Smokin-It User Forum!
General Discussions => Introductions => Topic started by: SteelerSmoker on November 16, 2017, 10:14:19 AM
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Morning Everyone,
Derek From Pittsburgh. My Model #2 is arriving today and I can't wait to get it rolling tomorrow. Had a Masterbuilt Digital 30" that fizzed out on me last December.. and after a ton of reading and reviews, I decided to go with the Model 2. Also picked up a Maverick ET-733 to help keep an eye on the temp. Planning on doing a Boston Butt this weekend to test then jumping to a bone in Turkey Breast on Thursday for the family. Nothing like a quick turnaround to test the capabilities.
Any thoughts or suggestions on the Breast (Size, Time, Wood) would be much appreciated. Did it last year with the Masterbuilt digital and and an 8lb breast... I'm just a little concerned switching to an analog controller vs the digital.
Anyway.. looking forward to getting the smoke rolling and comparing notes.
Have a great Day!
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Welcome Derek from SE Arizona. Enjoy the SI2. If you have read the FAQ section on the main site then you know about the temperature swings. As many owners of the analog smokers will attest to, the swings are nothing to worry about. Everything will turn out great. A butt is a great first smoke. As for fowl, no help there as I am loyal to pork and beef. But check the recipe section as I am certain you will find some good info regarding turkey.
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Welcome to the family, Derek! I have the same setup as you...
I've never done just a breast, but I've done a full turkey a few times now. I allow ~20 minutes per pound for a brined turkey. However, it ultimately takes whatever it takes based on hitting a target (meat) internal temperature of 165.
Do yourself a favor and don't ever measure the box temp... it'll just drive you nuts for no good reason at all.
If you do a search for 'butt' and 'turkey' you'll find posts from me and many others where we've shared the details and experiences with prior smokes.
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Happy smoking Derek!! Looks like you got an early Christmas present.
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Howdy Derek and welcome to the forum
Just do a first smoke only break-in with the wood provided with your new #2 and you'll be fine
As others have said cook to internal temp and don't open the door till the meat probe temp gets there. Rest an hour or two and your good to go. Have fun and enjoy your new smoker
John
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“She’s a beaut Clark”
Saw on YouTube that some people place foil in the wood comtainer under the blocks.. is this common practice?
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I do it to stop combustion of the wood chunks. They used to burn to ashes but now they are charred and very light and brittle so they didn't catch fire.
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I have never found a need to foil due to combustion. However, I do use the chip screen (I never remove it). I would recommend not foiling unless you find you have combustion issues.
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Welcome Derek! Only need to foil the bottom of the wood box if you have very dry wood chunks, such as those from big box stores. I use wood from smokinilicious.com, with proper moisture content, so I never foil the bottom. And only use the chip screen for chips. When I did use big box wood back in the old days, I used the "foil boat" method instead, which is to wrap the bottom half of the chunk tightly in foil. For your turkey breast, you will definitely want to brine. White meat turkey does not have tons of flavor on it's own without getting some seasoning into the meat. Several turkey brine recipes on here, but basically you want 1 cup kosher salt, 1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar, to 1 gallon water. All of the brine flavorings beyond that are up to you. I would brine the turkey breast for 8-10 hours. The other critical thing is not to overcook the breast. I would remove it when the internal temperature is 160. Tent loosely with foil and rest for 30-45 minutes. Carryover cooking will probably bring the temp up to 165. Don't expect the skin to be particularly palatable. But you probably already know that from your previous MB experience.
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Thanks for the info everyone!
Yinz guy are awesome!
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Welcome, Derek, and congrats on the new toy! I second what Kari said, be sure to brine the turkey breast, and would also recommend an aluminum foil Mini-loaf pan filled with water or juice snugged up to the wood box to provide extra moisture. And, once again, Kari is right that there is no need to monitor the temp inside the smoker. I also have the analog #2, and haven't monitored the box temp in over two years. Food always comes out terrific, and less stress on me. Enjoy!
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I use a piece of foil in the firebox... it helps cut down on the airflow which cuts down on combustion. I poke smaller holes in it than the ones in the firebox which lets it still get some airflow. I haven't gotten around to buying high quality wood, yet.
Saw on YouTube that some people place foil in the wood comtainer under the blocks.. is this common practice?
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I smoke with a lot of wood that came from trees in my yard (maple, pecan & cherry). I also use some hickory that a friend gave me. Because the wood is dry, I use foil and have never had a problem. Based on the reviews from friends and family, there have been no problems. FYI, I have learned to simplify my smokes and trust my #2. I rarely/never check the box temp. I do use an Auber for fish but otherwise I keep things simple. Happy smoking!