Electric Smoker help.

[lewdog]

I have a vertical charcoal smoker but I am also looking at getting an electric smoker with more room and the convenience it can provide.

I am having family from out of town and plan to do a pork butt and pork ribs next Saturday. However, with the charcoal smoker and the babysitting it requires, I have to be home most of the day to cook like I want. I'd rather set and forget the electric smoker for hours at a time so we can be out doing things rather than hanging around the house.

Anyone have any they like? I'm looking a something similar to the style posted below but not set on size or company.

How do you put the wood in these to smoke? I've read some still just put the chunks in there on the heating element and let it burn as the wood box doesn't allow much wood to be present.

Anyone have any recommendations?

[lewdog]

Forgot to post this last week when I used this for the first time.

I had pork butt going about 6 hours on top rack around 225 with first 3.5 hours smoke. After 6 hours running, added 3 racks of ribs, cut in half to fit in smoker, on the rest of the three racks and smoked another 3 hours. Trouble is, the smoker dipped to 150-175 degrees for 2 hours even though I had it turned up to max heat. Even after 2 hours on max heat it was only sitting at 200 and struggled to get above that. It set things back really late and they ribs didn't come out done enough.

Maybe I put too much food in? The temperature outside was 60 degrees so don't think it was the weather.

It sucked.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Forgot to post this last week when I used this for the first time.

I had pork butt going about 6 hours on top rack around 225 with first 3.5 hours smoke. After 6 hours running, added 3 racks of ribs, cut in half to fit in smoker, on the rest of the three racks and smoked another 3 hours. Trouble is, the smoker dipped to 150-175 degrees for 2 hours even though I had it turned up to max heat. Even after 2 hours on max heat it was only sitting at 200 and struggled to get above that. It set things back really late and they ribs didn't come out done enough.

Maybe I put too much food in? The temperature outside was 60 degrees so don't think it was the weather.

It sucked.

Seems like a lot of meat at one time. How many times you open the door?

it's going to be a while before you get your smoking rhythm. Trial and error.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Seems like a lot of meat at one time. How many times you open the door?

it's going to be a while before you get your smoking rhythm. Trial and error.

Opened it to start it. Checked it twice in those 6 hours. Got it back up to temp and had the door open a bit to stick the 3 rib trays in, don't really have a choice there. Maybe it was just too much cold ribs at once and it never recovered, even on max temp? Pork baby backs shouldn't take 6 hours to cook and still not be done!

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Opened it to start it. Checked it twice in those 6 hours. Got it back up to temp and had the door open a bit to stick the 3 rib trays in, don't really have a choice there. Maybe it was just too much cold ribs at once and it never recovered, even on max temp? Pork baby backs shouldn't take 6 hours to cook and still not be done!

Water pan? Were you adding water? I skip the water pan, but if you are adding water, add boiling water.

Might have been too much meat, but still seems odd that you didn't get back to temp. Six hours isnt too crazy for ribs. 3-2-1 takes 6 hours not accounting for starting in a below temp smoker.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by jspchief

Water pan? Were you adding water? I skip the water pan, but if you are adding water, add boiling water.

Might have been too much meat, but still seems odd that you didn't get back to temp. Six hours isnt too crazy for ribs. 3-2-1 takes 6 hours not accounting for starting in a below temp smoker.

Water pan had been in already with the pork butt but I think I did empty it and refilled with cold water prior to ribs going in. They say smoker needs water pan to extinguish the pucks before they start burning or smoldering.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Water pan had been in already with the pork butt but I think I did empty it and refilled with cold water prior to ribs going in. They say smoker needs water pan to extinguish the pucks before they start burning or smoldering.

Too much cold stuff at once, I suspect. Too much for it to recover from.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Too much cold stuff at once, I suspect. Too much for it to recover from.

So should I have done the ribs in increments? Which sucks because I wanted it done at some time. Or have taken the pork butt out and put in oven to finish? Although that was hot so should have added to temp by then?

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So should I have done the ribs in increments? Which sucks because I wanted it done at some time. Or have taken the pork butt out and put in oven to finish? Although that was hot so should have added to temp by then?

I'm no expert on the electric smokers. I think you might have had better luck starting it all at the same time, then holding the ribs in foil, wrapped in towels, and stored in a cooler. But really that's a guess.

I'm thinking the cold water refill (always do boiling water) and the cold meat just brought your internal temp down too far for it to recover.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

I'm thinking the cold water refill (always do boiling water) and the cold meat just brought your internal temp down too far for it to recover.

the cold water refill was probably it/

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So should I have done the ribs in increments? Which sucks because I wanted it done at some time. Or have taken the pork butt out and put in oven to finish? Although that was hot so should have added to temp by then?

I've done exactly what you are trying to do without problems in cold ass weather. It lets all the heat out when you open the door to check, but it should have enough wheaties to get the temp back up.

Does it have a vent in the top? If so, maybe you need to shut it to keep some heat in.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

the cold water refill was probably it/

I'm and idiot.

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I've done exactly what you are trying to do without problems in cold ass weather. It lets all the heat out when you open the door to check, but it should have enough wheaties to get the temp back up.

Does it have a vent in the top? If so, maybe you need to shut it to keep some heat in.

Yea I kept the vent open for when it was smoking and never closed it, but probably should have closed it more once I wasn't smoking and just cooking it.

Good idea.

[lewdog]

Had that smoker rolling all night with just a pork butt in it. Got it to sit at around 215 in only 30 minutes and threw the meat in around 10pm. Nearing 8 am now and butt is sitting at around 195 degrees, looking great, with smoker cooking at 235.

Gonna pull shortly and Faux Cambro it in a cooler until kickoff for my guests.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Had that smoker rolling all night with just a pork butt in it. Got it to sit at around 215 in only 30 minutes and threw the meat in around 10pm. Nearing 8 am now and butt is sitting at around 195 degrees, looking great, with smoker cooking at 235.

Gonna pull shortly and Faux Cambro it in a cooler until kickoff for my guests.

[lewdog]

Here's my setup. LOL

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I'm and idiot.



Yea I kept the vent open for when it was smoking and never closed it, but probably should have closed it more once I wasn't smoking and just cooking it.

Good idea.

I don't open my vent for the first 2-3 hours of a long cook, Thats the best time to get the smoke into the meat. Settles my temp to a consistent temp. I never open my vent all the way. I always have a plan anytime I open the smoker to minimize time.