BBQ Smokers

[IslandTractor]

I've been enjoying smoked bluefish every night since Saturday. Sometimes mixed with soft cream cheese and sometimes straight up. Good eats. You westerners and country boys need to come to the east coast to try some. It is never frozen and doesn't last long so unlikely you'd ever find it in a fishmonger more than 50miles from the Atlantic coast.

 

[NS Gearhead]

I'd personally aim for 135.

Good to know! I'm making notes on the recipe I've got, so I'll remember next time.

I just have these, and yeah, I think they're junk
Brinkmann Steak Thermometers (4-Pack)-812-9224-S - The Home Depot

 

[IslandTractor]

$27 delivered if you have Amazon Prime. (Note, the price changes several times a day but not by much). This is the folding instant read thermometer I like.
Ultra Fast & Accurate, High-Performing Digital Food/Meat Thermometer - Lavatools Javelin/T... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GRFHXVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vpq3vbA1NCEXC

If 150 was clearly overdone, you might even want to check it when it hits 125 on the grill. It will keep cooking for a while so will probably reach 130-135 by the time you carve.

 

[NS Gearhead]

There ya go! It says it right in the link;

beef lamb veal; 125
poultry; 160
pork; 140
fish; 125

also said it will gain 5-10 deg when resting.

Lots to learn, but that 's half the fun!

 

[IslandTractor]

There ya go! It says it right in the link;

beef lamb veal; 125
poultry; 160
pork; 140
fish; 125

also said it will gain 5-10 deg when resting.

Lots to learn, but that 's half the fun!

Those figures are good for grilling. Smoking sometimes has different target temps. Usually for example you would go significantly higher with pork you intend to pull. Smoked fish is often taken to something around 150-160 to get a "meaty" consistency but you could go much lower if you want a moist smoked fish. I haven't done a brisket but I'd bet those are cooked much higher than 125.

There are lots of good BBQ and smoking web resources that discuss what temp to use for oven and target internal temps. The "instant" thermometers allow you to check as often as you want to take the guess work out of the equation.

 

[CowboyRon]

I've been enjoying smoked bluefish every night since Saturday. Sometimes mixed with soft cream cheese and sometimes straight up. Good eats. You westerners and country boys need to come to the east coast to try some. It is never frozen and doesn't last long so unlikely you'd ever find it in a fishmonger more than 50miles from the Atlantic coast.

Are you inviting us?

 

[TBDonnelly]

:confused3:

I only added about 10 briquets twice during the 3.5 hours. I put one foil packet of soaked wood chips in there when I started, too and that lasted almost 2 hours. So I tossed in a handful of soaked chips right onto the coals two more times and it smoked nicely.

To soak -or- not to soak wood chips. The science of wood chips as presented by amazingribs.com Don't Soak Your Wood. This Myth Is Busted.

Much ribbery science on amazingribs.com BBQ Ribs Recipes, Barbecue Recipes, Grilling Techniques, Baby Back Ribs, Barbeque Spareribs, Outdoor Cooking, Rating Grills and Smokers

Don

 

[MossRoad]

:confused3:

To soak -or- not to soak wood chips. The science of wood chips as presented by amazingribs.com Don't Soak Your Wood. This Myth Is Busted.

Much ribbery science on amazingribs.com BBQ Ribs Recipes, Barbecue Recipes, Grilling Techniques, Baby Back Ribs, Barbeque Spareribs, Outdoor Cooking, Rating Grills and Smokers

Don

Being a novice to this whole thing, I'll say this. I put a foil packet of chips in that I didn't soak. They burst into flames, made some smoke and were gone in about 10 minutes. I put a foil packet of wet chips that had soaked for about an hour. They took about 20 minutes to start smoking, and then they smoked for a good while longer than 10 minutes. :laughing: Anyhow, I threw in a handful of dry chips right on the coals, and they also burst into flames, raised the temp in the smoker quite a bit, and were gone in 10 minutes as well. So I threw a handful of wet chips directly on the coals, they started smoking in about 5 minutes, and they dropped the temp in the smoker a little bit, but not much at all. They smoked for about 20-30 minutes and when they were gone I noticed the smoker temp had risen a bit.

Nothing scientific for me yet. No recorded measurements. No thermometer on the fire or smoker. Only the dial on the Brinkman that says WARM, IDEAL, HOT. It tends to get to the high side of IDEAL very easily and stays there. Add some coals and it goes up. Add some dry wood chips and it goes up faster. Add some wet wood chips and it cools down. I did use a meat thermometer after two hours on the chicken and three on the pork loin just to be sure it was hot all the way through.

Anyhow, it was darn tasty both times. :thumbsup: I'm thinking about a turkey next weekend. :licking:

 

[CowboyRon]

Being a novice to this whole thing, I'll say this. I put a foil packet of chips in that I didn't soak. They burst into flames, made some smoke and were gone in about 10 minutes. I put a foil packet of wet chips that had soaked for about an hour. They took about 20 minutes to start smoking, and then they smoked for a good while longer than 10 minutes. :laughing: Anyhow, I threw in a handful of dry chips right on the coals, and they also burst into flames, raised the temp in the smoker quite a bit, and were gone in 10 minutes as well. So I threw a handful of wet chips directly on the coals, they started smoking in about 5 minutes, and they dropped the temp in the smoker a little bit, but not much at all. They smoked for about 20-30 minutes and when they were gone I noticed the smoker temp had risen a bit.

Nothing scientific for me yet. No recorded measurements. No thermometer on the fire or smoker. Only the dial on the Brinkman that says WARM, IDEAL, HOT. It tends to get to the high side of IDEAL very easily and stays there. Add some coals and it goes up. Add some dry wood chips and it goes up faster. Add some wet wood chips and it cools down. I did use a meat thermometer after two hours on the chicken and three on the pork loin just to be sure it was hot all the way through.

Anyhow, it was darn tasty both times. :thumbsup: I'm thinking about a turkey next weekend. :licking:

Around here there's no shortage of mesquite trees. I usually find a good one and either give it a good trimming, or just cut it down all together.
I like to smoke all night. What I do is use a little charcoal to get the wood going, once I have some good mesquite coals going I will throw on some green wood, then she will smoke all night for me.

 

[IslandTractor]

Are you inviting us?

Sure but you have to arrive during the early summer northward blues migration or their return south about this time. Blues are a seasonal phenomenon.