I'm having issues with part of the meat (next to the bone) being hard even after 15 hours at 224. I cater and will not serve this meat...if its hard to pull apart it'll be hard to chew. I get my butts at Sam's and seem to be having more problems with this. out of a case (8 butts) one maybe two butts are like this...the rest fall apart. Is anyone else experiencing this???? Thanks in advance.Read More...

Just seeing if anyone uses or has SM150s or SM250s with bad computers and uses them or would be interested in selling the cabinets for a holder using sternos?Read More...

I've been using my PG1000 more for beef jerky and find that the slices on the edge of the trays get done WAY faster than the ones in the middle. I have to constantly move the trays around which increases cooking time of course. Along the same lines, I usually stack 6 or 7 mesh trays in there. I have to swap trays from top to bottom as well. Any tips? Thank youRead 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...

Fast Eddy’s by Cookshack Pellet Grill Model PG1000 Controlling the Pit Temperature on the PG1000: This grill comes equipped with a controller board which lets you digitally “dial in” the temp you want for your cook. This controller is very simple, an up arrow, a down arrow, and a digital readout. For many these are all the controls you will ever need. However, there are more advanced settings you can adjust in order to further refine the temperature control. The grill has settings called LHt...Read More...

Hello all, been a while since I posted, but have been lurking and cooking! I just picked up two Snake River Farms Kurobuta(Berkshire) pork bellies at about 9#s each. I know, I know pricey even on sale (50% off now), but I REALLY DON'T want to FUBAR these. I need some advice: I want a brown sugar cure, rec cure recipe. Hot or cold smoke. Use my FEC100 or SM066, I have A-MAZE-N tube and tray pellet units for cold smoke to use in either. I have better control at low temp on the SM066, 140-150...Read More...

First try at Canadian Bacon. Ingredients: 5.79 lb Half Loin 6.55 grams Cure #1 59.5 grams Kosher Salt 39.4 grams Dark Muscovado Sugar 10 grams Fresh Ground Tellicherry Pepper Mixed ingredients and put in rub shaker for easy distribution. I applied about 85% of the cure to the bare meat and the rest to the fat cap. Wrapped in plastic wrap that I had on the table when i rubbed it and then vacuum sealed. Labeled the bag and put it in the 38º fridge. I will leave it in for 9-14 days then smoke...Read More...

Well it finally happened. I'm cooking some burgers and 45 minutes after putting the burgers in I walk by the PG500 and see 89 degrees on the temp. Oh oh. My first flame out. But what caused it? My LHT too low? Ignitor died? Well it was the later. I emptied the two pounds of pellets in the shoot and the fire pit. Took my torch and lit some pellets in the fire pot with the machine on. Dinner was saved thanks to the forum research. Now calling cookshack tomorrow to see how difficult the fix is.Read More...

Dear Cookshack, as a frequent reader and contributor to this forum, I and some others have noticed an increasing frequency of "spam" posts, i.e., posts that resurrect a five- or six-year-old (or even older) thread and add a seemingly innocuous comment, sometimes in poor English grammar, that at first look seem relevant, but really show little or no relation to the subject, and then include a link to what invariably is a spam or fake site, sometimes generating warnings or actual crashes of a...Read More...

I got the Weber pizza insert for my master touch as a present this past Christmas and tonight I finally got to use it. Being that this was my first time grilling pizza, I expected a complete failure but it turned out decent to be honest. Unfortunately I underestimated how difficult it is to transfer into the grill so I had a couple mishaps and also, I couldn't get my temps up as high as I wanted but that was just due to an inssuficient amount of charcoal.Read More...

It’s been many years since I’ve posted here. Are instructions (a link) posted that explain the new navigation? I know Smokin Oakie retired, but I hope that his wisdom is still available. My immediate question. How long should I smoke (per pound) a brined turkey breast? I am shooting for super juicy. Unless I learn better, plans are to smoke with apple wood until the internal temp hits 155F, then wrap in foil to reach the desired 160-165F. Any suggestions? Thanks DannyRead More...

I was wondering if any one has tried Cookshacks accessory called smoke enhancer on a pellet smoker? I’ve used a smoker for 40 were I added wood chucks, now that I’m approaching mid 60’s I was leaning toward a pellet smoker but I’ve been told the smoke flavor is much lighter any suggestions are greatly appreciated. ThanksRead More...

It has performed like a champ for 15 years... went to fire up the old FEC-100 last week, and, nothing. Haven't called Customer Service yet. I'm not very handy at all, any suggested possible fixes?Read More...

It's literally the only complaint I have...mine looks hideous and it is only a few years old.Read More...

but not new to the BBQ bunch. I picked up a used SM-066 in an auction yesterday and am jazzed to get it cleaned up a little and smoke some meat. I grew up in Garfield County, Oklahoma back when Cookshack started up. If I stood on top of my 49 F1 pickup, I could almost see Ponca City. Heck, I could almost make out Kansas! I worked at "The Hickory Hut" in Enid for the legendary Johnny O Horaney who was the first with patents on a Teflon rotisserie BBQ pit that he subsequently towed behind his...Read More...

I know smoking a turkey with stuffing inside is a no-no. But what about a Turkey Roulade? Can a turkey breast be deboned and then pounded flat, and finally rolled up with some sort of stuffing on the inside? If it is not advisable to use raw stuffing, would precooked stuffing be a work around? Thanks in Advance, DannyRead More...

What temp and for how long do you suggest I smoke the links to insure safety and tastiness? I'm smokin' about 3 lbs of raw links I picked up from a butcher.Read More...

I’m planning on purchasing a new Cookshack around the April time frame and was wondering if I should go the electric smoker route or the pellet smoker. What are the pros and cons to each. Thanks BuzzRead More...

Back in early December, I smoke a number of items to give to friends and such. I went out to start up my oldest FE100(from 2004) and after about five minutes, I got a high temp alarm. Spoke to Tony at CS and he suggested replacing the thermocouple. So I ordered one. In the meantime, I took my other FEC100 off my trailer and proceeded to start it up. Nothing. I opened up the control head and found that a mouse had built a home in there and also proceeded to chew up a whole bunch of the...Read More...

Just a reminder. We're getting close to 30 days away and IF you are going to wet age your PR you should be buying it soon.Read More...

I got in the last exchange. I do not know who sent me the package, but I have been working my way through what you sent. You sent me some AlbuKirky rubs. Thank you so much for putting me on to these rubs. They are great. I ran out of the 2 you sent, and have replenished them and bought others. I have even sent them to other people. I love them. I don't know if this will fly but will take a chance. https://www.albukirkyseasonings .Read More...

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...

hi, not smoking my beef jerky...prefer to not cure. I have been readying the comments about making sure the meat hits 160 degrees. If I use my air fryer at 160 and the meat totally dries do I still need to check the internal temp of the meat? New to this whole thing thanks!Read More...

HI: We love our FEC100, but we've been having some challenges lately. On at least 3 of the last 10 occasions, our smoker comes up to temp and runs well for a few hours but then suddenly dies. On each occasion we've had to use the reset switch to get power back on but I've lost hours of time and it's becoming quite concerning as we don't have the staff to be watching it every 30 mins. Has anyone else had this issue? I am wondering if maybe there's a firmware update I need? ....and if so how...Read More...

My new electric smoker was plugged in for the first time, the display says “prb”. What’s wrong?Read More...

Hi Everyone- If you have experience with using a PG500 Fast Eddie please reply with comments about. I'm not interested in discussions about pellet vs stick burner, etc. I'd like to know about the quality of construction, how well it can cook a steak, how it does as far as even heat distribution, etc.Read More...

The last two days, I go to the forum to find all topics marked as "new" (none are) and have to visit all to make sure I haven't missed anything. What gives?Read More...

Reads proper temp but independent measurement is about half of what the readout says. Cleaned the probe no difference. hooked up meat probe for independent measurement and it worked for a few minutes but is frozen at about 100 deg.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, I am new to this forum and jerky/snack stick making. I have read a bit about it and I know that 160F should be the desired "initial" temperature to kill off any bacteria in ground beef jerky or 165F for chicken jerky I do believe. After doing some researches on the internet, I found that the Nesco FD-75A was one of the best entry-level food dehydrator for making jerky as it was keeping a controlled temperature. I am testing mine at the moment, it has been running for about an...Read More...

I smoked a 12 lb. Butterball turkey in my Amerique. I've smoked several turkeys over the years but this was the first time using the Amerique. I put it in at 275 degrees. The breast temp reached 165 degrees at about the 3 1/2 hour point. It took a couple of hours until the thigh temp got to 175 degrees. Flavor was good but the breast meat was a little on the dry side. Is there a trick to getting the thigh meat to cook faster? Thanks, JimRead More...

Hi Guys— Two of the “other companies” sell a small portable fan that sits over the top vent hole. This is to move air when making jerky. I’m a bit curious as to the effectiveness of this method. CS does not have a device like 5his. That surprises me a bit. Has anybody any experience with these small jerky fans? I have tried the door open/close thing. I’m looking at different ideas to minimize moisture...ThanksRead More...

A glossary of terms for new users (and old). Changes and additions should be added to this post and are gratefully accepted. ============================================ ABT - Atomic Buffalo Turd - a jalapeno pepper filled with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and then smoked. Beinks or Boinks (see also Burnt Ends and Moinks) - Burnt ends wrapped in bacon, slathered with BBQ sauce and smoked till sauce is tacky. Brining - a mixture of water, salt, and sugar/seasonings to immerse poultry,...Read More...

I am getting in one of the NEW temp probes today and I am looking forward to using it. Has anyone here used one yet? any experiences? (For a 66 amerique)Read More...

Hello fellow smokers. Im in search of a kickers recipe for pork belly burnt ends, can anyone assist me? Im using a SM160 smoker. Greatly appreciate it, PEDRead More...

Has anyone tried this one yet. I have used it twice and I love it! It has a remote transmitter and dual probes. It lets you set one probe for the smoker inside temp and the second probe for the internal meat temp. It also lets you adjust your temperature setting for your specific taste.Read 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...

I am working on Salmon using Mr. T's recipe. I have wanted some of the Frog mats for years, so started looking for mats that would fit the grill grates on my SMO66. These things are darned expensive when you need 6. I did a search for grilling mats that fit my grill size. I located some at Bed BB. These are Yoshi, and are copper infused. They fit my racks perfect. and are $9.99 for 2. We will see. I have 8 filets on these mats and headed for the smoker.Read More...

I'm planning to brine and smoke a turkey on my PG 500. Love to hear your thoughts on Turkeys in an FEC.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...

Question on using rib racks with my FEC100. I cooked 18 racks of ribs yesterday and for the first time tried rib racks that I've had for quite a while but had not tried yet. Set smoker to 260 and cooked for a long time without ever getting them as tender as I would have liked, over 8 hours. Anybody with experience using rib racks have any ideas? Is it because they are so tightly packed in there? Thanks in advance.Read More...

I just bought a second hand Amerique to replace my Smokette, which unfortunately rusted out. The Amerique I bought was missing the temperature probe, drip pan and casters. I paid CS their outrageous price for a new probe. I was relieved to find out that the drip pan is a standard 1/2 size steam table pan, which I found for less than half the $32 that CS charges. I keep my smoker on a stainless steel table next to the grill, so I was not interested in replacing the casters and worrying about...Read More...

Hi, My name is Yann, I m French so please excuse my english ..I ll do my best. I smoke chicken since 2 years already but was using a handmade Caribbean island type of smoker.here is my instagram catering account : https://www.instagram.com/standboucane/ Now that I m opening a company dedicated into smoked food I bought a SM160 to be able to : Fit hygiene laws , cook better and faster. I m going to explain my process to try to get the best answer from you guys. I marinade my chicken for 6 to...Read More...

So I've posted in the past about my 009 model tripping the GFCI often. I received suggestions, but never really did anything other plug into a normal outlet to which it worked. This past weekend I did the same bypass, but this time the unit never heated up. I called Cookshack and was told I needed a new heating element. I ordered and received today. To my surprise, I opened the box that included my 5lb bag of spicy chicken rub and the heating element was not protected by any wrapping and...Read More...

I am interested in PB 500. I have had GM and recently sold my Yoder ys640 pellet smoker. On the PB 500 does the temps overshoot when coming back up after opening door or do they settle close down close to set temp? 2nd does the fans run continually or does it cycle on and off?Read More...

I have an SM025 that, after turned on and set temp. , display jumps erratically well above and also well below set temp. and does not heat correctly. Setting to fully high temp brings heat up, but display still erratic. Problem developed after cleaning and I suspect I may have damaged oven probe, even after being careful to not molest it. Any suggestions? I'd like to be relatively certain before purchasing something that will not remedy my problem. Thank you in advance.Read More...

Can one add Butchers Phosphate TR to a rub? I do not want to inject this chemical, or use it in a brine ... I yes ... kindly estimate the correct time to allow the rub (with phosphate added to "sit" before smoking?Read 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...

Hi there, two weeks ago I got my new to me SM008 and tried a back rib project. I did the 3-2-1 method, spent most of my day fooling around and in the end I wasn't overly pleased with the result. The advice I got on here was to just leave the ribs in the smoker, don't fool with it and it will turn out great. Today I got some side ribs on sale and decided to do a side rib smoker test. I rubbed then with a basic rub just before putting them in the smoker, dropped in a bit of hickory and let...Read More...

Hey All! Got a model 150 and need to replace the thermistor. It is from '97 and the color coding is not making it apparent as to what type of thermistor it is (type K, B ...) Any help would make my customers super happy! We have been mcGyvering it in our line oven in the meantime (coating our dining room with a lovely smell but less lovely soot) If anyone out there has an old 150, I may be interested in buying it if anyone wants to give one up. Thanks Smoker fanatics!Read More...