Help with new smoker

[Fred Bear]

I just bought a new electric smoker today. It didn't come with very good directions. It has a water pan and the grill racks with a heating element at the bottom. Where do you put the wood chips? In the water pan? In the bottom with the heating element? Can someone help me out?

[Big Frank 25]

In the bottom near the element.

[Banditto]

soak the wood chips over night, or if your'e like me at least 10 minutes! Then set the chips right on the heating element. We soak ours in an old water pitcher. A pitcher full can usually smoke 20lbs of fish.

What are you smoking? The tricky thing about a smoker is the smoke is what really regulates the heat. In my experience with electric smokers, without smoke the smoker element won't be able to maintain hot enough temp to really cook the meat in a reasonable amount of time. So you gotta have a certain amount of smoke. But too much smoke isn't really good for most things, except fish really. I found that you really can't over smoke fish, but everything else has to be just right.

Let us know how it goes.

[Salmonsmoker]

FB,

A friend of mine has a similar smoker - had the same question. The wood chips go on the bottom, around and below the heating element. The water pan is very useful for keeping the food moist as it smoke/cooks. Keep some liquid in the pan at all times but a lot of liquid will absorb heat for a long time (try using cider - gives a nice fruit flavor to the meat.) The problem that we found with this kind of smoker is getting enough smoke. With the chips around and below the heating element, they do not produce the amount of smoke that other systems produce.

To get more smoke, if there is room between the bottom of the water pan and the heating element, you could try a very shallow pan, a flat square of metal, or even a piece of metal screen with wood chips on it, placed directly on top of the heating element.

Hope this helps.

Salmonsmoker

[Fred Bear]

Thanks for the help on the smoker. In answer to Bandittos question, I'm mainly going to be smoking venison for jerky. Do you have any helpful hints in that area?

[Banditto]

SalmonSmoker is the guy to ask about using a smoker to make jerky. My experiences with using a smoker to make jerky were not really that edible. I use my food dehydrator to do that chore and it works perfectly. What I will do is use my dehydrator to make jerky, then after it is done throw it in the smoker for 30 minutes to give it some flavor.

But my experience with smoking jerky is less is more--don't use too much smoke because it will turn it bitter. Good luck either way.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Try making jerky at 130 to 150 degrees. Takes about 4 hrs maybe a little longer. I also smoke salmon at a low temp. Best smoke flavor comes in the fall and winter. The heating coil will not cycle off and on as often as in the summer and your wood will continue to smoke constantly.

[Salmonsmoker]

FB,

How to make jerky depends on the taste and texture that you want in the final product.

There are basically two processes that I use and both give excellent results:

1. Use ground venison, thoroughly mix in spices/salt/cure, and let set in the frige for 24 hours. Then, use a jerky shooter and lay the strips onto dehydrator trays and dry to desired state (drier strips give tougher jerky, totally not dried strips come out like a meatloaf) and you will have to experiment with that one to get what you like. When you have the texture that you want, then put it in the smoker. I like a sweet/smoky flavor so I cold smoke for 4 hours then bring up the temp to 180 to set the protien. The advantage of this method is that you have absolute control over the taste and texture of the final product. The dry salt/spices/cure give more subtle flavor possibilities, and the length of time in the dehydrator gives any texture that you want.

2. Cut strips of meat from a roast (cutting with the grain of the meat gives tougher jerky, cutting across the grain gives a more tender jerky) and put in a brine for 24 hours (several recipies have been posted for brines). Then, lay the strips out on a dehydrator tray (oven racks will work if the oven is on low) until the jerky is getting dry (again, this requires some experimenting to get the texture that you want) then into the smoker for the finishing (as above) The advantage to this method is ease and consistancy. Unless you leave it in the dehydrator/oven for too long, it is hard to go wrong and less time is required in making it. Basically you will get a good flavored, though textured (depending on the cut of meat), jerky.

How long in the smoker depends on how much smoke-flavor you want. The smoker also will continue to dry the meat so allow for that in your procedure.

It is also very helpfull to keep some records of each batch - how much of what spices were used, how long in the dehydrator, how long in the smoker and at what temperature. With some experimenting and good recordkeeping, you will quickly come up with a flavor/texture combination that you like. Then just follow that recipe and make more because it won't last long.

Salmonsmoker

[Salmonsmoker]

Banditto,

Thanks for the vote of confidence. About 4 years ago, I was making up to 20 lbs per week. The best jerky takes the longest to make but the flavor is worth it.

Good to hear from you.

Salmonsmoker