jfeeney

Yes, hugely. You can't rely on it.

Not really. Once I get the wood burning well and I have that fabled "thin blue smoke", I can walk away for 15-20 minutes. I only intervene if the temp rises close to 300ºF and will often let it drop gradually to 200ºF before tending to it again. With the regular oven I aim for the same temp of 225ºF. Low and slow is the name of the game!

So I made pulled pork again yesterday with this smoker and the results were very very good, even if I do say so myself! I decided to film some of the process, hope this helps others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Q87Gi3tCA

You really need the thermometer to know where you're at. Question - are you wrapping in foil towards the end? Here's how it typically works for me - I smoke shoulder at around 225 degrees until it reaches internal temp of 140 (at which point they say it won't take on any more smoke). This tends to take 5 hours. I then wrap in foil and transfer to standard oven for another 5 hours or until it reaches internal temp of 195 - 200. Take it out and let it sit for another couple of hours. After all this it's tender enough to start pulling. Hope this helps.

Hi guys Just discovered the forum and this great thread on the Landmann Kentucky smoker. I have one of these smokers and I have cooked some amazing pork shoulder and ribs over the past 2 years with it. Here's what I've learned: It leaks like hell. I never bothered sealing with stove gasket but after reading this thread I intend to soon. Fire and temperature management is very tricky. Weather conditions can easily affect your fire and the thin metal is not conducive to stable temperatures. In order to get a predictable and clean burning fire, I use a USB powered mini fan to provide plenty of oxygen to the fire chamber. To prevent ash blowing into the cooking chamber and onto the food, I installed this wire mesh between it and the fire chamber. The in-built themometer is completely useless. I use this instead. Here's a video of my baby in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt9VrKwWpEk&feature=youtu.be All in all, this is a decent starter smoker. As with all smokers, you need to become familiar with its characteristics and learn how to cook effectively through trial and error. With the mods folks have suggested on here - and with how cheaply you can pick one of these up for - you can't go wrong really. J