Cpt Carnivor Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Hi everyone, I have been subjecting meat to fire since I was a very small boy. My Grampa, Dad, Uncle & older brother used to take me hunting, fishing & camping in the wild African bush over 45 years ago. Have had many, many 'traditional' Southern African BBQ's or Braais - with nothing more than a bit of old metal fencing propped up on rocks over white hot african hardwood, cooking Eland & Impala steaks....the stuff of dreams. Nothing beats wood, fire, smoke & meat! ....well I guess add a few cold beers to that as well. Have always tried to combine these when cooking, but not always practical. Moved to the UK with my family 20 years ago & although have always BBQ'd & tried to introduce smokey goodness to my meats, it's only fairly recently that I have bought a cheap & nasty electric cabinet smoker, which has actually produced many a succulent pork shoulder, ribs, chicken & also experimented loads with an old Webber kettle bbq & a smoke box in my new 4 burner Char Broil gas BBQ. So now I have been able to splash out on a decent 'bullet smoker' - had my eye on those offset smokers you see on American BBQ shows, but for a decent one, it would cost a fair bit & of course space is a premium. So I figured that a bullet was more efficient anyway - since the heat rises vertically - so got myself a 22" Fornetto Razzo, which I believe is supposed to be an improved copy of a ProQ (which I nearly bought instead of). Absolutely not sorry when my Razzo arrived last weekend, the thing is a beast - heavy gauge enameled body and very thick, chunky stainless steel baskets. Have done an ok brisket on it - need to learn temp control on it having been used to the cheap electric smoker. One thing I have realised though is that I had underestimated the quantity of fuel required to keep the beast satisfied....as well as messing about with the water pan...etc! So I am really looking to find some help from other users on my new journey into charcoal smoking & of course - try & contribute where I can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Hi Captain, welcome to the Forum. There are plenty of members on here that use Bullet Smokers, so you should be able to get lots of useful advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Welcome to this super community. Yes learning the airflow on a new item is all part of learning curve. I find a base point like opening valves to a pencil width is useful as it easy to dial back to that point. I do that on a wsm. See what the temp is and adjust from there.. Patience wins the game. And now I understand my wsm better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Carnivor Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 Thanks Justin! Yeah - absolutely. Fuel choice is also key as my briquettes just wouldn't burn properly so will try some heatbeads on the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I use weber briquettes. Always work for me. Check airflow and make sure they are lit well. I use chimney. Just some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Carnivor Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 👍 cheers mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U can do that again Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 Welcome, similarly I recently acquired a bullet smoker, Napoleon Apollo and am enjoying the learning curve😎of getting things right. Have attempted to record what I have done with regards to set up, as in vent settings, smoking wood used, fuel used, weather etc and obviously the perceived quality of the end product. From said datum point then only change one variable for the next cook. In non windy conditions settled on top vent fully open & only 1 vent out of 3 about quarter to a third open in the fire bowl . Still experimenting with the fuel source, came with a bag of Mr Charcoal , worked ok, trying coconut briquettes, lots of ash, need to improve arrangement or continue riddling during cook, used for brisket and pulled pork. Use local artisan charcoal for small cooks, really impressed as know what’s in it, mainly sweet chestnut, ask elder & oak this year but not cheap. Hope this helps you find what works for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Carnivor Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 (edited) On kettle and WSMI always have top vent open and only adjust the bottom. I only close top if I am shutting it down Edited July 24, 2020 by Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Carnivor Posted July 26, 2020 Author Share Posted July 26, 2020 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoogl Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Hi and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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