The very first actual smoke with my new SM066. I used Mr T. Recipe. Using Sockeye Salmon I brined it for 18 hours. When I set the smoker to 200° it kept showing a temperature of 209°. So I set it for 190°, smoked for 60 mins then lowered the temp to 145° for 30 min.Read More...

Greetings All, I've owned an FEC-100 before, moved on and sold that for two Gateway Drum smokers, sold one (kept the other), and just got a new PG500! I was pretty impressed with my first cook but was curious on your thoughts with the drastic temp swings. Long story short, the swings may not matter too much, as I said above... I was pretty impressed with the final product. I intentionally didn't wrap in an effort to get more smoke and a firm bark... I achieved both! I used Cookshack hickory...Read More...

Has anyone tried to use a griddle on the grill side of the PG500 or 1000? If so what did you use and how did it work?Read More...

I’ve just finally smoked my first batch of Buck Board Bacon. I used a pork shoulder roast and cured it with Hi Mountain Buck Board Bacon Cure, following their directions. At the end of the cure I soaked the product for two hours changing the water every ½ hour. After that I let it rest for an hour or so, dried it off and placed in my PG1000 and smoked it until it reached 140 degrees internal. The next day I sliced some and fried it. I was pretty disappointed as the smell and taste of bacon...Read More...

I recently outgrew my decades old Rival Slicer. It had a 6 inch blade. My quest for something larger took me from the obscenely large and heavy commercial units to the more reasonable home style units. I looked at units with a bad diameter of 8 to 10 inches and finally settled on the Chef's Choice 665. I own a Lem Big Bite #8 grinder and the LEM MaxVac. For whatever reason, I could not justify getting a slicer from LEM even though the quality of their products is first rate. The CC 665 is a...Read More...

I've been trying for months to find a method to do chicken wings in my Amerique that would produce tender, tasty wings with skin that was not rubber. I tried low temps, long times, higher temps, shorter times, more smoke, less smoke, brine, not brine, smoke then grill for crisp skin, etc., etc. I always wound up with pretty tasty wings that were not really pleasant to eat because the skin was just not done right. I know those with smokers or pellet grills that can go above 300 F can do this...Read More...

An increasing number of non-relevant (to barbeque) posts have been appearing lately, most appended to very old topics, pushing those topics to the top. This is making the forum much more difficult to enjoy than it already was. I think CS needs to make the "About This Site" banner at the front of the forum much more prominent.Read More...

I picked up one of the A-Maze-N pellet smokers thinking I would use it for cold smoking in my SM-045. I have the cold smoke baffle, but thought I would give this a try. The instructions say you can use saw dust or pellets. I didn't have either. I used some chips which are like course saw dust. I started the box outside of the SM-045. I could get it to produce smoke for more than 15 minutes at a time. I know that I have seen mention of using these things in the SM-025, and or the SM-045. What...Read More...

i have a 9 lb flat, very thick layer of fat,if i cut off some fat and cook fat side down and put cut fat on top, think it will help the drying problemRead More...

Up until now, all my ventures with smoking have been day events: cook, and sell off what you have. Now, I'm getting ready to start up a brick and mortar, and have a couple questions: Although I would absolutely prefer to serve daily prepared fresh out of the smoker, we all know that's pretty difficult. So, for back up, how do you re therm frozen product? Sous vide? Any other methods working for you out there? B&M will have around 40 seats plus take out. Have an SM260 and an FEC120. Menu...Read More...

Hello all. New smoker here that needs some advice. I have the sm45 and had a question about the best way to get a more even smoke? i soak my chunks for about an hour before use. Before my smoker even gets to the desired temp I see a billow of smoke coming out of the top vent. When I open the smoker the smoke is so strong. Sometimes the product is over powered with smoke. I never use more than 2 oz of wood. Any tips.Read More...

Used MrT's salmon brine recipe. Smoked for about 1 1/2 hours in the FEC with maple pellets at 200. Glazed with 2/3 maple syrup 1/3 bourbon, three coats about 10 minutes between coats. Outstanding. Thanks for looking...Read More...

Buddy of mine gave me a M050, needed a thermostat. Just got it in tonight, cleaned it up & ready to go. Firing it up tomorrow. Any pointers for a newbie? Doing a pork tenderloin for first smoke TIA....Read More...

Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas! I am always passing by the "Hillshire" type sausages in my Grocer's meat dept. as well as those Summer Sausage displays. Does anyone have a favorite recipe for the "store bought" type sausages available out there...i also love those Brats, and Polish sausages that are found in the Pork section. Keep in mind that I am not a sausage maker ,any sausage I buy is from the store or the butcher...(although I do have an LEM catalog on its way) as always I...Read More...

Have just used my FC-100 at a competition a couple weeks ago and it ran fine, tried to fire it up today and am getting Over Temp error message ,checked wires to terminal and all good? Ideas? TerryRead More...

Our Executive Chef wants to smoke several whole pigs. We have the cook shack SM 360. I’m not new to smoking meats and vegetables, but I’ve never done a whole pig. I have time to do several test runs. Does anyone have some helpful advice. I’ve been doing all the smoked meats and “other things” for the 5 venues at a casino for at least 15 years. The SM 360 is new to me and I’m still trying to fine a sweet spot with the amount of wood, smoke time and cook time.Read More...

I have a Smokette Original Model smoker and it seems that the cooking times listed are way, way too long for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If I smoked for 1.5 hours on 250, the chicken is really dry. Is my smoker running hot? I've started cooking them for 45 minutes, removing them, and putting them in a bowl and covering them to increase the residual heat and cooking time. Should I just go off meat temp rather than cooking time? How can I tell if my smoker is too hot? Would my electric...Read More...

I had a great success tonight, for the first time smoking chicken breast. I brined 4 large whole breasts in a very simple solution (4 cups water, 30g salt, 30g brown sugar) for 1-1/2 hours, rinsed and patted dry. I had some cajun spice mix left over from the last time I made dirty rice which I applied liberally. Smoked at 225F until thickest part of breast was 165F using one small chunk of apple wood. The chicken came out amazing. The thickest part was incredibly juice, the thinnest part not...Read More...

Hi All, I've a "new to me" FEC100 coming and the wheels have rotted off. The casters still look fine so, I'd just need the wheels and (maybe) the bolt that goes through them. Has anybody replaced their and have a part number they could share (other than the complete cookshack caster)? Thanks Patrick PS: The forum format has changed since I was last on and now appears really clunky. Is there a setting I messed up? What happened?Read More...

Have an SM160. One if the wheels came apart. Looked at a replacement wheel from Cookshack they want $40 for one 3" wheel delivered. Went looking for one at Menards. Had to buy four 4" wheels because the mounting brackets are too small on the 3". Must be a custom part for cookshack. So I replaced all 4 wheels for less than the cost of 1.Read More...

Have an SM160. One if the wheels came apart. Looked at a replacement wheel from Cookshack they want $40 for one 3" wheel delivered. Went looking for one at Menards. Had to buy four 4" wheels because the mounting brackets are too small on the 3". Must be a custom part for cookshack. So I replaced all 4 wheels for less than the cost of 1.Read More...

Of course price is an issue, as with anything. I was trying to decide between the Smokette Original Model SM009-2 Electric Smoker or the Smokette Elite Model SM025 Electric Smoker . The 14 X 14 size on the original would be a problem. because I cook a lot of ribs and don't like to cut the rack. Any tips about buying one of these would be welcome. Any incite would be great. ThanksRead More...

What is the wattage of the heating unit in the SM066 AMERIQUE Smoker Thanks in advanceRead More...

I have acquired some authentic Scottish peat, discovered some Scottish roots and given my undying love for Laphroaig and Lagavulin, there is a higher calling here to smoke with peat. I am asking if anyone has any experience smoking with peat. What I have are basically charcoal brickettes of varying sizes. I would like to know if anyone has smoked anything with peat and how it turned out. I've just made about 10 pounds of homemade veal sausage and intend to experiment smoking it with peat,...Read More...

I have an FEC 100 Runs awesome But I've had a few bags of pellets lately that have been smaller and had a couple of over runs of the auger and kills the fire. anyone else ? these were a brand i have been using for years LJ New bags i just got are larger so ill load up here soon..spRead More...

Anyone had problems with a weak LCD Screen on your FEC? I spoke with Bill and he advised me to turn the pot that controls the brightness but it was already at its highest point from the factory. I cannot see the screen anymore to set times and temps making it useless till I can find a replacement LCD or as Bill advised replace the board for $1700.00+. Anyone know the part number of the LCD? I am sure it is a $2.00 part if I can find the number. Thanks for any assistance you can give.Read More...

Do I have a problem? Smoker is outside in Texas heat, but if I go to adjust, the setting that I put it on displays (225). My probe temp has actually gone down 5 degrees after 12 hours of smoking a 9 lb brisket. Any advice?Read More...

I smoked an 11.2 lb Prime packer yesterday and the results were very perplexing. See smoking methodology / details below. 11.2 lb Prime beef packer 3 oz (2 small chunks) hickory wood Total smoke time of 11 hours 40 minutes at 225F... details below Inserted into un-preheated smoker with fat side down at 225F at 11:30pm (was a bit too large for so I folded tip of the flat underneath) Inserted two temp probes into the thickest part of the flat about two inches apart from one-another, and a...Read More...

My PZ400 pizza ovens door weights needed attention. The door weights are made to counterweight the pizza door for opening and closing, but also to stop the door from over opening and stressing out the two hinges. If the weights do not bottom out on the inside of the door frame soon enough when you open the door, the door will over open and than put the hinges in a bind stressing them out. The weights and brackets were way off, so I shortened them up and set the proper angles. Than I re tig...Read More...

I just bought a PZ400. I am finally getting ready to do some pizzas. Just was wondering if anyone else has tried cooking anything else with it and had success!Read More...

Tune in tonight for the new season, 8PM Central time on Destination America and watch David from Butcher BBQ hopefully take down the competition.Read More...

Hi, I was wondering about the name and model number of the auger motor for the fec300?Read More...

Well, it is salmon time again! My local Costco has fresh Copper River Sockeye in seasonal stock - best salmon I know of for smoking. I just did about 5.5.lbs (3 sides) using Mr. T's brine from this forum, in my SM066. I used 2 1/4 oz of alder wood (traditional in the Pacific Northwest for salmon) at 200 F for about 1 1/2 hours until an IT in the thickest piece of about 145. Fabulous! I usually do about 30 lbs per summer as long as stock lasts (switching to regular sockeye after the Copper...Read More...

New unit used twice today powered on to a bunch of what looks like error codes but couldn't find a list to see what it could be. I guessed the auger was stuck so emptied the pellets but didn't see anything so completely removed the auger from the bottom and turned it back on to the same error. Appreciate any ideas what to try next.Read More...

I bought one of the Costco Prime Briskets. It's 20 Lb. trimmed. Should I still allow 1.5 hours / pound cooking time?Read More...

I thought I would share with you my custom pizza cart I made for my PZ400 pizza oven. The top alone weighs 150 lbs and is 3/8 inch thick 304 stainless. I had it water jetted out and had them water jet two push pull handles to be able to roll it easy! The cart weighs near 300, and I drilled 4 holes in the top to bolt the unit down. I did away with the legs that came with the machine, and used stainless washers to bring it down a bit. As well I wanted it bolted to the top so it couldn't slide!Read More...

Just thought I would share that I found a char-broil cover that works perfectly for the PG500. I have the front shelf on mine... It is the 3-4 burner option if the link doesn't take you right to that one. Have been using it for over a year and it is holding up great so far... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0194I458G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1Read More...

I've been thinking about getting a band saw for cutting meat. I wouldn't use it a lot. I process about 3 to 6 deer per season and if I had a band saw I would cut the occasional shoulder and hindquarter into bone in steaks. I've seen the Buffalo Tools product on the internet and it seems to be the only one in its price range. http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/cb/cb.asp?a=81438 I'm not interested in buying a new proffesional model which will costs thousands. Anyone with experience with the...Read More...

Did three racks st louis ribs and two chickens halved today for my first time in the CS66. Chicken was 3 hrs at 225 ribs 4 at 225. Everything was good but not great. Ribs better than chicken. If I can get more smoke on the ribs next time they may be really great. Chicken a bit drier than i like. Ribs were dry rubbed and chicken was kind of a wet rub of spices with tequila and honey, i was hoping the alcohol and a bit of baking powder would help keep the chicken from being rubbery. Chicken...Read More...

I have one of the original Ameriques and my meat thermometer unit has gone bad. Does anyone have an extra they want to sell? I looked on the accessories page and they only have the new style thermometer plug. I would need the whole new assembly with the new thermometer. I know they used to sell it but I don’t see it anymore. Does anyone have any recommendations where I can get either an old assembly or the new assembly with the thermometer? Just for clarification the plug that my thermometer...Read More...

How do y'all do a deep clean on your FEPG? I have a horror story from my first attempt at it and since then I have been pretty gun shy... I'm talking about desooting and degreasing the inside of the cooking chamber. Thanks in advance!Read More...

Since there isn't much clearance between the two shelves on an SM025, I was thinking of just using the bottom shelf only and standing the four butts on edge, keeping them balanced and separated with wood skewers. My thought is having them all on the same shelf would help them cook more uniform, plus the smoke might circulate better. Any issue with that strategy? ThanksRead More...

I'm thinking about modifying one of my FE100s with pneumatic casters. Since the base of the casters will be larger than the originals on the FE, I'd have to fabricate a plate to bolt to the the bottom of the FE with additonal holes drilled on the outside to match the larger base of the casters. My question is what size caster to go with? I know the larger the caster the easier it would be to move, but would 8" make enough difference in mobility to make it worth while? Would 10" or 12" make...Read More...

Anyone familiar with the Louisiana Grills model Pellet Cookers? http://www.kck.com/louisiana_grills/ I have a Model 50 and have been thinking about adding a pellet cooker. Traeger is not well made in my opinion and The FE is a bit out of my price range. The excellent feature of the Louisiana Grills line seems to be totally seperate smoke control from the main temperature/cooking control. There is a dealer in my area....they seem to be well made but I would love to here if someone has cooked...Read More...

Momma wants burgers for Mothers Day on my PG500. Would love your thoughts!Read More...

I have had several instances lately with my FEC 100 not letting temp ramp up during a cook. My last cook I started with ribs in smoker and set temp to 235* and everything was going along fine. After a couple of hours I then tried to increase temp up to 275* as I wanted to put some chicken in it also. I increased the temp setting up to 275*, but after 1 hour the temp still only registered about 240*. I had not yet put the additional chicken load in it, so no reason for it not to have come up...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...

Hello agian, lynnae here, I'm still around You all are great for advice so I thought you could help me with this one. I was just given(meaning: for FREE!!) a slightly used New Brunfels offset smoker grill. The guy who gave it to me had a hard time using it....he had problems with controlling the heat...too hot on one side too cold on the other.....he really just wanted a grill that he could throw some steaks on that he didn't have to pay attention to. I think he got it for a gift and really...Read More...

Well Delivery day came – on time and in good condition. The hardest part of it was removing the protective plastic which coated the stainless steel. Put the side and front shelves on easily. Poured in 20 pounds of the included pellets, prime the firepot with a small fist-full of pellets and in 13 minutes, I was up to 400 degrees. Ran it for about an hour and shut it down for a couple of hours. Restarted and cooked 5 rib eyes. Grill was very easy to use. I love the different zones. I was...Read More...

We have Brisket 101, Pork Ribs 101, and Pork Butt 101 back on the website. Click here . Turkey 101 and Brining 101 will follow shortly. We apologize for the broken links.Read More...