Just bought a model #2

kujobie

New member
Super psyched!  Just bought it last night, haven't gotten it yet.  I've been smoking for years using a Brinkman upright charcoal/water smoker and love it, but it's too much work.  This seems to be a well built smoker and I'm sure I'll be happy with it.  I've never used anything other than a charcoal/wood smoker and I'm a little concerned that it won't have the full flavor that charcoal produces.  Is this a valid concern?  And what is the recommended amount of wood to use for ribs which is what I make most often?  I also bought a bag of the hickory wood dowels which people seem to like.  Should I soak it?  I see where some said not to but others said they had flare ups and that it lasted longer if soaked.
 
I personally would not soak the wood.  After seasoning per the instructions, enjoy.

One word of caution:  go light on the wood. A little goes a long way. I generally stick with 2 ounces( I weigh it on a digital scale).  If the smoke is too light, you can go heavier the next time.

Happy smoking!
 
Congrats on the purchase!  You will find that the unit requires little work once you set the temp.  I use a remote thermometer just to watch the internal temp, which varies +/- 15 degrees or so from the set temp, ie the unit will heat over the set temp by 15 degrees or so, then cool down to below the set temp of about 15 degrees, before cycling back on to re-heat the unit.  Everything that I have smoked has come out delicious!

I use cherry wood that appears to be very dry, so the first couple of times I was getting flare ups and heavy smoke within the first 30 minutes or so.  So, I now soak the wood chunks and that has resolved the issue.  You definitely don't need much wood to get a nice smoky flavor.

Good luck, and enjoy!
 
I would only soak the wood if you get flare ups. Wood I have purchased from Home depot is kiln dried and stored so I find that it will ignite, even after soaking for 20-30 minutes. The wood I purchased off ebay doesn't ignite. I've heard that 2-3 oz's of wood is sufficient for ribs. You can also add a charcoal briquette or two if you want to get some of that flavor as well, it also helps with a smoke ring which you will have a hard time getting from an electric smoker.

Congrats on the purchase!
 
I too weigh out my wood on a digital scale.  It's a rare time that I use more than 2.5 oz, and I've never used more than 4 oz after the first cook.  Since the smoke lingers in the unit and is evacuated very slowly it goes a long ways.  Initially I used maybe 5 oz or a little more and the meat was nearly to smoky to eat.
 
You can get a nice scale for $25, and once you have it you'll wonder how you lived without it!  ;)  Seriously, I use mine every other day.
 
After much research I purchased the model 2. I am a newbie to smokers and have some basic questions. Do I add the pecan chunks at the beginning or end. Do I only smoke 1/2 way through the cook or for the duration of the cook. And, does the model 2 have 2 front latches or 1?

I have a external digital thermostat with the meat probe. Should I get a thermostat with a meat and oven probe or just use the smoker thermostat.

Thanks!
 
You'll want to add the wood at the beginning of the smoke session; after meats reach 140 internal temp they can take on very little additional smoke flavor.  Your first load of wood will usually be all you need except for exceptionally long smokes (large briskets or pork butts, etc.).

With regard to the external thermostat, ALWAYS use it.  While the thermostat on the Smokin-It models is reliable, you should rely on internal meat temp more than any other variable, including time.  If you're a control freak like me, you'll invest in a decent two-probe unit that will give you constant feedback on both the meat temp and the smoker chamber temp; moreover, if you're smoking to different types of meat you can attach a second meat probe and keep the two meats running independent of one another while still maintaining your quality control.
 
I agree with UWFSAE and always use the remote temp unit for the smoker temp, and the meat probe for IT when the meat is large enough (Maverick ET-732).  I have had a couple instances where the #2 was not coming up to temp normally and would not have realized this without the remote temp unit, especially when I tried to smoke too much meat at one time, and in other instances I believe the meat was too close to the smokers temp gauge.
 
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