Sous vide chuck roast and the smoker


(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #61

These are device that you put pure wood pellets in and use in your grill or smoker. For my electric smoker this gives me much more control over the amount of smoke and I can mixed pellet types. Electric smokers tend to produce smoke with wood chips when the heating element is on. These devices produce smoke all the time there are pellets burning in them.

https://www.amazenproducts.com/Default.asp

I mostly use the wedgie for meats and the tube for cheese or beef jerky. The tube does not burn as long.

I added stainless steel feet (screws) to mine so they sit above the floor of the smoker.


(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #62

I use one of those on my gasser, the tube. And it’s a decent solution. I also use one to cold smoke on my pellet grill. Or to boost the smoke a bit.


(Central Florida Bob ) #63

Eric, the Smokin’ Wedgie is a new one on me, and looks simpler than the Amazen. I’ve got a couple of questions if you don’t mind answering - or can answer.

The knock on Amazen is that they don’t stay lit. I think that’s partly because of the way they burn, following the maze. Does the Wedgie stay lit? How long does it generate smoke?


(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #64

Bob

This is what I do to keep the pellets burning in the tube and the wedgie:

  • mix in some hickory if I’m using other wood pellets. 25% seems to work
  • dry the pellets in the oven at ~200F for 30 minutes before use. Some people microwave them. I don’t because I don’t want to risk a fire.
  • raise the tube up with u bolts and raise the wedgie up with screws. All hardware needs to be stainless steel. Galvanized metal is toxic (zinc fumes)
  • light with a torch and let burn outside of the smoker for 5 to 10 mins before inserting into the smoker

The wedgie lasts for 2 to 3 hours. If the vent is wide open and the chip tray is pulled out all the way it burns faster.

I love both. The last smoke I did was some beef jerky and I used the tube because I did not want the to put too much smoke on thin meat. I pulled the tube out after 20 mins. Should have been 30. It needed a little more smoke.

Also light one corner of the wedgie, not both. Since the pellets are in a triangle, in the middle of the burn, it puts out a lot of smoke. Great for a big piece of meat.

Here is a pic of the tube with the u bolt feet shown.

Happy low and slow.


(Central Florida Bob ) #65

It took a while to get here, but I just put 8 short ribs into my sous vide container. Set to 133 for 72 hours and the cook has started. At this point, my plan is to take them out Wednesday around noon and then into the smoker for a finishing five to six hours.


(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #66

Shock to fridge temp before smoking. And maybe finish more like smoke roasting (350) than smoking (225) to temp, rather than time. They bark up, imo, a bit better going hotter than going low/slow for bark.


(Central Florida Bob ) #67

Thanks. I had planned on the “shock to fridge temp.” I can’t make 350 in my Masterbuilt Electric, but I can set it as high as it will go (275 I think).


(Central Florida Bob ) #68

The 133 for 72 hours trick is quite something. I have to recommend it to everyone.

They were falling off the bone tender before going into the smoker. I did a very simple rub of onion, garlic and my wife’s favorite “Mr. Pepper” (sort of visible top left). They already had a salt and pepper rub before going into the sous vide. Smoked about 4 hours with apple wood - a mild smoke.

Like you say, @LeCheffre, like nothing else.

Dinner tomorrow night, too.


Cold smoking + Sous Vide?
Cold smoking + Sous Vide?
(Central Florida Bob ) #69

I had this thread open to compare my second chuck roast, today, to the one I did to start this thread. I may as well update this.

Second roast was a 4-1/2 pound, 2" thick chuck roast tied up with butcher string. 155 degrees for 48 hours, more like the Serious Eats recipe I originally didn’t do.

The bark is coming out better by running the smoker hotter, like @LeCheffre suggests. By temperature, 155 is well done which I think of as tough and probably dried out, but by time, the long hours at the temperature act to break down the tissues that make a well done cut of beef tough.

What you can’t see is that it’s juicy, (the surface literally dried out and darkened a bit in the 30 seconds it took for me to go get my camera), as well as tender and delicious. Best smoked chuck roast yet.


(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #70

If you did the sous vide for 24 hours what would the difference be?

Thanks.


(Central Florida Bob ) #71

Which do you mean? Chuck roast at 155 for 24 hours wouldn’t be as tender and easy to pull as the 48 hours was but would still be more the “well done” color.


(Running from stupidity) #72

Time affects tenderness, temperature affects doneness.


(Jeff Henderson) #73

Just did these two monsters on the pellet smoker. Turned out great 6 and 3/4 hours. I only went to 190 had a giant stall and didn’t want them to dry out wrapped and let sit for 75 mins