New to using a smoker

[rusty]

I know there are a lot of veteran smoker cooks on the board here. I recently got what I would consider an entry level smoker when I bought my new grill. I've done a turkey breast that turned out pretty good and a brisket that I was disappointed in. Both were edible, and what I would consider from a beginner, but not great. I think I may have over done both with the wood chips. I've heard that many smoker cooks don't use any chips at all. What are your suggestions for a novice.
Here's a picture of what I bought.

[Sangersteve]

Nice home rig, I'll get with you in a bit.

[Sangersteve]

First thing, does the stack go down to grate level, if not try and figure out a way to get it down there.Hard to believe you can overdo wood chips considering we cook only with wood. Try using a wood with a less heavy smoke flavor, pecan for instance, trick your friends and neighbors into saving fruit wood sticks for you.

Brisket

Onion powder- two tbls
Garlic powder- two tlbs
Beefy onion soup mix- two packets
Red rub, Adkins or Old Podner, (most other rubs are mostly salt)- About a cup
MSG, yes gasp! - one tlbs

Mix them all together rub into meat, let brisket come to room temp.

We cook hot 300 degrees, you pick your temp lower temp longer cooking time
Cook fat side up. Don't open the pit for the first two hours, start checking for color at two hours when the brisket looks dark enough for your taste remove( our time is 4 hours) and tightly wrap(as in it won't leak) in foil, at this point you can finish in the oven after all now the smoke has done its job. So back in the pit or the oven wrapped fat side up, it's a good idea to put it in an aluminum pan as well.
Now depending on your cooking temp,and remember if you wrapped it well you'll actually be braising now, sit back and have a cold adult beverage for 6 to 12 hours.

Check for doneness on the tip of the flat, we don't temp we use feel, kinda like you test a steak, only your looking for rare to med. rare. If you can't darn near poke you finger into the flat it ain't done.

Now the competition tip, when you have reached done, pour some honey and worcestershire over the whole thing and wrap it back up.

Next up ribs.

[rusty]

Hmmmm. Thanks. I know I didn't cook the brisket long enough to render all the fat. It was done and pretty tender but too fatty. Do you trim yours at all before you put it in?

[Sangersteve]

No trimming here, again we cook hot so the fat renders quickly.

Ribs

No baby backs, spares only and we St.Louis our own

St.Louis the ribs, pull the membrane off the back

Cover ribs with yellow mustard

Rub with Adkins and light brown sugar, add cayenne if a little spice lights your fire.

Wrap in foil, bone side up and rest them for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Remove from foil and re-rub with Adkins.

Smoke bone side down until you get the color that suits you.

Place on foil,coat with a thin mixture of melted butter mixed with your favorite, Jam or jelly, and fruit juice. We like peach jam and pineapple juice.
Or your favorite BBQ sauce with honey and butter, or for spicy, honey, butter, and cayenne.Wrap them tight, baste with your mixture every 30 minutes.

Open them up for the last thirty minutes of cooking.

Ribs are done when you can pick up the rack and shake the bones out.

Your on your own for chicken, in the thirty five years of cooking we still don't know what to do with chicken.

Next
My world famous,wins first place, 9 times out of ten, beans.

[rusty]

Thanks. I'm hungry now.

[planosteve]

I just go to Dickies.

[grouchy]

No trimming here, again we cook hot so the fat renders quickly.

Ribs

No baby backs, spares only and we St.Louis our own

St.Louis the ribs, pull the membrane off the back

Cover ribs with yellow mustard

Rub with Adkins and light brown sugar, add cayenne if a little spice lights your fire.

Wrap in foil, bone side up and rest them for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Remove from foil and re-rub with Adkins.

Smoke bone side down until you get the color that suits you.

Place on foil,coat with a thin mixture of melted butter mixed with your favorite, Jam or jelly, and fruit juice. We like peach jam and pineapple juice.
Or your favorite BBQ sauce with honey and butter, or for spicy, honey, butter, and cayenne.Wrap them tight, baste with your mixture every 30 minutes.

Open them up for the last thirty minutes of cooking.

Ribs are done when you can pick up the rack and shake the bones out.

Your on your own for chicken, in the thirty five years of cooking we still don't know what to do with chicken.

Next
My world famous,wins first place, 9 times out of ten, beans.

Bean recipe please?

[kent]

Steve, why does the stack need to go down to the grate?

[Sangersteve]

Kent, if the stack is at the top of the pit the smoke tends to flow across the top of the pit. The puts most of the smoke and heat above the food.
While it is usually a small difference in performance in a pit for home it becomes really important in competition.
Not only are you not pulling the smoke over the meat. it can cause a large difference between the heat from top to bottom.

[Sangersteve]

Beans: For 1 lb of beans

Four thick slices of pepper bacon cut into about 1/2 inch pieces.
One onion diced about the same as the bacon.
One can chicken stock
Water
Salt

In your heaviest pan cook the bacon to very done, then add the onion, cook till translucent
Add beans and chicken stock, stir to deglaze all the stuck bacon
Add water and boil the hell out of the beans, watch the water level
I like the gravy pretty thick.
Add salt at the end of cooking, adding salt early will make a tough bean

[John in Plano]

No diced seeded and deveined jalapeno ?

[GFB]

Jalapeños have veins?

[grouchy]

Beans: For 1 lb of beans

Four thick slices of pepper bacon cut into about 1/2 inch pieces.
One onion diced about the same as the bacon.
One can chicken stock
Water
Salt

In your heaviest pan cook the bacon to very done, then add the onion, cook till translucent
Add beans and chicken stock, stir to deglaze all the stuck bacon
Add water and boil the hell out of the beans, watch the water level
I like the gravy pretty thick.
Add salt at the end of cooking, adding salt early will make a tough bean

Thanks

[planosteve]

What kind of beans?

[Sangersteve]

What kind of beans?

Pintos