Author Topic: Hello from Green Bay  (Read 729 times)

JC in GB

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Hello from Green Bay
« on: May 23, 2022, 08:50:09 AM »


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)
« Last Edit: May 23, 2022, 09:37:35 AM by JC in GB »
Cooking/Processing Equipment:
Stump's Baby Charcoal Smoker
Smokin-It 3.5D Electric Smoker
Wood fired stone oven (Rado Hand Design)
Sausage Curing Chamber (Designed and built by me)
LEM #12 Grinder, Stuffer, Mixer
Globe G12 Slicer
PID Controllers for various uses
Future: DIY Sous Vide system

old sarge

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2022, 11:08:57 AM »
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.
David from Arizona
US Army 70 - 95
SI 3D & Big Red Controller
CS 066
Lodge Sportsman Grill
Weber Kettle
Ducane Meridian 42 inch Grill
LEM MaxVac 1088A
LEM Big Bite #8 Grinder
Chef's Choice 665 and Rival Slicers
Old Hickory Knives
InstantPot Duo80 Plus

JC in GB

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2022, 11:51:02 AM »

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)
Cooking/Processing Equipment:
Stump's Baby Charcoal Smoker
Smokin-It 3.5D Electric Smoker
Wood fired stone oven (Rado Hand Design)
Sausage Curing Chamber (Designed and built by me)
LEM #12 Grinder, Stuffer, Mixer
Globe G12 Slicer
PID Controllers for various uses
Future: DIY Sous Vide system

swthorpe

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2022, 01:07:15 PM »
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
Steve from Delaware
Smokin-It #2

Hank R

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2022, 04:58:21 PM »
Welcome from western Canada, after a couple of smokes you will love it for the ease of use
Smokin-It #1
Napoleon Prestige gas BBQ with Cast Iron Charcoal/Smoker Tray
 30 year old Big Chief smoker (unused for the last 25)
 Snow blower lover Toro 1128 HD,
 collector of Oilcans
Princeton BC Canada

old sarge

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2022, 07:51:10 PM »
 Hank - Good to see you are still breathing God's good air.  It has been a while since we heard from you.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2022, 08:01:02 PM by old sarge »
David from Arizona
US Army 70 - 95
SI 3D & Big Red Controller
CS 066
Lodge Sportsman Grill
Weber Kettle
Ducane Meridian 42 inch Grill
LEM MaxVac 1088A
LEM Big Bite #8 Grinder
Chef's Choice 665 and Rival Slicers
Old Hickory Knives
InstantPot Duo80 Plus

OldeSmoker

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2022, 12:17:53 AM »
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.
Paul from Southwest Missouri
*Smokin-It 3D-WiFi
with Bella’s CSG and The Stephanie Cabinet
*Members Mark SS 6 Burner Gas Grill with Sear Burner, Side Burner & Rotisserie
*River Grills Wood Fired Grill and Fire Pit
W/ Rotisserie and Dutch Oven Hanger

JC in GB

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2022, 09:04:33 AM »
Thanks everyone.  I am looking forward to my first cook on my SI3.5D.  Your sage counsel is much appreciated.

JC
Cooking/Processing Equipment:
Stump's Baby Charcoal Smoker
Smokin-It 3.5D Electric Smoker
Wood fired stone oven (Rado Hand Design)
Sausage Curing Chamber (Designed and built by me)
LEM #12 Grinder, Stuffer, Mixer
Globe G12 Slicer
PID Controllers for various uses
Future: DIY Sous Vide system

tpcdelisle

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Re: Hello from Green Bay
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2022, 12:16:49 PM »
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. 👍
Tony too!
From Southeast Indiana / Greater Cincinnati

Smokin-It 3D WiFi
Smokin-It 3 Analog
Bella’s Cold Smoke Generator
Recteq B380 Bullseye
Meat Your Maker 1 hp #22 Grinder
Beswood 250R 10” Slicer
Former Air Force
Retired FAA Air Traffic Controller
Anova Sous Vide
Super foodie of world cuisines