@Hoddy having the first run on the pro Q. Brined 2 chickens - one I made a dry rub of half the spice and herb draw and the other I tipped a bottle of Nandos peri peri marinade over. Anyway question is how do you find the built in thermometer - didn't think to test/ calibrate and it seems on the low side. Sticking in a digital one (through one of the eyelets) I used to use for taking mash temperature and trust seems to have it 10C higher than the Pro Q one which has struggled to show a reading over 100C.
What have you been smoking on bbq?
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the lid top thermometer is rubbish even tho it’s a massive improvement on others.
I have one of these. One wireless unit measures the temp in the top of the smoker and one prong goes in the meat. The second dry unit means I can have it with me and keep and eye on the temp.
I have also found that the big water bowl baffles the heat to much so I’ve gone to using disposable aluminium trays in its place. I completed a 10hr smoke today at 110oC and the temp was rock solid all day. And the short ribs were off the charts.
If you don’t have one your missing out.
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Just had a look at the pro q smokers...price wise I'm in...and it can be used as a BBQ...but..I use my BBQ all year and gas is convenient...I use the side burner most in the winter for curry cooking to save stinking the house out!
Plus I'm the only real meat eater in the house...
Plus I'm the only real meat eater in the house...
Today, I’ve been mostly smoking burgers and sausages. No wait, burning burgers and sausages.
I have one of the smokers to compliment my plancha grill. Like you say it can be used as a bbq plus a cold smoker amongst other things. It’s so flexible and I like the fact I can almost fire and forget with it.
How did your chickens turn out? Got to love a brined chicken on the smoker.
Excellent thanks - SWMBO instantly convinced.
Clint Eastwood
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I cook lamb curry on mine + spicy Rat burger van onions & a quick spicy tomato chutney of various flavours. I use takeaway tins as the cooker with lids attached. I normally get them part cooked whilst waiting for the coals to turn white. Then sit them at the back of the BBQ & use them as a safe haven for an inferno in the coals. The smell is amazing as they naturally vent off steam now & again.
They seem more popular than any rub or marinade & you retain the pure taste of the smoke for those who prefer their meat "natural" BBQ flavour.
They seem more popular than any rub or marinade & you retain the pure taste of the smoke for those who prefer their meat "natural" BBQ flavour.
For a first attempt I did a couple of chickens pretty much per the instruction manual. Brined them and did a couple of different rubs. Not really got sufficient experience yet to notice whether one particular type of charcoal is more suitable than any other - for what its worth I am using Big K restaurant grade which comes in nice big pieces of lumpwood having used a Weber briquette 'starter' from a chimney.
If you don't want to splash out that much on a smoker, or want something small, I can highly recommend this little dual BBQ/smoker
https://www.souschef.co.uk/products...FchseV_xsqFEmMkzlC33HWXtRci7R97MaAkSmEALw_wcBIt's a cracking little unit and can cope with a full chicken or 1.5kg shoulder joint. Once you have the knack with the vents and use a decent charcoal, you can easily get 5 hours on one fuel load.
And in true blue Peter style, here's one I made earlier
https://www.souschef.co.uk/products...FchseV_xsqFEmMkzlC33HWXtRci7R97MaAkSmEALw_wcBIt's a cracking little unit and can cope with a full chicken or 1.5kg shoulder joint. Once you have the knack with the vents and use a decent charcoal, you can easily get 5 hours on one fuel load.
And in true blue Peter style, here's one I made earlier
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Dutto
Landlord.
Well done!
Answers:
- Cheapest lump wood charcoal available. (For smoking I avoid briquettes and "easy-light" because I don't know what they use.)
- First recipe is "Smoked Beer Can Chicken" using just the top section. (When you get more experienced you can put something like Pulled Pork on the middle section.)
... there are hundreds of recipes that are much more complicated but I can't be bothered using them!
Personally,:
- I put three medium chickens on the top section.
- I use a variety of chips for smoking but I always soak them first.
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Litre-Smok...rds=3+Litre+BBQ+Smoking&qid=1592267569&sr=8-1
Brewnaldo
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Cold smoked some cheese yesterday. Struggled to get the generator to stay lit tbh.
Today I am giving the smoker its first run with ribs and a pork joint.
Struggled to get it up to temp initially. Hung at 85 in the middle section and would not go up. Ended up emptying the water pan, letting it come up to 120 then popping some water back in. Any tips for getting the heat up?
Today I am giving the smoker its first run with ribs and a pork joint.
Struggled to get it up to temp initially. Hung at 85 in the middle section and would not go up. Ended up emptying the water pan, letting it come up to 120 then popping some water back in. Any tips for getting the heat up?
I've got the middle sized pro-q @Brewnaldo and not struggled temp wise. Worth noting that the in built thermometer is bobbing and when I have tested with my own the native one is at least 10 degrees Celsius lower than the actual temperature. I always use v hot water in the bath and fill charcoal as full as possible.
Yesterday I did 6 small racks of baby back ribs with a brown sugar and spice rub and a chicken with a can of grapefruit wheat beer shoved up its passage. Both were excellent.
Yesterday I did 6 small racks of baby back ribs with a brown sugar and spice rub and a chicken with a can of grapefruit wheat beer shoved up its passage. Both were excellent.
Brewnaldo
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Having been googling and also with your reply.... Its likely I need to out more charcoal in. I didnt have it brimmed. Also couldnt get lunpwood in a hurry so used briquettes which seemingly burn a good bit cooler. Lessons have been learned. Still though, I turned out this which was delicious
Looks tidy
Dutto
Landlord.
1. This is exactly why I use a propane blowtorch to get the chips going and then put it in place with the long-nosed pliers that's holding the gizmo! (How the lad in the video kicks it all off with a *** lighter beats me!)
2. I always use boiling water in the water bath when I start the process. I then almost fill the fire-basket before pouring in a full BBQ Charcoal starter worth of burning charcoal.
3. I always start off the smoking process with soaked wood chips but on long smokes I use a mixture of charcoal and pieces of hard-wood kindling to maintain the temperature. (I get the kindling from my local Morrisons Garage.)
WARNING
When using hard-wood (whether kindling or logs), make sure that it hasn't been cut with a chain-saw, because there is a constant drip of potentially toxic mineral oil onto the chain of a chain-saw, which is transferred to the wood.
PS
That smoked pork looks good enough to eat!
Took a break from low & slow. 40 minutes to get the kamado up to temp, total cooking time less than 10 minutes. Worth it? Hell yes!!
Dutto
Landlord.
"Got a lump of brisket to do later in the week. Any winning brisket recipes would be appreciated."
There are dozens of recipes for rubs and also for potions for injecting meat.
Personally:
BTW, when it has cooled, I carve the brisket in thick (1.5cm) slices or thin (0.5cm) slices and serve them as:
There are dozens of recipes for rubs and also for potions for injecting meat.
Personally:
- I make sure that the brisket is cut from a solid block of beef. (There is nothing worse than taking the trouble to smoke a brisket joint and then finding out that the inside is made up of a multitude of bits!)
- I inject with brisket with apple juice and let it stand for a few minutes while I make up the rub.
- The rub (a mix of brown sugar, salt, paprika and chilli powder) covers the brisket and soaks up any apple juice that runs out.
BTW, when it has cooled, I carve the brisket in thick (1.5cm) slices or thin (0.5cm) slices and serve them as:
- Thick. With a gravy (used to re-heat the brisket) and vegetables as a main course.
- Thin. With mustard or pickle as a sandwich.
