I am sure that many if not all of you have heard of the infamous smoke ring. Within BBQ circles, it is supposed to signify that you have a proper job of smoking your meat low and slow and is particularly prized in smoked brisket.
Well, that is true. HOWEVER, it does NOT mean that lack of a smoke ring indicates inferior BBQ. Why you ask? Let's take a look at what a smoke ring is.
A smoke ring is a band of pink discoloration of the meat just under the bark. Depending on the amount of smoke the meat has been exposed to, the thickness of this band can range from being very thin to about 1/4" in thickness. It is caused by the build-up of nitrous dioxied in the meat and its reaction with the hemoglobin. This NO2 forms ONLY if using a hydrocarbon as a heat source - i.e. wood fire, charcoal, etc. or if using natural gas or propane as it is a biproduct of natural gas or propane combustion. In short, an lectric heat source will NEVER produce a smoke ring while pretty much any other heat source is capable of it.
But wait you exclaim! We are still burning wood to create smoke - how come that doesn't create a smoke ring? Well, a high temperature flame is required to create NO2 from nitrogen and oxygen. A smoldering fire without a flame does not produce as much NO2. Consequently, a smoker that uses indirect heat generated from the burning of wood typically will develop a pronounced smoke ring while a smoker that uses smouldering wood simply as a smoke source will not.
Is it a big deal though? If aesthetics is important, then I guess it might be. However, from a taste standpoint, the difference a smoke ring might have is so miniscule compared to all the other flavor reactions that are going on that I don't think it really makes a difference at all.
So there you have it. No smoke ring doesn't necessarily mean bad BBQ.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Food For Thought - A Review
As I outlined in a post last week, there were a few key experimentation points I was going to be trying out this weekend with the butt. I will address each of those items here with results.
1 - the bark. The pork ribs from 2 weeks ago tasted good but looked awful due to the coal black bark that was produced. To remedy this, I modified the dry rub to include no sugar and thus eliminate possibility of over caramelization and burning. Instead, I added a sugary glaze only during the last 15-20 minutes of the smoke in order to limit caramelization.
The result was a huge success. The bark I got on the butt was fantastic - a dark mahogany color that was full of flavor and aromas.
2 - injection. I could definitely taste the flavors of the injection in the innermost sections of the butt where marinade and brines wouldn't be able to penetrate. The added moisture also helped to keep the meat moist and succulent. Therefore, another success.
3 - tenting - that is, wrapping the meat in aluminum foil once it hits 160F in order to encourage moisture retention and tenderizing through steaming. The tenting also worked well. The pork was definitely juicy and moist and the tent helped to lock in the flavors of the rubs and mops. Success!
4 - modification of my use of a spritz/mop. The mop I made this weekend was a lot more flavorful due to the incorporation of the dry rub in it, as well as the hint of worcestershire sauce. I could definitely smell the vinegar presence although the flavor was just slightly tangy and not overpowering. Limiting the number of times I mopped also helped to preserve the heat in the smoker and reduce the heat variations. I believe this led to a better cook.
All in all, I am very pleased with the results. I will be using a lot of them again when I try pork ribs again.
1 - the bark. The pork ribs from 2 weeks ago tasted good but looked awful due to the coal black bark that was produced. To remedy this, I modified the dry rub to include no sugar and thus eliminate possibility of over caramelization and burning. Instead, I added a sugary glaze only during the last 15-20 minutes of the smoke in order to limit caramelization.
The result was a huge success. The bark I got on the butt was fantastic - a dark mahogany color that was full of flavor and aromas.
2 - injection. I could definitely taste the flavors of the injection in the innermost sections of the butt where marinade and brines wouldn't be able to penetrate. The added moisture also helped to keep the meat moist and succulent. Therefore, another success.
3 - tenting - that is, wrapping the meat in aluminum foil once it hits 160F in order to encourage moisture retention and tenderizing through steaming. The tenting also worked well. The pork was definitely juicy and moist and the tent helped to lock in the flavors of the rubs and mops. Success!
4 - modification of my use of a spritz/mop. The mop I made this weekend was a lot more flavorful due to the incorporation of the dry rub in it, as well as the hint of worcestershire sauce. I could definitely smell the vinegar presence although the flavor was just slightly tangy and not overpowering. Limiting the number of times I mopped also helped to preserve the heat in the smoker and reduce the heat variations. I believe this led to a better cook.
All in all, I am very pleased with the results. I will be using a lot of them again when I try pork ribs again.
Pork Butt Dry Rub Mop
Pork Butt Dry Rub Mop
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup of pork butt dry rub - sugarless
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of soya sauce
I say to use hot water because this will encourage the dry rub to dissolve. Mix everything together well. Note that prior to applying to the meat, you will have to give the mop another stir as the oil will have floated to the top and the dry rub to the bottom.
This recipe is going to make a LOT of mop. I just make a big batch of it and divide it into tupperwares and stick them into my freezer. Saves me having to make some every time.
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup of pork butt dry rub - sugarless
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of soya sauce
I say to use hot water because this will encourage the dry rub to dissolve. Mix everything together well. Note that prior to applying to the meat, you will have to give the mop another stir as the oil will have floated to the top and the dry rub to the bottom.
This recipe is going to make a LOT of mop. I just make a big batch of it and divide it into tupperwares and stick them into my freezer. Saves me having to make some every time.
Pork Butt Dry Rub - Sugarless
Pork Butt Dry Rub - Sugarless
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tbsps dried oregano
2 tbsp celery seed
1/4 cup paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
Mix all ingredients together and apply to pork butt.
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tbsps dried oregano
2 tbsp celery seed
1/4 cup paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
Mix all ingredients together and apply to pork butt.
Basic Pork Injection
Basic Pork Injection
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
** I found that this was not sweet enough for my tastes. The next time I try a pork butt, I will likely double or even triple the amount of brown sugar in the injection.
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
** I found that this was not sweet enough for my tastes. The next time I try a pork butt, I will likely double or even triple the amount of brown sugar in the injection.
Pork Butt
I decided to postpone the beef short ribs until next weekend and make a rib day of next Saturday. This weekend was my first pork butt experiment. The butt piece I had was about 4lbs which technically makes it a half butt. Typical Boston butts weigh 8-10lbs with full shoulders weighing in at about 16-18lbs. I definitely didn't want to tackle anything quite that bit on my first time. As indicated in my last post, I tried out a few different techniques this time around.
First was injection. This is said to impart a lot of extra moisture and flavor deep inside the meat. I used a very simple and standard pork injection. In order to try and hit as many areas of the butt as possible while limiting the number of entry holes, I would use the same entry hole for 3 different injections. That is, instead of removing the needle entirely from the butt, I would pull it almost to the surface and then change directions and push it into the butt again. Do this every few inches on the butt to maximize coverage. If you decide to taste the injection, you will find that it is extremely salty. Don't be alarmed, once it is injected, it will propagate through the meat and it will taste fine once it is cooked.
Once injection is complete, put the pork butt in a large freezer bag and pour the remainder of the injection into the bag. Seal and let it sit overnight - this would be like a brining phase.
The next morning, take the butt out of the fridge a few hours before you want to start the smoke. You want the butt to slowly come up to room temperature prior to beginning the smoke. This difference can be 30F or more depending on the setting on your fridge and the ambient temperature. Starting out the smoke with room temperature meat means it doesn't need to smoke as long and reduces the chances for overcooking and dryness.
Remove the butt from the freezer bag and rinse off any excess brine/injection solution and pat dry with a paper towel. Once you have the butt out and dried off, we can begin the marinating process. First, slather a layer of mustard onto the butt. This time around I just used plain yellow mustard but you can mix and match with grainy or honey dijon or whatever you want. The mustard itself does not lend much flavor - its main purpose is to give the dry rub something to stick to. It also happens to make a nice crust on the meat when smoked.
I used a different dry rub from my pork rib mix. This time I removed all sugar from the rub in order to avoid any burning of the crust. After all, we want a dark mahogany color, not a coal black color. The dry rub recipe can be found here. Here is a shot of the dry rub mixture. You will notice that it has a far lighter color than my pork rub rib due to lack of brown sugar.
Liberally sprinkle the dry rub over the entire butt, turning the flipping the butt as necessary to get the sides and underneath. Once the butt has the mustard and dry rub applied, let it sit on the counter until the internal temperature reaches room temp (about 70F).
Once it comes up to room temperature, you are ready to smoke. I cooked my butt at 225F throughout the entire process. I decided to use cherry wood this time to impart a more subtle smoke flavor as well as to try something new. Make sure you have a probe thermometer inside your pork butt so you can track the temperature. Just try to insert it in such a way that you are equidistant from the edges and also avoid bones as they will throw off the reading.
Put your pork butt into the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160F. For me, this took about 4 hours. While it is smoking away, take the time to make your mop. I decided to incorporate some of the dry rub into the mop this time around in order to add more flavor. I found that my previous mop with the pork ribs really didn't make much of a difference flavor wise at all. The mop this time around was far better - when I smelled the final product, I could detect a pretty strong presence of the vinegar that I used in the mop. Click here for the recipe.
You don't want to be mopping too often as this will make it tough to maintain a steady heat in your smoker. I don't apply mop for the first time until 2 hours into the cooking process and then every hour to hour and a half thereafter. Don't hold back on the mop - since we are not applying it too often, be sure to get a good amount of it on there.
Once the pork butt reaches 160F internal, it is time for the tenting phase. This is the period of time in which the meat is going to tenderize significantly. Remove the butt from the smoker and place on a bed of aluminum foil. Apply more mop liberally and finish off with a light dusting of the dry rub. Wrap the butt up tight in the aluminum foil and put it back into your smoker. At this point, the butt has absorbed all the smoke it is going to, so remove your chips from the smoker.
This tenting will help keep moisture and heat close to the butt and will significantly speed up cooking time as well as juiciness of the meat. Keep the butt tented until internal temperature reaches 195. At this point, all of the fat and connective tissues will have rendered and distributed through the butt, making it tender and delicious. Remove the butt from the smoker and unwrap it from the foil. You will notice a golden liquid that has collected at the bottom of your foil packet. Be sure to save that! It makes an awesome au jus to serve alongside the butt. You could also whisk in a little more oil and vinegar and turn it into a salad dressing.
Apply a finishing rub and/or finishing glaze if you wish. I slathered on some apple butter to mine in order to get that sweetness I was after. Once that is on, put it back into the smoker for 15-20 minutes. This is just long enough for the finishing rub and glaze to caramelize for a wonderful mahogany color. Any longer and you risk getting coal colored bark.
When you remove the butt from the smoker for the last time, you should have a dark brown/mahogany crust. You will also be able to smell all the spices and vinegars from the rubs and mop as they mingle with the porky smell to create a mouthwatering aroma. Unfortunately, you can't dig in quite yet. The butt needs to be tented again (just on the serving platter) for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute and reabsorb inside the meat. If you were to cut into it or start pulling it now, all those juices would flow out onto your plate and be wasted. So have patience and tent it.
Once the time is up, you can reveal your masterpiece to your eager diners. They are sure to be impressed. Check out the wonderful color of the crust as well as how moist and juicy the meat is when you cut into it. The slightest press on the butt will get the juices oozing out. I ate mine with a little more apple butter on the side (I like my pork on the sweet side).
First was injection. This is said to impart a lot of extra moisture and flavor deep inside the meat. I used a very simple and standard pork injection. In order to try and hit as many areas of the butt as possible while limiting the number of entry holes, I would use the same entry hole for 3 different injections. That is, instead of removing the needle entirely from the butt, I would pull it almost to the surface and then change directions and push it into the butt again. Do this every few inches on the butt to maximize coverage. If you decide to taste the injection, you will find that it is extremely salty. Don't be alarmed, once it is injected, it will propagate through the meat and it will taste fine once it is cooked.
Once injection is complete, put the pork butt in a large freezer bag and pour the remainder of the injection into the bag. Seal and let it sit overnight - this would be like a brining phase.
The next morning, take the butt out of the fridge a few hours before you want to start the smoke. You want the butt to slowly come up to room temperature prior to beginning the smoke. This difference can be 30F or more depending on the setting on your fridge and the ambient temperature. Starting out the smoke with room temperature meat means it doesn't need to smoke as long and reduces the chances for overcooking and dryness.
Remove the butt from the freezer bag and rinse off any excess brine/injection solution and pat dry with a paper towel. Once you have the butt out and dried off, we can begin the marinating process. First, slather a layer of mustard onto the butt. This time around I just used plain yellow mustard but you can mix and match with grainy or honey dijon or whatever you want. The mustard itself does not lend much flavor - its main purpose is to give the dry rub something to stick to. It also happens to make a nice crust on the meat when smoked.
I used a different dry rub from my pork rib mix. This time I removed all sugar from the rub in order to avoid any burning of the crust. After all, we want a dark mahogany color, not a coal black color. The dry rub recipe can be found here. Here is a shot of the dry rub mixture. You will notice that it has a far lighter color than my pork rub rib due to lack of brown sugar.
 |
| Pork butt dry rub |
Liberally sprinkle the dry rub over the entire butt, turning the flipping the butt as necessary to get the sides and underneath. Once the butt has the mustard and dry rub applied, let it sit on the counter until the internal temperature reaches room temp (about 70F).
 |
| Pork butt with dry rub applied |
 |
| Closeup of rubbed pork butt |
Once it comes up to room temperature, you are ready to smoke. I cooked my butt at 225F throughout the entire process. I decided to use cherry wood this time to impart a more subtle smoke flavor as well as to try something new. Make sure you have a probe thermometer inside your pork butt so you can track the temperature. Just try to insert it in such a way that you are equidistant from the edges and also avoid bones as they will throw off the reading.
Put your pork butt into the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160F. For me, this took about 4 hours. While it is smoking away, take the time to make your mop. I decided to incorporate some of the dry rub into the mop this time around in order to add more flavor. I found that my previous mop with the pork ribs really didn't make much of a difference flavor wise at all. The mop this time around was far better - when I smelled the final product, I could detect a pretty strong presence of the vinegar that I used in the mop. Click here for the recipe.
 |
| Pork dry rub mop |
You don't want to be mopping too often as this will make it tough to maintain a steady heat in your smoker. I don't apply mop for the first time until 2 hours into the cooking process and then every hour to hour and a half thereafter. Don't hold back on the mop - since we are not applying it too often, be sure to get a good amount of it on there.
Once the pork butt reaches 160F internal, it is time for the tenting phase. This is the period of time in which the meat is going to tenderize significantly. Remove the butt from the smoker and place on a bed of aluminum foil. Apply more mop liberally and finish off with a light dusting of the dry rub. Wrap the butt up tight in the aluminum foil and put it back into your smoker. At this point, the butt has absorbed all the smoke it is going to, so remove your chips from the smoker.
 |
| Pork butt ready for tenting |
This tenting will help keep moisture and heat close to the butt and will significantly speed up cooking time as well as juiciness of the meat. Keep the butt tented until internal temperature reaches 195. At this point, all of the fat and connective tissues will have rendered and distributed through the butt, making it tender and delicious. Remove the butt from the smoker and unwrap it from the foil. You will notice a golden liquid that has collected at the bottom of your foil packet. Be sure to save that! It makes an awesome au jus to serve alongside the butt. You could also whisk in a little more oil and vinegar and turn it into a salad dressing.
 |
| Foil is removed |
 |
| Foil is removed - same shot but with better light! |
Apply a finishing rub and/or finishing glaze if you wish. I slathered on some apple butter to mine in order to get that sweetness I was after. Once that is on, put it back into the smoker for 15-20 minutes. This is just long enough for the finishing rub and glaze to caramelize for a wonderful mahogany color. Any longer and you risk getting coal colored bark.
When you remove the butt from the smoker for the last time, you should have a dark brown/mahogany crust. You will also be able to smell all the spices and vinegars from the rubs and mop as they mingle with the porky smell to create a mouthwatering aroma. Unfortunately, you can't dig in quite yet. The butt needs to be tented again (just on the serving platter) for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute and reabsorb inside the meat. If you were to cut into it or start pulling it now, all those juices would flow out onto your plate and be wasted. So have patience and tent it.
 |
| Butt under final tent |
Once the time is up, you can reveal your masterpiece to your eager diners. They are sure to be impressed. Check out the wonderful color of the crust as well as how moist and juicy the meat is when you cut into it. The slightest press on the butt will get the juices oozing out. I ate mine with a little more apple butter on the side (I like my pork on the sweet side).
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| Ready to serve - great color, great aroma |
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| Juices ooze out of the meat as it is cut |
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Food For Thought
The experimentation plan for this weekend includes a couple of beef short ribs and a pork butt AKA Boston butt.
I have been doing more research and reading online throughout the week and will be changing up a few things for the smoking session this week.
The first thing I want to address is the bark on my meat. The pork ribs I did last weekend were pretty tasty but looked highly unappealing. Due to the high sugar content in my rub, the bark turned a black color instead of the dark brown that is so sought after in the BBQ world. Note that it didn't taste burnt at all but for presentation purposes, I want to improve on this.
So the rubs I plan to use this weekend will have no sugar in them at all. To get the sweetness I want in my ribs, I will be glazing them during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking to try and develope just the right amout of caramelization.
A second technique I plan to try is injection. Particularly for larger cuts like shoulders, butts, briskets, chickens and turkeys, injecting the meat prior to smoking is recommended. I will be giving this a shot on my pork butt this weekend.
A third technique I will also be experimenting with is tenting - that is, wrapping the meat in aluminum foil once it hits 160F in order to encourage moisture retention and tenderizing through steaming. Apparently, it's a tried and true technique of making succulent pulled pork.
Lastly, I am going to modify my use of a spritz/mop. I found with my ribs last weekend that the mop I used really didn't add any flavor that I could detect. I think that if I try one on the pork butt, I will use one that has a much stronger flavor.
I have also ready arguments that mopping only serves to prolong cooking time and actually dries the meat out more than it moistens it. With this in mind, if I do mop, it won't be as often as every half hour.
So there you have the battle plan for this weekend. I will, of course, report back with the results.
I have been doing more research and reading online throughout the week and will be changing up a few things for the smoking session this week.
The first thing I want to address is the bark on my meat. The pork ribs I did last weekend were pretty tasty but looked highly unappealing. Due to the high sugar content in my rub, the bark turned a black color instead of the dark brown that is so sought after in the BBQ world. Note that it didn't taste burnt at all but for presentation purposes, I want to improve on this.
So the rubs I plan to use this weekend will have no sugar in them at all. To get the sweetness I want in my ribs, I will be glazing them during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking to try and develope just the right amout of caramelization.
A second technique I plan to try is injection. Particularly for larger cuts like shoulders, butts, briskets, chickens and turkeys, injecting the meat prior to smoking is recommended. I will be giving this a shot on my pork butt this weekend.
A third technique I will also be experimenting with is tenting - that is, wrapping the meat in aluminum foil once it hits 160F in order to encourage moisture retention and tenderizing through steaming. Apparently, it's a tried and true technique of making succulent pulled pork.
Lastly, I am going to modify my use of a spritz/mop. I found with my ribs last weekend that the mop I used really didn't add any flavor that I could detect. I think that if I try one on the pork butt, I will use one that has a much stronger flavor.
I have also ready arguments that mopping only serves to prolong cooking time and actually dries the meat out more than it moistens it. With this in mind, if I do mop, it won't be as often as every half hour.
So there you have the battle plan for this weekend. I will, of course, report back with the results.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
New Burner Gets A Workout
As mentioned in previous posts, I replaced my 1000w with a far beefier 2400w element. The new element was a 240V element and thus required a little electrical work to get it hooked up. Luckily I had a 240V welding plug in my garage that I could hook it up to.
Since I had already cut a hole in the bottom of my smoker to accommodate my previous 1000w element which came with a control box, I had to cut out a new plate to cover up this hole. Otherwise, I would have had a great deal of heat loss through the hole. I still had some stainless steel plate left over from my door, so I cut out a small piece of that to fit over the hole.
I also had to notch out a hole in the plate to allow for the power prongs on the new element.
Everything fit very snugly in the bottom with minimal air gap for heat loss. I found the new burner was far more efficient in heating up the smoker. From a heat up time (to 200F) of about 30-45 minutes depending on outside temperature, I dropped to about 10 minutes. I was also able to gain and maintain temperature while cooking far more efficiently. This is great as I like to open up the smoker every 30-45 minutes to spritz on a "mop solution" to add flavor to the meat as well as some moisture.
In fact, the element was so good at maintaining heat that I had to keep unplugging it to prevent it from overshooting my desired temperature of 200F. Even after I unplugged it, the temperature would continue to rise another 10-15F before settling down. It would hold its temperature very well and would really only drop significantly when I opened the door to apply my mop. It would then drop to about 185 at which point I would plug it back in for about 5 minutes to get the temperature back up.
I am thinking that instead of a thermostat, all I really need is a simple toggle switch to either turn the element on or off. The thermostat would let me set a temperature and walk away but since I like to keep the meat mopped/basted every 30-45 minutes, I won't be doing much walking away anyhow.
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| New 2400 watt element |
Since I had already cut a hole in the bottom of my smoker to accommodate my previous 1000w element which came with a control box, I had to cut out a new plate to cover up this hole. Otherwise, I would have had a great deal of heat loss through the hole. I still had some stainless steel plate left over from my door, so I cut out a small piece of that to fit over the hole.
I also had to notch out a hole in the plate to allow for the power prongs on the new element.
 |
| Existing hole made for previous burner element |
 |
| New cover plate with slot for power plug |
Everything fit very snugly in the bottom with minimal air gap for heat loss. I found the new burner was far more efficient in heating up the smoker. From a heat up time (to 200F) of about 30-45 minutes depending on outside temperature, I dropped to about 10 minutes. I was also able to gain and maintain temperature while cooking far more efficiently. This is great as I like to open up the smoker every 30-45 minutes to spritz on a "mop solution" to add flavor to the meat as well as some moisture.
In fact, the element was so good at maintaining heat that I had to keep unplugging it to prevent it from overshooting my desired temperature of 200F. Even after I unplugged it, the temperature would continue to rise another 10-15F before settling down. It would hold its temperature very well and would really only drop significantly when I opened the door to apply my mop. It would then drop to about 185 at which point I would plug it back in for about 5 minutes to get the temperature back up.
I am thinking that instead of a thermostat, all I really need is a simple toggle switch to either turn the element on or off. The thermostat would let me set a temperature and walk away but since I like to keep the meat mopped/basted every 30-45 minutes, I won't be doing much walking away anyhow.
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| New burner and plate in place |
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Sweet n Spicy Pork Rib Dry Rub
Sweet n Spicy Pork Rib Dry Rub
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
2.5 tbsps ground black pepper
2.5 tbsps kosher salt
1 tbsp mustard powder
1.5 tbsps chili powder
1.5 tbsps garlic powder
1.5 tbsps onion powder
1 tsp chili flakes
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. For additional spice, add more chili powder and/or chili flakes. I like using the flakes as it gives a visual contrast to the rub. I prefer my ribs on the sweet side. If you don't like it as sweet, cut down on the amount of sugar.
Here is a snapshot of the rub when mixed up.
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
2.5 tbsps ground black pepper
2.5 tbsps kosher salt
1 tbsp mustard powder
1.5 tbsps chili powder
1.5 tbsps garlic powder
1.5 tbsps onion powder
1 tsp chili flakes
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. For additional spice, add more chili powder and/or chili flakes. I like using the flakes as it gives a visual contrast to the rub. I prefer my ribs on the sweet side. If you don't like it as sweet, cut down on the amount of sugar.
Here is a snapshot of the rub when mixed up.
Pork Ribs - First Attempt
The second menu item this weekend was pork ribs. This was a process that started the night before the smoke.
After washing and cleaning the ribs, I applied a layer of mustard to the ribs. There are a few reasons for the mustard.
1. It adds the first flavor base
2. It helps the dry rub to stick to the meat
3. When smoked, it forms a nice crust that protects the meat underneath and keeps it moist while adding a nice tangy flavor
I used a mixture of 40% grainy mustard and 60% prepared yellow mustard. The grainy mustard has a more subtle flavor and adds some additional texture with the whole mustard seeds in it.
With the layer of mustard applied, I then mixed together a batch of sweet n spicy pork rib dry rub (recipe on recipe page) and sprinkled it liberally onto both sides of the ribs. Next they went into the fridge overnight to let the flavors absorb.
On the day of the smoke, I removed them from the fridge approximately an hour prior to smoking. This allows them to slowly come up to room temperature. Any time you are cooking meat, it is a good idea to let it come to room temperature. This decreases the range of temperatures you need to take it through as it cooks.
I smoked my ribs for 2 hours at 200F. Every 30 minutes, I would spritz them with a solution of 60% apple cider vinegar and 40% oil. This helped to keep them moist during the smoke as well as infuse additional flavor.
They took on a great dark brown smokey color and flavor. Note that the color on the meat is simply the dry rub taking on the smoke. The meat is NOT burnt! The meat was juicy and very well seasoned.
If you are a fan of fall off the bone ribs, you will want to smoke them even longer and at a lower temperature. You will also need to remove the layer of translucent membrane that holds the meat to the bone. Personally, I prefer some chew to my ribs, so I leave the membrane on and I also don't cook it as low and slow as I could.
After washing and cleaning the ribs, I applied a layer of mustard to the ribs. There are a few reasons for the mustard.
1. It adds the first flavor base
2. It helps the dry rub to stick to the meat
3. When smoked, it forms a nice crust that protects the meat underneath and keeps it moist while adding a nice tangy flavor
I used a mixture of 40% grainy mustard and 60% prepared yellow mustard. The grainy mustard has a more subtle flavor and adds some additional texture with the whole mustard seeds in it.
With the layer of mustard applied, I then mixed together a batch of sweet n spicy pork rib dry rub (recipe on recipe page) and sprinkled it liberally onto both sides of the ribs. Next they went into the fridge overnight to let the flavors absorb.
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| Sweet n spicy pork rub |
On the day of the smoke, I removed them from the fridge approximately an hour prior to smoking. This allows them to slowly come up to room temperature. Any time you are cooking meat, it is a good idea to let it come to room temperature. This decreases the range of temperatures you need to take it through as it cooks.
 | |
| Ribs after overnight marinade |
I smoked my ribs for 2 hours at 200F. Every 30 minutes, I would spritz them with a solution of 60% apple cider vinegar and 40% oil. This helped to keep them moist during the smoke as well as infuse additional flavor.
They took on a great dark brown smokey color and flavor. Note that the color on the meat is simply the dry rub taking on the smoke. The meat is NOT burnt! The meat was juicy and very well seasoned.
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| Ribs right out of the smoker |
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| Ribs plated up for service |
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| Interior of ribs - juicy, not burnt! |
If you are a fan of fall off the bone ribs, you will want to smoke them even longer and at a lower temperature. You will also need to remove the layer of translucent membrane that holds the meat to the bone. Personally, I prefer some chew to my ribs, so I leave the membrane on and I also don't cook it as low and slow as I could.
Simple Fish Brine
SIMPLE FISH BRINE
1/3C salt
1 C sugar
4C water
Mix everything together in a bowl or pitcher. The salt and sugar don't need to be completely dissolved. Pour over the fish fillets. If the fillets are not completely submerged, flip them every half hour or so to get even coverage.
1/3C salt
1 C sugar
4C water
Mix everything together in a bowl or pitcher. The salt and sugar don't need to be completely dissolved. Pour over the fish fillets. If the fillets are not completely submerged, flip them every half hour or so to get even coverage.
White Fish - Very Simple Smoke
One of the menu items this weekend was white fish. One of my coworkers highly recommended white fish, touting it as the best smoked fish he had ever tasted. He said it was much better than either salmon or trout so I had to give it a try.
I smoked it for an hour at 200F and the meat turned out just perfectly. It was just on the cusp of being cooked and resulted in a very moist and flavorful fish. I brined it in a simple brine of salt and sugar (recipe in recipe section) for 1.5 hours prior to smoking to improve the moistness. As far as seasoning, it was kept very simple. Just a light smear of pesto on top.
I found that the white fish absorbed more of the smokey flavor - likely due to white fish's natural blandness. Salmon and trout tend to have a stronger, fishier flavor that competes with the smoke for dominance. The white fish is also a more delicate fish and the flesh when cooked was softer and more tender. I myself still prefer the stronger fish flavor of trout and salmon but I would definitely do white fish again.
Here are some photos of the finished product.
I smoked it for an hour at 200F and the meat turned out just perfectly. It was just on the cusp of being cooked and resulted in a very moist and flavorful fish. I brined it in a simple brine of salt and sugar (recipe in recipe section) for 1.5 hours prior to smoking to improve the moistness. As far as seasoning, it was kept very simple. Just a light smear of pesto on top.
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| White fish in brine solution |
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| White fish ready to head into the smoker |
I found that the white fish absorbed more of the smokey flavor - likely due to white fish's natural blandness. Salmon and trout tend to have a stronger, fishier flavor that competes with the smoke for dominance. The white fish is also a more delicate fish and the flesh when cooked was softer and more tender. I myself still prefer the stronger fish flavor of trout and salmon but I would definitely do white fish again.
Here are some photos of the finished product.
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| White fish right out of the smoker |
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| Fish all plated |
How Much Smoke?
I have read quite a few online posts trying to describe in words the quality and quantity of smoke that is desirable. And I found that words alone made it difficult to comprehend so I have taken a few pictures of my smoker while it is in action. Hopefully this will help to clarify things a little.
What you are after is thin wisps of white smoke with a slight blueish tinge to them. You get this by having your wood at a good slow smolder. I have been experimenting with different setups in my own smoker to determine what I need to do in order to get an optimal burn. That is, to prolong the life of my chips in order to get a slow steady burn instead of a quick release.
Thus far I have put my chips into a cast iron pan which then goes directly on top of my burner. However with the burner on, I have found that the chips burn far too quickly as they are exposed to direct heat. As my smoke went on and I accumulated an insulating layer of ash and charcoal on the bottom of the pan, the wood began to burn at a much more modest rate.
I think what I will do next time is to layer the bottom of my cast iron pan with briquettes and then heap my chips on top of that.
Anyway, without further ado, here are some pictures of what you want in terms of smoke. Clearly there are some gaps in my seal and that is why there is smoke escaping from my dampers even when they are closed. However, that is not abnormal and gives a good indication of how much smoke you should have.
What you are after is thin wisps of white smoke with a slight blueish tinge to them. You get this by having your wood at a good slow smolder. I have been experimenting with different setups in my own smoker to determine what I need to do in order to get an optimal burn. That is, to prolong the life of my chips in order to get a slow steady burn instead of a quick release.
Thus far I have put my chips into a cast iron pan which then goes directly on top of my burner. However with the burner on, I have found that the chips burn far too quickly as they are exposed to direct heat. As my smoke went on and I accumulated an insulating layer of ash and charcoal on the bottom of the pan, the wood began to burn at a much more modest rate.
I think what I will do next time is to layer the bottom of my cast iron pan with briquettes and then heap my chips on top of that.
Anyway, without further ado, here are some pictures of what you want in terms of smoke. Clearly there are some gaps in my seal and that is why there is smoke escaping from my dampers even when they are closed. However, that is not abnormal and gives a good indication of how much smoke you should have.
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| Front view |
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| Exhaust damper view |
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Just How Much Money Do You Save?
Someone asked me today how much money I was able to save and whether making my own smoker was even worth the effort. Well, I did a little searching and found a smoker made by Fire Magic which is similar to what I have.
The Fire Magic Smoker 24s-SM is definitely far fancier than mine - it is made completely of stainless steel and has a digital temperature control unit.
However, that is pretty much where the differences end. The casters on mine are of a far higher quality, my smoker also boasts an inch of insulation between inside and outside walls, I will be able to easily control my smoking temperature (as soon as I get around to installing my thermostat), etc. In fact, my smoker offers MORE capacity as it has a larger smoking volume and more rack space. Oh and it does all that without weighing 250lbs and costing $3,500.00!
So to answer the question .... HELL YES I saved money. I have the equivalent of a top of the line, commercial grade smoker at a very bottom of the barrel price. And that to me, is a good deal.
To maximize your cost savings, be sure to check out local salvage yards. It is amazing the sorts of things that people will throw out!
The Fire Magic Smoker 24s-SM is definitely far fancier than mine - it is made completely of stainless steel and has a digital temperature control unit.
However, that is pretty much where the differences end. The casters on mine are of a far higher quality, my smoker also boasts an inch of insulation between inside and outside walls, I will be able to easily control my smoking temperature (as soon as I get around to installing my thermostat), etc. In fact, my smoker offers MORE capacity as it has a larger smoking volume and more rack space. Oh and it does all that without weighing 250lbs and costing $3,500.00!
So to answer the question .... HELL YES I saved money. I have the equivalent of a top of the line, commercial grade smoker at a very bottom of the barrel price. And that to me, is a good deal.
To maximize your cost savings, be sure to check out local salvage yards. It is amazing the sorts of things that people will throw out!
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Meat Internal Temperatures
One of the very first lessons I learned when I had my first attempt at smoking was that I needed to monitor the internal temperature of my meat. Otherwise, you could end up with dried up meat (like my first trout fillet) or meat that is not fully cooked. The latter is definitely the more dangerous of the two as it could lead to a variety of illnesses.
Below is a list of the recommended minimum internal temperatures of various types of meats. I would suggest using a probe thermometer to check meat temperature. Of course, it's ludicrous to have a probe in each and every piece of meat you do, so start out with 1 type of meat and figure out how long it needs to be cooked and at what temperature in order to result in ideal doneness.
Proper handling of food dictates that you do not dig in immediately after removal from the smoker - this goes for grilling and baking as well. The process of cooking has done considerable damage to the meat fibers and to get optimal juiciness, you should tent your meat with tin foil and let it rest for 5-90 minutes depending on the size of the meat. 90 minutes sounds like a lot but for some big turkeys, this is what is required for ideal juiciness.
This allows those juices to be reabsorbed into your meat to provide a moister, more succulent dining experience. Cut into it right away and a lot of the juices will run out and onto your serving platter where it doesn't do anyone any good at all.
Keep in mind that during this tenting and resting period, the internal temperature of your meat will continue to rise. Depending on the size of your roast/bird, etc. it will increase anywhere from a few degrees to 30+ degrees. The point is that you should adjust for this increase accordingly. Otherwise, your meat will be a perfect temperature upon removal from the smoker but will be overdone when you get to eating it.
So without further digression, here are the recommended internal temperatures:
BEEF AND LAMB
Roasts, Steaks and Chops
Brisket - 160F and above
POULTRY
** Check that juices run clear. Also note if cooking stuffing inside a bird, ensure that the stuffing also registers a temperature of a least 165F
PORK
Roasts, Steaks and Chops
Sausage (raw) - 160F
Ham (raw) - 160F
Pre-cooked - 140F
FISH
- Rare - 120-125F
- Medium rare - 130-135F
- Medium - 140-145F
- Medium well - 150-155F
- Well done - 160F and above
Brisket - 160F and above
- Chicken & Duck - 165F
- Turkey - 165F
- Medium - 140-145F
- Well done - 160F and above
Sausage (raw) - 160F
Ham (raw) - 160F
Pre-cooked - 140F
- Steaks, fillets or whole - 140F
- Tuna, swordfish and marlin - 125F
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Pellets, Chips, Chunks .... help?
When you get to your local BBQ supply store, you are going to be assaulted not only with a large selection of woods but also different configurations of said woods. The type that will work best for you depends a lot on your smoker.
The most common types you will find are pellets, chunks, chips and bisquettes. You may also be able to find logs and slabs depending on your location.
In general, the bigger the piece, the slower the wood will burn and release smoke. As you decrease the size of your wood, the quicker the burst of resulting smoke will be. Chips, for instance, burn hot and fast and will release smoke in bursts.
If your smoker is like mine and does not require any of the vents to be open, this is fine as the smoke is going to be trapped inside the smoker anyway. However, for smokers that rely on air flow for combustion, you would be better off going with a slower burning and releasing chunk in order to maximize your food's contact with the smoke.
Pellets are nothing more than compressed sawdust. Bisquettes are similar but are much larger.
The most common types you will find are pellets, chunks, chips and bisquettes. You may also be able to find logs and slabs depending on your location.
In general, the bigger the piece, the slower the wood will burn and release smoke. As you decrease the size of your wood, the quicker the burst of resulting smoke will be. Chips, for instance, burn hot and fast and will release smoke in bursts.
If your smoker is like mine and does not require any of the vents to be open, this is fine as the smoke is going to be trapped inside the smoker anyway. However, for smokers that rely on air flow for combustion, you would be better off going with a slower burning and releasing chunk in order to maximize your food's contact with the smoke.
Pellets are nothing more than compressed sawdust. Bisquettes are similar but are much larger.
What Woods To Avoid
Now that you know what are the more common smoking woods available, you should also be aware that there are some you should stay away from.
These include cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce and sycamore. These woods have a lot of resin directly in the wood itself. Your food will end up tasting like turpentine and would likely cause some side effects as well if you were able to choke it down.
Cedar is one of those woods that is a bit of a toss-up. It is a very strong wood that contains a lot of natural oils but used correctly, can be very pleasing. I know I certainly enjoy doing a cedar-planked fillet and there are many people out there who use cedar regularly for all of their smoking.
As with all else, its personal taste that is the final judge.
These include cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce and sycamore. These woods have a lot of resin directly in the wood itself. Your food will end up tasting like turpentine and would likely cause some side effects as well if you were able to choke it down.
Cedar is one of those woods that is a bit of a toss-up. It is a very strong wood that contains a lot of natural oils but used correctly, can be very pleasing. I know I certainly enjoy doing a cedar-planked fillet and there are many people out there who use cedar regularly for all of their smoking.
As with all else, its personal taste that is the final judge.
Monday, 12 September 2011
What Wood To Use?
This is a matter of personal preference. If you like a stronger smoke flavor, then use a stronger flavored wood and smoke your meat for a longer period of time. Alternatively, if you prefer a more subtle smoke flavor, consider using a fruit wood and smoke for a shorter period of time.
In general, you should stick with hardwoods from fruit and nut bearing trees. I really enjoy apple wood. I don't like very heavy smoke flavors and the apple wood gives a pleasant, slightly sweet, smoke to the food.
That being said, there are some general guidelines on types of wood to use for different meats. Keep in mind that the woods listed below are just the most common and popular types. There are many, many other woods that can be used with great success.
Starting with the "mild" woods. These tend to lend a sweet, light and subtle smoke flavor.
If you enjoy a stronger, smokier flavor, try one of the stronger woods:
And if you like very intense flavoring, you can try something like black walnut which has an intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. It is typically used on beef, pork, game meat and venison
Note that you can mix and match your woods as well to get the exact flavor you want. Some of the more popular combinations include:
In general, you should stick with hardwoods from fruit and nut bearing trees. I really enjoy apple wood. I don't like very heavy smoke flavors and the apple wood gives a pleasant, slightly sweet, smoke to the food.
That being said, there are some general guidelines on types of wood to use for different meats. Keep in mind that the woods listed below are just the most common and popular types. There are many, many other woods that can be used with great success.
Starting with the "mild" woods. These tend to lend a sweet, light and subtle smoke flavor.
- Alder - Sweet flavor of smoked salmon - recommended for fish, pork, and poultry
- Cherry - Sweet fruity smoke that gives a rosy tint to light meats - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish, and game birds
- Mulberry - Sweet, tangy, blackberry smoke flavor - recommended for pork, ham, poultry, and game birds
- Oak - Heavy smoke with no after-taste, gives food a wonderful smoked color
- Orange - Tangy citrus smoke. Great with seafood. Gives food a golden color. - recommended for pork, poultry, fish, game birds and cheese
- Pecan - Similar to hickory but milder and sweeter with a nut after taste - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game
- Sassafras - Musky, sweet smoke with a root beer after taste - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, and game birds
- Sugar Maple - Very mild, a sweet light smoke - recommended for pork, ham, poultry, cheese and game birds
If you enjoy a stronger, smokier flavor, try one of the stronger woods:
- Apple - Sweet, fruity smoke. Strongest of the fruit woods. - recommended for beef, pork, ham, poultry and game
- Hickory - Bacon flavor, most commonly used and recognized smoke - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game
- Jack Daniel's - Sweet smoke with aromatic tang, good on red meats - recommended for beef, pork, poultry and game
- Mesquite - Spicy, very distinctive smoke of southwest cooking - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game
- Savory Herb - Zesty and robust flavors of Italian herbs - recommended for lamb, pork, and poultry
And if you like very intense flavoring, you can try something like black walnut which has an intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. It is typically used on beef, pork, game meat and venison
Note that you can mix and match your woods as well to get the exact flavor you want. Some of the more popular combinations include:
- Apple and cherry
- Apple and hickory
- Apple and oak
- Cherry and maple
- Cherry and oak
- Oak and hickory
- Oak and pecan
- Oak and hickory and apple
More tweaking
While my 1000 watt burner performed much better with the unused racks and water bath removed as well as the new paint job, I wanted something with more power so that I would be able to load up the smoker in the future and not face any problems with heat supply.
To that end, I went out and purchased a new burner. The new model is a 2400 watt burner rated for 240V. I am also looking to source a thermostat so I can set and forget instead of having to babysit the smoker.
I am still in the process of gathering all the necessary materials and making the necessary modifications to my smoker but I will post pictures and descriptions once all the changes are made.
To that end, I went out and purchased a new burner. The new model is a 2400 watt burner rated for 240V. I am also looking to source a thermostat so I can set and forget instead of having to babysit the smoker.
I am still in the process of gathering all the necessary materials and making the necessary modifications to my smoker but I will post pictures and descriptions once all the changes are made.
Whole Chicken Test
I was feeling adventurous this past weekend and along with my second attempt at a trout fillet, I decided to try out a whole chicken at the same time.
I used the same brine solution of salt and sugar to brine the chicken. Prior to smoking, I also rubbed it with a dry rub consisting of paprika, rosemary, onion powder and garlic powder. I stuffed the cavity with some fresh thyme, ginger slices and leeks. I also shoved some celery stalks underneath the skin of the chicken for additional flavor and moisture.
I used a probe thermometer as well, inserting it into the breast of the chicken.
I put the chicken into the smoker once the internal temperature hit 180F. From there I tried to keep the temperature steady around 200F. I added enough wood chips to smoke for 2 hours and then left the chicken inside until the internal temperature read 165F on my probe thermometer. This is the recommended internal temperature for chicken. From an initial temperature of 71F, it took the chicken approximately 4.5 hours to cook through.
From the picture, it looks a little dried up and overcooked but upon carving it, I discovered it was very juicy and tender inside. The smoke had penetrated wonderfully and the different herbs and seasonings had done their job. I neglected to take a picture of the chicken once it was carved - I was too busy stuffing my face!!!
I used the same brine solution of salt and sugar to brine the chicken. Prior to smoking, I also rubbed it with a dry rub consisting of paprika, rosemary, onion powder and garlic powder. I stuffed the cavity with some fresh thyme, ginger slices and leeks. I also shoved some celery stalks underneath the skin of the chicken for additional flavor and moisture.
I used a probe thermometer as well, inserting it into the breast of the chicken.
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| Ready for the smoker |
I put the chicken into the smoker once the internal temperature hit 180F. From there I tried to keep the temperature steady around 200F. I added enough wood chips to smoke for 2 hours and then left the chicken inside until the internal temperature read 165F on my probe thermometer. This is the recommended internal temperature for chicken. From an initial temperature of 71F, it took the chicken approximately 4.5 hours to cook through.
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| All done! |
From the picture, it looks a little dried up and overcooked but upon carving it, I discovered it was very juicy and tender inside. The smoke had penetrated wonderfully and the different herbs and seasonings had done their job. I neglected to take a picture of the chicken once it was carved - I was too busy stuffing my face!!!
Trout Fillet - Second Attempt
I tried a second trout fillet the following weekend. Having learned from my previous experience, I made the following changes.
First I tried to address the issue with my burner's heat output. I removed the 4 racks that I wasn't actually using and I also removed the water pan. I used an empty drip pan instead. I had also painted the fridge black - both for aesthetics as well as to try and contain more heat.
The changes seemed to have a positive effect. The temperature was much cooler on the day of my second attempt than on the first. However, the smoker did heat up faster and had more success maintaining its temperature.
I also changed the brine I used for the trout fillet. Instead of the heavily laden salty brine I used last week, I used a simple brine consisting of nothing more than sugar and salt. I drastically reduced the amount of salt used.
I topped the fillet with some pesto and fresh lemon slices before putting it into the smoker.
I tried to maintain the smoker temperature at about 200F for the smoke and had my fillet in for a total of 3 hours this time. It was far better than my first attempt. It was not overly salty but instead had a pleasantly briny flavor. The smokey flavor of the apple wood was a little bolder than the first attempt and very nice. The flesh was far juicier although I still found that it could have been more moist yet. Next time I won't leave it in for 3 hours.
All in all though, it was a vast improvement over the first run.
First I tried to address the issue with my burner's heat output. I removed the 4 racks that I wasn't actually using and I also removed the water pan. I used an empty drip pan instead. I had also painted the fridge black - both for aesthetics as well as to try and contain more heat.
The changes seemed to have a positive effect. The temperature was much cooler on the day of my second attempt than on the first. However, the smoker did heat up faster and had more success maintaining its temperature.
I also changed the brine I used for the trout fillet. Instead of the heavily laden salty brine I used last week, I used a simple brine consisting of nothing more than sugar and salt. I drastically reduced the amount of salt used.
I topped the fillet with some pesto and fresh lemon slices before putting it into the smoker.
I tried to maintain the smoker temperature at about 200F for the smoke and had my fillet in for a total of 3 hours this time. It was far better than my first attempt. It was not overly salty but instead had a pleasantly briny flavor. The smokey flavor of the apple wood was a little bolder than the first attempt and very nice. The flesh was far juicier although I still found that it could have been more moist yet. Next time I won't leave it in for 3 hours.
All in all though, it was a vast improvement over the first run.
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| Trout fillet - attempt #2 |
Trout Fillet - First Attempt
I decided to start my smoking experimentation off with a single trout fillet. I found a generic brine recipe online and used it. Unfortunately, I found it far too salty for my tastes. Coupled with that was the problem my burner had getting up to temperature and maintaining it.
I was struggling to get my internal temperature up to 200F and by the time that happened (I put my fillet in when the temperature got to 120F), my fillet had been smoking and cooking away for about 5 hours. I had only put in enough wood chips to smoke for about an hour so the smokey taste was good if a little on the subtle side - or perhaps it was difficult to taste due to the overpowering saltiness of the fish.
Unfortunately, the fish itself was quite dry due to my overcooking it. I had even put a water bath into the smoker to try and moisten the fillet as it cooked. I shudder to think how dry it might have turned out had I not had the water bath there. I ended up having to pair the fish with my salad in order to cut the saltiness and dryness. It wasn't a great first try but neither was it a disaster.
I was struggling to get my internal temperature up to 200F and by the time that happened (I put my fillet in when the temperature got to 120F), my fillet had been smoking and cooking away for about 5 hours. I had only put in enough wood chips to smoke for about an hour so the smokey taste was good if a little on the subtle side - or perhaps it was difficult to taste due to the overpowering saltiness of the fish.
Unfortunately, the fish itself was quite dry due to my overcooking it. I had even put a water bath into the smoker to try and moisten the fillet as it cooked. I shudder to think how dry it might have turned out had I not had the water bath there. I ended up having to pair the fish with my salad in order to cut the saltiness and dryness. It wasn't a great first try but neither was it a disaster.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Before And After
Here are some pictures of the original fridge and of the completed smoker. Viewing them together like this just accents the changes that have been made to it during the course of the build. It's amazing how an old fridge can be transformed into a brand new smoker!
With a little ingenuity and hands-on ability, you can build your very own smoker with all the features you want at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a mass-produced smoker. My fridge has over 9 cubic feet of smoking volume and over 2000 square inches of cooking surface area. Buying a smoker with that capability alone (not to mention industrial grade casters and the other upgrades and additional features I built in) would have cost thousands of dollars.
With a little ingenuity and hands-on ability, you can build your very own smoker with all the features you want at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a mass-produced smoker. My fridge has over 9 cubic feet of smoking volume and over 2000 square inches of cooking surface area. Buying a smoker with that capability alone (not to mention industrial grade casters and the other upgrades and additional features I built in) would have cost thousands of dollars.
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| Front of original fridge |
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| Front of completed smoker |
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| Interior of the original fridge |
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| Interior of smoker after first smoke |
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| Back of the original fridge |
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| Side and back of completed smoker |
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| Side of completed smoker |
Paint Job!!!
I thought my smoker would look better with a repaint, so I painted it black. This also serves to help preserve heat. While I was at it, I added some flames along the bottom for a bit of an artistic flair.
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| Top of converted smoker |
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| Front of converted smoker |
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| Side and back of converted smoker |
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| Side of converted smoker |
The First REAL Smoke
As you start using your smoker, I would recommend starting with small loads of meat. You will need some time and experience to get to know your smoker and how to control the temperature and the amount of smoke. You don't want to end up over cooking or over smoking a whole load of goods, so start slow and work your way up.
You will notice that it doesn't take long for your smoker to lose that shiny new-ness. In fact, after my very first smoke, the interior was already streaked with smokey condensate.
As far as the wood chips go, make sure you give them a good long soak. I usually toss mine into water first thing in the morning. I use a cast iron pan to hold my chips but you can use whatever you want. I highly recommend putting a drip pan on your bottom rack to catch juices and fats that will render from the meat while cooking. You don't want that dripping onto your burner. Those juices and fats make GREAT gravies too!
When you are smoking, you don't want your chips to be on fire. You just want to have them at a smolder. You are aiming for embers, not a bonfire.
You will notice that it doesn't take long for your smoker to lose that shiny new-ness. In fact, after my very first smoke, the interior was already streaked with smokey condensate.
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| After first smoke |
As far as the wood chips go, make sure you give them a good long soak. I usually toss mine into water first thing in the morning. I use a cast iron pan to hold my chips but you can use whatever you want. I highly recommend putting a drip pan on your bottom rack to catch juices and fats that will render from the meat while cooking. You don't want that dripping onto your burner. Those juices and fats make GREAT gravies too!
When you are smoking, you don't want your chips to be on fire. You just want to have them at a smolder. You are aiming for embers, not a bonfire.
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| Interior during a smoke |
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| Embers NOT bonfire! |
And You Are Done!!!
Just like that. The conversion is complete! Here is a shot of my smoker right before I fired it up for the first time.
On the topic of firing it up for the first time - MAKE SURE YOU SEASON YOUR SMOKER. What I mean by that is that your very first smoke should be with NOTHING in your smoker. Get your heat going, put your wood chips on and let your smoker heat up to at least 250F for 3-4 hours. This burns off any oils or other contaminants that may be left over from the build. This goes for store bought smokers as well - they need to be seasoned.
Once your smoker has been seasoned, you will notice that it gives off a wonderful smokey aroma even when not in use. That is what it is supposed to do! Now you are truly ready to load up your smoker and get cooking!
Enjoy the new look of your smoker because it won't last long.
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| Brand spanking new! |
On the topic of firing it up for the first time - MAKE SURE YOU SEASON YOUR SMOKER. What I mean by that is that your very first smoke should be with NOTHING in your smoker. Get your heat going, put your wood chips on and let your smoker heat up to at least 250F for 3-4 hours. This burns off any oils or other contaminants that may be left over from the build. This goes for store bought smokers as well - they need to be seasoned.
Once your smoker has been seasoned, you will notice that it gives off a wonderful smokey aroma even when not in use. That is what it is supposed to do! Now you are truly ready to load up your smoker and get cooking!
Enjoy the new look of your smoker because it won't last long.
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| Front and side of newly converted smoker |
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| Front of newly converted smoker |
Step 13
Can you smell that? It's the wonderful smell of your first smoke .... because we are almost done!
One of the last things left is, of course, the racks for your smoker. If you can get oven racks, that would save you a lot of work. You would simply have to cut them to the right size. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any so I had to make my own racks. It was a little time consuming but on the bright side, I could customize them to my exact wants and desires.
*NOTE* I highly recommend NOT using fridge racks. Unlike oven racks, fridge racks were not designed to withstand high heat applications. Additionally, most if not all of them are galvanized and we have already discussed the hazards of introducing that into your diets.
I made my racks using some metal mesh and 1" flatbar. I also welded on a 1" pipe clamp to each to use as a handle. It definitely makes transporting them and sliding them in and out a lot easier.
Here is my smoker with all the racks in place. I had 7 in total - in case you are wondering, the one right at the very top is there in case I want to hang jerky or sausage.
One of the last things left is, of course, the racks for your smoker. If you can get oven racks, that would save you a lot of work. You would simply have to cut them to the right size. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any so I had to make my own racks. It was a little time consuming but on the bright side, I could customize them to my exact wants and desires.
*NOTE* I highly recommend NOT using fridge racks. Unlike oven racks, fridge racks were not designed to withstand high heat applications. Additionally, most if not all of them are galvanized and we have already discussed the hazards of introducing that into your diets.
I made my racks using some metal mesh and 1" flatbar. I also welded on a 1" pipe clamp to each to use as a handle. It definitely makes transporting them and sliding them in and out a lot easier.
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| One of my smoker racks |
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| Nifty little handle |
Here is my smoker with all the racks in place. I had 7 in total - in case you are wondering, the one right at the very top is there in case I want to hang jerky or sausage.
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| Everything in place |
Step 12
We are finally entering the home stretch!!! There are a couple of small items left to be taken care of. First off, remember those intake vents we made way back at the beginning of the build? Well, we need some covers for them in order to control air flow.
I went a little fancy in what I did but by no means is that necessary. Your dampers can be as simple as a bunch of coffee can lids screwed down at one end so they can be swung in front of or away from the intake vents. I went with a more elegant solution. Using a couple of DIN rails and more conduit covers, I made a sliding rail system that my covers could slide along.
Our next item to take care of is the door latch. I removed the latching mechanism that came with the fridge because a large part of it was made of plastic and I didn't want any of that getting into my food. I replaced it with a simple sliding latch. I needed to mount the holding part of the mechanism on an additional piece of metal to extend it far enough to catch. You may or may not have to do the same thing.
I went a little fancy in what I did but by no means is that necessary. Your dampers can be as simple as a bunch of coffee can lids screwed down at one end so they can be swung in front of or away from the intake vents. I went with a more elegant solution. Using a couple of DIN rails and more conduit covers, I made a sliding rail system that my covers could slide along.
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| Vents fully opened |
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| Vents fully closed |
Our next item to take care of is the door latch. I removed the latching mechanism that came with the fridge because a large part of it was made of plastic and I didn't want any of that getting into my food. I replaced it with a simple sliding latch. I needed to mount the holding part of the mechanism on an additional piece of metal to extend it far enough to catch. You may or may not have to do the same thing.
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| New door latch |
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