Smokin' A Fattie

[Andy M.]

I guess I have to be careful who I say this to. My DIL called from Florida and when I told her I was smoking a fattie she asked, in a surprised tone, "You're smoking a joint?!". I assured her that was not the case.

My second experiment in smoking on the Weber was the fattie. I used 1.5 pounds of breakfast sausage and a pound of bacon along with a shredded Mexican cheese blend. I sealed the cheese inside the sausage the wrapped it in a bacon weave, wrapped it in plastic and refrigerated it.

Following advice I got after experiment #1, I started about 3/4 of a chimney of charcoal and dumped it into the Weber before it fully ignited, added some soaked chips and the fattie. Closed down all the vents and watched.

Once again, tempertue control was the issue. The temp soared to well over 350º F before it settled down to about 240º to 250º. After an hour, I turned the fattie over, added more wood chips and kept going. After two hours, I checked the temp and it wasn't done so I opened up the vents to finish it off. It took about 2:20 to get to 160º F internal temperature.

I brought it in and covered it to rest while I prepared the rest of dinner, potatoes and eggs.

As you can see from the pics, It didn't rest long enough before I cut into it.

All in all, it was tasty we both liked it.

FrankZ, thanks for the reminder, I found a clip for the remote probe.

 

[GrillingFool]

Is that a bacon weave?
Very nice!

I don't get to do the bacon thing... if it isn't super crispy, my wife doesn't like it... or
for some reason, whatever it was in/on. Sigh.

Try a bacon cheeseburger fattie, with good ol' seasoned hamburger! Milder than the sausage,
verry tasty!

 

[Andy M.]

One of the benefits of the fattie's cooking at a higher heat for a time was that the bacon was crispy. SO also does not like soggy bacon so I got it right this time.

 

[pacanis]

Very nice, Andy!
And even with the higher temp spikes, I wouldn't have expected it to be done before a couple hours. Mine are usually on for 3-4 hours at smoking temps.

I'm not sure about the method you used for the charcoal. I know the minion method was mentioned. The minion method is putting some lit charcoal on top of unlit that you already have in your grill/smoker. As the lit burns down, it ignites the charcoal underneath. A little different that using all partially lit charcoal, but the minion method is for long smokes anyway.

Regardless, you obviously did a good job and controlled your fire. Next time try a little less than half a chimney and have your vents partially closed to start. I'm sure the high temp is because you had too much charcoal lit for summer temps and it climbed too quickly.

 

[Andy M.]

Very nice, Andy!
And even with the higher temp spikes, I wouldn't have expected it to be done before a couple hours. Mine are usually on for 3-4 hours at smoking temps.

I'm not sure about the method you used for the charcoal. I know the minion method was mentioned. The minion method is putting some lit charcoal on top of unlit that you already have in your grill/smoker. As the lit burns down, it ignites the charcoal underneath. A little different that using all partially lit charcoal, but the minion method is for long smokes anyway.

Regardless, you obviously did a good job and controlled your fire. Next time try a little less than half a chimney and have your vents partially closed to start. I'm sure the high temp is because you had too much charcoal lit for summer temps and it climbed too quickly.

Thanks, Fred. I think you're on target. The temps took off fast! I thought the problem was too much charcoal but by then it was too late. The method I used basically results in the minion method. The charcoal at the top of the chimney isn't lighted yet. The stuff on the bottom is. When you dump it into the grill the unlit charcoal is on the bottom and the lighted stuff is on the top. Still, too much charcoal.

Also, because of the charcoal quantity, I had to shut down the grill vents 100% to get to target temp. The wood chips didn't smoke much that way until I lifted off the top to check things out. Then they'd smoke for a bit with the added oxygen.

I used my new hinged top grate and that was a big help.

 

[pacanis]

I keep an eye on how fast the temps are climbing and make an uneducated guess as to how much to close the vents as I approach 200F, so I ease into my target temp, but you kind of get a feel for that depending on the weather.
I think the biggest thing to getting to and maintaining 225 (or so) is how much charcoal to start with. I remember last winter in single digits I put half a chimney in and it wasn't long before I was asking myself what was I thinking... it ain't summer anymore, lol. I had to get more charcoal going in the chimney to add. It was climbing way too slow.

So you use soaked chips? What do you do, use a smoking box?
I just put dry chips in a foil pouch and poke a few very small slits.

 

[Andy M.]

I keep an eye on how fast the temps are climbing and make an uneducated guess as to how much to close the vents as I approach 200F, so I ease into my target temp, but you kind of get a feel for that depending on the weather.
I think the biggest thing to getting to and maintaining 225 (or so) is how much charcoal to start with. I remember last winter in single digits I put half a chimney in and it wasn't long before I was asking myself what was I thinking... it ain't summer anymore, lol. I had to get more charcoal going in the chimney to add. It was climbing way too slow.

So you use soaked chips? What do you do, use a smoking box?
I just put dry chips in a foil pouch and poke a few very small slits.

I had been using soaked hickory in a SS smoker box. This time I just tossed a couple of handfuls of the soaked chips on the coals. They start smoking right away. Thanks to FrankZ and roadfix for that tip.

 

[pacanis]

Hmmm, interesting. How long do they smoke for that way?

 

[Andy M.]

Not sure. As I said, the closed vents stifled the smoke. I think roadfix actually suggested chunks not chips. I did get good flavor from them.

 

[pacanis]

A lot of folks use chunks, but they aren't available by me and the chips do a good job. You just have to watch they don't burn up too fast, which is why the very tiny slits I mentioned, so they don't get a lot of oxygen. I can get a few hours from them, about the time the meat heads into 140.
Maybe I'll throw some soaked chips into the Smokey Joe tonight and see what happens.

 

[Andy M.]

When I did the pork steaks last week, I used a box with soaked chips and it lasted a long time. For smaller pieces, I don't think you need a lot of smoke.

 

[FrankZ]

When I use the side box I use the chunks. I will set up my basket with a mix of charcoal and chunks. I light a partial chimney and put it on top.

When it comes time to add fuel I will toss chunks in until I am about half way in, then switch to just charcoal.

On an indirect grill I use chips, soaked, and have to a handful at a time a couple times. The times are so much shorter that I don't find it matters as much.

The fatty looks great, I really really need to do one of those soon.

 

[roadfix]

The fatty looks good. I've never done one but one day I will.

I don't understand the temperature spike you're getting. My temp never creeps over 300°F as long as I keep the bottom vents barely open. My top vents are almost always 100% open.
Are you able to somehow gauge the vent opening? I marked the lever positions on the ash catcher from fully closed to 100% open with several incremental markings.

 

[Andy M.]

I started with the top closed and to bottom open. Then I closed both completely. It took an hour for the temp to drop.

 

[Snip 13]

Lol!

Hi, I just joined and I must say the first thing I thought when I saw this post was I must have joined some dodgy forum. Good thing I read it first..lol! That fatty looks mighty tasty, must give it a try sometime!

 

[pacanis]

Granted, you're using a kettle (?) and I use a WSM, but I was told to always have the top vent open to keep the smoke circulating. Adjust the bottom vents for temperature and the top only if you need to. That said, I've had the top almost completely closed on a couple occassions, but only as emergency measures. The bottom vents were already closed and my temp was still climbing. My side door is getting a little loose and lets in oxygen, so I was trying to snuff out the fire somewhat. My bottom vents are only completely open (when I first start out) in winter, otherwise I set them where I think they need to be and adjust from there.

So Snip13... you found us by Googling fattie?
lol

 

[Snip 13]

Lol! No, I googled food :P It's really cold and I was hungry. Can't even look at weed and green fever here I come. I think I'll stick to Vodka

 

[pacanis]

.. I think I'll stick to Vodka

Stick around then. We might talk about getting Goosed after we're done talking about smoking a fatty

 

[Andy M.]

Stick around then. We might talk about getting Goosed after we're done talking about smoking a fatty

OK, now you're getting into a Grey area.

 

[Snip 13]

Yeah I'll stick around..lol! Goosed on Blue Goose Vodka I take it? Or am I being a blonde South African now?