Learning to grill and smoke

The thing that helps me improve the most is to log each and every significant cook. (*) I include sufficient detail including:

• weather
• recipes
• meat, including weight
• cooker (e.g. kettle, smoker, hibachi...)
• fuel
• smoking wood
• time/temperatures for cooker and meat
• evaluation of results - you will be your own most severe critic
• what to do differently next time

IMO the last is most important. I started doing this in ordinary documents but found it hard to manage and difficult to search. I switched to a blog that is easier to search and allows me to share. You can see it at http://smpoke-on.blogspot.com/

(*) That's not to say there is anything wrong with any of the other advice you have been given. There is not. But at some point you have to evaluate your results and decide how you can make it better. For example you do not know what probing a brisket should feels like. You have a good description from Bludawg and that's a good start. On your first brisket, probe until you think it is done and then when you serve it, you will know if you probed accurately. Decide if you did and if not, make a note about how you want it to feel next time. Check your notes before you do your next brisket to remind yourself about what you want to keep the same and what needs to change.

Oh, and :welcome: to the BBQ-Brethren and best of luck with your progress.

Keep cooking and reading.

When I first started I would read every thread trying absorb knowledge and techniques. It helped me a lot.

Wind will affect Smoker more than Cold Temps.

This information at this link is located at the top of our Q-Talk section.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7818 This is some very great information from our members. K.C.Quer has since passed on but he gives some awesome advice. As well as other members.
Also at the bottom of the main page is a Google Search Bar. The information you get is all related to this forum.
If you have any question what soever just ask. We will answer it the best we can.
No question is too stupid, heck we all started out pretty green....well at least I did.
Welcome to the forum.

AFAIK a loin is a loin whether tender or not.

You should be aware that this is not the same as a pork butt. It has very little fat and if you try to smoke it long enough to pull it, it will become very dry. My recollection is that you do not want to take a pork loin past about 145°F IT (internal temperature) if you want to keep it moist.

For loins, tenderloins, and sirloins, they shouldn't be cooked past 140. During the 30 min rest they will rise in temp to 145ish, and be perfectly done and safe to eat. Cooking a loin to 150 will give you a 155-160 final temp, that's overcooked imo.

Bbq

what else could be said!! There is a wealth of knowledge on this site. Some very good honest tips for you and I agree with eveyone one of them.

When you nail it you will be smiling. When you watch your family / friends eat your food and not say anything - you da man!!!!

I would highly recommend www.amazingribs.com . Lots of specific instruction in his recipes.

Go to the source.
"Welcome to weber.com"
http://www.weber.com/weber-nation
Here another.
"The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board"
http://tvwbb.com/forum.php

Practice practice practice,

I'm new to this site but I've been pickin i'ts brain for about 6 months
Nobody has steered me wrong yet