My CS is due here Tuesday. I was looking ahead at the cookbook that comes with it and it's not clear. I read 2 oz per 10 lbs, but the recipes all call for more wood than that.
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Bill,
Better to go light on the wood to start with and then bring it up to where you like your smoke in subsequent cooks. I would season with four ounces and then do my first smoke with two ounces and no more than three. Doesn't take much with a Cookshack. If you get to little it will still taste great. I would also suggest a Boston Butt for your first endeavor. They come out great: no muss, no fuss. Get yourself a Polder and don't open the door until it says 195 degrees. It takes some time - mine usually take 18 to 20 hours, but the wait is worth it. Welcome to the "Cookshack Nation".
Happy Trails
Better to go light on the wood to start with and then bring it up to where you like your smoke in subsequent cooks. I would season with four ounces and then do my first smoke with two ounces and no more than three. Doesn't take much with a Cookshack. If you get to little it will still taste great. I would also suggest a Boston Butt for your first endeavor. They come out great: no muss, no fuss. Get yourself a Polder and don't open the door until it says 195 degrees. It takes some time - mine usually take 18 to 20 hours, but the wait is worth it. Welcome to the "Cookshack Nation".
Happy Trails
yeah... just throw in a few chunks of wood that came with the unit to season for a few hours... then throw in a couple of the chunks of wood for your first cook. then see what you think and take it from ther. takes very little wood to impart smoke with this unit.
Bill, I don't think you mentioned if you were doing beef/pork/chicken or ???
I'm having the same problems and questions. You can follow my short thread at:
http://tinyurl.com/5dw5t
I started my first chicken with three oz of alder. WAY too much wood.. came out bitter (skin) but chicken was ok. Second batch used 2 oz wood.. much better.. my next chicken will be with only 1 oz of wood.
I have yet to do a brisket or butt.. I will take my instructions from the last replies to my questions there and in other places.. Start with a SMALLER amount and work your way up till you get what you like. So, the CS book recommends 4 oz of wood with a 4# brisket or butt.. I'm going to start my first one with 2 oz wood. If not smokey enough.. I'll go up another oz at a time.. I think it would be far safer.
As others have said in the forum.. keep meticulous records of times, temps, rubs, meat types and weights, wood type, oz of wood. I think there is a cook log in the back of the CS booklet. You may want to tweak it and create your own on a word processor.
Bill
I'm having the same problems and questions. You can follow my short thread at:
http://tinyurl.com/5dw5t
I started my first chicken with three oz of alder. WAY too much wood.. came out bitter (skin) but chicken was ok. Second batch used 2 oz wood.. much better.. my next chicken will be with only 1 oz of wood.
I have yet to do a brisket or butt.. I will take my instructions from the last replies to my questions there and in other places.. Start with a SMALLER amount and work your way up till you get what you like. So, the CS book recommends 4 oz of wood with a 4# brisket or butt.. I'm going to start my first one with 2 oz wood. If not smokey enough.. I'll go up another oz at a time.. I think it would be far safer.
As others have said in the forum.. keep meticulous records of times, temps, rubs, meat types and weights, wood type, oz of wood. I think there is a cook log in the back of the CS booklet. You may want to tweak it and create your own on a word processor.
Bill
Very helpful tips, thank you.
The amount of smoke is different from person to person. I happen to like a good smokey flavor, so I use about 5-6 oz. of wood for an 8.5 - 9.5 lb. pork butt.
I use about 4 oz. for two racks of pork ribs.
And I use about 2-3 oz. for 4lbs. jerky meat.
So far..no complaints, and no leftovers.
I use about 4 oz. for two racks of pork ribs.
And I use about 2-3 oz. for 4lbs. jerky meat.
So far..no complaints, and no leftovers.
I am the same as SmoKen. I don't use less than 4 oz of wood.
If you are around the smoker a lot ,cooking several products at a cook,you may find yourself desensitized to the smoke that day.
It may be more smokey ,when you eat it the next day.
I especially find fowl to be that way.
It may be more smokey ,when you eat it the next day.
I especially find fowl to be that way.
When I got my CS, I assumed that the average chunks of wood in the box that came with it were about 1oz. BOY! Was I ever wrong! I had my scale out one day and decided to weigh a few. it seems like most weighed about 2-3oz. When I though I was going lite on the wood, what I was really doing was dropping down into the range of normal. Now that I know what 1oz of wood looks like, I am much happier. I use 1-2oz for chicken, 2-4oz for ribs, and about 4oz for butt unless I really want to smoke it up, then I just put 4oz more in the pan after about 6 hours.