The Smokers Thread for Everything BBQ - You Know Who You Are!

[CFLBob]

You may like to try this…it’s one of my favorites…$6.99 flat rate shipping continental US, on whatever you buy too.

https://www2.netrition.com/sukrin_gold.html

Thanks, Sophie!

Does it have that molasses flavor that brown sugar has?

A few weeks ago, I got some Swerve confectioner’s sugar. They really got that one right.

[JustPeachy]

@Baytowvin @CFLBob I’ve been buying from Netrition for years and have had no issues with their company. And I love the flat rate shipping since everything I buy seems to weigh a ton!

I really like the Sukirin Gold and I use it for a lot of stuff. Never thought about BBQ sauce because I never did sweet BBQ sauces but it would surely work! lol It is eryth so I have noticed that slight cooling effect but the flavor is just what you’d expect. I found the product through a Youtube channel called Cooking Keto with Kristy. It makes awesome keto nut butter cookies. Oh, and their chocolate bars are a nice treat too even though a little spendy.

[MarvinGardens]

mine are basically a base of paprika i look for a smoked when i can find. chili powders i like ancho and chipotles, cumin, kosher salt…gives alot more salt flavor due to crystal size, white and black peppers, garlic, orange rind, grapefruit rind, lime rind ( not all in same rub) . then i used brown sugar.

hoping removing sugar wont make alot of differeance. I find rubs to be the best flavor enhancement and also helps to seal meat.

i dont buy any commercial rubs because of all the crappy additives though.

I haven’t smoked anything with a rub since starting keto. According to my tastebuds, regardless of the recipe brown sugar has always been part of the magic. I’ve tried others but they basically taste like pepper to me. I did cook up a batch of chicken in the smoker using a sugar free sauce and some pelple went nuts over it, but I’m not sure they’ve ever had properly cooked chicken before.

[JustPeachy]

Well, I think y’all need to try some of that Sukrin Gold! Go getcha some!

[MarvinGardens]

Well, I think y’all need to try some of that Sukrin Gold! Go getcha some!

WOW … Had no idea!
If this comes remotely close to saving my beloved barbeque rubs, you’ve got my vote for queen of whatever you want to be queen of (barbecue IS that important)

[matt]

I use this in my rubs when I want a bit of sweetness. A little goes a long way. I mix it with powered erythritol.

roughly 2/3 erythritol to 1/3 Just like brown sugar.

http://www.justlikesugar.com/product/just-like-sugar-brown/

[rhltechie]

I have seen that somewhere else…I think I need to give it a go!

[MarvinGardens]

OK … since this thread is entitled Everything BBQ, I have a question that hopefully someone can answer. I use a 24" Camp Chef Smoke Vault (it’s the bigger one) - a vertical gasser - had it a while and I love it - except for - I can’t get it to maintain a constant temperature … which of course drives me further nuts than I already was. I’ve tried the tricks with the water pan - keeping it full, filling it with sand, and other tips I’ve read on a smoking forum I’m on.

The key for gassers seems to be installing a needle valve to allow fine, consistent adjustment - and herein lies the rub (pun intended). Most of the ones I’ve looked at that are one piece/turnkey state “Not for use with gas grills” … like I’m going to blow my house up if I use this on my smoker. I’ve searched the smoking forum I’m on and there are of course references to how easy it is to cobble one together but most posts seem to refer back to an original post that is no longer there. I haven’t searched youtube for a bit but last time I looked i came up empty. My first choice was to simply visit a specialty store in my are and do business with them if they could sell me what I needed. I’ll have to check again as the two stores that had real professionals that knew what they were talkin about have since closed.

Anyone on here faced this challenge and found a relatively simple solution to the needle valve/20# propane tank issue? I’ve read on the smoking forum I’m on that some have used the bayou classic needle valve/regulator/hose and simply ignored the warning about not using it on gas grills. Not sure I want to do that.

Keep Calm and Barbecue On

[LeCheffre]

I’ve found the following advice from a guy who has done 100+ cooks on the SV:

1. Only crack the tank valve 1/2 to 3/4 open. The lower flow seems to help. I’m really not sure that the regulator actually maintains constant flow when the tank valve is opened more.
2. Cook in the shade. I always cook under a large beach umbrella that protects the smoker from the sun.
3. Orient the back of the smoker towards the prevailing wind.
4. Top vent always opened wide, both sides to the narrowest setting. Only play with one of the side vents if you really need to. I don’t bother anymore.
5. Change the temperature knob not more that a milimeter at a time, and wait for a long while to see the reaction.
6. Use a remote thermometer to record oven temp and never bother with the built in one.

Another user suggested:

I’ve finally figured out that the way my smoker will stabilize temps is to leave it alone for a while. I start with a slightly lower temp (e.g. 220 when I want 250), and it gradually warms up and hits a stable temp and stays there. Is with a lot of things in life, the less I did, the better it did.
Here’s a diagram of smoker, meat and outside temperatures from a recent chuck roast cook I did on the SV. After initial warm-up, I lowered the burner and left it alone. It took about 2 hours, but the temps came up to about 250 F and held nicely.

So, collectively, dial the propane knob down, fiddle with it less, top vent wide open, water in the pan, maybe with a taller pan in the water pan. Don’t do sand.

[MarvinGardens]

@LeCheffre,
I appreciate the response. Most of the recommendations I’ve already tried. The one I haven’t tried … don’t recall seeing it before is the one about not opening the tank valve all the way.I have a smoke coming up this weekend and I’ll put that suggestion to some good use.

Thanks again!

[JustPeachy]

Thanks @matt, that looks like something worth trying out and maybe using in conjunction!
Every time I think about using some new ingredient or spice, I think about how my hubby is always amazed by my spice cabinets…he says there is magic stuff in there and he’d be lost.

[LeCheffre]

I’m surprised no one has developed a tool or a burner for a gas smoker that will dial itself, the way a BBQGuru will do charcoal or a pellet grill will. If a P-grill can turn an augur, why not a dial on a gas grill?

[Jerrettscott]

Guess this is a good place to ask, I want to smoke a pig belly when I get off my fast. What is a good price for one? Thanks

[LeCheffre]

They can be priced all over the place. I get at a wholesaler for <$2 a pound. I get at Costco for somewhere under $3.50. Butcher goes pricier.

[Jerrettscott]

I went to Costco to look at the pork bellies. Now I wanted to run a method of preparing it past you good folk. I have watched many videos on cooking the pork belly and I think I have a two stage method that I think should turn out good. First step is to prepare the pork belly with seasonings and dry out the skin with lots of holes and salt/baking soda. After letting it sit overnight in the refrigerator, put it on a smoker for a few hours. After the smoker, let it set briefly before deep frying the whole thing in a deep fryer to crisp the skin and finish cooking the pork belly if needed. Is this impractical or genius? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!!

[MarvinGardens]

@Jerrettscott
Is your first step a dry brining of sorts? I have never cooked pork bellys. I’m on day 4 of an extended fast and plan on cooking up a batch when I break the fast this weekend.

The reason I ask about the first step is I pulled a recipe from Jeff Phillips - my online smoking sensei at smokng-meat.com. He describes something similar assuming the first step is a dry bringing. His last step is pan searing but I’m guessing your frying accomplishes the same thing and makes it more keto-ish and maybe a better finish.

This is a link to his description:

https://www.smoking-meat.com/february-1-2018-smoked-pork-belly-slices?awt_l=FM9Br&awt_m=JncyPLXChP9lW

Based on what I’ve read about pork belly, I think you’re on to something. I was told simply smoking them while good left them lacking a little something. Crisping the skin is … from what I can tell … the difference maker. This is an interesting n=1 of sorts that some of us will be anxiously awaiting to hear about (no pressure )

Here is an interesting sidebar: In the recipe I linked to, Jeff stated:

I have to say, you NEED these really bad although your doctor may disagree!

Aint keto grand? People on a conventional diet have to see these as an indulgence that’s basically bad for them. To us, it’s health food.

Good luck and let us know how it works out, and what if anything you’d do differently.

[MarvinGardens]

I’ve found the following advice from a guy who has done 100+ cooks on the SV:

1. Only crack the tank valve 1/2 to 3/4 open. The lower flow seems to help. I’m really not sure that the regulator actually maintains constant flow when the tank valve is opened more.
2. Cook in the shade. I always cook under a large beach umbrella that protects the smoker from the sun.
3. Orient the back of the smoker towards the prevailing wind.
4. Top vent always opened wide, both sides to the narrowest setting. Only play with one of the side vents if you really need to. I don’t bother anymore.
5. Change the temperature knob not more that a milimeter at a time, and wait for a long while to see the reaction.
6. Use a remote thermometer to record oven temp and never bother with the built in one.

Another user suggested:

I’ve finally figured out that the way my smoker will stabilize temps is to leave it alone for a while. I start with a slightly lower temp (e.g. 220 when I want 250), and it gradually warms up and hits a stable temp and stays there. Is with a lot of things in life, the less I did, the better it did.
Here’s a diagram of smoker, meat and outside temperatures from a recent chuck roast cook I did on the SV. After initial warm-up, I lowered the burner and left it alone. It took about 2 hours, but the temps came up to about 250 F and held nicely.

So, collectively, dial the propane knob down, fiddle with it less, top vent wide open, water in the pan, maybe with a taller pan in the water pan. Don’t do sand.

@LeCheffre
I responded to this earlier but I had a chance last weekend to put 2 of the recommendations to some good use. As I mentioned in the first response I had tried just about all of the suggestions with the exception of only opening the tank valve part of the way. Can’t say whether it was 1/2, 3/4 or what … but my temps did stabilize. Took a little getting used to as dialing back how far the propane was opened meant I had to turn up the gas at the smoker a little more.

I mentioned as second thing that helped … I knew one of the secrets was going to be leaving it alone as much as possible. Knowing that and doing it are two different things. I started the smoker up about 45 minutes sooner than I normally would, set the dial where I thought it should be and noticed taht while it wasn’t quite as warm as I’d like … the temperature was stable. One small adjustment and the temp was just fine for the rest of the cook. I was doing bone in chicken thighs so it was only a 4 hour smoke, but I suspect as long as I kept water in the pan, the idea would work for something like a Boston butt where it’s on the smoker a lot longer.

Thanks again for the heads up. It made me love a smoker that until that time, I simply liked a lot.

[MarvinGardens]

We cook on a combo of Drum smokers and insulated reverse flow verticals. As the sport has changed and our personal preferences we’ve changed a bit. Good BBQ can be made on anything if you know how to control it.

I read a quote from Myron Mixon … written before he became a TV personality and I started liking him a little less … where he stated (and I’ll remove the profanity and condense) that he could “outcook many people using a trash can lid” I’m no pit master, but most things I’ve gotten heavily involved in, it seems technique trumps equipment 24/7/365. Of course technique is the hard part that takes years to learn no matter whose book or forum you read. I could probably watch @Untraceable cook up a good batch of something, try and duplicate what he did … and it wouldn’t be the same.

[LeCheffre]

That’s awesome!

I’m thrilled to have helped. I’ll pass it along to my brother who has a knockoff Smoke Vault that he doesn’t use often enough to get good at.

I’d suggest, if you’re not already doing so, is getting a thermocouple probe and grate thermometer and ignore the dial on the front of the unit.

[Jerrettscott]

I think so. Not sure what herbs/spices to use, but the baking soda / salt on the skin dries it out so that it will crisp up at higher temps. During the smoking, I’m sure it will retain the flavor. Then popping it in a deep fryer will finish off the skin and make it crispy, while giving the meat a crispy outside too, at least I’m hoping. I was fasting too, and dreaming how to cook my first pork belly. My kitchen sink sprung a leak from the wall, so I have to get my kitchen back together before trying my experiment… when I do, I will definitely post my notes and take pictures to post!!!