Syzygies' Smoking Pot

[MacKenzie]

 

[Jon B.]

 

Used the "smoke pipe bomb" the other night with peach wood on a nice tri-tip steak.  Heated the grill up to 300* F.  Put the pipe on top of the coals, installed the cooking grate & the meat.

Again there was no smoke for about 15 minutes................compared to dutch oven pot that started smoking right away.  When the smoke started, it was a nice clear colored smoke.  It didn't last more than 10 -12 minutes but it was the right amount of smoke for the tri-tip.   

The black iron pipe showed no signs of manufacturing oils and burned clean.  Actually started to show some rust on the threads.  Not concerned at all about using it on a regular basis. 

I did stuff it full of wood chips, so it is definitely not something you would use if you wanted prolonged smoke during your cook.  Is perfect for those quick cooks needed a hint of smoke. 

The tri-tip was pulled at 140*F IT and had a nice smokey touch.  Had some cold left overs in a salad the next day where I could really taste the peach smoke.  Still very good smoke flavor . 

Plan on using the smoke pipe a lot for the meats/cooks that don't require much smoke _ FYI

Another Quick Aside...............when I'm standing at the grill while smoking meats, getting covered with and breathing the smoke, I have a hard time tasting the smoke flavor when eating the food.  It isn't until I eat left overs the next day that I can really appreciate the added smoke goodness.  Guess the grill smoke effects my taste buds in the short term.

 

 

[tony b]

Yep, like just about anything, you can go into sensory overload on smoke, too. 

[tekobo]

This newbie tried out the smoke pot for the first time yesterday.  I hadn't been planning to post anything because so much has been said on the subject to date but I feel compelled to do so.  First, because it may be worth summarising all the stuff that you guys have learned and second, because the results were so good!  Here goes.  This is what I learned:

1.  Buy a beat up, second hand pot from eBay.  You don't feel anywhere near as bad when you drill through it.

2.  If at first you find you can't drill through your cast iron pot, get someone with a drill press to do it for you.

3.  Drill max three holes to focus the smoke output.

4.  Choose how you seal the top.  I used a dough ring.  Won't win any baking competitions, but it works and knocks off easily at the end.

5.  Put the pot in directly over your hot coals.  If you can, pre-heat the pot.

Things I still have to learn:

a.  Look out for the blue smoke - I went indoors and didn't see if this was produced.

b.  Find out if I should have used a drip pan above the smoke pot.  

c.  Find out what size smoking lump to use.  I used chips and some may have blocked the holes.  

Now for some pics.

Here is the underside of the pot, with the initial hole The Husband tried to drill in the middle.  He said that is as far as he got, with a new bit, after 3 minutes.  He got our carpenter friend to use his drill press yesterday and it apparently took seconds to drill the other holes.  Carpenter friend happy because he has been promised the left over hardwood from breaking down the KK delivery crates.  He is delighted to have some undefined, foreign wood to play with. ( Note for non US folk: a Le Creuset #18 is the equivalent of a US 2qt pot)

The small smoking chips that I used.

The outcome after over 5 hours.  It was a 1.8kg piece of pig.  Shoulder I think, but I'd lost the label.  

A delight to smell and behold.  And eat.  

The MEATER readings of the cook.  The big dip in the middle was when I was fiddling with the two racks of ribs I included with the shoulder.  Other than that, I still marvel at how easy it has been to set and control the temps.  I noticed that someone, Ceramic Chef I think, uses the small vent holes  in the second lower damper to manage/set the temp.  I did the same, keeping the main lower damper shut, and found it very easy to reach and hold the temperature.  (Temps in Centigrade)

I took the ribs out after 4 hours and they made a lovely snack while we were waiting for the pulled pork.  A fat 2018 awaits I think.

And my poor dirty smoke pot.  Should clean up OK but wonder if I should have used a drip pan.  

 

[5698k]

My first reaction is that I’ve never used chips, only chunks, I wonder if there’s a significant difference. Do you have a pic of the remains of the chips?

Those holes look bigger than mine, 1/16”. Seems like I read that makes a difference too.

Yes on the drip pan, I always use something to catch drippings.


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[tekobo]

Hi Robert.  I've just been on cleaning duty and, happily, the top of the smoke pot cleaned up nicely.  Do you use a drip pan, even when you are cooking a steak?  Or just when smoking or doing other cooks that just need indirect heat?  I did a thick fore rib steak with the top grate sitting on the fire basket and I found that cooked well but there was some smoke from the dripping fat. 

The Husband warned me that the holes would be bigger than originally planned.  The larger drill bits were on offer at our local DIY store. 

I knocked the flour ring into the pan when I finished so there is only a pile of mush in our bin - not a pretty picture.  About half the chips were black and the rest were dark brown. What would you expect to see?

[5698k]

For fast cooks, such as steaks, I don’t use a drip pan. I like to cook steaks really hot, 650°-700°, plus I like the char from the fire kissing the beef, so a drip pan is out of the question. For low/slo’s I always use something.

I would have expected all black/charred, this is what I get every time. The remains look more like lump charcoal when done. I wonder if the chips blocked airflow, preventing the effect.


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[tekobo]

Hmmm.  I did wonder about the chips blocking the holes.  And whether they got hot enough, given I didn't pre-heat the pot.  I have a few sample sized bags of these small chips and so will need to find a way to make them work.  Will try pre-heating next time but not sure how to avoid blockage. Tasted good though, just a little smoky and tender without being mushy. 

[5698k]

I don’t pre heat, I’m not sure it’s an issue. Can you find chunks the same wood as your chips? Mixing the two might do it.


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[MacKenzie]

I have found that if my cook temp. is under 225F that I don't get near as much action from the smoke pot as I would like. If I read the graph correctly it looks like for most of the cook the temp. was just under that. Robert, have you noticed this or maybe it's just particular to my setup?

Edited January 7, 2018 by MacKenzie

[5698k]

I don’t cook under 225°, so I really can’t say.


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[MacKenzie]

Tekobo, I forgot to mention, your pork roast does look delicious. 

[tekobo]

My target temp was 105C which Google tells me is 221F.  I was above this for most of the time but not far off.  Sounds like you need a little more to get and keep the smoke going.  Options are to get chunks to avoid blockages, put in some sort of a mesh to avoid blockages and increase the heat.  I haven't seen anything that says I can't stick a couple of pieces of char IN the smoke pot.  That could solve my blockage and heat problem.  Given I'd never cooked low and slow in a BBQ before I am pleased with this first go and look forward to more pot smoking.  

[5698k]

Putting some char in the pot should do it! Excellent idea!


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[tony b]

I'm curious - will the charcoal get enough oxygen to actually burn? 

I've never pre-heated my smoker pot. But, I do put it on top of the lit coals as soon as I've convinced that the fires going well. It's generally starting to smoke by the time I'm up to temps and ready to put on the meat. I have observed that I get more smoke production at higher temps - above 275F, but I still can get decent smoke below that. 

Don't fret drippings on the smoker pot; they'll burn off next cook. The only "maintenance" that I do on mine, besides clean off the old flour paste on the lid/rim, is to always check the holes beforehand to make sure that they're not clogged. Mine are much smaller than yours (3/32") and can clog easily; hence, I only use large chunks of wood in mime. The chips and pellets are for the cold smoker attachment. 

[MacKenzie]

1 hour ago, tekobo said:

 I am pleased with this first go and look forward to more pot smoking.  

That's the spirit. 

[tony b]

[tekobo]

13 hours ago, tony b said:

I'm curious - will the charcoal get enough oxygen to actually burn?

I'll try it out.  And this time I will hang around to watch for the smoke!

[MacKenzie]

4 hours ago, tekobo said:

I'll try it out.  And this time I will hang around to watch for the smoke!

You should be able to smell it also. The one I notice the most is the whiskey barrel smoke, it is just so sweet smelling.

[tekobo]

Thanks for all the advice.  I thought of buying chunks but I have eight packs of the small chips so I persevered and arranged the chips so that they would not block the holes.

I then sealed the pot and heated it in one KK and then transferred it to the lower temp KK for smoking.  That worked. The chips were burned and the meat came out nice.  Don't think I will go to the trouble of lighting two KKs in the future unless I need to.  Will try heating up with a torch next time.