Smokers (Meat)

[Ban Basketball]

12 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Betsy’s gonna get a little trim, take a nice long bath, and has reservations in the Pit at 5am

Good looking cut of meat, and that's coming from an Iowan.

[Offthemat]

26 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Betsy’s gonna get a little trim, take a nice long bath, and has reservations in the Pit at 5am

You got the wrong one.  And what grade is that?

[WrestlingRasta]

1 hour ago, Offthemat said:

You got the wrong one.  And what grade is that?

Choice 

[Offthemat]

8 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Choice 

Should be good.  Next time pick the other side.  

[WrestlingRasta]

2 minutes ago, Offthemat said:

Should be good.  Next time pick the other side.  

You’re free to pick your side (whatever it is you’re talking about) when you’re doing your thing. 
 

And it will be good no matter what grade it is. 

Edited August 5, 2023 by WrestlingRasta

[Ban Basketball]

This could have been talked about earlier, so sorry for the repeat.  For those who have Traeger's, do you find that they smoke meat enough? 

I've only done two long smokes with it, but mine is getting better as it seasons, but it's a far cry from my old Bradley smoker.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

11 hours ago, Offthemat said:

You got the wrong one.  And what grade is that?

"The wrong one"? Pffff...

That's like saying that baseball is the wrong sport, or apple is the wrong pie.

"what grade is that?" - c'mon, what kind of question is that in a meat smoking thread? BBQ isn't and has never been about any grade. You cook what you got.

10 hours ago, Offthemat said:

Should be good.  Next time pick the other side.  

What? "Next time pick the other side"? Ffs, are you a 5th grader?

Maybe, next time, it may be better if you just don't post.

[Offthemat]

When you don’t know what you don’t know, carry on. 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

10 hours ago, Ban Basketball said:

This could have been talked about earlier, so sorry for the repeat.  For those who have Traeger's, do you find that they smoke meat enough? 

I've only done two long smokes with it, but mine is getting better as it seasons, but it's a far cry from my old Bradley smoker.

You are 100% right. I've found that although the Traeger can "smoke" meat, it isn't really anywhere near the level of the 'refrigerator-style' smokers that really smoke-the-heck out of meat.

I bought my Traeger with the 3-speed thermostat (before I upgraded it.) Bbq/bake/roast. It seemed limited, but it really wasn't. Those (3) did everything the Traeger was actually really good at.

Smoking was below the 'Bbq' level (~225), and Searing was above the 'Roast' level. Not that the Traeger couldn't emulate the other tasks - it kind of could - it just was never very good at them. Newer Traeger's provide 'super smoke', etc. but still aren't all that good at it. 

I sear steaks and do burgers on my gas grill. I've got a buddy with a smoker if I want to make jerky. Everything else I do is on the Traeger.

I even smoke salmon on the traeger (there's a really good vodka recipe online.) It isn't anywhere near what a hard smoke would do on a real smoker... but I've found I like the lighter smoke better with salmon. But that's just me. If you like a heavier smoke, you'll want to use a real smoker.

[Ban Basketball]

19 hours ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

You are 100% right. I've found that although the Traeger can "smoke" meat, it isn't really anywhere near the level of the 'refrigerator-style' smokers that really smoke-the-heck out of meat.

I bought my Traeger with the 3-speed thermostat (before I upgraded it.) Bbq/bake/roast. It seemed limited, but it really wasn't. Those (3) did everything the Traeger was actually really good at.

Smoking was below the 'Bbq' level (~225), and Searing was above the 'Roast' level. Not that the Traeger couldn't emulate the other tasks - it kind of could - it just was never very good at them. Newer Traeger's provide 'super smoke', etc. but still aren't all that good at it. 

I sear steaks and do burgers on my gas grill. I've got a buddy with a smoker if I want to make jerky. Everything else I do is on the Traeger.

I even smoke salmon on the traeger (there's a really good vodka recipe online.) It isn't anywhere near what a hard smoke would do on a real smoker... but I've found I like the lighter smoke better with salmon. But that's just me. If you like a heavier smoke, you'll want to use a real smoker.

Thanks for the helpful reply.  As I said, I'm only using my Traeger for long smokes, but I have bought one of those smoking tubes.  Haven't used it yet, but I'm told that they work well.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

1 hour ago, Ban Basketball said:

Thanks for the helpful reply.  As I said, I'm only using my Traeger for long smokes, but I have bought one of those smoking tubes.  Haven't used it yet, but I'm told that they work well.

My mistake - you posted that you had "done only two long smokes"...  didn't realize you actually meant that you are "only" using your Traeger for long smokes.

In that case, you are probably right. Maybe should have kept the Bradley.

Then again - maybe the smoking tubes will get the job done. Looking forward to hearing how that goes.

 

[Husker_Du]

what is a smoking tube?

do you put pellets in it? 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

57 minutes ago, Husker_Du said:

what is a smoking tube?

do you put pellets in it? 

Pellets in tube on top of grill - Looks like a super weak idea to me.

I've been BBQ'ing for years. I wouldn't ever consider burning wood pellets there.

 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

1 hour ago, Husker_Du said:

what is a smoking tube?

do you put pellets in it? 

Doesn't really matter... the smoking tube will never reach the level of a good quality smoker like a Bradley.

[WrestlingRasta]

Smoking tubes aren’t intended to replicate slow cook smokers. They’re intended to add a little bit of smoke to shorter cooks. 

[WrestlingRasta]

Ended up just doing the flat into some bbq slices. Saving the point for next weekend and some street tacos…
 

[Bigbrog]

2 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Ended up just doing the flat into some bbq slices. Saving the point for next weekend and some street tacos…
 

Looks amazing!

[Bigbrog]

I have an Oklahoma Joe smoker and it smokes just fine to me...get a good smoke ring and everything (as well as I can grill and sear on the thing).  To me pellet style smokers do the trick for the average homeowner who enjoys playing in the bbq world, but nothing will compare to a true hardwood smoker using real wood.  But that is above the amount of time I want to devote to smoking my meat.  

[WrestlingRasta]

11 minutes ago, Bigbrog said:

I have an Oklahoma Joe smoker and it smokes just fine to me...get a good smoke ring and everything (as well as I can grill and sear on the thing).  To me pellet style smokers do the trick for the average homeowner who enjoys playing in the bbq world, but nothing will compare to a true hardwood smoker using real wood.  But that is above the amount of time I want to devote to smoking my meat.  

I'm a weirdo in that I like managing the cook, even in this summer Florida heat.  I can't imagine putting a slab of meat on at nighttime and then going to bed.  For me that's part of the fun (and therapeutic).     Don't really use probes either....look, touch, and feel.

[Bigbrog]

1 minute ago, WrestlingRasta said:

I'm a weirdo in that I like managing the cook, even in this summer Florida heat.  I can't imagine putting a slab of meat on at nighttime and then going to bed.  For me that's part of the fun (and therapeutic).     Don't really use probes either....look, touch, and feel.

Awesome! 

I have put meat on at like 2-3 a.m. but it does weird me out a bit going back to sleep.  I am a probe guy...got one of those blue tooth meat thermometers and it sucks, so I use the ole electric probe and check it manually as needed.

[WrestlingRasta]

41 minutes ago, Bigbrog said:

Awesome! 

I have put meat on at like 2-3 a.m. but it does weird me out a bit going back to sleep.  I am a probe guy...got one of those blue tooth meat thermometers and it sucks, so I use the ole electric probe and check it manually as needed.

I've thought about getting a probe for big cuts like brisket and pork butt.   Probably could have used one yesterday, overshot it just a tad.

[Bigbrog]

3 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

I've thought about getting a probe for big cuts like brisket and pork butt.   Probably could have used one yesterday, overshot it just a tad.

I am sure it was still tasty as ever!

[Ban Basketball]

What few years I've been doing it, I cook nothing without a thermometer.  Too easy to under or over cook stuff, which then made me feel that I wasted hours of work.

[Offthemat]

13 minutes ago, Ban Basketball said:

What few years I've been doing it, I cook nothing without a thermometer.  Too easy to under or over cook stuff, which then made me feel that I wasted hours of work.

Nothing wrong with that, very much resembles my own method.  A long time ago I would go to a place right next to the railroad tracks where the sign said “you don’t need no teeth to eat my beef.”  The sign was true, and my brisket turns out about the same. 
 

Also, it has a distinctive smoke ring and hardly anybody puts sauce or anything on it. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Offthemat

[WrestlingRasta]

13 minutes ago, Ban Basketball said:

What few years I've been doing it, I cook nothing without a thermometer.  Too easy to under or over cook stuff, which then made me feel that I wasted hours of work.

Valid.