You know you’re addicted when you start smoking soup
Baby steps first, the wife picked up a decent inch and a half thick half kilo of rump from the shop. Smashed some black peppercorns and coarse sea salt in a bag ready for the rub, looking in one of my books it should only take around an hour or so to smoke at 110 deg C. We'll see how this turns out before blowing a chunk of money on a brisket.
Bed of charcoal laid and lit, once it was settled and the temp down to 110 I added a chunk of oak, and on it went.
Checked the internal temp after an hour, still only at 44 degrees C.
By now it was dark so nothing for it but to pour a small single malt and wait
Two and a half hours, internal temp 55 deg C - rare, just how we like it. We have a smoke ring! Victory dance time.
It tasted amazing. Would have liked more bark on the outside but given the relatively short smoking time I guess it's about right. Maybe ramp the temp up towards the end next time on a small cut like this. Overdid it with the salf in the rub though (50:50) so will use less net time too, maybe 75:25.
Thanks everyone for the encouragement and pointers, I know this is the build section but so pleased my daft little budget smoker works really well and easily holds a temperature.
I only just discovered this thread, but I’m on nightshift with not much to do so was able to sit & read the lot, & an enjoyable read it was too. Love your work.
Finally managed to get my paws on one of the bigger bottles I wanted to make the second one
Now, to make it an RF or not? I've been happy so far with the baby smoker I made which is a standard offset, and from reading Franklin's book a few months ago I know all his are standard too, so leaning towards keeping it simple.
Going to wait until my new MIG turns up before I make a start on this too.