Hello there,
I'm posting this for my own records, but it might interest people on this board. I just moved up from the 18.5 to the 22.5. In a few weeks I'm smoking 40 pounds of brisket, and wanted to test the 22.5 this weekend with a challenge of three different things at once:
1) 4 pound chuck eye roast -- for shredded beef sandwiches
2) 4.5 pound chicken
3) 5 pound (3 bond) rib roast
I also used, for the first time, Trader Joe's charcoal briquettes. I read on this site that they burn very clean. I like them a lot, great smell.
At 11:30 AM I lit the chimney. At 11:45 I put emptied it into the smoker -- which I had first rubbed with vegetable oil all over for seasoning -- and put the about 1/2 of the rest of the coals from the bag on top of the hot ones. I also put in 3 good chunks of applewood. The water pan was foiled, and empty.
Hour Zero -- Chuck
In about 15 minutes the smoker read over 350. I put the chuck roast on the top grate, tied up tight. The night before I had seasoned it (lots of garlic and pepper, and a few other things) and wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. I kept the temperature about 300 for two hours, and didn't open it during that time. When I opened it at 2 hours the roast was at 160 degrees.
After Two Hours -- Rib Roast and Chicken
Chicken: After the chuck was on for two hours I put the chicken on the beer can in a foil pie pan on the top grate. I had marinated the chicken overnight, then patted it dry and put on a lot of rub (ground mustard, paprika, cayenne, garlic, etc...).
Rib roast: I also put the Rib Roast on the top grate, with the bones down. The 22.5 has a LOT of room. I had put slivers of garlic in a lot of the fat on the rib roast, and covered it with a paste of olive oil, thyme, organo, garlic, peppercorns and sea salt, and wrapped it overnight in plastic wrap.
After another hour
I got another chimney ready. It was a windy day, and I wanted to keep the smoker temperature over 300. I put in the new coals, and checked the Chuck Roast. It was at 180 degrees. I wrapped it in heavy foil, and kept it on the top grate.
After another hour
Chuck has now been on for 4 hours. It is at 205. I took it off -- still in the foil -- wrapped it in towels and put in in a cooler.
Chicken and Rib roast have now been on for 2 hours. The chicken was at 150 in the dark meat. The rib roast is at 110.
After another half hour
Chicken and Rib roast have now been on for 2.5 hours. Rib roast is at 125. I took it off and put it in a ceramic covered dish.
After another half hour
Chicken is done. Dark meat at 180.
Final steps:
1) Took Chuck Roast out of cooler. cut off strings and put it in a pan. It shredded perfectly with no effort at all! Had a great char, very tasty and moist.
2) Carved the chicken. Took the drippings from the pan -- there are a lot of them -- and put them in a cup for gravy and dipping. Very smokey and crisp skin. Moist. I make a lot of beer can chicken on my gas grill. It cooks faster, and seems a little more moist, on the gas grill. But this was very good too.
3) Carved the rib roast. Delicious. Moist. But not as rare as I would have liked in the middle. The juices that came out when it was resting in the ceramic dish were incredible. For a more rare roast next time I will put the roast on about 30 - 45 minutes after I put on the chicken.
The verdict: I love the 22.5. Although it needs more fuel than the 18.5, I love the flexibility that the increased size gives me. The fact that I could put three nice size pieces of meat on the top grate, with extra room, is wonderful.
Sorry no pics. I'm a techno-idiot.
Sorry no pictures.
I'm posting this for my own records, but it might interest people on this board. I just moved up from the 18.5 to the 22.5. In a few weeks I'm smoking 40 pounds of brisket, and wanted to test the 22.5 this weekend with a challenge of three different things at once:
1) 4 pound chuck eye roast -- for shredded beef sandwiches
2) 4.5 pound chicken
3) 5 pound (3 bond) rib roast
I also used, for the first time, Trader Joe's charcoal briquettes. I read on this site that they burn very clean. I like them a lot, great smell.
At 11:30 AM I lit the chimney. At 11:45 I put emptied it into the smoker -- which I had first rubbed with vegetable oil all over for seasoning -- and put the about 1/2 of the rest of the coals from the bag on top of the hot ones. I also put in 3 good chunks of applewood. The water pan was foiled, and empty.
Hour Zero -- Chuck
In about 15 minutes the smoker read over 350. I put the chuck roast on the top grate, tied up tight. The night before I had seasoned it (lots of garlic and pepper, and a few other things) and wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. I kept the temperature about 300 for two hours, and didn't open it during that time. When I opened it at 2 hours the roast was at 160 degrees.
After Two Hours -- Rib Roast and Chicken
Chicken: After the chuck was on for two hours I put the chicken on the beer can in a foil pie pan on the top grate. I had marinated the chicken overnight, then patted it dry and put on a lot of rub (ground mustard, paprika, cayenne, garlic, etc...).
Rib roast: I also put the Rib Roast on the top grate, with the bones down. The 22.5 has a LOT of room. I had put slivers of garlic in a lot of the fat on the rib roast, and covered it with a paste of olive oil, thyme, organo, garlic, peppercorns and sea salt, and wrapped it overnight in plastic wrap.
After another hour
I got another chimney ready. It was a windy day, and I wanted to keep the smoker temperature over 300. I put in the new coals, and checked the Chuck Roast. It was at 180 degrees. I wrapped it in heavy foil, and kept it on the top grate.
After another hour
Chuck has now been on for 4 hours. It is at 205. I took it off -- still in the foil -- wrapped it in towels and put in in a cooler.
Chicken and Rib roast have now been on for 2 hours. The chicken was at 150 in the dark meat. The rib roast is at 110.
After another half hour
Chicken and Rib roast have now been on for 2.5 hours. Rib roast is at 125. I took it off and put it in a ceramic covered dish.
After another half hour
Chicken is done. Dark meat at 180.
Final steps:
1) Took Chuck Roast out of cooler. cut off strings and put it in a pan. It shredded perfectly with no effort at all! Had a great char, very tasty and moist.
2) Carved the chicken. Took the drippings from the pan -- there are a lot of them -- and put them in a cup for gravy and dipping. Very smokey and crisp skin. Moist. I make a lot of beer can chicken on my gas grill. It cooks faster, and seems a little more moist, on the gas grill. But this was very good too.
3) Carved the rib roast. Delicious. Moist. But not as rare as I would have liked in the middle. The juices that came out when it was resting in the ceramic dish were incredible. For a more rare roast next time I will put the roast on about 30 - 45 minutes after I put on the chicken.
The verdict: I love the 22.5. Although it needs more fuel than the 18.5, I love the flexibility that the increased size gives me. The fact that I could put three nice size pieces of meat on the top grate, with extra room, is wonderful.
Sorry no pics. I'm a techno-idiot.
Sorry no pictures.