Wonder if anyone has made any custom mods to your FEC 100? If so, please describe the mod and what it does? Pictures would be a plus!Read More...

I can’t find the search function on forums ? Please help. DownTownSmokerRead More...

I began a smoke tonight and as the Temp gage passed through about 190, everything looked fine. Smoke streamed out the vent and there was a little door leakage. ALL OF A SUDDEN, it was like the smoker burped (analogous to a flash fire). Heavy smoke shot out through the door cracks and jetted through the top vent in a 1 second burst. Gages and smoker showed normal but I have never seen nor heard of this. The vent was free of obstruction. Before putting in my boneless pork butts, I did tie them...Read More...

In some recent posts, the word "Cookshack," when posted to a category, has been replaced by *'s, as in ******** instead of "Cookshack" as if the word were a deleted profanity. What is going on?Read More...

First year ever doing Thanksgiving at our house. I've had my Cookshack smoker (SM025) almost a year, but have yet to do a Turkey. Using Steve Raichlen's Maple & Bourbon Brine recipe and was wondering if there are any further suggestions out there? Pretty excited to give it a go this year. Folks at Cookshack have been amazing with their service and tips when I call. Doing another bird with my dad on charcoal grill as well, which helps with being able to try a turkey in the smoker for...Read More...

What does everyone have planned? I've used Smokin Okie's Holiday Brine for years, ever since I smoked my first turkey. Last year I got a new rotisserie for the Big Joe and injected a bird with Scottie's Creole Butter and took it for a spin. This year I realized I've never cooked a spatchcocked turkey, so I'm going to do a dry brine and spatchcock it. And even though Smokin has always said to never experiment on the big day, my family has kind of come to expect it by now so we'll see what...Read More...

I have an old Smokette. It sits in the back yard under a Cookshack cover. I only smoke every month or two (or longer). When I start the smoke, it trips the GFCI for the first hour or so. Once the smoker is warm, the problem goes away and the smoker will run for the next few hours. Do I need to start storing my smoker inside? Do I need to replace the heater or something else in my smoker? ThanksRead More...

Anyone have any experience with a fec300 mounted inside a enclosed trailer and cooking while traveling? I have a 24ft bbq concession/competition trailer and will be serving daily starting at 11am and festivals on the weekends. Would like to know if I can travel with the smoker running. Im pretty sure I can't run the rotisserie but is traveling while smoking possible?Read More...

First use of my PG500. Followed enclosed cookbook for ribeye steak med rare (1.25” thick). Pre heated to 600. 3 minutes each side over direct flame then 5 minutes/side indirect heat. I have never overlooked a steak. This one was bone dry and well done. Cookshack Rookie needs guidance.Read More...

Ok guys. Fixing to mount up a FEC300 into a 22ft concession/competition trailer and will be serving lunch and dinner 2 to 3 days a week plus a crap ton of festivals. All of my area are surrounding counties and a short interstate or smooth 2 lane road 12-15 miles away at max. Im assuming that running the rotisserie is out of the question but with it off can the smoker continue to run while traveling? It would be a situation that we open at say 11 am so for a brisket we would need to start at...Read More...

Where is the search functionRead More...

Hello- I am planning to purchase an electric smoker in the near future.. I have narrowed it down to a Cookshack Elite 45 or a Smokin It 2D. I want something large enough to smoke 5 to 7 racks of ribs without having to cut them in half. I will also be smoking brisket and pork butts. The Cookshack 025 would probably work for me but I didn’t want to get something to small and regret it later. Temperature where I live usually falls into the 20’s so it will need to be able to hold temperature...Read More...

I have a heavy duty LEM Vacuum sealer. Works great and on long sessions never gets warm But for just a few pieces of meat, say prime NY Strip from the Costco, I skip vac sealing all together. I use Stretch-Tite. I will pull 2 steaks for dinner and individually double wrap the remaining with plastic wrap. The first wrapping is very tight. The second in 90 degrees from the first so as to overlap the seams. Then zip lock and freeze. I first heard of Stretch Tite a few years ago on a PBS cooking...Read More...

Smoking today at set temp of 220 and smoker as high as 295 I have turned it off and unplugged it but so far has not helped Thermostat replaceable?Read More...

Anyone do this? If so - what kind of time frame to smoke?Read More...

I have a SM025 and I went to smoke a couple venison roasts today and the ground fault kept popping. Tried several different circuits w/ same result. The heating element comes on and abt 1 minute later the ground fault goes. Is this due to a faulty heating element?Read More...

just got a new FEC-100, replacing one that was recently stolen, called customer service this past Tuesday, have yet to be called back. No problem with old cooker, no need for customer service. New smoker cut off and I can’t get it to come back on. Manual says to press reset switch on back of panel box, no reset switch. There is a hard button type device on the back but it is fixed. There is a horizontal slot, thought maybe small screwdriver provided was to be inserted in slot to reset switch...Read More...

where can I find a copy?Read More...

i am cooking 6 pork butts in my Amerique, did need to increase cook temp and or time? I normally cook at 230.Read More...

Looks like I'm going to be laid off in July 2009. My wife has told me to follow my passion and finally open a BBQ Joint / Premium Spice Shop. I want to focus on takeout but still have maybe 10 - 12 Tables. The spice part will require 800 - 900 SF of space. That part aside, I have no idea how to figure out what to budget for a kitchen. I do think I will be using one of the larger Cookshack units. If any of you have started a BBQ joint similar in size to what I am thinking, can you share what...Read More...

This was from 2016 Christmas.Read More...

Prime Brisket from CostcoRead More...

This was sooooo good, I decided to share in the forum too https://bewitchingkitchen.com/2018/05/17/smokin-hot-meatloaf-and-homemade-ketchup/Read More...

Is it just me, is is the new forum a step backwards? This seems to be more of a blog format than a forum format. There is a lot of wasted screen real estate. On my screen, I can only see 4 topics before I have to scroll down. On the old forum, and other forums I'm on, I can see a good 15+ topics before needing to scroll. If you post on multiple forums, it is now much more work to post on this forum since the embedded bbcode image links no longer work. Pictures in posts are much smaller.Read More...

Hello Everyone, St. Luis Spare Ribs from Costo. 9.80 Lbs Cryo Pack 3 slabs. Temp 250 Deg. Total time 4 hours. 2.5 Oz of Hickory. Cookshack Rub half Spicy chicken, half Rib Rub. At 3.5 hours brushed with Cookshack BBQ sauce made from mix, it is the Best! Pulled out of smoker at 4 hours. Perfected Spare Ribs, So yummy! Thank you Cookshack : ) PS this was from a smoke I did April 23rd.Read More...

Hello Everyone, St. Luis Spare Ribs from Costo. 9.44 Lbs Cryo Pack 3 slabs. Temp 250 Deg. Total time 3 hours. 2.5 Oz of Hickory. Cookshack Rub half Spicy chicken, half Rib Rub. At 2.5 hours brushed with Cookshack BBQ sauce made from mix, it is the Best! Pulled out of smoker at 3 hours. So yummy! Thank you Cookshack : )Read More...

Hello my name is Nick and I have been selling plates of BBQ and smoked items and every customer loves it I'm trying to start my own place but I want to start small due to my age it's not like I have a lot of money lying around I just don't know where to startRead More...

Well, it appears that with the new platform (or maybe with Dara's departure from CS), there is now a wide-open avenue for spam on this forum. This does not bode well since there is apparently no spam filter of any kind and no one moderating the submissions for content. I have been reporting the posts as they appear, and the response was quick yesterday, but not today, when there were twice as many spam posts. I hope CS can fix this because independent of any other problems with the new...Read More...

i have a fec 120 it has been working great till saturday morning. I turned it on and it started and a little bit later it stopped now the display lights up but my auger fans and hot rod dont work. any suggestions?Read More...

I took the recipe below from the Brisket archives - and WOW - this recipe made the best tasting brisket i have ever had! I did not have oak - so i used some apple and hickory. I smoked two briskets using this recipe exactly (accept my briskets were about 8lbs instead of 10). The recipe did not say if you were supposed to rinse after the marinade, but i did lightly rinse it before i did the rub. I served 6 adults and 9 young children - and there was very little left - it was incredible -...Read More...

I bought some frogmats and found that they are wonderful for smoking almonds. So my next test was to try them on a meatloaf. I have been using ground turkey in my meatloaf for several years and decided to give it a try. I used one pound of ground turkey -- I don't use all white meat because it is too dry but rather a 85-15% mix sold at the grocery store. I chopped up some red and green pepper and about 1/2 of a large onion. I sautéd these three things together in a bit of olive oil and...Read More...

Has any of you Cajun members ever hot smoked pork boudin in a Cookshack? I know it has a tendency to explode in boiling water and I think it would be wonderful smoked, but don't want to scrape it off the walls of my CS. Also! I'll bet our Mississippi members would know how to cook boudin in a smoker. Looking forward to having some and have a good source for the raw product on my next trip to Lafayette LA. smokemulletRead More...

I've been asking questions and looking at different charger/inverters for my FEC100 which is a few years old now but using the IQ5. Some say pure sine wave others say it's not necessary. Generally to be used at the house for unattended times of smoking as occasionally the local power flips off and on shutting down the FEC which makes me nervous about leaving. Appreciate any advice.Read More...

I am going to build a place to BBQ, I am using my porch that I modify by putting up plywood 4' high around the 3 open sides to serve as a wind break, the 4th side is the house. I do use caution and have grill sheets on the ground under the smoker. I live in NW pa so lots of snow, wind and cold during the winter which is when I have a chance to BBQ. I have a Weber natural gas grill and 2 WSM, 1 18 and a 22. Want some ideas on what to build, I do not want it attatched to the house for safety ...Read More...

I love my Cookshack. The sample of rubs, sauce and woods that came with the smoker were great. I was going to order more when I realized that the shipping on a $100 was about $100 as well. Is there something I am missing here? Are there shipping discounts at times? This seems a little steep.Read More...

How did "Content Stream" get back on the Forum front page center? Whatever the format was yesterday, it was good, please leave it alone unless you ask members if they want the change. Stop changing just to change, please. You have already lost a lot of members, please stop the changes for a while. And what is "wall post"?? These should have been deleted permanently.Read More...

Mike Trump has graciously posted the update to his BBQ Caterer's Spreadsheet. Hopefully this might be of interest to some. I finally got around to updating my BBQ Catering Spreadsheet. Until it gets officially hosted on the AZ BBQ Assoc. website, my brother has agreed to host it on his site for now... Just click the link below to begin the short download. Holler with any questions. Mike Trump Oakridge BBQ email - OarkrdgeBBQ at hotmail dot com BBQ Catering v3.0 ...Read More...

I found a deal on CL for an unopened SM008. The guy bought it back in 2006 and stuck in storage and never used. Also includes 2x seafood grill, smoker cover, and black steel storage cart. Guy is asking $350. Does that sound like a reasonable deal?Read More...

Has anyone come up with an inexpensive drip mat that I can use under my Amerique? It sits out in the sun, get's warm/hot and the accumulations of grease, etc drip and discolor the concrete patio? Currently using a piece of cardboard.. but, that won't work well when it starts to rain. I was thinking a neoprene mat that's about 2'x2' It should weather well in the sun.. but, I'm hoping for any other replies on this. I also need one under my Lil Tex Traeger pellet BBQ/smoker.Read More...

I have had my PG500 for about 3-1/2 years now and use 3-5 times per week, usually at low (225* -275*) temps for smoking followed by brief 300* or so temps for finishing meats. Lately the inside top has started flaking off small pieces of soot/creosote onto the food. I have scraped top off and then wiped down with a damp paper towel which helped stop this issue temporarily. My question is how to keep this from coming back?? My old Amerique and my FEC 100 have also experienced this to a much,...Read More...

Hey all! We found the options available for the forum homepage! In order to make this forum as user friendly as possible, we have created a survey with the options available. This survey will be open for about a week and will close Friday, September 14, at 8 a.m. I am planning on getting into the forum that morning to get the updates made based on everyone's responses. The pictures are a little smaller than I would like but hopefully it at least gives you an idea of the options available.Read More...

Looking for a used original iq4 controller for a SM150Read More...

We're getting lots of new members (and lurkers) so thought I was time for a "roll call". Tell us who you are? I'm Smokin' Okie, a non-paid straight man for the rest of the forum gang. Love the friends here at the forum! I've been smokin' for a REALLY long time, on most any smoker out there.Read More...

After buying, using and having them break several MB electric smokers I'm ready to spend the money on something that will last for years not months. I'm sold on electric and controls. I also would prefer one that a whole hotel pan will fit in. I frequently will cook two butts, 40 chicken thighs and sausage all at the same time so a little smoker wont work. I was looking at the Amerique but two 2018 reviews showed controller failures where years past never had that problem. Did they change to...Read More...

Original Ribs 101 is here: Ribs 101 webpage I now have two videos for ribs courtesy of the local paper and their video team: Spare Ribs (trimming to St. Louis) Baby BacksRead More...

Been doing alot of winter cooking of briskets/butts and recently noticed that a good amont of smoke has been coming out of hopper and there is also condensation building up on the underside of the lid. The outside temps have been dipping down near 0degres at night and i been cooking around 250 all night. I have looked down exhaust tubes and both have a little flake buildup but no obstructions. Has anyone else encountered this when cooking at low outside temps or might there be another issueRead More...

The survey is way too small to read- SorryRead More...

Subject line says it all. See https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/let-science-be-your-guide-for-the-perfect-labor-day-bbq/Read More...

Hi guys, I asked a question a while back about Vacuum Sealers. Time was finally right and my old FoodSaver finally started to go. I wound up with a Cabelas CG-11 pro-series. Just arrived yesterday and so far I love it. If anyone is interested I can answer more questions anytime. I wanted to let everyone know about some vacuum bags I ordered off of eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...em&item=270763918951 I did what I think, was extensive research all over the net and wound of with...Read More...

What's the average temp/time for smoking whole trout?Read More...