Have questions about using charcoal or wood pieces, etc.

[newbbqsmoker]

Hello! My husband and I are very new to BBQ smoking. Actually we just bought our first smoker today! LOL Anyway, he bought a bag of hickory wood chunks to smoke with. One of our questions is, do you use just the chunks to cook with or do you use charcoal too? I would think that the wood would burn up before the meat was done.

Also, we would like to smoke ribs. We love BBQ ribs and know that it takes hours to do them this way, which we are fine with. That's why we went out and bought a smoker. My question is what is the ideal temperature for ribs and how long do you cook them for? I have read/heard that it's so many minutes per pound. Is this correct???

Thanks for all and any help you can give us newbies! We are very excited about our new adventure! LOL We are in the process of curing the pit now. It's been burning/smoking now for over an hour.

[texasbill]

Newsmoker:
Welcome to our forum and you will find many answers and tips here amoung our members as they are wonderful folks.

Well you are on the right start by curing the pit. Let it smoke slowly for around 12 hours if you can to get it good and cured.

Your question concerning the wood and charcoal is a good one. I am going to guess that the smoker you bought has a fire box to one side and then a main cooking chamber for my answer. If this is incorrect just post to us what kind of smoker you bought and we will correct the answer as we learn about your pit.

The answer is you can cook with charcoal only, wood only, or a mixture of the two. Persaonlly, I am a log burner and cook with only logs. That is my preference and by no means is it the only way to smoke meat. You will learn to experiment with different wood types and mixtures of both woods and charcoal if that is what you want. Just try different mixtures till you find the one that suites you best. Regardless of what type of fuel you use you will constantly be adding more fuel to the fire as the cook goes the distance. I personally use mesquite wood as I find the hickory to be too over bearing for me. Just try it with the charcoal and see how it does for your own taste.

I prefer to cook ribs at 200 to 225 degrees for a period of usually 4 to 6 hours. This is for spare ribs. Baby backs cook in less time say 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Just practice and keep the fire on the low temp side and you will be fine on the ribs. When the meat starts to pull down the bone about 1/2 of an inch or so and you can pick the ribs up and twist them and the meat pulls away from the bone it is time to sit back and enjoy your cook.

One thing you will need to do is to test the thermometer on the pit if it has one. You can use an oven thermometer on the cooking grates and check it against the temp on the thermometer on the pit. Some of the gauges will not be calibrated correctly so you want to do that first. Also move the oven thermometer around to different spots on the pit to see temperture variations inside the cooking area. You will find hot and cold spots. Just remember them when cooking.

Enjoy the smoker.

Bill Cannon
Texas BBQ Rub

[newbbqsmoker]

The smoker we bought has a place to add a fire box but we don't have one yet. So we are just using the cooking area right now for everything. I would like to get a fire box to attach to it soon. As far as that goes, is it better to have a box or not???

[texasbill]

My personal choice would be to add a fire box. This will allow you to cook using the indirect method much easier and free up space on the pit. For now you will need to move all the fuel to one side of the smoker to cook using the indirect method. It will be a bit harder to add fuel as you cook as you will need to remove the meat and grate to get to the fuel area but you can do it.

Bill
Texas BBQ Rub

[Buckeye]

Welcome Newbbq........git tha firebox. Like Bill said, it'll give ya more meat space on yer grill. Is yer grill a Chargriller?.....Buckeye

[newbbqsmoker]

Yes, it's a Char-Griller & Smoker. That's what the box says anyway! The grates are in 4 sections so it would be easier to keep the fire going on one side. We wouldn't have to take the meat off to do that. I think the fire box would be nicer anyway. I just never thought that the fire box would be enough heat by itself. Stupid me thought that it was for the hickory wood pieces and then I would still have to use the charcoal in the main part of the grill for heat. Shows how much I know about this stuff. So it would be enough heat to just use the fire box??

[Texana]

Welcome to the forum NewBBQSmoker

[Buckeye]

Newbbq..."Have no fear, Buckeye the Chargriller owner is here" :shock: .....yep, that firebox is gonna do tha trick in terms of heatin that puppy. My personal opinion is that it's a good lil smoker fer the money and a good "starter pit' fer those gittin inta smokin'. Once ya git tha hang of this smokin thing, you'll begin ta notice things that you can modify on the pit ta make things easier an more efficient when cookin......things like extending the exhaust stack further down inta the pit: that way the heat an smoke won't travel over tha meat an up out tha stack, but instead tha smoke/heat will be forced ta find the exit at tha meat/grate level, thus more heat/smoke on the meat........puttin a makeshift baffle ( that's like a 45* angle plate attached on tha inside of the main chamber that deflects tha heat/flames from the firebox enterin inta the main chamber so tha meat don't git burn't...you will see what I mean. That 1st grate next ta where tha firebox is, will be useless fer smokin anything, even with a baffle.....that's yer "hotspot".....you can do chicken/burgers in that spot, but better keep an eye on it. A charcoal basket will be nice ta put in tha firebox....this will allow ya ta cook fer a longer period of time (I've gotten 8 hour burns before) without havin to add more fuel.....they call it tha Minion Method.....named after Jim Minion......when ya git ready ta git one, ax someone an they'll be glad ta splain tha method ta ya. Ya don't have ta try an do all those things I mentioned at once....Git ta learnin bout yer smoker ( how much fuel does it take on a cook....what combo of fuels are ya gonna use...temperature maintenace) an you'll gradaully see those areas that need ta be addressed. Hope this helps a lil....now go git some smoke in yer eyes 8) ...Buckeye

[Smoker Al]

I have a couple of questions:

Bill (and other who use logs)- Where do you buy your logs at? I have been pickng up bags of wood chunks that seem to be somewhat expensive. Logs would probably be cheaper, but I can't find much around here.

Buckeye- If you (or anyone else) could explain the charcoal basket a little more, I would like to hear about it. I have to add quite a bit of new fuel every so often. Hey, Buckeye... those were some good ideas about customizing the smoker. I have a cheapie New Braunfels that sounds pretty similiar. I may try lowering my exhaust stack first, it seems to make good sense.

Thanks all.

[texasbill]

Smoker Al:
Need to know where you are then maybe some of us can give you some ideas on where to get your hands on some logs to burn.

Bill Cannon
Texas BBQ Rub

[Buckeye]

Hey Smoker...wish I could say those were my original ideas, but they ain't...just thought since they terned out ta be helpful/useful tips, I'd pass em' on ta someone else. The baffle thing I figured out on my own though, when I lifted the lid of tha main an saw the beginnin' of a 5 alarm fire comin outa that firebox :shock: :shock:......jus did my exhaust stack bout a month ago. The charcoal basket is jus that..a basket...fill it up bout 3/4 full of charcoal.......light 1-2 charcoal chimmneys with charcoal....when tha chimmneys are blazin with fire...dump em' on the unlit coals in tha basket...(this is tha "Minion Method")close tha lid of tha pit or shut tha door ta tha firebox, open yer stack all the way an ajust tha air intake damper til ya git ta tha desired cookin temp ( takes mine bout 15 mins.)...I'm sure tha same principles of change can be done on yer smoker. As fer the material fer tha basket....I went an got sum chicken wire an cut an fashuned a basket....then took my weed burner an burnt off the galvanized zinc or whutever is on it just ta be safe....or if yer inklined ta weld... git sum expanded metal from HD. Go ta teddybearbbq.com...scroll down ta smoker mods there ya kin see a charcoal basket....good luck...Buckeye