Not Happy

I'm not the best to reply since I am a very new Cookshack Sm55 owner, but here are a few questions. How many pounds of ribs were there? And at what temperature did you cook? I just cooked 9 lbs of St. Louis Style pork spareribs at 225 degrees, and it took me about 4.5 hours. I used 1 chunk of the Cookshack Hickory, and if I had used even 2 chunks it would have been oversmoked for sure. I can't imagine using 3 chunks of wood at 225 degrees and no smoke taste. Did you use a thermometer during the cook, maybe your thermostat is bad? I have read here where that sometimes happens, although not often. I would get a digital thermometer and check my temps next time.

As was mentioned before we need the details on how you cooked the ribs. Temps cooked at, how many times did you open the door...ect.

Also ribs are done when they're done. They don't go by a time. They need to be checked by hand for best results.

Also, the 45 mins in foil at the end wouldn't help much at all since by the time the unit recovered its temps(what were they?) you were pulling them out of the cookshack.

Now, three chunks of wood without smokey flavor is amazing to me. With that much wood and babybacks they would most likely taste like garbage to me from being oversmoked and near acrid tasting.

Details are key to helping ya, so I look forward to your reply.

Oh...forgot one more question.

Do the friends that sent you towards cookshack own one? If so, have you ever tried their ribs? Did they taste OK?

Thanks for your reply. I smoked 3 racks of baby backs @ 225 for 3.5 hours, plus 45 minutes in foil with 3 chuncks of wood that came with smoker. I did not use a thermometer. Three of the four friends have Cookshacks. Have not had an opportunity to talk to them yet.

There was smoke flavor but just a hint. Does the wood ever go bad/old? I am used to 6 to 10 hours in a New Braunsfel smoker with wood & a little lump charcaol. That is smoke flavor!

I am trying a pork butt this afternoon. I will use a digital thermo & cook to 195 degrees. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Wes

quote:

Originally posted by Lantern:
As was mentioned before we need the details on how you cooked the ribs. Temps cooked at, how many times did you open the door...ect.

Also ribs are done when they're done. They don't go by a time. They need to be checked by hand for best results.

Also, the 45 mins in foil at the end wouldn't help much at all since by the time the unit recovered its temps(what were they?) you were pulling them out of the cookshack.

Now, three chunks of wood without smokey flavor is amazing to me. With that much wood and babybacks they would most likely taste like garbage to me from being oversmoked and near acrid tasting.

Details are key to helping ya, so I look forward to your reply.

Did not open door until 3.5 hours had passed. Immediately wraped in foil and back to smoker. I tried to go exactly by the instructions that came with the smoker. Seasoned unit just as instructions said w/fatty meat in during seaasoning.

First. Relax. Q'in is more art, than Science.

Sorry about the title of the thread "not happy" but you have to give it some time. Remember, ANY time you move to a new smoker there is some adjustment. Since you seem frustrated, time for a "smokin'" post (for the newbies, that means I type REALLY long replied)

Next. Throw the instructions away. They're guidelines, but they're not guarantees. Most people are perfectly happy with those. If they were small baby backs they probably would have been perfect.

Ask the forum (like you're doing). We'll steer you right.

Rule 1. Remember this forever:

It's done when it's done

Not being funny here, but I've cooked more ribs than you'll probably see and even I can't give you one time that will always work. Why, because each rack of ribs is different weight and different thickness and different hog.

It's done when it's done, when you think about it, means you have to learn to tell when it's done. IF it's not done, just cook longer. Learning to "read" the meat will tell you when it's done.

At 4 hours, if the ribs aren't "tender" enough, just let them cook longer. How much longer? Probably not much. This week it might be 4.5 hours, next week it could be 5.5. Depends on the variables above. Longer for spares.

Falling off the bone tender is simple an overcooked rib. I don't like them like that (too hard to cut, just look at them in Ribs 101, I overcooked them on purpose for the photos) but people learned that term so long ago, it seems to be the standard. Just let them cook longer, they'll fall off eventually, especially in foil.

Wood can go bad, but more importantly what flavor of wood was it? Fruit woods won't be as pronounced. You can get MORE than enough wood smoke in a CS, don't be fooled by chunks. You want more flavor, just add more wood next time. Plus remember, longer in the foil means less in the smoke.

Pork Butts suggestions? Yes, read through the forum, there's 7 years worth of newbies asking questions so check up. Read PB 101. PLAN on at least 2 hours a pound (seems to be the forum answer, but not mine, mine are less).

Also read lessons learned for new users, it's at the top of the open forum:

Lessons for new users


How's that? Hope it gives some answers. Just ask away.

Will the CS produce a smoke ring like a traditionl smoker? My ribs had no smoke ring at all.

Thannks for your help!

Not like you want. But two kingford briquettes in with the wood will fix that real quick. Plenty of nitrites to make a smoke ring then.

you would probably only need one for ribs though.

Well, the butt has been in 5 hours and temp is 152. Have not touched smoker since I closed it @ 11:45am. I'll keep you posted. Thx!

quote:

Originally posted by Lantern:
Not like you want. But two kingford briquettes in with the wood will fix that real quick. Plenty of nitrites to make a smoke ring then.

you would probably only need one for ribs though.

It really sounds like you need to keep cooking your ribs.

I take nearly six hours for mine for comps, and 1 hour and 15 minutes of that is in foil.

I'm using a fec100, and every cooker is different.

RandyE

Can you taste that smoke ring?

Seriously, how important is a smoke ring to you? Mostly it is the comp cookers who want a smoke ring for the judges' eyes.

If the food looks good and tastes good, does it matter?

You will get lots more smoke flavor as your smoker gets seasoned more. DO NOT clean it thoroughly after each cook. Just wipe it out good with papertowels. Put the racks and shelves in the dishwasher after scrubbing off anything stuck.

Welcome to the forum.

First of all,its done when its done.Ive done ribs at 4hrs,5hrs and 7hrs.Had some tastey ribs and some ok ribs but never a problem.As for a smoke ring I could care less and I think its all about the the taste of the meat.Personaly for me when meat falls off the bone you over cooked it.

I didn't say I wanted the meat falling off the bone. I want it tender and smokey. And I now understand it is done, when it's done.

The butt has been smoking since 11:45am, now it is 9:30pm & the butt is @ 165 degrees. I am turning the temp down to 200 and going to bed. Seems to be gaining a degree in about 40 minutes or so. Hopefully all will be ok in the morning. Thanks again for all your help,

Oh ya, the smoke ring is what I am used to after 20+ years with a New Braunsfel wood/charcoal smoker. Being a "newbie" to electric smoking I was wondering, hey where's the ring? Now I know, its gone with the New Braunsfel.

Well it is 7:30am, butt is at 182 degrees after nearly 20 hours. I lowered temp to 200 but after 30 minutes I noticed temp of butt went down 2 degrees so I left at 225 all night. Have not opened the door since I put butt on. Hope this is working.

The butt probably spent most of the night in the famous "plateau". You have probably already read about this so I wont go in to detail. Now that your past that the temp should rise pretty steadily now so keep an eye on it.

Also, as others have mentioned, your smoker will get better the more seasoned it gets. That butt will help that along real nice.

As far as the smoke ring goes, it doesnt mean much to a lot here, but I like it. Its just another part of what has become a fun hobby for me. Trying new stuff and experimenting is the fun part for me. I dont think it adds to the flavor and I dont think it hurts anything either. If you want one, its pretty easy to throw a couple kingsford briquetts in the wood box. Just make sure not to use the stuff with the starter fluid on it. Also, cowboy charcoal didnt work for me, just the kingsford for some reason.

Thank you. At 8am I checked the smoker temp via an instant read thremomter in the top vent. It was 205. I had set temp at 225. Temp did not move for 10 minutes. Wanting to get this butt done, I increased temp setting to 250. Smoker temp has increased to 221. Butt temp is 184. Is increasing temp setting a good idea?

quote:

Originally posted by insmanwes:
Is increasing temp setting a good idea?

I dont think it will hurt anything, but I am no where near as experienced as many that frequent this forum. My guess is it will speed up your cook time and not hurt it, especially since its almost done anyway. Anytime I have increased the temp the cook speed always increased a lot. The last time I did this the butt went to 205 before I caught it, so dont wander too far!

Maybe someone else with a bit more experience will chime in on this.

It is 8:40am. Smoker temp is set at 250. Temp from thrmometer in top vent is down to 199. What the heck is going on? Do I have a defective smoker? Butt temp is 187. Why such a large diiference in temp setting and actual temp? Yes, I am sure both thermometers are accurate.

Hmmmm....I was starting to wonder about that.


How do you have it plugged up? Is there a drop cord? Sometimes the voltage drop causes the cookshack to act funny. Then again it may be a bad thermostat.


The only way to know for sure is, after this cook, start up the smoker and set it to 225. Write down the temps every 15 minutes for about 2 hours. Then call cookshack with your readings to see if there is something wrong and they will fix it if there is.

Well @ 9am, the butt reached 190 degrees. I removed butt, it is moist, tender, plenty of bark but NO SMOKE FLAVOR...AT ALL. With temp set at 250 the top vent temp only got to 221 then went down again. I miss my old New Braunsfel smoker!

quote:

Cookshack Barbecue & Smoke-Cooking Center forum.cookshack.com Cookshack Forums Start your Smoking Adventure Here Cookshack Smoker Owners Not Happy

CS is plugged directly into outlet in outdoor kitchen. I'll try tracking temp. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Lantern:
Hmmmm....I was starting to wonder about that.


How do you have it plugged up? Is there a drop cord? Sometimes the voltage drop causes the cookshack to act funny. Then again it may be a bad thermostat.


The only way to know for sure is, after this cook, start up the smoker and set it to 225. Write down the temps every 15 minutes for about 2 hours. Then call cookshack with your readings to see if there is something wrong and they will fix it if there is.

quote:

Originally posted by insmanwes:
Well @ 9am, the butt reached 190 degrees. I removed butt, it is moist, tender, plenty of bark but NO SMOKE FLAVOR...AT ALL. With temp set at 250 the top vent temp only got to 221 then went down again. I miss my old New Braunsfel smoker!

quote:

Cookshack Barbecue & Smoke-Cooking Center forum.cookshack.com Cookshack Forums Start your Smoking Adventure Here Cookshack Smoker Owners Not Happy

Did you use the same wood chunks? Or did you go out and get some hickory at a store? How much did you use?

If you got wood from a trusted store and put in 4-6 oz of wood....I don't know what to say, but maybe it's time to use the return policy. Because if that's "NO SMOKE FLAVOR....AT ALL" then one of the stick burners is the only way you're ever going to get the highly acrid taste you're after.

I have to be to the point around here now. Usually I'd joke a bit, but my jokes aren't welcome here and are deleted. Of course I'm just guessing why as I was not respected enough to be given a reason why my time was wasted.

So if I come across as harsh I apologise.

I'll just add one more question. What wood do you prefer when smoking?

Depends on the meat, Beef = Hickory,Mesquite Pork = Apple, Hickory.

Sorry if I missed this in one of the earlier conversations on here.The meat isn't wrapped in foile.is it? Is the wood burned up when you looko in the wood box? That doesn't make much sense to me either. Maybe you do have a defective heat coil.
If all else fails you can call Customer service on Monday.I know that doesn't help today.
Kathy
Lantern, I empathize.

The meat is not wrapped in foil. All the wood was burnt to ashes.
Thx!

I had a problem getting smoke flavor myself recently. I bought some new wood and the smoke flavor returned. Cant say this is your problem but it fixed mine. I also was using hickory and apple on my pork. My wood was old though. About 5-7 years and stored in open bags in my garage.

I used the wood that came with the new Smokette. I wouldn't think it would be old.

INS-
I have smoked lots of ribs, butts, briskets and other goodies in my 008.

I have never had the problems that you describe.

What have your friends who have Cookshacks had to say about your problems?

I don't want to sound harsh and uncaring because I truly do care.

I have a Smokette that has never made 250*. 235* is as close as it has ever got.

The CookShack way is not for everyone. It almost seems like you are used to having ALOT of smoke on your meat, maybe more than anyone else on this forum likes to have. Does everyone eating your meat like that much smoke flavor? There comes a point when the meat starts tasting acrid and nasty from too much smoke. You might be one of those people who a CookShack type smoker is just not suited for. It might be in your best interest to take advantage of that money back guarantee and go back to your New Braunfels.

Otherwise, we will continue to help anyway we can to get you accustomed to the CookShack way.

If you are going to monitor the box temp, you should turn it all the way up, stick the probe through a ball of foil, set it in the middle of the box on a shelf, give it 30 minutes or so to come up to temp, write down the temp every 15 minutes, for more than 2 hours. If it never gets to 250*, call CookShack customer service (second to none) and complain.

quote:

Originally posted by GLH:

If you are going to monitor the box temp, you should turn it all the way up, stick the probe through a ball of foil, set it in the middle of the box on a shelf, give it 30 minutes or so to come up to temp, write down the temp every 15 minutes, for more than 2 hours. If it never gets to 250*, call CookShack customer service (second to none) and complain.

Customer service told me to turn it to 225 and measure from cold for 2 hours. They said it gives them a better idea of what's going on.

I have probs with my thermostat. But, decided a max of 238-240 wasn't enough to bother with anyway. As long as I can get to 225 for butts and beef and 235 for ribs I don't car so much. 250 isn't high enough to crisp chicken skin, so no big deal for me.

Insmanwes,

I never got too good of smoke flavor results using the wood that came with the smoker. However it seems that I like a little more wood flavor than most.

Go get some new hickory or pecan. put three chunks each about the size of a deck of cards in the wood box and smoke another pork butt. You can open up the woodbox around the 6 hr mark and add another piece if you want. Of course be very careful the wood box is very hot. Use metal tongs or welders gloves so you do not burn yourself.(I would guess that this will put you right on the edge of over smoked and way over the edge for most on the forum. It's just personal preffernce though)

I have a 009 which is the same as yours. when set on 225 mine takes about 20 to 22 hrs for a 8 lb pork butt to reach 195, that makes it about 2.5 hrs per lb. It has always been that way. I just plan accordingly.

Check out smokin's 101 on briskets to get a smoke ring using tenderquick. I did a brisket this way and it looked and tasted great.

I recently used about three chunks of pecan to smoke some ribs and they came out way over smoked. I couldn't believe it but they were barely edible. It was my first time with pecan and the first time using that much wood on ribs. Next time I will adjust the wood though.

good luck and report back. The people at cookshack really care and we will try to help on the forum as best we can.

quote:

Originally posted by Lantern:

quote:

Originally posted by GLH:

If you are going to monitor the box temp, you should turn it all the way up, stick the probe through a ball of foil, set it in the middle of the box on a shelf, give it 30 minutes or so to come up to temp, write down the temp every 15 minutes, for more than 2 hours. If it never gets to 250*, call CookShack customer service (second to none) and complain.

Customer service told me to turn it to 225 and measure from cold for 2 hours. They said it gives them a better idea of what's going on.

I have probs with my thermostat. But, decided a max of 238-240 wasn't enough to bother with anyway. As long as I can get to 225 for butts and beef and 235 for ribs I don't car so much. 250 isn't high enough to crisp chicken skin, so no big deal for me.

Fine to do it that way if you want, but how will you know from that if it is going to make 250*? The Smokette is advertised to make 250*, and so it should. Like you, I am happy with my 235* max temp, but sometimes I would like to be able to hit 250* so it might not take a full day just to cook a butt or brisket. 15* made a good time difference in my old offset. Are they saying it takes 2 hours for the box to get up to 225* from cold? It takes at least 30 minutes just to get up to 200* in mine when it is 75*F outside and turned up all the way. I have been there and done that. Also, how do you determine from that dial that you have it set on 225*? Not like it clicks into place at a 225* setting.

Just some stuff to contemplate. I'm happy with my 5 year old Smokette 008. It has fed lots of folks.

I'm no expert,but it sounds to me like you got plenty of good advice above.

I'd recommend Smokin's old advice of "LEARN YOUR COOKER".

Take good notes on each cook,ask questions,make one adjustment at a time.

Get some experience in each category.

I spent my formative years in Lawton and am kinda familiar with your weather.

I've cooked on a New Braunfels in the wind ,rain,and cold.

If you can cook a slab of spares in your old cooker,and enjoy it more than your Cookshack in your yard in Jan/Feb-your a stronger man than I.

Keep cookin' and you'll be fine.

If your smoker doesn't get to temp, there's likely a reason (many, most of which we've hit). 250 is 250 and if it doesn't get there, contact CS customer Service, not the forum, so CS can assist you directly.

I would suggest giving it another couple shots with your cooker before reaching any conclusions. Remember also, CS gives you 30 days, no questions asked. So, that's your back up if you're truly unsatisfied after learning to cook with your new CS.

Don't over analyze the cooker temps and monitoring of those temps. On my 009, I've had 8 lb. butts go from 16 hours to 21 hours, all at the same temp setting. Just load the wood chunks (use hickory if you really like the smoke taste), close the door, and let it ride. Pull the butt when it's 195 or so, and you should be happy. The butt may drop a few degrees along the cook in the plateau, it may not hang there as long as it did the last time you cooked. You just never know. As Smokin says, it's not science.

As far as smoke flavor and ribs, I've used little chunks of hickory (maybe 3 oz. total) on ribs and I belched smoke flavor for 24 hours. I don't see how if you used hickory, you aren't tasting the heavy smoke you seem to desire.

Just my rambling....

C'Nooga