Recent content by Aaron Buys

I typically use the Alton Brown method of placing the frozen meat in cold water in the sink. Thaws it out nicely and the frozen meat acts to make its own ice bath while still vacuum packed. Once thawed a put it back in the fridge before it warms up too much. I put the brisket on at about 6:30...

This will be my second half brisket. The first was a point and seemed to take forever to finish. I'm prepping for a cookout tomorrow and just pulled this little 3.64 lb flat out of the freezer. It has some nice fat on it with good marbling. Following the traditional 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min...

Yeah I thought about that actually. Was going to keep things simple and do it all the same but perhaps I'll split them up. Which do you prefer Jim?

Brine vs. Salted What is the difference in texture for the final cooked bird between the two methods? I'm planning on doing two but I can't decide which way to go. Suggestions?

Yeah that seems to be the general theme here. I'm just trying to figure out what to set my Stoker at =)

What pit temp do you guys shoot for when doing bbq chicken? I think the beginner recipe on this site just says to let the smoker run with 100% vents which I'm guessing comes out to around 300+ degrees. Anybody know the "ideal" temperature? (I know...loaded question =)

So I'm trying my first set of spare ribs and I trimmed them St. Louis style. What temp should the extra non-rib pieces (not sure what to call those trimmed pieces) be for eating? Do I pull them at 165-170 or let them sit until the ribs are done?

I've now done about 2 cooks with my new Stoker I got for Christmas. I've been setting a target temp of 235 and the unit holds this temp nearly perfectly for 12+ hours before I add any more charcoal. However, my pork shoulders seem to take longer now then when I was "Stoker-less. " I'm assuming...

Thanks for all the tips. I've got two pork shoulders on as we speak! I put down a nice "mat" of 1.5 inch thick concrete pavers underneath the cooker. I figure between the shield underneath, the air gap, and the pavers the deck isn't in any danger. My stoker is up and running via wireless...

Thanks for the tips. In regards to leaving it on your deck...is there any concern about burning/melting/charring the deck directly beneath the cooker? I've always set mine up in the yard to avoid deck damage. Do you put anything between the deck and the cooker to reduce heat transfer?

So I got a Stoker for Christmas that I am itching to use. I live in Michigan but I'm not going to let that force me to wait until spring to try it out! For those of you that live in snowy states, where do you usually do winter cooks at? I'd like to get my WSM out of he wind but I'm not sure...

Thanks for the tips everybody. I make up a batch of the #5 and substituted half the apple cider vinegar for real apple cider. Seems to be a hit with those that have sampled it so far!

I made the following sauce for my first pulled pork and although I liked it, some people found the Carolina Red to have too strong a vinegar taste. Should I substitute apple juice for some of the vinegar? Is there another sauce you guys would recommend instead? Thanks! Carolina Red 1-1/2...

Thanks guys. I see what you meant about the butter. They turned out great!

I've got two pork butts on the smoker and I'm waiting (with a hungry audience) to take them off and rest them for 30min. I've seen some recipes say to pull them at 190 and some say 195. Which is correct?