smoking in the cold!!

Hey Smokin'

Same beautiful weather up north of you here in the mitten. Stay warm and enjoy that pulled pork.

Bubba,

What smoker are you using?

I think most have found that less than five hours doesn't work. My recipes say about that time, but we've pointed out that's too short.

Smokin'

HI SmokinBubba!

Same weather here! I got 2 loads of jerky to do today and tommorrow.

As for spares...those you are using are huge...that's OK, they will take much longer than baby backs. I used to cook those bronto spares when first learning. Mine always took around 8-9 hours at a temp of 225�.

Good luck!

I don't believe the cold weather effects cooking in the CS. It is much colder here where I live, and I have not experienced any problems. The only time that I can imagine the cold weather effecting things would be if you open the door frequently to check on your food. The one thing to watch in cold weather, however, is the hole in the floor of the CS where the hot renderings or fat drain from. The renderings re-solidify fairly rappidly in the cold air creating a sort of stalagmite on the ground or surface pan beneath. If you are cooking a pork butt or something with a fair amount of fat, it can build up right up to the opening. It just pays to check and remove this if their is too much build up.

SmokinBubba,
I live in New England...and I've done several sessions of pork ribs at different outside temps and have always been right on the 6 hr mark. Then I foil em and place in cooler for 30 min. Haven't missed yet.

I ALWAYS use digital thermometers both for the meat and the smoker temp. My average smoker temp is right around 230 deg, and I smoke the ribs to 190.

Hope this helps somewhat.....

Ken

Thanks for all the help. I guess I am not alone. Sorry Smokin, forgot to mention Im using a smokette. The boss removed the two 7.5 lb butts while I was out of town on a rabbit hunt this afternoon. They took 19 hrs.with checking three times. Probably would have gotten done sooner but my polder probe took a dump and had to use an instant read. The demise of my probe was due to pinching it in the smokette door too much. Mine has a 90deg plug where it pluggs into the polder and will not thread thru the vent hole. The meat end is also a 90 so it wont thread either. Going to pick up a new STREIGHT plug probe as soon as I contend with my Plumbing problem(whole nuther story!!) Thanks again,Bubba

The bent meat end of the probe will fit thru the top hole of the smoker you have to reach in and lightly force thru mine go thru all the time.

Ricky, Thanks, Ill give it a try. I thought that a little force would hurt it. Good to hear it wont. My original probe may not work now, it has been smashed in the door many times. Oh well all in the name of good Q.

Another alternative method on the probe.

I put my probe in, while the meat is in the house, that way I insert it in the meat in the proper place (hard to see in the dark inside of the smoker sometimes).

Then.

Take the small end and run it UP into the little hole, just don't get stuff on the tip where you insert it into the monitor.

Smokin

A continuation on the light issue. I recently discovered a nice solution to seeing in the dark (in the time phase when you use the expression "It's done when it's done"). I bought a light on a head band powered by 4 or 6 AA batteries (kind of like the old coal miners lights). I forget, but it was probably around $10 or so at the local mega building store. It's pretty easy to get on and off quick, you can adjust it up or down and it sure works nice when you need both hands in the CS. All you have to do is point your head and you have light where you want it. And it sure beats having to have a separate light somehow arranged so it shines directly into the inside of the CS. The other nice thing about a head lamp is that if you want to take your piece of meat out and work with it somehow, you again have your light right where you want it.

Just a warning though. Your neighbors may wonder what alien spaceship has landed in your back yard.

Just my two cents of ideas in better utilizing your CS.

My Polder has a 90 degree on both ends just like Bubba's. It was a pain getting it in the smokette, but I very gently opened up the bend on the meat probe side with my hands -just enough so it would squeek through. It still works perfectly, but like I said I was real careful not to bend it too much. I bent it a little, then tested it, a little more, re-tested it...

The above are all good answers to getting the probe through the vent hole.

Like Smokin' mentioned,I often set my probes while in the kitchen.

Although CS doesn't say anything about it,I usually run the cable out the lower door side
when I am temping the bottom rack.

I have been running the cables out the CS door for about three?years without it bothering the cable.

I've used the same cables in very tight pro ovens and other cookers for several years before that.

It doesn't mean they won't quit tomorrow,but that has been my experience.

My main problem with th probe was whan I closed it in the door the thing wouldnt work. Open the door and it worked fine, close it, out again, very annoying!! I guess my smokette door is fitted with a little closer tollerances than some. This would explain why I loose no smoke what-so-ever around the door.Vent hole only. I solved the probe problem by using Rickys idea of putting a little a$$ behind it and it went right thru the vent hole The plug end is way too big to go because of the 90deg connection. Thanks to all, Bubba

Hey Smokin Bubba:

Noticed you're from Columbus - have you ever tried City BBQ? We're fans of the chicken, brisket and pulled pork. Gotta love those baked beans.....

Leigh