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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

My bride has a retreat coming up this weekend with 24 attendees. One night they are having Steak and Baked Potatoes. Not sure what kind of steak but my question is this. Would it be possible and safe to SV the steaks ahead of time up to say 125, either freeze or refrigerate them below 40 and then open up and put on one of the two grills that will be available for them to finish up to their desired temp. They would remain in Vacuum Packages until time of finish. I think that would be 2 days.Read More...

Seen some dated posts on here regarding seasoning of the smoker. Is it other recent new owners experience that the FEC100 cooks 30 or so degrees hotter than programmed on the first couple cooks? By seasoning, are we talking blackened walls? What's the crack, jack?Read More...

Just sold my restaurant and I have a 250 with a new control unit. Available now.Read More...

i have a sm045 and I set my temp at 275 and it will only get to 200. Does anyone have any ideas why.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...

Just opened our shop in May of this year. We've had a pretty good run thus far, but I'm positive there's things I'm missing, or things I could absolutely learn to tighten my operation. Any body know of, or is maybe willing to mentor me for a week at their facility in the Memphis area this winter? I'd be willing to bus tables, dishwash, etc. in exchange for the opportunity to see how a more established operation works and how I can translate that to my own shop in NW PA. Not looking for sauce...Read More...

I might be wrong but it looks like CS changed the forum format again, just in the middle of everyone getting used to it. Please collapse the forum categories again on the "home" page, and bring back the recent posts and replies regardless of forum topic. You have just made a change, without announcement, that messes up how people want to use the forum, i.e., see all new posts and replies first on "home."Read More...

I am cooking a 14.75# (weight was untrimmed; I trimmed some, but not a lot). Put it in my smoker at 8:30pm last night (meat closer to room temp). I went to check it at 9:30am. Polders showing a range of temps (192-202), but my Termapen was showing low 190's in most spots. The flat passed the poke test (although really need to try it in thicker spots in hindsight), but the point had resistance. Does this make sense? I am worried about pulling it as I expected it to take longer. Do you care if...Read More...

Decided to build an outdoor kitchen and wanted to make the Cookshack SM025 part of the design. I built the main unit into an inset in the stone cabinet. Drilled 2 holes in the granite, 1 for the smoke stack and the second for the control panel wiring harness. Cooking a Pork Butt tonight for the first time since the install and so far, all is well. Here's a pic of what I came up with. [IMG:left] [/IMG] [IMG:left] [/IMG] [IMG:left] [/IMG] [IMG:left] [/IMG]Read More...

i ran into this meat/sausage stuffer and lookin for parts. i wanted to know if any of u know where to get parts? it was manufactured by john e smith sons co. buffalo NY. patent number 1567213. thanxRead More...

Any relation to Former Member that posted a bunch of 101's Head on over to the Introduce Yourself Thread.Read 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...

I have an SM360 and was wondering how to Enhance the smoke. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.Read More...

Hi to everyone. Just put our fec 500 into our new place. customers and owners alike are loving this thing. im very proud of the product that we are putting out with this unit. I have a couple questions for other owners out there . are there some parts in particular that i should have on hand. if it goes on the fritz . im assuming the ignitor is a must, but does any one have any suggestions for other parts to have on hand as our only back up is a stick burner , and it doesnt have the capacity...Read More...

Had done beef ribs a couple times with variable results. Impulse buy at grocery store for some good looking beef back ribs. Came home to read up on the forum and found some folks discouraged beef back ribs due to lack of meat and difficulty removing the membrane. Membrane was difficult to get started but came off relatively easy once it was started. Rubbed with Mccormicks garlic pepper and Butchers premium rub. Same basic combo I use for brisket. Into cold AQ smoker set to 225 with hickory...Read More...

I have had a smokette for 10 years and it is going strong... so I decided to add the PG 500 to my arsenal. It arrived today and all is good after seasoning for 1hr. However, I am concerned about 1 thing, shouldn't the grease deflector shield spread across the area below the zone 4 grates? The one that has come with my PG500 does not stretch across all the way. If I were to put meat across the entire rack, some grease would go into the warming box. Is this the normal grease deflector size?Read More...

Considering first pellet grill purchase. Now leaning towards PG500 over MAK, largely due to price, but also due to more readily accessible direct grilling. Now came across FireCraft Q-450. Stainless steel with direct grilling available and significantly cheaper than PG500. Also has PID controller and built in probe port and can stop cook when meat reaches temp. PG500 lacks the meat temperature probe. Overall quality of PG500 appears superior and it is American made bs Chinese. Thoughts? By...Read More...

I of all things lost a book of my bbq history in it was a finishing sauce off this site which was based on concentrationing Apple juice I believe it was from smokin oldie can any one re post ThanksRead 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...

Interested in purchasing first pellet Grill. Want something that I can grill and smoke on. First considered Rec Tec Bull—seems to have good bang fo the buck and solid construction with lots of 304 stainless steel, WiFi, but concerned that grilling would be limited. as there is no direct grilling area. Rec Tec Rep claims it foes a great job grilling burgers & steaks with optional searing grates, but I’m skeptical. Read very favorable reviews on MAK 1 Star and 2 Star grills with FlameZone.Read More...

can someone recommend a dual probe remote thermometerRead More...

Decided to try making a real McRib, you know, with actual ribs. Good coat of Porkmafia Memphis Mud, and into the FEC at 275. Coming along just fine. McRib needs sauce, so a couple coats of Veterans Q sauce. Decided to cook it so it'd be just a little bit overdone. Pop out the bones... Sliced it in half both lengthwise & width wise and plated them up with some extra sauce, onions & pickles. Four "McRibs" out of the rack of ribs. That was some good stuff! Thanks for looking.Read More...

There was a banner across the top of the page, saying, "it appears you have changed your time zone". When I x'd it out, the file menu with drop downs appeared on the top right of the page. Kind of a silly design flaw in the page but at least I can now navigate and search the archives.Read More...

Hello! Just wanted to share my recent adventure smoking tenderloin (we also did T-bone steaks) so simple and so delicious! I hope it's ok to include a link to my blog (I do not monetize it, it's just my hobby of nine years!) https://bewitchingkitchen.com/2018/08/08/smoked-beef-tenderloin/Read More...

I agree with RangerDF...where's the search function? Kind of a pain to just scroll through 668 pages looking for something specific.Read More...

Fast Eddy's Rub was my favorite Rub. I Bought a bunch of it and would give it away to my clients as gifts when it was in the 2lb bags. This last time I bought it it came in 5lb bags and it seems to have a different taste. It leaves a bad flavor in your mouth .... the only way I can kind of get rid of the after taste is by smothering the meat with BBQ sauce. Im really bummed out because I bragged this rub up soo Much. Has anyone else noticed the differance??Read More...

Hey Guys, i am in Brisbane Australia and have 2 FEC 500's, love them. i am having trouble with one of them. Set at 250f it wont get above 170f. After several hours the pallets in the hopper have puffed up and turning to dust and there is moisture in there as well. I am running cookshack pallets and the same batch in both of my smokers but im only having trouble with the one smoker. One thing i have notice is that the hopper and handle to the fire box are extremely hot to touch unlike my...Read More...

Where is the search functionRead More...

Found some beef cheeks on sale for $1.99/lb, to bad they were frozen in a big block and butcher cut them into frozen 3in X 3in X 6in blocks,so decide to try smoking them after thawing. Found a recipe on web that saturate in soy sauce and cover the in sirachi sauce and then sprinkle granulated garlic on top. Set smoker 235 deg with 3 oz wood and smoke 2 hrs then foil and go for another 2 hrs. Let cool 15 min covered, then used meat for tacos, enchiladas etc.Read More...

So, I did a burn in and two smokes with great results. Went to fire it up tonight and boom...kept blowing the GFCI. No different stuff plugged in or running. Anybody had this issue (especially when it was working great the first few times)??Read More...

Thanks to everyone for the tips on brisket in a cook shack. Completed my first run with a 11lb choice cut. Fat side down at 225 to 190 internal temp. Sm066. 2nd rack from top with trimmed fat on top shelf to drip down for a little extra moisture. Injected and dry rubbed. Awesome. Hard bark.Read More...