Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion

[CyCrazy]

I have this smoker now. https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/v...eries-ii-4-series-wood-pellet-vertical-smoker


How do I get more smoke to generate? Wish I would have bought another wood burning Masterbuilt.

 

[Agclone91]

I have this smoker now. https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/v...eries-ii-4-series-wood-pellet-vertical-smoker


How do I get more smoke to generate? Wish I would have bought another wood burning Masterbuilt.

You're never going to get the same smoke from a pellet cooker as a wood burner. Some use a smoke tube in pellet grills for additional smoke. Unsure if you can use one in a vertical smoker but worth looking into.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Made a brisket for Father's Day on my masterbuilt gravity feed charcoal smoker. Turned out well.

Only issue was the brisket was prime, and really fatty internally, probably go back to choice next time.

 

[Gonzo]

Smoked some wings over the weekend. Patted dry and put on a simple dry rub, smoked with hickory at 200 for two hours, pulled off and sauced with homemade honey BBQ chipotle sauce, put back on high smoke at 450 for 30 minutes. Turned out very nice, these were leftovers...

 

[tm3308]

For pulled chicken you may want to consider chicken hindquarters instead of whole chickens, just because they might be a cheaper option then whole chickens. If you do whole chickens, I would prolly spatchcock it, especially if it’s going to be pulled anyways. Are you going to leave the skin in for the final product?

Update: I think I'm going to go with whole chickens (I should be able to fit 3-4 on a grate, which should be plenty in combination with the two pork butts). I'll probably smoke them beer can style, maybe with an additional broth/butter injection, then a bourbon barbecue sauce that I'll stir in once it's all pulled.

 

[AgronAlum]

I have this smoker now. https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/v...eries-ii-4-series-wood-pellet-vertical-smoker


How do I get more smoke to generate? Wish I would have bought another wood burning Masterbuilt.

You need to play with the vent. Open it up for low temps. I’ve found the pellets make a huge difference too. It’s takes some getting used to playing with the ambient temps and the vent. Also make sure you follow the startup procedure in the manual.

My FIL gets a ton of smoke out of his PitBoss vertical smoker.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I have this smoker now. https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/v...eries-ii-4-series-wood-pellet-vertical-smoker


How do I get more smoke to generate? Wish I would have bought another wood burning Masterbuilt.

I love how the pictures show the inside of the smoker as spotless.

 

[GBlade]

I have this smoker now. https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/v...eries-ii-4-series-wood-pellet-vertical-smoker


How do I get more smoke to generate? Wish I would have bought another wood burning Masterbuilt.

As Agclone said, try a smoke tube. https://www.smokedbbqsource.com/how-to-use-a-smoke-tube-in-a-pellet-grill/

 

[GBlade]

Anyone have one of these: https://www.fireboard.com/shop/fireboard-2-drive/ ?

I'm looking to replace my electric smoker and am wonder what setups would work with that controller. I've found a conversion kit for Masterbuilt gravity fed smokers, but wondering if there are other options.

 

[cycloner29]

I love how the pictures show the inside of the smoker as spotless.

Along with having glass to see what you are cooking.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Along with having glass to see what you are cooking.

That glass is pretty useless after a couple of smokes

 

[CYdTracked]

Thinking of trying to smoke a couple chuck roasts this weekend 1 for sliced and 1 for burnt ends. Any tips? Planning to season like I would beef with just salt pepper and garlic, reading need to get to 165 internal temp them wrap till 190. For burnt ends seems to be a lot of different options out there went to cut up and put in a pan to finish.

 

[Jer]

Anybody use their electric controlled smoker (Traeger here) in the rain? Seems like any time I want to use it, there is a chance of rain in the forecast.

I know you need to keep the pellets dry to prevent big issues but haven’t seen a lot of consensus on other potential issues.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Smoked a brisket flat today (only the second time)
Not quite as moist as I would have liked but taste and texture were nice

 

[cycloner29]

Anybody use their electric controlled smoker (Traeger here) in the rain? Seems like any time I want to use it, there is a chance of rain in the forecast.

I know you need to keep the pellets dry to prevent big issues but haven’t seen a lot of consensus on other potential issues.

I have around 200 lbs of pellets in my garage all the time. I’ve been smoking meat for 10 years and have not had an issue with pellets being damp or wet. I think some smoker dealers get you to use their pellets so it won’t void the warranty.

I’ve smoked in the rain in snowstorms and have not had issues with pellets getting wet. If your concerned about getting pellets wet during a cook in the rain, then the manufacturer of the smoker you have probably never took that into consideration when designing the smoker.

 

[Gonzo]

Smoked a brisket flat today (only the second time)
Not quite as moist as I would have liked but taste and texture were nice

Nice ring on that.

 

[ScottyP]

Anybody use their electric controlled smoker (Traeger here) in the rain? Seems like any time I want to use it, there is a chance of rain in the forecast.

I know you need to keep the pellets dry to prevent big issues but haven’t seen a lot of consensus on other potential issues.

I store my pellets in five gallon buckets with waterproof lids. Never had any issues.

With long smokes such as brisket and pork butts, you will usually have the risk of potential rain. The only thing I do differently is wait until the rain is light to check the pellet hopper and refill. If you get a couple raindrops on your pellets, I wouldn’t be too concerned.

 

[Jer]

Thanks guys!

 

[AgronAlum]

Anyone have issues leaving pellets in the hopper for periods of time outdoors? I have a cover but don’t know if they still pick up moisture.

I’ve always kept the grill in the garage but we poured a patio off our deck and now it stays in the back.

 

[tm3308]

Anyone have issues leaving pellets in the hopper for periods of time outdoors? I have a cover but don’t know if they still pick up moisture.

I’ve always kept the grill in the garage but we poured a patio off our deck and now it stays in the back.

You should be fine, especially if you're using a cover. My parents have a Traeger that gets only light use and my dad never clears the hopper, and it still works fine. What little moisture that the pellets might get exposed to shouldn't have any meaningful impact on performance.