I just got a little smoker. (in Off-topic)

I know the heading sounds misleading. I just got a little electric meat smoker, and I already started smoking some chickens. I cured them for 24 hours in the bottom of the fridge and started hickory smoking them today! They smell so awesome!!! I am making a smoked chicken salad recipe with secret ingredients lol. I can't be too specific with what I am doing, but I wondered if anyone else on here does any smoking, and would be willing to share some secrets. I would open up a little if I found someone with a similar hobby. So my question is; what do you smoke and what do you use.

I've seen on TV that you should always use 2 part wet , 1 part dry wood when smoking, and cedar usually works well.

I personally don't do much smoking though. Just grilling for me.

I have a gas grill that is really nice, but I would like to be able to smoke some meats and then grill to finish. I am just getting started though. 3 days to make chicken salad, but it is so worth it.

I worked for broil king/Weber last summer as a promotions guy putting on cooking/sales demos. by far my favourite was an afternoon where we used a big green egg (IMO the best, albeit expensive) and a traeger in addition to a weber genesis gas grill to finish up.

I've done a lot of ribs and on that afternoon did a big ham as well.

so amazing.

if you've never cooked with a BGE it's a truly amazing experience. you drop coals in the bottom and they will last for many hours, you control temperature simply by opening anad closing a vent at the top.

Fat: you are already speaking a language I don't understand. I would like to hear more if you cared to elaborate.

My grandpa smokes the turkeys and ham for thanksgiving, they are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

I've smoked many tri-tips, wild hog, venison, shark, salmon, and cheese (I think that's the list).

I tend to use whatever I've got available, but an old school weber can suffice if you set it up right. I'm picking up a horizontal barrel style smoker this week, and looking for a 50 gallon (food grade) drum I can convert as well. For a while I was using a nifty little mini barrel I picked up on sale.

I tend to use what's easily available, so it's just mesquite charcoal which has a pretty pungent smoke flavor that some folks might not like.
I tend to just use a garlic pepper salt rub for the beef, but everything else I tend to brine before smoking. I'm totally still getting things figured out, my attempt this week was mediocre at best I was disappointed as I normally can get the fat layer on the tri-tip to render just about perfectly... that'll teach me to be impatient.

I'm hoping with my new (well new to me at least) setup I can try some trickier things. I really want to try and make some smoked ahi (tuna) without turning it into a gray lump of blech.

When I woke up this morning, the entire house was smelling like it was on fire. Most likely it's caused by the various easter fires around the country from last evening. I've had enough smoke for a few weeks :)

It took about 13 hours to make chicken salad but it was totally worth it! Exactly like I remember it. I was thinking about doing a pork loin next. I will let you know how it turns out.

"I just got a little electric meat smoker, and I already started smoking some chickens."

Awesome!

And here I am still excited over my deep-fryer that I got for Christmas.

mmm deep fried bacon!

I wanna get a fryer once I get my own place!

I cooked that cat for G.W.B. by the way....

My mother wants one with every bone in her body. :)