lets say that i am cooking ribs at 250° for 4 hours. the sm025 takes 30 minutes to get up to temp of 250°. does the time start when i put the ribs in or once sm025 hits 250°?
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When you put the ribs in, then toothpick test at 3.5 hrs every 20 minutes until you determine doneness. A wise sage once told me about the toothpick test (Smokin).
ty very much for the info. and your tip about lucilles was correct. good food there.
Like Pags and others say, Toothpick test!
For the timing it's all about practice. I know I can put my ribs in at 250 cold and not preheated. I need to start testing for doneness at the 3 hour mark. I like to spritz with apple juice everytime I open the door. (tip I picked up here) and it works very well. They have never been done at 3hrs. But the trimmed up meat from the flap is always a nice treat at the 3 hour mark and just might hold you and your guests over until they are done.
For the timing it's all about practice. I know I can put my ribs in at 250 cold and not preheated. I need to start testing for doneness at the 3 hour mark. I like to spritz with apple juice everytime I open the door. (tip I picked up here) and it works very well. They have never been done at 3hrs. But the trimmed up meat from the flap is always a nice treat at the 3 hour mark and just might hold you and your guests over until they are done.
For me, when I post times, it's "at temp" so if I say 275 for 4 hours, that means put them in a hot smoker. There are variables to getting up to temp so that's my plan when I post.
This is exactly why Smokin' keeps preaching good notes. It will become your own cook book. Timing will depend on weight and if you cook the same brand of ribs every time, but still be ready to see a little variance due to the animal itself.
Like Padrefan, I've got a little schedule of what I do, when I do and by practicing this it has become a very reliable way of producing quality food over and over.
I don't usually preheat the sm020, but do my FEC. The smokette will have less startup variables(over shooting temps),IMHO.
Like Padrefan, I've got a little schedule of what I do, when I do and by practicing this it has become a very reliable way of producing quality food over and over.
I don't usually preheat the sm020, but do my FEC. The smokette will have less startup variables(over shooting temps),IMHO.
can i use pellets in my sm025? going to make chicken and want to use apple wood but only have apple pellet.
I can't think of a reason why you couldn't. I use apple chips and those are pretty thin and probably burn quicker then pellets. I'm sure somebody has tried. I did a quick search using the find method and see a few discussions where people mentioning using pellets in the 025. Seems the burn fast but smoke good. Give it a shot and report back.
I use an aluminum foil packet of pellets when I have shorter or lower temp smokes. They work fine. Give off plenty of smoke earlier than wood chunks. Sometimes I use both at the same time. Looking for early smoke with the pellets and longerr smoke with the chunks.
i just put a 1/2 cup just into the fire box. works fine. my first cook was a chicken cooked 2 1/2 hours @ 250°. the skin was really dark and not very appealing. once i got the skin of the inside was so moist. the flavor was excellent. my wife and daughter ate one half on sandwich bread. ya, i own a sm025 and it works great.