Smokin-It User Forum!

Smokin-It Smokers => Model 3 & 3D - The Big Brother => Topic started by: Effortworks on September 19, 2021, 07:35:04 PM

Title: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Effortworks on September 19, 2021, 07:35:04 PM
I got my Smokin It model 3d digital wifi Friday. But we were on the road and got home tonight (Sunday). It is still in the box and I am going to do an unboxing video and burn out video and may smoke a couple of chickens before I go out Tuesday. But it's pouring rain here in Chattanooga, and I wanted to do everything outside. I still might with a collapsible tent outside my garage. I am excited but am tuckered out tonight. I could do it in the house but this model 3d plus the cart would be heavy to take down stairs or roll to road and take down the driveway. I may talk to my wife and store it in sunroom  and smoke out on the deck.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Lonzinomaker on September 19, 2021, 08:38:13 PM
No rush to get started, I know you'll keep it for a long time and many smokes.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: old sarge on September 19, 2021, 09:23:39 PM
Welcome to the forum and enjoy the smoker!
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: LarryD on September 19, 2021, 10:12:39 PM
Congrats and welcome to the family!  What shall we call you?
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Effortworks on September 20, 2021, 07:58:49 AM
My name is Daryl, if anyone can remember, but I have been using Effortworks or my email address for signing up for stuff. As time goes on we can figure it out.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Effortworks on September 20, 2021, 09:44:00 AM
I started smoking meat and stuff about the last 12 years of my 56 years of being on this earth.  I started out with Masterbuilt electric smokers, price was right and very convenient to work with.  They are not built to last and I wanted to try the new trend of pellet smoking, have you seen the 'God of Smoke' coming out of a Traeger pellet grill commercial? Well I bought a Pit Boss KC Combo Platinum Series pellet smoker and grill, pellet smoker side and a gas grill side with a flat top insert, beautiful huge man toy.  I can't tell you how much I hated that thing, buying pellets by the bag, very little to no smoke flavor! Ok, someone on a Facebook group recommended a smoke tube, I got one, bought a propane torch to light it, and it just wouldn't stay lit! Maybe it was my torch, I don't know. My hatred for this abomination was growing. I searched 'best smoking process apparatus', and was determined to get a good offset grill, hey, playing with fire is a good manly thing, right? I sold the Pit Boss and I settled on an Old Country Wrangler Offset smoker, very well made and thick steel. Well I cooked ribs 3-2-1 and it was a disaster, temperature swings, trying to keep temp around 225 only had one probe.
Ok, I accepted there was a learning curve, watched YouTube about fire management and such.  So, I love pulled pork, I could live on this stuff! I could only work it out time wise to start Monday evening and we have to go out on Tuesdays for our weekly run (truck drivers my wife and I), so not the best time to start a cook for 12 hours. And this had to be low and slow! The process, if one doesn't know, one must get their coals started and burning, when fire goes out then put it in the firebox of the Offset.  I put the coals to the far right, away from cook chamber as i could get, and put small pieces of wood on it.  I put the 11 pound pork butt on the smoker to the far left, I kept a small fire or hot coals and checked on it every hour on average, I didn't get to sleep until 4 am worrying, babying and working the fire and temperatures and probes, had a probe in the butt, and 4 probes checking temperatures in all quadrants of heat chamber. At 4 am I took the butt out and put it in our oven at 225 where I tried to maintain on the Offset with some success, the small fire and distance helped. The butt turned out FABULOUS! The problem is, the worrying, the loss of sleep, the time it takes to cook on an offset, not to mention the small fortune of charcoal and wood it takes for long burns. One knows, pellets, wood and charcoal must be a many billions dollars industry! Oh, the dreams of my old Masterbuilt smokers where I hardly checked it over 12, 18 or 24 hours, a pittance of my attention, add more chips maybe once, or twice during long cooks while I do other things or SLEEP.  My wife missed the great ribs, pork, chickens and Turkeys I produced in the electric smokers I had.  I told her I wanted another electric smoker and she told me, sell the Offset and buy a good electric smoker.  I told her, I want a GREAT electric smoker, and I began a search. Oh, did I mention I am a bit obsessive compulsive? I watched YouTube on best electric smokers, even though there algorithms and YouTubers choose their items under affordability and value, they leave out longevity and durability.  Well I was turned on to Smokin It electric smokers, I also looked at cook shack but they want more money for smaller units. So I went with Smokin It model 3d digital wifi model and also ordered the cart made for it, I couldn't see getting on my knees to smoke meat.  The reason I sprung for digital wifi is because thats what my Masterbuilt and Pitboss had, and it's darn convenient! AND, the digital wifi goes up to 325 degrees instead of 250 in the analog, how can one cook fowl under 275? Yes, the Arbour digital wifi box is warranted for 1 year, and if it lasts 3 or more years it's only $250 to replace it.  The model 3 also has a 1200 watt element.
Right now, I have the model 3 and cart downstairs still in their boxes.  They are marked 'HEAVY' and they are.  I planned on doing an unboxing video outside in the garage but it's raining very hard with no end in sight. No worries! I am going to  unbox and set up a canopy outside the garage and do it under that. It's an effort, but effort works.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: barelfly on September 20, 2021, 11:18:37 AM
ExcellenT! Congrats on your #3D and welcome!
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: LarryD on September 20, 2021, 05:00:30 PM
Nice to meet you, Daryl...  it might be easier for me to remember since I'm Larry and my brother-in-law is Daryl.  I've been waiting for one more Daryl.  ;)

If you want to make it easy for others, you can modify your Profile and add your name to your signature.  A lot of people do that and include information about their current/favorite smokers.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Smokin Jon on September 22, 2021, 09:52:52 AM
I love my Smokin-It 3D (non-Wifi).  It did, however, take a few cooks to dial in my cooks which are mostly brisket and pork butts.  I tend to use more wood than recommended (10-12 oz.) for these large cuts of meat.  I also use a stepped temperature program to get the chunks to smoke for longer periods of time and to prevent a smoke-box fire.

Every cooker has a learning curve.  If you do not achieve bbq nirvana on your first attempt, be patient, read subject matter that you feel is appropriate to your concern on this forum, and you will eventually come to realize that great bbq from a Smokin-it smoker couldn't get any easier (unless you go to a restaurant of course).

Tip:  Purchasing a chip screen for the smoke box eliminated my smoke box fires and caused the wood to smoke much longer for better tasting food. 

Smokin Jon
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: OldeSmoker on October 03, 2021, 12:25:00 PM
Welcome Daryl. It’s good to have you as part of the group. I look forward to seeing and hearing about your cooks.
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: Effortworks on October 04, 2021, 01:07:17 PM
My first Brisket

https://youtu.be/4W09UJKy-70
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: old sarge on October 04, 2021, 06:59:11 PM
Congrats! 
Title: Re: Ordered my new 3D digital wifi
Post by: OldeSmoker on October 05, 2021, 09:12:51 PM
Looks great, thanks for sharing!