UDS briquet/wood question - Page 2

El Ropo · 01-25-2013, 10:38 PM

Many folks will use a mix of about half briqs and half lump with some fist sized hunks of wood buried in the pile of unlit coals. Dump about 12-15 fully lit bricks on top of the pile, let em get going for 20 minutes and you are golden.

Don't worry about the 225 bs. Most people here like to run their cookers in the 250-325 range for faster cook times and juicier results. Any recipe or tutorial that clams you have to keep temps down at 225-230 should be ignored. That is referred to as warming meat to death.

Neonnblack · 01-26-2013, 04:28 PM

built my new fire basket.
Old:

New:

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 01-26-2013, 04:36 PM

It looks as if your basket has no legs and was sitting directly on the bottom of the drum? If so it needs to be lifted up a bit to allow air to flow from beneath. You may have removed the legs though?

Neonnblack · 01-26-2013, 05:25 PM

I had it sitting on legs in the drum. Two pieces of angle iron, to be exact.

Neonnblack · 01-27-2013, 05:06 PM

well, after testing while seasoning the drum, and some other "dry runs", im smoking my first experiment. Using a mix of royal oak lump and stubbs briquets. Just a small shoulder at 4 pounds to really make sure i have the settings right before i go and do the real thing thursday. Wish me luck, ill have pictures in a few hours.

Neonnblack · 01-27-2013, 07:47 PM

Here we go, ladies and gents. My first bit of pron. I used a sub grade piece of meat for my first go, it was a 2 pound shoulder from walmart, hormel brand pre seasoned (i washed the seasoning off).

Im going to show what i did so i can be critiqued or bashed

240 PM Meat went on with UDS at 250*
One intake half open

310PM UDS temp went to 260*
Intake opened up to 3/4 (i really dont know why i messed with it)

340PM UDS temp spiked to 305* (im assuming from opening the intake more)
Closed the intake completely

350PM UDS temp went down to 260*
Intake opened back to 1/3

400PM UDS temp kept falling to 240*
Opened intake 1/2

415PM opened UDS lid to probe meat, it was at 155* and UDS was at 230* from opening the lid(lid open maybe 2 minutes at best)

432PM Wrapped meat in foil temp jumped to 310* (im assuming from the lid opening)
At this point i closed the intake again and bumped the drum, what
I didnt realize was when i bumped the drum, it knocked 2 magnets
off and the temp got up to 350* so i closed everything back up
and choked it for about 45 seconds with the exhaust closed.

500PM UDS was at 275* and i checked the meat again, was at 200* so i pulled it off and shut it down.

edit:
I forgot to add, thursday ill be doing 21 pounds in two chunks. Can i cut both in half to cut down cook time? Also, is it gonna be much different than the process i jsut did (but longer)?

Neonnblack · 01-29-2013, 10:09 PM

any comments at all? Not trying to bug, just curious before i go full scale in a few days.

Outnumbered · 01-29-2013, 10:23 PM

Looks like you did a pretty good job on the new basket and you used the cook to learn to control the heat. The pork looks really good.

How was it?

On the 21#, I guess you could cut them apart, but why? You already have it in two chunks. I did an 11# but in 6 hours on my UDS Saturday. The center was still frozen when it went on, too.

Stick with these guys on here. I cooked in my backyard for 15 years and then I found the Brethren. I can't tell you how much better my food is now compared to just 2 years ago. My wife even says so, and you can't get a much better endorsement than your family craving your food.

jmoney7269 · 01-29-2013, 11:44 PM

Man your cook looks great! I'm one of the few that can detect if any food has Been cooked with smoldering briquettes and some wood, for that matter briquettes. I only use lump in my cookers. I have tried the minion and fuse burn in my cookers, just can't get past the chemical taste and smell of briquettes. Lump is so much cleaner of a flavor. It's a little more difficult to control temps with to some people, but if my pit is between 275-325 I'm perfectly fine. I cook by feel as do many of the seasoned cookers on this site, so if it's done early, FTC! Good luck on your journey!

SmokinJohn · 01-30-2013, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neonnblack

any comments at all? Not trying to bug, just curious before i go full scale in a few days.

I had to wipe the drool off my monitor.....

Nice cook, there........

jrn · 01-30-2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmoney7269

Man your cook looks great! I'm one of the few that can detect if any food has Been cooked with smoldering briquettes and some wood, for that matter briquettes. I only use lump in my cookers. I have tried the minion and fuse burn in my cookers, just can't get past the chemical taste and smell of briquettes. Lump is so much cleaner of a flavor. It's a little more difficult to control temps with to some people, but if my pit is between 275-325 I'm perfectly fine. I cook by feel as do many of the seasoned cookers on this site, so if it's done early, FTC! Good luck on your journey!

Yeah me too. I always use lump when doing the minion method for the same reason.

Neonnblack · 01-30-2013, 10:06 AM

Thanks guys, very reassuring for my coming adventure. I used a mix of lump and briquets i tried to find briquets with the least amount of crap in it, which was the stubbs 95% hardwood coal (what is in this i do not know, hopefully just hardwood coal but im doubting it) and vegetable binder. For my big cook im going to use as little of the briq's as i can and use mostly the apple wood and the royal oak lump.

And it was pretty good, i like it wasnt an overpowering smokey flavor but it was there.

razrbakcrzy · 01-30-2013, 01:57 PM

Your doing well, now take it easy when your smoking, be calm react slowly to changes. 305 deg. is not that bad of a spike. I happen to cook most of my Que @ between 295 and 350... Also every time you open the lid the temp will spike because there is an unlimited amount of air flowing into the top of the barrel and giving the coals plently of oxygen to burn hot and fast. Limit the amount of times you open it as much as possible. I know your really about to jump out of your skin to see if your doing it right, I was the exactly same way. Here's a little saying that helped me..... "if your lookin', Your not cookin' "

I would estimate about how long your going to cook or use a digital thermometer to keep from having to open to check and just leave it till its done or close to done..

Good luck with your journey down the bumpy road to fantastic BBQ!!!!!

funugy · 01-30-2013, 09:00 PM

I would suggest picking up a meat thermometer that you can insert into the meat and still be able to keep the lid closed. Something like the et732. But for an inexpensive quick fix, check and see if your wally world stocks the $15 wireless meat probe in the BBQ section. I picked one up not too long ago when my et732 probe got damaged and it works just fine.

Neonnblack · 01-31-2013, 12:05 AM

i did pick up the thermometer today at walmart. also devised a better vent then these garbage magnets so heat control should be more consistent.

01-25-2013, 10:38 PM	#16
El Ropo Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-06-10 Location: Austin, TX Name/Nickname : Roger	Many folks will use a mix of about half briqs and half lump with some fist sized hunks of wood buried in the pile of unlit coals. Dump about 12-15 fully lit bricks on top of the pile, let em get going for 20 minutes and you are golden. Don't worry about the 225 bs. Most people here like to run their cookers in the 250-325 range for faster cook times and juicier results. Any recipe or tutorial that clams you have to keep temps down at 225-230 should be ignored. That is referred to as warming meat to death. __________________ 22.5" WSM nicknamed Fuel Hog! Rescued 22.5" OTS. 18.5" OTS. SJS Mini-WSM. Building UDS ver 2.0. HEB briqs (rebranded Royal Oak). Pecan/Hickory/Cherry/Apple/Peach woods. 2016 Fuji Absolute 2.0 LE (for burning off all the great BBQ)

01-26-2013, 04:36 PM	#18
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont	It looks as if your basket has no legs and was sitting directly on the bottom of the drum? If so it needs to be lifted up a bit to allow air to flow from beneath. You may have removed the legs though? __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-732, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

01-29-2013, 10:23 PM	#23
Outnumbered is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 09-18-11 Location: Smithville, Missouri, United States	Looks like you did a pretty good job on the new basket and you used the cook to learn to control the heat. The pork looks really good. How was it? On the 21#, I guess you could cut them apart, but why? You already have it in two chunks. I did an 11# but in 6 hours on my UDS Saturday. The center was still frozen when it went on, too. Stick with these guys on here. I cooked in my backyard for 15 years and then I found the Brethren. I can't tell you how much better my food is now compared to just 2 years ago. My wife even says so, and you can't get a much better endorsement than your family craving your food. __________________ Greg Vincent When I die, my goal is to have a visible smoke ring when the coroner cuts me open for the autopsy.

01-30-2013, 01:57 PM	#28
razrbakcrzy is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-13-11 Location: Fort Smith, Ar.	Your doing well, now take it easy when your smoking, be calm react slowly to changes. 305 deg. is not that bad of a spike. I happen to cook most of my Que @ between 295 and 350... Also every time you open the lid the temp will spike because there is an unlimited amount of air flowing into the top of the barrel and giving the coals plently of oxygen to burn hot and fast. Limit the amount of times you open it as much as possible. I know your really about to jump out of your skin to see if your doing it right, I was the exactly same way. Here's a little saying that helped me..... "if your lookin', Your not cookin' " I would estimate about how long your going to cook or use a digital thermometer to keep from having to open to check and just leave it till its done or close to done.. Good luck with your journey down the bumpy road to fantastic BBQ!!!!! __________________ [SIZE=2][B]Jim Boston[/B][/SIZE] [B][COLOR=black]Current Smoker[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=red]"The most reliable, easiest to make at home, Smoker [B]"The UDS"[/B] W/ an Auber temp. Controller w/ 20CFM Blower.[/COLOR] [FONT=Arial][B]Future Smoker [/B][/FONT] [FONT=Arial]$5438.25 Total BYC Smoker!![/FONT] [SIZE=2]Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem. [/SIZE] [SIZE=1]Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985 [/SIZE]

01-26-2013, 04:28 PM	#17
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	built my new fire basket. Old: New:

01-26-2013, 05:25 PM	#19
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	I had it sitting on legs in the drum. Two pieces of angle iron, to be exact.

01-27-2013, 05:06 PM	#20
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	well, after testing while seasoning the drum, and some other "dry runs", im smoking my first experiment. Using a mix of royal oak lump and stubbs briquets. Just a small shoulder at 4 pounds to really make sure i have the settings right before i go and do the real thing thursday. Wish me luck, ill have pictures in a few hours.

01-27-2013, 07:47 PM	#21
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	Here we go, ladies and gents. My first bit of pron. I used a sub grade piece of meat for my first go, it was a 2 pound shoulder from walmart, hormel brand pre seasoned (i washed the seasoning off). Im going to show what i did so i can be critiqued or bashed 240 PM Meat went on with UDS at 250* One intake half open 310PM UDS temp went to 260* Intake opened up to 3/4 (i really dont know why i messed with it) 340PM UDS temp spiked to 305* (im assuming from opening the intake more) Closed the intake completely 350PM UDS temp went down to 260* Intake opened back to 1/3 400PM UDS temp kept falling to 240* Opened intake 1/2 415PM opened UDS lid to probe meat, it was at 155* and UDS was at 230* from opening the lid(lid open maybe 2 minutes at best) 432PM Wrapped meat in foil temp jumped to 310* (im assuming from the lid opening) At this point i closed the intake again and bumped the drum, what I didnt realize was when i bumped the drum, it knocked 2 magnets off and the temp got up to 350* so i closed everything back up and choked it for about 45 seconds with the exhaust closed. 500PM UDS was at 275* and i checked the meat again, was at 200* so i pulled it off and shut it down. edit: I forgot to add, thursday ill be doing 21 pounds in two chunks. Can i cut both in half to cut down cook time? Also, is it gonna be much different than the process i jsut did (but longer)?

01-29-2013, 10:09 PM	#22
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	any comments at all? Not trying to bug, just curious before i go full scale in a few days.

01-29-2013, 11:44 PM	#24
jmoney7269 Banned Join Date: 02-07-11 Location: brenham, texas	Man your cook looks great! I'm one of the few that can detect if any food has Been cooked with smoldering briquettes and some wood, for that matter briquettes. I only use lump in my cookers. I have tried the minion and fuse burn in my cookers, just can't get past the chemical taste and smell of briquettes. Lump is so much cleaner of a flavor. It's a little more difficult to control temps with to some people, but if my pit is between 275-325 I'm perfectly fine. I cook by feel as do many of the seasoned cookers on this site, so if it's done early, FTC! Good luck on your journey!

01-30-2013, 10:06 AM	#27
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	Thanks guys, very reassuring for my coming adventure. I used a mix of lump and briquets i tried to find briquets with the least amount of crap in it, which was the stubbs 95% hardwood coal (what is in this i do not know, hopefully just hardwood coal but im doubting it) and vegetable binder. For my big cook im going to use as little of the briq's as i can and use mostly the apple wood and the royal oak lump. And it was pretty good, i like it wasnt an overpowering smokey flavor but it was there.

01-30-2013, 09:00 PM	#29
funugy Take a breath! Join Date: 05-21-12 Location: Oak Harbor, WA	I would suggest picking up a meat thermometer that you can insert into the meat and still be able to keep the lid closed. Something like the et732. But for an inexpensive quick fix, check and see if your wally world stocks the $15 wireless meat probe in the BBQ section. I picked one up not too long ago when my et732 probe got damaged and it works just fine.

01-31-2013, 12:05 AM	#30
Neonnblack Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-15-13 Location: Reno, NV	i did pick up the thermometer today at walmart. also devised a better vent then these garbage magnets so heat control should be more consistent.