I enjoy the smoker more each time I use it -- I have had it for about 2 months. Always take good notes and experiment. Love the quality of the product. I use it about three times a week to either re-heat or smoke.
Third set of Ribs were cooked just the way I like them. 3 Lb. Loinbacks took six hours total at 225. Opened the door once to add beans and a second time to foil in the last hour. A little pecan(1 oz.) and apple(1 oz.) was all I needed. I put them on the hooks the first two times and the grates the third. Cut the racks in half and arranged the largest on the middle grate and smallest on the higher grates.
Two briskets (8 lb and 14 lb) turned out very good. Long cooks at 225 with about 2 oz oak and 2 oz Pecan. Next time I need to remove the point after the flat reaches the right temp and continue cooking. Wish the cooker was a bit wider and deeper. Pretty much had to fold the 14lb brisket in half, which decreased surface exposure.
Thanks to SmokinOkie for turning me on to pecan. It is wonderful for the brisket.
I love cooking hot dogs in the smoker. A little wood for around an hour at 225 and they are very tasty.
Have done a couple of turkey and chicken sausage cooks. They were very good, but may be a little too lean or I cooked them too long.
Two pork butts at the same time. 4oz of hickory at 225 for a loonnnggg time. Think I may have overcooked them a bit. First time I ever cooked a butt and didn't like my choice of rub. So some work there. Lots of leftovers from that cook.
So, after I got the 055, I got a dual probe gauge and a heavy gauge extension cord. Figured out I needed to calibrate the temp probe after the butt(only seems to be off by 10 degrees).
Have some experience smoking, but mostly grilling. Everything cooked according to time. I feel like I am in some sort of therapy cooking to temp; not knowing when its going to be done. Getting used to wrapping and storing until dinner or just having it for tasty lunch.
The leftovers are awesome. Store them in single serving portion ziplocks in the freezer. Figured out I do not have to finish all of one smoke before I do the next smoke. Today I threw in a single portion defrosted brisket and ribs for an hour at 225. No place in town I could go to get better BBQ for lunch. And I save money eating lunch at home to boot.
Now to my questions. I have searched the forum for answers already, but somehow need assurance.
Smoke comes out the top left of the door. It does not seem to decrease with every smoke. Do I loose moisture in the cooker or is there so much already it doesn't matter.
There are wide swings in temperature. Seems to be about 10 percent high and 10 percent low. When it is set to hold temps around 140, the swings seem to be higher.
The top door latch seems to have loosened a bit over time.
The manual suggests that the door be left open a bit when not in use and in storage. Should I leave the door open when not in use?
Please do not say "does the product turn out ok? Then don't worry".
Does using chips rather than chunks contribute to the wide swings early in the smoke? It seems like the first cycle can be higher that 10 percent when I am using chips. And also seems like the smoke does not last as long.
Adding more wood halfway thru the long smoke seems to improve the cook. Not necessarily the smoke flavor, but the flavor of the bark. Is this just my imagination?
I have learned to leave the door open a bit before and after a smoke to air it out. I noticed early on the smell in the chamber would seem a bit stale. Not sure that I noticed a difference in the taste.
Look forward to using it year around and for a long time. It was a bit more expensive than some other products, but I am sure it will pay for itself in long efficient and quality use.
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