smoking U.S. Style in Oz

[Kevvy]

iv'e been looking at the way u guys slow cook using wood and i would love to give it a try.
We bbq differently here mainly what you would call grilling.
I have a kettle bbq and need information on number of briquettes to use for the right temp to slow cook a 2 kg chicken.
How much wood? Should it be soaked or dry? How long should it be cooked for?
I have used a kettle before using briquettes so i guess i just make a smaller fire, cook longer and add some wood.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers Kevvy

 

[hittmann]

It relies on many different things. Outdoor temp, wind etc.
I use my Weber a lot in summer.

I try and minimise the variables by always using the same amount of charcoal.
My grill has temperature gauge built in. When checking for doneness I use a meat thermometer.
If you have no temp gauge make sure you get a meat thermometer. If you have no idea how hot
the grill is it would suck to take the meat out too early or too late.

When I make ribs I soak my hickory chunks in apple juice I normally do that the night before.

 

[hot stuff]

I use about the amount of briquettes that fit in a plastic grocery bag. Heat them until they are ash colored. Then I start putting on soaked wood chips every so often when the smoke stops until the bird is cooked.

 

[thatguy]

I have done it like this in the past. Slow Cook Kettle

 

[richoso12]

I would use a charcoal chimney to start, and employ it with the Minion method. Use a therm at grate/rack level to know your cooking temp. And like someone else said, use a meat probe for knowing internal temps. Here is a link to an explanation and tutorial on the Minion method, it's on another forum that I've been with for a few years. It's all good my friend. http://www.smokingme...d-with-tutorial

 

[BamsBBQ]

some videos on youtube

just search youtube for weber grill or similar...lots of good videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S073Ydim4k

 

[EatingOutFresno]

We Yanks mostly grill too to be honest. The full on barbeque/smoker style is more about low and slow cooking. Techniques vary widely and are often the source of some heated debate. For your kettle, I'd suggest the smoke pouch method. You'll make a smaller fire that you can maintain a sub-300 degree F temperature. Then get some type of small hardwood or fruit wood chips. Hickory and apple are the most common in the US. Soak them in water for a few hours prior to cooking and place a hand full in a pouch made from tin foil. Poke some holes in the pouch prior to use and add to the fire as you're cooking. Depending on how long your bird takes to get to temp you'll probably need 2-3. You might need to tent the breast with some foil if it winds up cooking faster than the thighs.

You might want to keep some charcoal prepped in a starter chimey or other spot if you need to add some more heat during the cooking process. But overall you're making a smokey oven rather than cooking over direct heat. Temperature control is the real key to getting it right.

-Pook

 

[ajijoe]

It relies on many different things. Outdoor temp, wind etc.
I use my Weber a lot in summer.

I try and minimise the variables by always using the same amount of charcoal.
My grill has temperature gauge built in. When checking for doneness I use a meat thermometer.
If you have no temp gauge make sure you get a meat thermometer. If you have no idea how hot
the grill is it would suck to take the meat out too early or too late.

When I make ribs I soak my hickory chunks in apple juice I normally do that the night before.

the southern method from what i know for soaking the wood is apple cider vinagar instead of apple juice and atleast thats for pulled pork
thanks joe