Smokin-It User Forum!
General Discussions => Introductions => Topic started by: JC in GB on May 23, 2022, 08:50:09 AM
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Greetings all from Green Bay. I have been making smoked meats and sausages for a few years now.
I finally upgraded to a Smokin-It 3.5D because I got tired of cutting up my pork bellies to smoke them.
It seems that it is going to take me a bit to get used to the control system but I am impressed by the available functions.
I am somewhat concerned about the smoke delivery in these units. It recommends only 2 pieces of wood in the smoke box for the entire cook. I have some trepidation about this putting enough smoke flavor on meat requiring long cooking times. My question then is the standard smoke box enough or would it be better with a smoke generator?
Thanks,
JC 8)
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Welcome from SE Arizona. As for the wood, the breakin only requires a couple chunks of wood. For smoking food, you will want to start low on wood and work up. I recommend 2 to 4 ounces to start with. If the smoke is too light some bbq sauce can help. You can go up to 6 ounces on large cuts and the flavor is really good. But smokiness is a matter of personal preference. What you don’t want is over smoked bitterness and food that is inedible.
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Thanks for the reply. I don't have a whole lot of experience with electric smokers so I am trying to get a feel for how it will work as opposed to my charcoal smoker.
JC 8)
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Welcome from Delaware, JC! I think you will find that these smokers don't require a lot of wood -- I typically use about 4-6oz of wood and get plenty of smokiness. A couple of runs with your 3.5D and you will have it dialed in! Cheers
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Welcome from western Canada, after a couple of smokes you will love it for the ease of use
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Hank - Good to see you are still breathing God's good air. It has been a while since we heard from you.
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Welcome JC! It’s good to have you as a new member. Hope you enjoy your new 3.5D. I also like plenty of smoke on my meat. I use 6 oz of wood chunks on
my ribs and 8 oz on my pork butts and packer briskets. I do use the foil boat method because the first couple times I used my smoker the wood caught fire and it had a bitter flavor. That has never happened using the foil boats.
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Thanks everyone. I am looking forward to my first cook on my SI3.5D. Your sage counsel is much appreciated.
JC
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Welcome JC from the greater Cincinnati area in Indiana. I think these smokers really hold the smoke and will flavor much more than using charcoal, in my opinion of course. I think 2-4 oz of wood is great for our tastes but will go as high as 6 oz for brisket. Like others have said, start to the lower side and work your way up if needed because it will still taste great if lighter but way over smoked may get thrown out. You are going to love your smoker. 👍