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Thanks Chris, that did the job.

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"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." Frank Sinatra

Cool photo!

Ugly drum smoker. Weber Smoky Mountain. Is there a reason(s) to choose one over the other?

Are you thinking of purchasing an ugly drum smoker or building your own? The BBQ gods smile anytime someone builds their own smoker, so the UDS has that going for it. Both are really solid choices, each with it's own advantages.

Weber Smoky Mountain
- Won't rust like a drum smoker
- Easy to get replacement parts/accessories
- Built to tighter tolerances, will likely be easier to control (especially if you're learning to smoke)

Ugly Drum Smoker
- Larger (although the new 22.5" WSM fixes that to a degree)
- Cheaper
- You get to build something
- Is cooler in an old school kinda way
- Did I mention you get to build something?

Both can be painted to look like R2-D2, so no advantage for either on that count. If you're looking to buy a UDS Cbot posted a link awhile back to a guy in Indiana who is making some nice ones: http://www.whitearcsmokers.com/

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It is VERY important to be smart when you're doing something stupid

- Chris

Do you happen to have any links to advice or resources on building one Attrill? 'cause I'm kinda interested in replacing my crappy old smoker but alas I am the cheapest of cheap bastards.

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Well I got drunk and I ate a chicken
I ate a chicken I found in my kitchen
Not just a leg and not just a wing
I'd like to let you know that I ate the whole damn thing

Sure! Are you looking to build a dedicated smoker (UDS style) or a grill/smoker hybrid? $50-75 worth of angle iron, hinges, and expanded metal can get you either. Welding is definitely better than bolting parts together, but you can definitely put together a great smoker without any welding.

For UDS style smokers I really like this design, there is any insanely long thread about UDS's here. I really like this design as well, and am hoping to make one of them by the end of the year.

_________________
It is VERY important to be smart when you're doing something stupid

- Chris

I'm not sure if this fits here, but it is so awesome. The local Boy Scout Troop #33 did a "pork" roast. The took a (approx.) 200 lb pig and stuffed it with more pork. Then they rolled it all up and put it on a rotissery sort of cooker. I'm not very good with photos so the best I can do is try to give a link to these amazing photos. www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10 ... .689614171 Dang, we never did anything this cool in Girl Scouts!

I'm smoking a brisket today for the relatives. For a little cook's treat, I tossed on a couple of Flintstonian-in-Scale Short Ribs that I got at Joseph's Meats.

Before


After


Joseph's Finest Meats
7101 West Addison
Chicago, IL 60634
773-736-3766

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Need advice.

Now that it's nice out I'm spending a few days a week cooking meat outside for the family. Currently there's four of us at home. Three of us are really enjoying my BBQ and smoked fish I'm creating in the yard. I make a bunch so there's always a meat or fish in the fridge for various meals during the week.

One of us, the person I've slept with every night for the past 30 years complains "I hate grilly tasting food", "don't smoke my protein source, all I do is burp it up"

So, is there anyway I can create the same meats/fishes for this woman, so that she won't burp it up?

I'm thinking a separate cooking vessel for her portions where no hardwood or lump charcoal is used, but use the same meat/fish product, or wrapping her stuff.......

I'm guessing there's other here who want and eat smoked meat/fish everyday but have a complainer amongst them and have already solved the issue.

Don't tell me to sleep on the couch.

I think foiling will be your best bet for most things. What are you cooking with? If you're doing indirect on a Weber or using an off set you could always do a fast grill for her at the end of the smoke. I do BBQ chicken legs and thighs on my Weber quite a bit, and sometimes have to serve some kids who want their food bland. I usually open the vents and throw some pounded chicken breast directly over the fire at the end of the cook (it works well since I have to crisp up the skin on the legs).

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It is VERY important to be smart when you're doing something stupid

- Chris

I'm using Gary's method from his book on a 18.5 inch weber grill. I have used oak and hickory. I sent some chicken wings in the wife's lunch bucket and should hear back after 6 tonight when she's done with her lunch if it's "too grilly" or not. The Applewood, to me, was way milder than hickory or oak cooks.

Weird thing about this woman is she likes hams.

Can I talk about smoking fish in this thread?

Certainly. Though there is a thread:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13801

When I did a 20 second google using "smoking fish" on lth, i came up with this:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:lth ... ng+fish%22

I did see that thread, and the Calumet Fisheries thingie, but then thought "smoked meat everyday"...fish is the meat of an animal, it's not like I want to talk about smoking tofu, but then stopped short, cause I know I've stepped on toes before, and maybe I should create a "smoking fish" thread, then again stopped short because of the laser focus around here.

It's Father's Day, I've got smoke in my hair, smoke in my t-shirt , fishy fingers and face, and I'm calling it a frutiful day.

LOL, laser focus?!

Fish is definitely meat but please, start another thread if you want. Not sure what to recommend about tofu, though, but I'm intrigued, regardless.

=R=
for the moderators

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Just double checking. I'm going to smoke some hot links. They only take a couple hours...internal temp 150 and they are done? Thanks

Pretty much. Let them rest a little bit after they come off the smoker. You might get different opinions on the optimal temperature, ranging from 145 to 160. I think it is best not to worry that much and not to check the smoker that much!

I've added more oily fish to my regular diet and one of things I enjoy is smoked fish. Before I went out and purchased some dedicated smoker I thought I'd experiment a bit. What I've come to is using a dormant old gas grill converted into a smoker. I've made a few batches so far in various ways. This past weekend has been my favorite technique so far:

Buy fresh herring, whole lake trout, and skinny mackeral at Fresh Farms in Niles. Brine the fish for about an hour. Rinse them off well, pat dry and let sit in a drafty place for about 45 minutes for a pellicle to form. Get the smoker up to about 150 degrees with billows. Place fish on a rack and rack into smoker. Smoke for about 5 hours.

I am sure that you have some very good fish. This is completely different and gives a very different product than cold smoking. If you can figure out a way to get your smoke temp down ( as cold as possible, but at least down to 90 ), and keep the fish in the 40ish temp range while smoking, and curing the fish before smoking , you will get a completely different product than you have here. It would be interesting to compare the 2.

Isn't cold smoking literally a half a week process?

I'm going after a taste and consistency like a Hagens or a Calumet Fisheries kind of product.

Nice day! I like your idea of turning the old gas grill to wood pit.

Not at all. Check the thread linked above. I usually cold-smoke for 4-6 hours, which is plenty.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

hey Ronnie, I'm not seeing your link.

Check this out if you can and tell me if I'm missing something about cold smoking fish, that you have knowledge of:

http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/smoking.htm

Here's ronnie's tutorial on cold smoking salmon.

Thanks, Matt.

With wild salmon in season and very plentiful right now, it's a perfect time to cure and smoke.

I'll be doing some later this week.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Thanks for the link and the info. Seems one needs more forethought for Ronnie's cold smoking technique. 36-68 hours then a smoking time of 5 hours. That means it's almost a week.

I'm pretty sure the outcome would be night and day different in taste and texture.

My brining is up to two hours then a hot smoke of 2-5 hours, then drying time and a cool down.

The fish you made/pictured above looks awesome, btw.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Thanks Ronnie. My next goal is to be able to make much more product for a cook. I'm looking into making a smoker out of an oak barrel.

I like this guy's setup in Scotland (7 minute video, but it's well worth the time spent viewing it, cause you see their whole process from catching the fish all the way to eating it):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZvO5Ht-u4A

Kind of a smoked fail today.

For swine and beef, I use a 18.5 inch weber fueling like Gary taught me in his Low and Slow book.

Today I found a "pot roast" piece of meat in my fridge. I did a chunk of oak, and Cowboy Charcoal for fuel and a basic dry rub.

Cooked it for about 5 hours.

I had a basic mushroom gravy already made and smothered it with that.

The meat wasn't tender enough, tasted good though. Actually in some pieces of the 14 inch long cut were tender other parts were kind of dry. I lucked out in that everyone in this house I normally serve weren't here tonight so the disappointment factor was low.

I'm thinking just grabbing a pot roast piece of meat and BBQ technique don't go together.

What's your thoughts?

What do I now do with with finished product? tacos? stew? chipped beef shit on a shingle? Roasted beef hash?

My take on it is that like brisket, this cut takes a lot of time for the collagen to break down and that 5 hours wasn't enough time for that to occur. I've smoked a chuck roast to tenderness and I think it took about 8-9 hours at around 225 F. It was a while ago, so I don't remember exactly how long it took but it was a brisket-like duration.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban