour or so to speed things up.

Next time I'm going to use just a bit of salt and pepper and watch my thermometer more carefully. I also think I'm going to try and cook really slow possibly leaving the gauge around 275 for the duration.

I do feel like I'm ready to tackle the turkey tomorrow. I can't wait to try more wings.

A lot of the store bought rubs are just salt with some added flavor. I like making my own rubs. Much easier to get the desired taste. I love the orange marmalade wings cooked on the smoker. That said, I've struggled with turning out good wings consistently on the smoker. They aren't nearly as easy as a pork butt or ribs. Heck, brisket is easier to get good results for me than wings.

[TripletDaddy]

Have any of you done a whole chicken (or a quartered chicken) in a convection or standard oven? Obviously not the same taste as in a smoker but would it come out pretty tasty?

[Surfah]

Have any of you done a whole chicken (or a quartered chicken) in a convection or standard oven? Obviously not the same taste as in a smoker but would it come out pretty tasty?

Yes. You need to get one of the chicken stands or beer can chicken kits to do it well if you want it whole.

We used to do it pretty regularly and they're a fantastic way of doing chicken. Much better than in a roaster IMO.

[TripletDaddy]

Yes. You need to get one of the chicken stands or beer can chicken kits to do it well if you want it whole.

We used to do it pretty regularly and they're a fantastic way of doing chicken. Much better than in a roaster IMO.

I was thinking of quartering it, so not sure a stand would work. Do you have a recipe?

[Surfah]

I was thinking of quartering it, so not sure a stand would work. Do you have a recipe?

Not really. Just put a can of beer in the stand, put your favorite rub or herbs on the chicken over and under the skin, put the chicken on the stand over the beer can and bake.

[TripletDaddy]

Not really. Just put a can of beer in the stand, put your favorite rub or herbs on the chicken over and under the skin, put the chicken on the stand over the beer can and bake.

If I quarter it, I wonder if a turkey rack will serve a similar purpose.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Not really. Just put a can of beer in the stand, put your favorite rub or herbs on the chicken over and under the skin, put the chicken on the stand over the beer can and bake.

I have read websites that pretty thoroughly debunk the beer can approach.

DDD: Roasting chicken is super easy. Just add your favorite seasoning, put it in a pan and toss it in the oven at 350 degrees. We used to do it all the time in our pre-Traeger days (and still do occasionally). Works just fine with quartered chicken. In fact, quartered or spatchcocked chicken probably cooks more evenly than a whole chicken.

[mtnbiker]

Here's a my report of doing a couple of whole chickens in a Dutch oven. Not too different from doing it inside in the oven. I include the rub recipe, too. We later doubled the cayenne pepper and liked the taste even more.

http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showthread.php?t=23267

[Surfah]

I have read websites that pretty thoroughly debunk the beer can approach.

DDD: Roasting chicken is super easy. Just add your favorite seasoning, put it in a pan and toss it in the oven at 350 degrees. We used to do it all the time in our pre-Traeger days (and still do occasionally). Works just fine with quartered chicken. In fact, quartered or spatchcocked chicken probably cooks more evenly than a whole chicken.

We have only done the beer can chicken like twice. We mostly just use the stands to keep the chicken upright.

[Drunk Tank]

Drunk Tank gets a new smoker...

Reading about everyone and their new Traegers and the success they are having with them left me with pellet envy....so I ordered a new pellet smoker.

I have really been missing my Traeger and miss the simplicity of cooking with them. I miss being able to just turn it on and cook. Dont get me wrong, I love my BGE, but have been a little unhappy with the results I have been getting from it. It is a great grill, but I think as a smoker, it is lacking a little bit. I just am not getting the smoke output that I got with the Traeger or the WSM. The BGE is so efficient, that unless I get the wood chunks placed just right, they may not burn during the cook. I have tried using chips, but found that they burn too quickly and cause flare ups when I open the lid to check the food. The egg is great if I keep the temps where I want them, but if the temp spikes, it takes forever for it to come back down.

I have really thought about getting another Traeger Texas (BBQ 075) but with all the other manufacturers out that are introducing new technology in pellet cookers, I decided to do a little research. In the end, I decided to go with a Yoder YS640. Yoder is relitively new to the pellet cooking game, but they have a solid reputation with their offset smokers and their craftsmanship is top notch. Plus, they are made in the USA! Their early pellet smokers had some issues, but seems like they have finally worked out the kinks and have been delivering a pretty solid product. There are a few BBQ teams that will be competing with them this year as well.



Let me tell you, this thing is beefy and well built. I went and looked at one that a guy here in town has and was very impressed by the design and build. It weighs in at 300+ pounds. It is much thicker metal than the Traeger hopefully keeps the temps swings to a minimum. You can also set it up for searing. I ordered mine with the direct sear package that comes with grill grates. There is also an adjustable baffle on the inside which allows you to set up different heat zones. The digital controller goes up to 600° and is adjustable in 5° increments. The bottom rack is 20"x32" and with the upper rack is ober 1000 Sq. Inches of cooking space.

Mine is shipping tomorrow and should be here some time next week. I'll post more pics as I put it through its paces.


Here are some more pics from the website:

[Jeff Lebowski]

Looks like a great design, DT. I like the removable second rack on the inside and the two trays on the outside. JEALOUS.