Recent content by Bob E

I lift the middle section off to ensure my meat stays clean then I add either additional fuel or lit depending on the conditions and length of time remaining. I have no problems doing this and I know I'll have meat free of acrid ash. Replace the middle section and your back in business. Usually...

I once cooked 6 butts in my 18.5 and it performed flawlessly. The meat was fantastic. Each butt averaged 5-6 ibs a piece. Using two racks you should be able to load up your 22.5 no problem depending on whether you cook smaller 5-6 lb butts or picnics.

I am cooking an 8-9 lb brisket today using the high heat method. What is the preferred method for starting your smoker? Looks like the minion method may not be the way to go. I have a pork butt finishing up an all night smoke right now. Thanks

Thanks Ed, I cooked three racks for 5 hrs using apple wood and a chunk of hickory. Half I finished with BBQ sauce and the others I left dry to dip in some raspberry habanero sauce I had in my pantry.

http://i1122.photobucket.com/a...BBQ/RibSmokeRing.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/a...fJulyBrisket2012.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/a...BabyBackRibs2012.jpg

I actually removed the ribs around 11pm and left the pork butts on to continue cooking. I used the 3-2-1 method for the ribs. However, I adjusted slightly. Three hrs on the smoker, 1 hr in foil, and the remaining time back on the grate without foil. I did not sauce them and they were fantastic...

Does applying yellow mustard over your pork butt prior to adding rub really make a difference in the final product? What about using worcestershire sauce instead of mustard before applying rub spices? I have not tried the latter method. Any advice?

Richard, I like your recipe. I used a rub without sugar on my pork butt and ribs and they turned out fantastic.

I had a similar issue last night. I started two butts and a rack of ribs at 6pm. The smoker temps were ideal between 230-255 for several hours. Went to bed and by 6am the smoker temps had dropped to 160 degrees. I added more Kingsford to the smoker and roughly 20 chimney briquettes. The cook...

Try placing your grates in a hot grill and close the lid for a few minutes. Turn off the grill and gently scrub the hot grates with a grill brush or grill pad. Works quite well. Also, try a rolled up piece of aluminum foil to clean bits of meat clinging to the grate. No need to dirty up the...

Looks great, what temp issues did you have?

I think it was a combination of the smoker being in the direct sun, the outside temp was in the upper 70's and too much fuel. The smoker seems to be just fine though. No smoke leaks were evident throughout the cook other than through the lid damper, which was fully open.

Dave, I had a similar situation. I lit a chimney starter with 40 briquettes using newspaper for my first smoke. It was 6:00am and foggy with little to no wind. I live in the suburbs, but the amount of smoke I created was unbelievable. Smoke filled the neighbor's entire back yard. I expected to...