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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke 1
#13670657 - 12/22/10 01:19 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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This is something my friends and I had been discussing about doing for a good year or so now, and it finally came to fruition.

Just your basic, 14" Trash can. To suspend the grill rack we drilled and screwed in 4 L-wedges to 4 sides, about 2 feet off the bottom of the trash can. Underneath this we added an electric hot plate, with a hole through the bottom for the power line. Then a round baking pan to hold the hickory wood chips.

8 1/2 pound pork shoulder, this is after it's been brined for 24 hours in a simple brine of just salt, water and molasses.

Basic rub added, cayenne, salt, pepper, cumin, carraway seed, paprika, garlic salt...all pre-ground in a coffee grinder.

Closeup. We let it sit on the rub for a good couple hours, just to let the crust settle and absorb some moisture from the pork.

Smoker ready to go. Probe thermometer was used, along with the highest grade insulation we could find. Target temperature for pullable pork is around 210 or so, for about 90 minutes per pound. It took about 40-50 minutes to reach target temperature. Wood chips were only replaced about once every 4 hours. Of course the Hickory was pre-soaked for atleast an hour.

Pork shoulder after about 6 hours in the smoker. Fat layer up. Carmelization is really progressing. Almost a solid crisp outer layer on the fat side. You'll also notice the fat has started to shrink a little. It's sort of basting in its own fat at this point.

Finished product....14 hours of smoking. Some of the smoker ring has cracked, and you get a small glimps of the moist pork meat inside.

Wrapped in foil and rested for an hour. You'll notice how carmelized the fat layer has gotten, which is kind of the hallmart of remarkably slow cooking in a smoker.

Close up, and the cracked layer showing the containing meat.

The first pull. You can judge the juiciness yourself.

Where the meat and fat layer meet. Melty pork fat and tender meat. Pulling away with the easiest give of the fork.

The final haul of pulled pork.

Now, I know some people like to add cole slaw, vinegar based sauce, etc. But personally, I just wanted to taste nothing but the smokey pork.
You know how they say, things can taste 10 times better when you learn to cook it yourself? It's a saying that I find to have more and more truth to it the more I cook.
Because in restaurants, you almost never can really tell the quality in which something is cooked. You can't adjust the specifications to your own likings, seasonings, rub recipe, temperatures, kind of wood it's smoked in, the options are virtually limitless.
By cooking something on your own, not only do you save a ton of money, but you also get to oversee the entire process of cooking, quality control.
I stumbled upon a sale of Wagyu beef, so next week we will be attempting a Wagyu beef brisket.
Happy eating. And smoking.
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
Edited by LiquidSmoke (12/22/10 06:47 PM)
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Razzl3Frazzl3


Registered: 07/31/09
Posts: 4,630
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13670777 - 12/22/10 01:42 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Frickin cool! I'm going to email this to my pops. He would love to make one of these.
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LeftyBurnz
Mr. I Eat Butthole



Registered: 06/21/05
Posts: 24,570
Loc: FL
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Razzl3Frazzl3]
#13671684 - 12/22/10 04:35 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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nice LS. what setting on the hotplate did you use to achieve the target temp?
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Stein
Stranger


Registered: 07/02/03
Posts: 35,129
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13671787 - 12/22/10 05:04 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Nicely done 
One thing though, I read somewhere soaking chips causes creosote buildup on your meat. Same thing as burning wet wood in a fireplace creates a creosote build on in your chimney. I see people do it all the time so I don't know how much truth there is to it.
Anyway, looks like some good pork there
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Stein]
#13672380 - 12/22/10 07:05 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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I think soaking the chips was necessary, or else they would just scorch and ash quickly instead of providing a nice slow smoking smolder. But that's interesting, i'll look into that.
Lefty: we just used a regular old hot plate placed on its highest setting. Just because we were struggling to just get it to ideal temperature.
But I guess if you have a stronger hotplate, you want to calibrate it based on what kind of temps you're getting. You don't want to go too far above 250 degrees or so, or else the meat will begin to roast instead of slow-smoking.
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13674443 - 12/23/10 04:53 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Looks really nice!
> I stumbled upon a sale of Wagyu beef, so next week we will be attempting a Wagyu beef brisket.
I used to love smoked brisket. Easy to screw up, but when done correctly, it is damn good.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Seuss]
#13675329 - 12/23/10 11:32 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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really? what kind of mistakes do people make?
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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Brainiac
Rogue Scientist



Registered: 04/29/06
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Loc: 與您的女朋
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13675796 - 12/23/10 01:50 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Corn cobs are very good to use (can found at pet stores) and tea earl gray is very good to use..
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Fair is Fair
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LeftyBurnz
Mr. I Eat Butthole



Registered: 06/21/05
Posts: 24,570
Loc: FL
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13676581 - 12/23/10 05:53 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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thanks!
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13681930 - 12/25/10 04:02 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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> what kind of mistakes do people make?
Maybe I shouldn't assume "people" for my own learning curve. 
Getting bad cuts of meat or messing up the cut. Going directly from the fridge to the smoker rather than letting the meat warm first. Over cooking. Etc... it took me several tries to get it right compared to smoking a ham or turkey that turned out good on the first try.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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Brainiac
Rogue Scientist



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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Seuss]
#13682401 - 12/25/10 09:39 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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When I smoked fish, I would use an fan to help dry out before smokeing...
Try smoking some seasalt and Cheese.. With the cheese, Be sure to put a bowl of ice to keep the temps down.......
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Fair is Fair
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Seuss]
#13682691 - 12/25/10 11:27 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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ah, thanks for the tips.
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole


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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13683988 - 12/25/10 06:23 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Another thing with brisket for 'Cue is to get it untrimmed. And cook it as low and slow as practicable. 20 hours is not unheard of for a full brisket by any means.
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caphillkid
Coquus Boleti

Registered: 10/09/08
Posts: 4,666
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Brainiac]
#13687389 - 12/26/10 04:52 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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For people who don't want to make a smoker, you can do the same thing using a covered grill.
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!


Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13688834 - 12/26/10 11:07 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
LiquidSmoke said: really? what kind of mistakes do people make?
one would be using galvanized steel (zinc plated), get it too hot and the zinc starts cooking off as a mustard colored gas, you'll never get the taste out of your mouth or anything you put in it
locally I can find stainless drums, 35gal typically, about $40 each, check around and see what's available in your area in stainless, my neighbor makes them for sale out of old restaurant equipment
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Brainiac
Rogue Scientist



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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Prisoner#1]
#13689596 - 12/27/10 05:41 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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You can make one out of a cardboard box, or a clay flower pots...
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Fair is Fair
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Prisoner#1]
#13690859 - 12/27/10 12:47 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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I was talking more specifically along the lines of cooking brisket. But those are some interesting tips.
The smoker works fine at this point.
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!


Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13692950 - 12/27/10 07:49 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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keep an eye on the interior of the can, if it starts turning a bright yellow, an ashy white or yellowish smoke coming from it, convert it back to a trash can, generally for smoking it's not going to be high enough heat but I'd rather you be safe because the fumes are toxic, I've breathed my share already and can tell ya, it's rough
I do my smoking on a grill, coals on one side and meat on the other, experiment with different woods, I have ready access to apple, hickory, pecan and oak, all work pretty well and impart unique flavors. dont be afraid to experiment with other woods but try and stick to nut and fruit bearing varieties skipping walnut because it leaves an ass taste behind
depending on how you want your brisket, smoke a minimum of 7 hours at around 175-200F, the short time will leave you with a chewier piece, and extending it for a tender one, as zappa said, 20 hours isnt unheard of
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK

Registered: 09/04/01
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: Prisoner#1]
#13694666 - 12/28/10 03:56 AM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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thanks for the info.
In terms of wood we've just been using hickory. But we definitely want to try Applewood sometime. Supposed to be great with pork/bacon.
I know with competition bbqs, people have been known to smoke briskets for that long as you mentioned.
I'm planning on using American Wagyu beef, just to try it once for the sake of it.
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!


Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: Adventures with a Homemade Smoker with LiquidSmoke [Re: LiquidSmoke]
#13696812 - 12/28/10 04:21 PM (13 years, 1 month ago) |
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I have a couple of peach trees that came down recently, I'm going to see how it goes with that using anything I dont turn into lumber
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