Something good - meats for the smoker?

fixer1958 wrote: I built a smoker about 15 years ago out of concrete blocks. 2 1/2' square and 6' tall. I did beer can chicken, turkey, ribs, ham perfectly but could never get the brisket right. 225-250 is what I kept it at.

Well, Fixer,,you sure gots the makings of a great  smoke job using your home built,,I was gonna say on my last post that once you get your equipment and "Methods" right ,,,a fellar with a well built home smoker can get as good results as one of them high dollars smokers costing thousands of dollars,,!! I've had electric ones, 2 or 3 home made ones I built and some homemade ones given to me that worked real good ,,they was just a tad too small.

 What you DO have to "Know" is what the actual temp of the brisket is at about 2-3 hours after putting the meat in the smoker, and a good meat thermometer is what you GOT TO HAVE. A brisket is prolly the toughest cut of meat on a cow and has lots of connective tissue and collegans (sp) that have to be broken down to make the meat tender and that process doesn't start til about 170°,,, the 170° is on the meat,,,NOT necessarily the smoking chamber of the smoker. With practice,,you will find that there is quite a temp difference in the two,,!! Those guys that smoke meats alot and KNOW how their smoker reacts at most times of the year (ambient) and  can come pretty close to when the "Meat" is coming close to that magic 170° and will stop the smoking once they reach that temp. Just ain't no reason for going any longer. By then you got you a beautiful smoke ring and some dang good eating!!

 I've gotten kinda lazy these days and I will smoke (heavy) for 2-3 hours then transfer to my big electric roaster oven at 300° to get to the 170° and shut her off,,!!

 Hope this make sense and helps you ,,,!!

 OOOpss,,, Some folks use a " Rub"  sprinkled on the meat and refrigerate overnite ,,,MMMmm thas where you get some great flavors into the meat,,,,

  Well,,,even tho I'ma gonna have to look for it,,(It been so dang long on the promise) I'm sure I gots a note that you was gonna call when or if you ever fount your phone,,,,,?

TomC wrote: Me either,, I sorta operate under the old if it doesn't walk or fly I'm not eating it, but who knows it may be good.

Well, if you don't add swim to that list you loose fish. I LOVE a good fish fry! Eels, I would try, maybe, alcohol would help!

Dang, Joe that sounds like a great idea/approach.

We are not quite that adventurous so it will just be do what google says in the 350 oven.

I am gonna try not to overdose. 

  Well, I'm doing something different this year,,, I smoked a 20# turkey yesterday just to where it got that golden skin color, (bout 2 hours @250° with lots of Pecan and apricot) then put it into a Brown & serve bag and back into the fridge. This morning, I made a Jim Beam basting sauce and put the bird in the electric roaster @ 250° along with a 1 quart of chicken broth. It been in there bout 2 hours and dang it smells Great in that room! Everything else will be like my wife used to make,,,,,,,, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL,,,,,