Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with smoker

Smoked Turkey

dirtdirt — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:21:33 -0800

I am going to smoke a turkey this year for Thanksgiving. Uh. 'Smoke' like a brisket, not 'smoke' like a cigarette. Any advice? I have a Weber Bullet, and I am reasonably comfortable with it - done a bunch of briskets and ribs. But a whole turkey? That is out of my comfort zone. The stakes are high because, well, it's Thanksgiving. I get one shot and if I botch it we're all eating macaroni and cheese. And my appetite for turkey is not such that I care to do a practice turkey.

There are a couple of good looking techniques over on the useful website with the dumb name, and I am leaning towards the apple brine method they have, but first hand accounts, tips, tricks, recipes, or caveats would be great.

Max Weber

fixedgear — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:08:13 -0800

Big Green Egg. Worth it? I'm a Weber guy, cowboy charcoal. My Weber has rusted through. I need to replace it, probably with a 22.5" Gold or Silver. I'm sort of idly considering a Green Egg of similar size, but they are pricey.

Yes, the old one died because it was stored outdoors. It did have a cover, but the cover eventually got sunstruck and died and I never replaced it. I think what killed it is not emptying the ashes, which soak up moisture from the air and then rust the bottom. The cowboy coals also burn hotter than briquettes. One of the sockets that the legs fit into has rusted where it was spot welded.

So?

How to DIY modify my electric smoker to control cooking temp.?

savagecorp — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:07:17 -0800

I have an electric smoker grill, with 2 setting - on / off. Is there a way to regulate how hot the heating element gets, in order to control the cooking temperature? I bought a bullet style electric smoker a little while ago, and it works great. The only problem is that I would like to lower the cooking temperature; It smokes about 25 - 50 degrees too hot, depending on how long it's cooking. The heating element, in the bottom of the grill, is basically an over-sized hot plate.

Is there some kind of DIY modification I can make to have more control over the temperature?? I was thinking there would be some kind of gadget/ electronic something, I can put between the wall outlet and the grill's plug to regulate how much electricity is flowing to the hotplate...? I was also thinking of wrapping the heat element in foil, but not sure if that would work either.

Smoking Foods At Home

snsranch — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:57:11 -0800

I've just figured out how to use my gas grill to smoke things. It's really working well. Any ideas or suggestions about great things to smoke? Meat, veggies, cheese? Different woods? Recipes? This is very new to me and I'm worried about ruining otherwise great meat and veggies.

Also, I'm able to keep the temp down to around 250f if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance, I can't wait to try some new things!

I'd like to breathe again, please.

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:05:06 -0800

Apartment life. The smoker downstairs is making it very difficult for me to breathe! I have rented an apartment for over 2 years now. I am on my third 12-month lease with the company. I live in an upstairs unit, and a new tenant recently moved into the apartment below mine. The tenant there is a very heavy smoker and cigarette smoke has been drifting into my apartment for over a week now. I have asthma and allergies and I have had an extremely difficult time living normally.

I spoke with the maintenance staff who said there is not much to be done because the apartment is not built to be air-tight. I have used HEPA air filters, and I have tried to keep my windows open often, but it is winter so I'm having to choose between being warm and breathing freely. Tonight, I went to speak with the tenant below me and she rudely said she was not going to stop (prior to speaking with her, I wrote her a nice letter asking if she could smoke outside or near a window). I am stuck in my lease until May (as of writing this it is the middle of January).

Because the maintenance staff is not able to provide any remedy and my health is obviously at risk, do I have the option of terminating my lease without penalty? I have looked at my state's tenant-landlord laws and there is an implied habitability clause as well as one that states:

Except as otherwise provided in this act, if there is a noncompliance by the landlord with the terms of the rental agreement or Section 118 of this act, which noncompliance renders the dwelling unit uninhabitable or poses an imminent threat to the health and safety of any occupant of the dwelling unit and which noncompliance is not remedied as promptly as conditions require, the tenant may immediately terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord which notice specifies the noncompliance.

I feel like I am living on borrowed time here, as my breathing is not normal and I have been having weird symptoms such as waking up with a dry mouth, jitteriness, and loss of sense of smell. I have enjoyed living in these apartments, and if I had the choice I would not leave, but I don't think I have a choice. I am not sure if I can hire a lawyer at this moment, but if the situation calls for it, I'll consider it.

Thank you very much.

Help me choose a hot/cold smoker.

charlesv — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:19:37 -0800

Need a smoker for both salmon and pork shoulder. I'm looking for a smoker.

I've already seen this post on stovetop smoking and this one on cardoboard box smokers. I've also trolled all over the interwebs reading up on hot vs. cold smokers and all sorts of advice, tips and tricks.

Problem is, none of them provide what I am looking for - a recommendation for one that I can buy that meets the following requirements:
1. Commercially available
2. Cost no more than $250 USD
3. Be capable of both hot and cold smoking, enablling me to:
a. smoke already-cured gravlax
b. smoke raw pork shoulder

I will consider both electric and charcoal models, though I would prefer an electric. If an electric is a dumb idea, maybe someone could offer their opinion as to why. If such a smoker doesn't exist, that's fine too - just let me know how I should adjust my expectations.

I am originally from Memphis, and as such crave chopped pork bbq sandwiches whenever I can get my hands on them. More specifically, I have an obsession with Payne's, which some old-school Memphians consider to be the best in town, if not in the world.

How can I seal my smoker?

paul_smatatoes — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:00:22 -0800

How can I seal my home-made steel smoker? It's made out of a never-used oil drum, shaped like a giant flask. The problem is that the hatch, while large enough to cover the opening, doesn't form a perfect seal because of the body's curvature. Imperfect seal = imperfect smoking. What kind of material can take the medium heat of smoking, is non-toxic (no fiberglass!), and is slightly soft, to mold itself to the surface?

Life insurance up in smoke

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 04:59:39 -0800

Life insurance: When my husband and I got our term policies years ago, he was a smoker and paid a higer rate. He quit about 7 years ago and we were able to get the rates reduced after he had been smoke-free for a year. However, he's been smoking again for a while and I don't know what to do. If we come clean with the insurance co., our rates go up and I'm also nervous about being dropped. If we keep going as is, I'm afraid that if he dies (God forbid) they could deny the claim due to fraud.

Am I being overly nervous? Insurance seems like an industry where telling the truth can bite you in the ass sometimes.

This is a term policy with Northwest Mutual, if that helps.

Cardboard Box Smoker Advice?

robocop is bleeding — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 09:55:09 -0800

This weekend I intend to construct a Custom Corrugated Vapor Colloid Applicator to smoke some fish. Now I've seen Alton Brown do this on my DVD of the show a dozen times, but I'm still a bit iffy about 1) not burning the house down 2) creating something non-food poisonalicious and 3) getting it done in time for a BBQ on Sunday. Any MeFi homemade smoker veterans have any tips for a beginner?

Help a pregnant chainsmoker quit.

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 10:37:15 -0800

Pregnant chainsmoker. I just found out that there's a baby onboard and will see my doctor next week, I'm probably only 3 weeks. As soon as I knew I put my cigarettes down, but now a few days later I really, really want to smoke. Any suggestions that don't involve nicotine patches that may help me stay off the cancer-sticks?

Tobacco Odors

Cryptical Envelopment — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 17:25:19 -0800

I am a smoker who works at home. Now that the cold weather is here there isn't much air circulation and I stink the place up good. Have you had any success eliminating tobacco odors short of buying an expensive air purifier?