Got Smoke?? Need Smoke??

[MadMedik]

The Ash Deflector was in place.   I just  did not hold camera low enough to see it.   I pushed tube back and  it  was  almost touching the ash deflector.  Keep in mind,  it is the 6"  tube.   there are  12  and 18" ones  also.   One could also just  put the tube on your cooking grill.  I was  thinking  down low  just to have it out of the way.   I had thought putting on the  grill would allow the smoke  to go up too fast and not  hit the meat...so  I wanted smoke  below the meat.   I think once it is really going,  it  will fill up the  inside  and smoke will hit the food....so again,  putting on the grill may work ok.

[CeramicChef]

Just re-read the "Myth Busters" article on smoke rings over at Amazing Ribs. The process stops at 170F, not 140F, as published other places. Has to do with the myoglobin breaking down at 170F and it no longer absorbs NO and CO in the smoke vapor to form the pink ring. Best way to prolong the process - spritz or mop the meat with water, juice, vinegar, etc. to keep the surface cool as long as possible.

Tony, et al. - to prolong smoke absorption on low-n-slow cooks you do indeed want prolong that period when meat takes on smoke. To that end, I always put my cooks in the refrigerator after I prep the surface for a cook. Thus, on a pork butt, I'll apply rub, wrap the butt, and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours. For my friends that like a particularly smokie cook, I'll put the meat in the freezer for the last hour before the cook.

[tony b]

Good suggestions there, CC. Never thought about putting it back in the freezer. I usually prep my butts and briskets the night before and put them back in the fridge, taking them out at the last minute. 

[DennisLinkletter]

As I said earlier, remember it's condensation that get's the vapor/smoke to transfer to your food..

The colder the food.. the more condensation.

I'll take big thick steaks out of the fridge for an hour and a half warming up to loose the inner chill on a slab of granite to ensure no cold center.

Then throw them into the freezer for about 5-8 minutes prior to putting them into the grill to chill just the very outside of the steak.

Takes a long time to get the cold out and the cold back into the center.. meat is insulating..

Tad of smoke and now you have a smoke profile on your steak..

[CeramicChef]

Hey Dennis -I hope I'm not out of place here, but you mentioned during one of our conversations that you were experimenting with building and selling the smoke pots described elsewhere in this Forum.  How is that progressing?  I've got the 2 qt Lodge dutch oven on the way, but if you're close to a final model of that smoke pot, put me down for one, tell me where to send funds, and well move on down the road!

 

Thanks in advance!

[5698k]

Smoke is good!<br />

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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Cookie]

I know we had some folks try the smoke tubes, but did anyone try the maze in the KK?  I just found about 40 packs of pellets of all sorts that I forgot I received as a gift a long time ago.  I prefer using chunks, but I have some interesting pellets I'd like to try (wine barrel, Jack Daniels, herbs, etc.).  I have a Dutch oven smoke pot but it does not put out enough smoke for my taste.  The foil pouch method also lets me down whenever I try it....again, not enough smoke.  The videos for this maze for dust/pellets look pretty good.

 

It seems the maze could sit directly on your heat deflector during a low and slow and the heat below shouldn't be enough to cause any extra burn or ignition of the pellets.  What do you think?  Anyone tried the maze?  The appealing part to me is that it can be lit at both ends and in the center for a stronger profile and will still burn for 2-3 hours.

 

Just looking for a short-term solution to use up some of these pellets, then back to the chunks.