Wade

Prepare to be satisfied. Their BBQ is good but it is commercial. It is much more difficult to maintain the home quality when you are having to produce it 6 days a week.

Hi Genevieve The cardboard box smoker is obviously an entry level option and is dependent on the outside temperatures. Here in the UK they can usually be used overnight for most of the year to keep the temperatures down - though in warmer parts of the world overnight temperatures may even be too warm. You will see from my last photo that it is being used at night. For short smokes (say cheese) if the ambient temperature is too warm then you can also place a tray of ice inside the box. For traditional smoked salmon you do not need to keep it cold when it is smoked. Commercially it is smoked at ~24 C (75 F) for up to 24 hours as this helps to reduce the water content in the fish to the required level. Whilst it is smoking it is also important to keep a good air flow through the smoking chamber. When curing traditional smoked salmon the main preservative is dehydration and you are reducing the final weight of the fish by ~18% by removing the water. This is initially done during the brining stage (which is performed chilled) but then it is completed during the smoking stage. I produce and sell a lot of smoked salmon and so you may find this post interesting. "Traditional" Smoked Salmon and Trout

One of the by products of the combustion of the fuel is water and so there is already a lot of moisture in the form of water vapour passing through the cooking chamber with the smoke. I have tried cooking with and without water in the water pan and have noticed no real difference. I guess it could depend on what you are cooking and how it is being cooked. Larger slabs of meat I will usually foil after about 3 hours so the moisture content in the smoker is not really an issue.

Hi Griller and welcome to the forum

Hi Jason The water/sand bowl is not really about keeping the temperature down - the air control over the coals does this. It is more about evening out the heat that is produced by the fire before it reaches the cooking chamber. The sand acts like the bricks in a storage heater - absorbing heat from underneath and then radiating it back out again. The water will actually absorb some of the heat though as it turns from water into water vapour giving additional stability which is why I use water when I am cooking at the lower temperatures. As well as acting as a heat buffer the water bowl will also act as a baffle reflecting a lot of the direct heat from the coals. This leaves the circulating hot air to heat the cooking chamber. When you take out the water bowl you will then get the radiating heat from the coals reaching the cooking grate directly and so it is not surprising that you saw the 40 F rise. Yes learning the quirks of temperature management in your different smokers can be a challenge at first. Patience is important though when bringing it up to temperature and it is important to resist the temptation to keep opening up the lid. One thing to remember is that it is easier to raise the temperature than it is to lower it again after it has overshot. Wade

Hi Jason The water/sand tray in the bullet smoker is predominantly there for temperature control. It helps smooth out any heat spikes from the fire before it reaches the food in the cooking chamber. I use water if I am smoking at about 110 C but I use sand if I am cooking hotter so as to avoid refilling. To be honest though I don't notice any difference in the end result for the food when using water or sand. If you are smoking something for a longtime that will drip fat or juices then sand is the cleaner option. Meat juices in the water pan when it dries out can make a real mess in the bowl. If you are using sand then you can just throw the top layer out and replace it with clean sand next time. If using sand you do need to make sure that you are using a washed sand as some of the builders sands can have quite a strong smell. Something like play pit sand or kiln dried sand are ideal.

Hi Shaun and welcome to the forum. The Weber is a great all-rounder and you will be able to smoke some good meat on it. What have you tried to cook so far? Have you tried smoking anything yet or have you only used it for grilling so far? What are you wanting to try to smoke first? We can help get you going in the right direction. In addition to the Weber you should consider investing in a twin probe digital thermometer so hat you can monitor the temperature of the meat and the cooking chamber whilst it is smoking. The Inkbird is a good entry level thermometer that will do the job. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Bluetooth-Thermometer-Stainless-Waterproof/dp/B01MG7KLCI

It certainly looks like an easy to use grill for small groups. I like the way that it is fan controlled and the greasy bits can be put in the dish washer after use.

Having scoured the camping/caravaning sites it looks as if Billing is probably the most likely central location.

Grendon Lakes look very pleasant but the glamping/pod options are quite limited and expensive. They seem to be really designed for large parties rather than for weekend couples.

Good looking plate of food. I do love rosemary roasted new potatoes done on the BBQ too. The pork looks great and has a good colour. Was 30 minutes with the smoke sufficient?

The fork lift managed to get it out of the workshop then ??

How long do you usually smoke them for in total?

Yes, it tastes even better when it has been re-warmed but it can look a little unappealing when it is cold and the remaining fat has set. Once hot again it looks great. Don't overdo the BBQ sauce or you will defeat the whole point of smoking it. If the BBQ sauce is your predominant flavour then you may as well have cooked it in the oven - like most restaurants do.

Hi Martyn. Good to see you here. Welcome

You can lay them on top something like this. The photo below is showing pellets and chunks but you can just use chunks.

Hi Mr Jack and welcome Where in Kent are you? I am originally from the Bexley/Dartford area but have now moved a little further south near Ashford. There is a vibrant community here but for a long time it has been under the radar of many most people. We are trying to help spread the message further to help make more people aware of what can be achieved in their back gardens.

No meat planned this weekend but I am preparing some other things. This morning I am doing a batch of BBQ sace This afternoon I will be drying a load of herbs - Oregano, parsley and mint.

Baps and Barn in our household... I am from the south and my wife is from the north.

I have added a section on wine making and brewing under Cold smoking, curing and preserving. If it becomes popular we can promote into its own dedicated forum.

Split them in half and decide whether you want to leave in the seeds. Several options for drying... You can then spread them out on some baking parchment on baking trays and place them in the oven at about 70-80 C with the door slightly open. They will take several hours to dry out. Place them in your smoker on trays. You do need to keep the temperature low though or they will cook. Make sure you have a good air flow. You can also use a dehydrator. I have a Callow digital dehydrator which works well. It does not appear to be available at the moment but here is a similar type https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M4RB7YR/ref=dp_cerb_1

I notice that it is becoming increasingly common for US recipes to also use grams

They are the ProQ bullet smokers. They are very similar to the WSM but the main body splits in half to give easier access to the lower cooking grate.

The WSM is a good bullet smoker and you see many of them at the competitions. I have had some good success with them but personally I prefer the ProQ bullet smoker as the main body splits making it easier to access the meat on the bottom cooking grate. I don't have a WSM at the moment but I would be proud to add one back into my smoker collection.