1ST TIME SMOKE

Yes you can cook chicken, pork, beef, and whatever else at the same time. One or the other might get done first. Try 225 with 2 oz. of hickory or apple if you have it, milder. Always use foil in the bottom of the smoker with a hole for drainage. Also cover the top of the smoker box with foil or it will get covered with drippings. There are several different thermometers out there you can use. Most use the digital ones with a remote probe that plugs into the unit. It will fit down the top smoke hole or you can close the door on it. Pork roasts, including shoulders and butts are usually cooked until internat meat temp reaches 195. Alot of people then take them out and immediately wrap in foil. The meat will continue to cook and gain 5 to 10 degrees in temp. I hope this covers all your questions and is of some help.

"A question on the meats , do they have to be at room temp. before they go into the smoker."

No, they do not have to be room temp. Some have said (and I believe) that the meat will stop taking on smoke at about 140 degrees. Therefore cold meat will take on the smoke for a longer period of time. This is good for when you apply a rub and let it sit in the fridge over night or longer. Just take it out and pop it in the CS. Set it and forget it (geezz! I wish Ron Popiel had never said that!).

Have fun with your CS. I guarantee it was a good investment. This is an excellent place to gather info and share ideas. Lots of help here too.

Welcome aboard!!!

should I have placed foil on bottom of unit before it got seasoned. (no)after is fine no oil or grease in wood will with the wood we use. jeff

Eke, welcome and on with the questions.

As far as using a temp probe. I'm sure all CS meant was not to put the probe wire through the door so it won't close on it. I'm not sure who at CS, but Stuart the president would say okay. Just run the wire out through the hole in the top. The idea is to monitor the temp of the meat without having to open the door a lot. But it's just a guide, these aren't cakes, so you can't cook exactly by time and temp only.

Don't worry about the foil. Before would keep the seasoning from getting there. The only purpose of the foil is to make clean up easier.

About doing chicken with anything else. Either the chicken will drip as it cooks and leaves funny streaks on whatever is below it or something else will drip on the chicken (like pork) and flavor the chicken. That's the only problem with mixing anything, a "potential" mixing of flavors. Just offset them so they don't drip too much on something else.

I put my meats in cold, so they have longer to absorb the smoke as suggested above. Now the theory about 140 and not taking on more smoke...that's a whole different post.

You don't have to wrap the butts in foil, but when you take them out, they'll be 190 or 200 degrees and it's very hard to pull it apart unless you use forks or gloves. I think some do it to allow it to rest. Me, I just pull and go. either way doesn't matter.

Smokin'