Wade

I have used the WSM and ProQ and my preference is for the ProQ.

I did see the Fornetto in a DIY store at the end of last year and I was impressed. I have not used one yet but I would not be afraid to buy one. If you want tried and tested though then the ProQ would probably be a safer bet.

11 hours ago, novaswift said:

Roughly how many heat beads should be used in the starter for the minion? I used half a chimney and the temp seemed to overshoot to 270

When the temp is settled at the cooking temp should the bottom vents EVER be closed fully or should one always be left open slightly?

Sorry for rambling but I'd appreciate any advice thanks

NS 

Whichever briquettes you use it will be fairly similar. The Heat Beads burn hotter than many but any good quality briquettes will give you decent results. My preference is for Heat Beads but I find that Weber briquettes and restaurant grade briquettes/tubes work well too. The difference will be the length of time that the briquettes will sustain a low-and-slow cook before they need to be added to.

Each bullet smoker brand works slightly differently and so you will need to work a little on fine tuning the Fornetto - though the technique is the same for all of them.

• Keep the top vents fully open - until you have mastered the general temperature control.
• Start with 3/4 of the coals unlit and 1/4 lit and in the centre. Leave the bottom vents open to begin with as the smoker heats up.
• Monitor the temperaure rise and as the temperature reaches about 3/4 of desired temperature start to close the bottom vents. The first step would be to close them all by a half.
• Continue to close the vents until the temperature stabilises at the required temperature. If the temperature overshoots then almost completely close all of the bottom vents until you start to see it stabilise and fall. Then just crack the vents until the temperature drop slows and it starts to rise again. You can find yourself in a situation where you have 2 of the bottom vents completely closed and one just cracked open.
• You should never have ALL of the bottom vents closed or the coals will go out - but it is perfectly OK to close some of the vents completely and just leave one open in order to stabilise at the required temperature.

When you have finished your cook close all of the vents - top and botton - and let the smoker cool. When cold you will find that there are unburned coals in the basket which can be dusted off and used for your next cook.

You can start with a whole chimney of lit coals but if you do, start with the bottom vents 3/4 closed and prepare for an overshoot if you are looking to stabilise at 110-120 C.

You were not rambling - we all have to go through similar learning curves 

I would go for the ribs first. They are very tasty and do not take as long as the PP. It would be good practice for you mastering the temperature control.

What kind of ribs did you get?

Seasoning is really only to remove any manufacturing surface residues that may be on the inside surfaces of BBQ/Smokers. All you need to do is fire it up and get it to a smoke roasting temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking in it for the first time. The WSM does not actually require seasoning as it is made of steel with a porcelain enamel finish inside and out. If you want to give it an initial seasoning burn it will not do it any harm.

18 hours ago, Stevepiglet said:

I'm originally from Bristol so please don't that against me.  

Oh how I do miss Grillstock. It was always a fun weekend 

If you want nice sweet,  full bodied but rounded smoke flavour try some hickory.

On 4/12/2020 at 12:22 PM, Leggy said:

My biggest problem is getting the times right, when to wrap etc. I think it's because I've watched so many American videos where they use massive chunks of meat, found the smaller cuts we get over here cook a lot faster. But, I'll get there.

It is much tougher to maintain an even temperature across the cooking chamber of these smaller offset smokers than the larger ones often see in the US videos. There are several things that can help though.

One of the biggest challenges is the proximity of the meat to the opening between the cooking chamber and the fore box. This results in one end of the meat becoming significantly hotter than the other - and significantly hotter than the lid thermometer reading shows. To reduce this, place a baffle inside the cooking chamber in front of the firebox gap to deflect the heat opwards before it comes in contact with the meat. This can be as simple as a small brick wrapped in tinfoil placed on the cooking grate.

To reduce he effect of any heat gradient on the meat, place it at the far end of the cooking chamber and turn it regularly to even out the cooking. It is good to mop/spritz it when you turn it too to keep the surface moist. You can use a sauce or even just water.

After the first 3 hours it is good to foil wrap for the rest of the cook to retain moisture. It is the law of diminishing returns and most of the smoke flavour will have been imparted within the first 3 hours. If you are looking for a firm bark then unwrap it again for the last hour.

Smaller pieces of meat need more careful handling that larger pieces. Regardless of the size, the tenderness is dependant not only on the temperature the meat reaches but also the length of time it remains there. It takes time for the heat to break down the collagen into sugars. The smaller pieces of meat will get to the desired temperature quicker but then they will also start to dry out quicker before the desired texture can be reached.

A great cook 

Yes, having the lid thermometer directly over the coals would have affected its reading.

13 hours ago, Granettalia said:

Yeh I am guessing the pan just works as a heat deflector then. I know it ran out of water on saturday so the temp jumped up. My cheap electronic thermometer off amazon that has Bluetooth arrive today so I am now able to leave it alone and do its thing without stressing as much. I think I will order some heat beads off t'internet as they do seem to be the briquettes of choice.

Heat Beads will give you a longer smoke than a lot of BBQ briquettes - but I agree with @Icefever - Use the briquettes that you have to learn on as spatchcock chicken is a quick cook.

A couple of tips to try to get the temperature up and stable

• Use the Minion method for your charcoal. Below is a photo of it in a ProQ. As you are having a little difficulty getting the temperature up make the centre well of lit briquettes larger - but beware that the temperature may quickly overshoot. The mix of wood chunk and pellets is just to show that you can use either - just choose one type
• Place the smoker in a sheltered place. A cool breeze will quickly cool the smoker
• Open both the bottom AND THE TOP vents fully. The temperature is reliant on the flow of air through the smoker. Without the top vents even partially closed the air flow will be restricted and the temperature will not rise - or may even drop. Some people think that by closing down the top vent it will keep more heat in - but it actually has the opposite effect. Once you have got the temperature control mastered then you can then start to use the top vents to fine tune.
• As has been said above, Do not use water in the bowl. Water is fine but it also absorbs energy as the water evaporates and turns to steam. If you want to use water in the bowl, limit it to low-and-slow cooks where you are trying to maintain a temperature of ~110-120 C.
  Sand is best as it absorbs the heat spikes and smooths the heat troughs. If you cannot find play pit sand then you can used well washed sharp sand. Alternatively you can use the empty bowl - lining it with foil is usually a good idea to help with cleaning afterwards.
• Monitor the temperature regularly and when it gets to about 3/4 of target temperature begin to close down the bottom vents. Keep the top vents open.

On 4/11/2020 at 11:04 AM, Granettalia said:

I was always taught having bone in helps flavour, moisture and even heat in a old fashioned roast... Plus the dog would enjoy it im sure. Chuck has just gone on I am just praying to the BBQ gods now that she turns out ok. Really think sand is the way forward looking at the various articles and the fact my pan is already low on water.

Yes, it is primarily for flavour that the bone is left in while cooking.

Watch out for @Icefever - he has always had a bit of an anarchist streak too 😎

2 minutes ago, Stevepiglet said:

Yeah we used to make smoke grenades by mixing it with sugar 😅

They smelled lovely! 

Could never get hold of potassium nitrate. 

Probably for the best. I do at least still have all my fingers 

Looking forward to sharing experiences with you at the next smoking weekend 🧪 💨💥

It must be quite regional I think. Where we are we dont know of anyone who has had it or who know of anyone who knows someone who has had it.

Wade (aka Wade-No-Mates)

4 hours ago, Smokin Monkey said:

Bookers Cash & Carry are good for Meaty Ribs, Belly Pork etc.

You can get some good meats from Supermarkets like Morrison’s for Flank/Bavette Steak, Ham Hocks and Ox Cheek.

You will fed most folk are only cooking for 2 or a maximum of 4 people, so great slabs of meat are a waste.

Thats why when we have our BBQ/Tailgate weekends, everyone brings half a Cow, because it’s the only time they get to cook a slab of meat!

That is one of the good things about coming to one of the smoking weekends - we can cook that slab of meat that we have always dreamed of cooking without having our other halves standing behind us and tutting as we buy it. .

"It has to be enough for 30 dear" you say as you justify handing over the money. Little does he/she know that everyone will be saying the same and there will still be a lot brought home for the freezer. At least you will be able to take home a selection from a lot of different smokes...

That was Sodium Chlorate. We used to buy it when I was young to make fireworks - weedkiller and sugar. Unfortunately it is now all sold with a fire suppressant in it. Potassium Nitrate though (aka saltpeter), as well as being a good fertiliser, is also one of the ingredients in gunpowder.

Mmmmm yes. I love nettle beer too.

Lol no quite the opposite - Nitrate and Nitrite are good as fertilisers. A lot of veg are very high in them naturally - especially leafy veg and celery

Most BBQs can be used as hot smokers so long as they have a lid and good air control to the coals. If you have a kettle BBQ, bullet smoker or even a multi-burner gas BBQ you are good to go. A good digital BBQ thermometer really helps too.

Cure#1 contains Sodium Nitrite which is used when curing meats to inhibit bacterial growth. You may find this link useful...

https://www.woodsmokeforum.uk/topic/301-using-nitrite-and-nitrate-safely-when-curing/

Seems a shame to only use the nettles to make feriliser. Pick them when they are young and steam them for about 5 minutes. A very tasty vegetable 

Easiest way is to put it in a bowl or dish in the microways for 4-5 minutes on high. Stir it every minute. Beware though - it will make the house smell of hot sawdust.

Alternately you can put the tray in an oven at ~120 C. That takes a little longer though.

Chicken is one of the few meats that I would NOT recommend cold smoking due to the risks. Yes, you will find some who do it but it is much more common to hot smoke chicken - and it is safer.

If you really want to try it then you will need to brine it first. Use the freshest chicken breasts you can get and rinse them thoroughly.

60 g of salt (cooking salt is fine)
40 g sugar
2 litres water
100 ml vinegar (any type)
5 g Cure #1 (added last after all of the other brine ingredients have been thoroughly mixed)

You can add some herbs if you like (rosemary, oregano etc.)

Soak the chicken in the brine overnight

Smoke in a cold "cold" smoker (above a tray of ice) for no longer than 2 hours

Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

The same brine can be used for preparing hot smoked chicken too - just dont add the Cure #1.
Then hot smoke at ~120 C until the internal temperature reaches 75 C

If you do want to cold smoke chicken I would avoid serving it to young children or anyone who may have an impared immune system.

6 hours ago, ChrisH said:

Will the 47 cm be big enough for brisket etc as I know they do a bigger model and does this seem a good deal?  I know they are normally cheaper in the winter so not sure whether to wait a continue this summer with the kettle.... Its so hard to decide. 😱🤪

It depends on how much brisket you want to cook at any one time. You don't need to cook a full packer brisket every time (in fact very few of us do) so you choose the size of brisket that fits your smoker. 5-6 Kg of brisket is A LOT of meat !@#

This is a great sawdust smoke generator.

https://www.macsbbq.com/cold-smokers/proQ-cold-smoke-generator

BBQ Gourmet sell the pellet ones that I use in my commercial smoker. I find this one is the best all-rounder

https://www.bbqgourmet.co.uk/product/bbq-gourmet-200x125mm-maze-cold-smoke-generator/

I used to buy them direcly from the USA but the shipping costs became too expensive in the end. BBQ Goormet buy them from the same factory in China that manufacture the oroginal from Amazen Products https://amazenproducts.com/smokers/amazen-pellet-smoker5x8

3 minutes ago, Stevepiglet said:

If I put smaller pieces of salmon in there then will it need as long? 

It depends on what type of salmon you are trying to produce. With traditional smoked salmon then no, even with small fillets, unless they are very thin (like small trout) then they will still take 14+ hours or so at 20 C. The preservation and obtaining the texture is about remoning the water. All the smoke does really is add flavour.

Lightly smoked salmon fillets are different. They are cured in the same way as Traditional smoked salmon (but not as long) and will then be smoked in 6-8 hours. They are not fully cures and so will need to be kept chilled and to be cooked before eating. If you want some more information on there please let me know.

2 minutes ago, Stevepiglet said:

I've loads of cherry which has been cut with a chainsaw but I was going to either split it and use the mitre saw or maybe the lathe, so as long as I don't use the ends then I should be OK. 

The easiest way to tell if it has chainsaw oil in it is to place a cupfull into a plastic bag and microwave it for about a minute. Open up the bag and smell. If you cannot smell oil then it will be fine to use.

When smoking the salt, spread it out to about 1/2 cm thick on a tray. Smoke for 4 or 5 hours (longer if possible), stiring it every hour. Once smoked, store it in an air-tight jar or a ziplock bag. It will last for a year or so if kept sealed.