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29 replies

Are fish racks useful? How about rib racks?

FM Former Member
I'll be ordering an Amerique within the next couple of weeks, and I want to go ahead and get all the accessories I think I'll want at the same time, since otherwise I might not get around to it. I'm planning on ordering a cover and a cold-smoking baffle for sure.

I'm considering a fish rack. I smoked a couple of whole small redfish two days ago in my Weber kettle grill, and they came out good, although not as smokey as I wanted. It was my first time to ever smoke fish, and now I want to try salmon. I love fish. I just never thought of smoking it before.

I just used the regular Weber grill rack when I smoked my redfish. They were whole with the head and skin intact, so there was no problem with them breaking up or falling through. But I want to smoke tuna and salmon without skin too.

So my question is, is a fish rack essential for smoking fish? If you bought one (or more), are you glad you did? Would you do it again? Are they useful for other things besides fish? What do you use your fish rack for? How tight is the mesh (it's hard to tell in the pictures), and is it hard to clean?

That's enough questions about fish racks. Now about rib racks.

I always smoke my ribs laying flat. I usually just do two racks of spare ribs or three of loin back ribs at a time, mostly because that's how Costco packages them. But if I'm having a party or family gathering, I'd need more than that. I've never used a rib rack, but it does appear that a couple of rib racks would let me smoke a lot more ribs at once than what I'm accustomed to.

The rib rack looks like it fits seven racks, but they run front to back across the short dimension of the shelf. That might work for baby back ribs, but I'm sure it won't work for loin back and spare ribs. Is this true?

I would not want to cut my racks. I like them left whole. So if I'm right about the fit, then I won't be getting a rib rack. I might make my own instead that goes the other way, along the 18 inch dimension of the shelf.

Sorry for the long post.
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tnqtnqMember
Not really sure if the CS Seafood grill is SS or plated. Personally, having been using Frogmats for some time now I would not consider anything else; being silicone they are non-stick, just throw them in the sink or dishwasher and they clean very easily, cool to touch so it is easy to remove and transfer from smoker, flexible for rolling and tying around meatloaf, fine grid works great for smoking nuts, they fold for easy storage.

RibRacks would probably work good with BB but not sure they would be tall enough to handle trimmed spares.
cal 2cal 2Member
Ah yes! So many options, questions, and excitement that sometimes a person can lose sleep. It will all work out, but what a person needs to keep in mind is that everyone likes to do things just a little different, not wrong or right, just to each his own.

I'm with TN Q on the ease of frogmats for smoking most things, but I'm also from the school of KISS. It has worked well for me so far.

I'm not a salmon smoker, but on a small fillet of Crappie, I've come to smoking it on foil, yes foil. I like to let it soak in some stuff ie... butter, lemon juice,and other spices. Now I'm sure I lose a little smoke penetration, but it has worked well for me.

I don't have a AmQ, but if I did, I would look at how hard it would be to hang ribs from hooks. Could be they would smoke more even on a large load, so a person wouldn't need to rotate the shelves to get the even cooking. I would think there would be enough height to do this?

This would not need to be done if you only have a few ribs to smoke, but hey, you might like the way it works...who knows without trying?

Yep, the cooking will tend to sort out all the reading, thinking one needs to do.
Q qnorthNear Traverse City, MI
I have the fish racks but have never used them. I do fish in a small pan with a rack inside it to keep the fish off the bottom and let the smoke surrounds. Allows me to pour a sauce over the fish (butter/onion and lemon/lime juice) and not mess up the smoker.

I would also vote for rib hooks over the rib racks. Think you can get more racks in and the cleanup is easier. And get some jerky rods too if the unit doesn't come with them.
tnqtnqMember
the rib hooks does sound interesting; if anyone does this in the AmQ I like to hear from them on how evenly the ribs cook. It is tall enough to handle ribs but I'm concerned with how even the cook would be as the ribs would hang faily close to the smoke box and might over cook at the bottom before the top get done.

back to the fish; when needed, I have just fashioned a drip pan using heavy duty foil and put it on the shelf under the fish; hate clean up & nothing to clean here!
FM Former Member
Frogmats! Thanks for that tip TN Q. First I've heard of them. It looks like they'd be great for a number of things.

Fish on frogmats (seems appropriate somehow) with a foil drip pan beneath. Although like others said, I could always rig something with a drip pan and rack. Necessity is a mother.

I know a lot of people hang ribs, but I usually foil mine for 1/2 hour (BB), an hour (LB), or close to 1.5 hours (St. Louis style trimmed spares) about 1/2 way through the total cook time. I couldn't do that if I'm hanging them.

Thank you all for the info so far. This is all very helpful, and I appreciate it.
FM Former Member
I understood about putting foil in the bottom of the CS and over the wood box cover, cal.

What I'm saying is that when I smoke ribs currently (usually in my Kamado, which is similar to a Big Green Egg), I lay them flat, smoke them for 1/2 the total time, then I wrap them in foil and sometimes baste them, then cook them in foil for some period of time, then I unwrap them and discard the foil for the last hour of smoking.

That's just the method I've always used for ribs. It makes them very tender, meat falling off the bone. If they were hanging, they'd break apart and fall right off the hook.

If I want more chew to them, then I don't foil them during part of the cooking time, but my family prefers them soft and tender.
V vesteroidMember
I have smoked a lot of fish in my 020. I have done tilapia, salmon, rockfish, and tuna.

I have never yet used a seafood mat.

I will be getting frog mats for this as well as other purposes going forward.

I can however say that I have used jerky screens over my CS racks to do smaller pieces of fish....so maybe a seafood rack is not all bad.

It is VERY easy to overpower fish in this cooker. For instance, my tilapia, I simply put in there and cook with NO WOOD...still taste a bit smoky. If I use wood on that fish, you dont want to eat it.

On my salmon, I brine then smoke, and I use very little apple or pecan.

I have been doing most fish around 200 (cant really tell you why that temp, just seems to work well).
T tomMember
We do have a couple fine cooks that use hanging hooks,but personally I've never seen a cater/vendor/comp cook use them.

Most lay slabs flat,and for greater volume they use racks.

Folks that foil,can always do three in a foil,or even finish several in a pan with tight foil over it.

If your normal methods don't work,then you can always go to Ace Hardware and buy some stainless S hooks.
FM Former Member
vesteroid, the apple wood sounds like the ticket for salmon, based on all the recipes I've been reading lately. I'm going to try that when I get my cooker.

Tom, I bet using a foil covered pan would work well with the rectangular dimensions of the CS. It's gotta be easier than individually foiling each rack of ribs, so I'm going to try it that way.

A rib rack holder designed with slots that run the wide 18 inch length of the Amerique rather than the narrower 14 inch front to back length would accommodate full length racks so you wouldn't have to cut them down to half racks. If it turns out that I need that kind of volume, I'll make one. You should be able to get five full length racks per shelf, assuming there is enough space between shelves.

Do any of you know what the distance is between each shelf in the Amerique? Or are they adjustable?

I'll know in a week or so anyway. I just ordered an Amerique direct from Cookshack. I did not order the fish racks or rib racks, just the cold baffle and the cover.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by TN Q:
too much talk of fish. Tilapia going in; a little CS rub & preheated at 190 shouldn't take to long!


That looks great, TN Q. Now that I look at it, that frogmat looks like the ones I have in my dehydrator. I bet I can just use my dehydrator mats in the Amerique I just ordered.
tnqtnqMember
quote:
Originally posted by SkipQ:
Do any of you know what the distance is between each shelf in the Amerique? Or are they adjustable?

I'll know in a week or so anyway. I just ordered an Amerique direct from Cookshack. I did not order the fish racks or rib racks, just the cold baffle and the cover.


if no one answers I measure after the tilapia is done. The distance varies and there are 4 fixed locations, and two screw slots at the top for adjustment as well.

I really don't understand why CS does not make the side racks with 6 or 7 rails set at about 2.5" apart so shelf height can be more easily adjusted as a standard.
Last edited by tnq
cal 2cal 2Member
Make sure that you're getten some CS Brisket Rub with it and if not grab a gallon.

Congrats on the purchase!!!

My last ribs were fall of the bone and as good as I've ever ate. Didn't foil, but I got to get them cooked right.This LOW and SLOW smoking in a moist CS is a little learning curve, but my mistakes makes for fine eating!
T tomMember
SkipQ,If you will be doing a good volume,and have time to include in your order,the multiple ribracks are great for rotating,etc.The AQ cooks very moist,so it is nice to cook nekked.

Like the guys said,order a couple gals of CS mild sauce,and at least a gal of Brisket rub.Any of us will take them,and you'll kick yourself for not ordering more,with the shipment.
FM Former Member
I have an AmeriQue. I use both the rib hooks and the racks. For 2-5 slabs I stand them in the rack, if I have more than that I use the hooks and hang them.

I smoke 3-12 slabs of Baby Backs about every 2-3 weeks and it works for me.

Both work great.

I don't lay my ribs flat in the AQ!!

I am sure everyone will have a different approach.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by TN Q:
quote:
Originally posted by SkipQ:
Do any of you know what the distance is between each shelf in the Amerique? Or are they adjustable?

I'll know in a week or so anyway. I just ordered an Amerique direct from Cookshack. I did not order the fish racks or rib racks, just the cold baffle and the cover.


if no one answers I measure after the tilapia is done. The distance varies and there are 4 fixed locations, and two screw slots at the top for adjustment as well.

I really don't understand why CS does not make the side racks with 6 or 7 rails set at about 2.5" apart so shelf height can be more easily adjusted as a standard.


TN Q, thank you! That's the perfect visual aid right there.

You're right, it would seem logical to allow for more side rails.

That looks like mild steel and 1/2 by 1/2 inch square tube. If so, I have some leftover stock in that size and I could weld two more rails on myself.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by cal:
Make sure that you're getten some CS Brisket Rub with it and if not grab a gallon.

Congrats on the purchase!!!

My last ribs were fall of the bone and as good as I've ever ate. Didn't foil, but I got to get them cooked right.This LOW and SLOW smoking in a moist CS is a little learning curve, but my mistakes makes for fine eating!


Thank you cal. I did order the sampler box of rubs and sauce, and Karen told me that I could order one gallon sizes of them. I'm looking forward to trying those rubs.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
SkipQ,If you will be doing a good volume,and have time to include in your order,the multiple ribracks are great for rotating,etc.The AQ cooks very moist,so it is nice to cook nekked.

Like the guys said,order a couple gals of CS mild sauce,and at least a gal of Brisket rub.Any of us will take them,and you'll kick yourself for not ordering more,with the shipment.


OK, you and cal are pretty convincing. I'm going to call up tomorrow and add a gallon of the Brisket rub to my order.

If someone could tell me a little about the sauce, I'd appreciate it. I don't like a sauce with too much of a vinegar tang. I'm more into tomato based hot or sweet (or hot and sweet) sauces.
FM Former Member
BigDJersey, thank you. I am going with the frog mats. I think I already have some that came with my dehydrator. They look the same as the frogmat pics anyway, but weren't identified as such when I bought them. Great idea for fish and nuts and other small or soft crumbly items.

tigerfan, Geaux Tigers! I went to LSU in Baton Rouge many many years ago before I ended up at Louisiana Tech.

Have you ever had ribs break and fall off the hooks?
Q qnorthNear Traverse City, MI
quote:
If someone could tell me a little about the sauce, I'd appreciate it. I don't like a sauce with too much of a vinegar tang. I'm more into tomato based hot or sweet (or hot and sweet) sauces.


The CS sauces are great.... I like the spicy which isn't really very spicy. Hardly any vinegar taste IMHO. And a lot of people, like myself, start with the CS sauce and then 'enhance' it. I'm currently using Sweet Baby Ray on a 1:4 ratio (SBR to CS Spicy) to sweeten it up a bit. Even many of the comp teams start with CS sauce.
T tomMember
SkipQ,the CS mild is less heavy and sweet than the Kansas City style,or a Sweet baby Ray's.It has no vinegar taste like the Carolinas .

It may have won as many state championships as the other top sauces combined,and it is private labeled for top restaurants all across the bbq belt.

Many folks use it with a slight tweak ,depending on which rubs they are using,and which products.

You can always heat it with a little cayenne,and sweeten with a little honey.

I'd call it a OK/TX style-if that helps any.

They great deal is the four 1 gal case,as it will store -tested-for at least a half dozen yrs.

Many empty it into eight,one pint bottles,for easy storage and any tweaking needed.

If you like an OK style chili,the mix they send to their restaurant clients is a dandy.
FM Former Member
Tom and Qnorth, thank you for those useful descriptions. That helps a lot.

Besides the regular wet sauce, I see that CS has a dry sauce mix that you mix according to their recipe, or modify as you like. A 5 pound jar of the dry mix should make 40 gallons of sauce. With the cost of the other ingredients, I'm not sure how that works out cost wise over just buying the pre-mixed sauce, but I guess shipping would be cheaper. Do any of you prefer to buy it in dry form?

Pags, I see you are buying dry. Ever done that before, or is this your first time? And am I right about the 40 gallons? The recipe on the CS site says 10 oz of dry mix to make 5 gallons. There's 80 oz in 5 pounds, so that's 8 times 5 gallons = 40.
T tomMember
Remember,CS has international clients,that don't wish to ship"water".This is important for overseas.

If you are buying volume,talk to CS sales,and see what they recommend.

If you can work a shipping deal to get the Cookshack MILD in gallons,you will NEVER be sorry.

I'd go as far as to say,we'll take your order,if I'm wrong.I have no connection with CS,but I win with their products.

Hasn't been taken up for over a decade. Big Grin

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