Maiden Voyage on Drum!

Blutch · Apr 27, 2007

I'm going to do the first cook on my new drum smoker tomorrow morning. I'm cooking 3 picnics and 3 racks of spares for a party.

Here's the question - For the drum, do I trim the huge fat cap on the picnics or leave it on? If leaving it on, do I put it down towards the fire or up? If trimmed, how much and down or up?

do I put the picnics on the bottom shelf and the spares on the top? I have a rib rack for the spares so they shouldn't need a lot of turning.

Thanks for the help.

B

jgh1204 · Apr 27, 2007

I would leave the fat and point it down. You have more than 1 level? Do you have a Weber lid? I would put the picnics on the lower level.

The rib rack is a good idea.

Bigmista · Apr 27, 2007

Fat down so it can drip in the fire. Ribs on top shelf. Post pictures.

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

Alright.. we are on our way. Got the basket going - photos below. I have the ball valve open and one other bottom vent open and the grate temp is 246 and solid. 3 picnics are on and I will put the ribs on in a bit. I hope this works.

Bigmista · Apr 28, 2007

Looking good Blutch! I just put on a butt for my first long run on my new barrel.

icemn62 · Apr 28, 2007

Looks like the only thing you are doing wrong is: YOU ARE NOT HERE COOKING FOR ME. Looks good keep us up to date during this cook.

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

The temp is flucuating a bit more than I like.. I need to be able to leave it for a little while today. It is now at around 240 and only the ball valve is open.. wide open.i have no need to open the op until I put the ribs on.. I was thinking it might take about 4 hours for the ribs including coolering. That sound about right for you Drum Masters? I'm going to use a rib rack and put them on untrimmed.. with the tip part facing down and the rib bones up. Sound ok?

Thanks

B

Smokin Gator · Apr 28, 2007

Blutch said:
The temp is flucuating a bit more than I like.. I need to be able to leave it for a little while today. It is now at around 240 and only the ball valve is open.. wide open.i have no need to open the op until I put the ribs on.. I was thinking it might take about 4 hours for the ribs including coolering. That sound about right for you Drum Masters? I'm going to use a rib rack and put them on untrimmed.. with the tip part facing down and the rib bones up. Sound ok?

Thanks

B

First of all congrats... I know you are excited.

That is unusual on the temps... I usually have 2 open and the ball valve about 1/2 open but your charcoal looks deeper than mine ever is. That it probably it. Once the temps settle they should stay right about there.

I would check the ribs for pull back at 3 hours. If they look right wrap them in foil and put them back on for about 1/2 hour. Then check them. If they are about the color you want and the rack is pretty bendable then cooler unitl you are ready to cut. I would say more like about 5 hours overall.

Best of luck and again congrats...

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

Temps have climbed a bit to 255. I closed the final open vent and closed down the ball vent by half too. Very little air getting in there now.

Yes, there is a full 12 lb load of charcoal in the basket.. too much?

B

Bigmista · Apr 28, 2007

About 2 hrs. in, I am at 224. I was at 240 earlier. The pork can handle the temp fluctuations. Don't sweat it.

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

Yeah, these fluctuations are nothing compared to those I get on the offset. I just thouht it was strange that I barely have any vents open at all now and I'm still at 250. Maybe use less charcoal next time.

B

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

Here are the picnics 3 hours into the cook. Then a couple shots of the spares on rib racks. Didn't work. The lid wouldn't shut all the way.. dang.. so, I had to put two of them flat. I'll cook the third one after the first two are done. I put them bone up.. is that right?

Thanks

B

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

6 hours in and I just wrapped the picnics. I turned them so that the fat is on top. I'm thinking this will help with moistness. The ribs seem to be going slow.. they have been on for 3 hours and are about ready to wrap but not quite. I turned them too and will wrap in 30 mins.

This is working extremely well I think.. temps have been under between 230 and 250 the whole time and I haven't touched the fuel. Only had the lid off twice.

The smoke smell is much different than the same wood in my offset or my GOSM upright gasser.. is this normal? The smoke is a little more bitter smelling.. not quite as appealing as normal....

B

icemn62 · Apr 28, 2007

Any pics of the meat prior to the wrap? I can not anser to the smoe smell as i don't have a drum. Question, what type of wood chunks are you using?

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

hickory. getting ready to eat the ribs. I'll take pics. No pics of pork before wrap.

B

icemn62 · Apr 28, 2007

still no pics?

Blutch · Apr 28, 2007

Ok.. Ribs were good. Not great, but solid. Pics attached. I think they were undercooked and had I had more time I woulda let them go much longer. The pork picnic roasts are in the cooler and are going to be there until tomorrow.

Here's a funny story.. I had to go play a concert (I'm a musician) so I told my wife to take the picnics off when the internal propes hit 200. No problem.

There was the third rack of ribs on when I left.. I told her to wrap them at 9:15. She wrapped them and coolered them then. So, I decided to put them back on because they were under done as well. I go outside and the lid is off the drum smoker. she left it off. The fire was raging and had started the two 4/4 timbers I had the smoker sitting on. Had I not come home when I did I think the deck might have been on fire. geeze!

Anyway.. here are the ribs.. good taste, but not falling off the bone enough for me. Still tasted great though.. tell me what you think. I'll try to have pics of the pork tomorrow.

B

Jaberwabee · Apr 29, 2007

Got pics of the aftermath on the deck?

icemn62 · Apr 29, 2007

Rib meat looks good, I would have let them go a little longer till the meat pulled back. They do look done though. Deck Pics? or Pork Butt pics?

Blutch · Apr 29, 2007

The third rack of ribs were on longer and were perfect. Reheated on the grill and they fell apart.. really tasty.

The pork picnics turned out perfectly.. very moist and great smoke flavor.

This drum smoker thing is a big winner for me. Love it. Look forward to doing brisket in it.

B

Maiden Voyage on Drum!

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