Sounds wonderful. And I love true Kona coffee! Brings back memories of being young and newly married and...well.... you get the picture!
One thing that I do that helped me out alot is to stack the brickets, it uses less charcoal and helps provide an even heat across the grill. Yea it's kind of a pain in the butt and takes some time and adds a few extra minutes to start up. But consistentsy is key to either do it again or to change something. This is how I set up to smoke as well, I just put a flat split right on top.
I like how some meats soak well with soy, enhances flavor but without letting it get too bold if its diluted, say beer or whatever. Not always done this way just favor in light of water unless its a thick beer then pick one or the other. But you’re accurate that the skin becomes crispy with the skin being on. Sounds delicious!
I use this rub on just about everything. I never measure anything, but these are my best guess: 2 TBS Brown Sugar 2 TBS Kosher Salt 1 TSP Garlic Powder 1 TSP Black Pepper 1 TSP Chili Powder 1 TSP Paprika 1 TSP Onion Powder 1 TSP Oregano .5 TSP Cumin .5 TSP Cayanne Brine for anything: 4 Cups H2O 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup kosher salt 2 TSP Garlic Powder (optional, but I do it every time) 1 diced jalapeno (optional) If you have a water pan in your smoker, fill it with HOT water before you start smoking. Leave your meat on the counter for a couple hours before you put it on the smoker. It's not going to kill you...it hasn't killed me yet. Get a good instant read thermometer. It's not cheating. I've had a couple and this is far and away my favorite.
Nope, "thick" beer exists. Think of ale's and such. Much thicker than my blue smoothies. Some ales are practically a meal on their own.
Google “moose drool” and think of an octoberfest tasting that looks a bit like half frozen rootbeer being poured in a small glass.
Easy rub and works for most anything your cooking up I dust butts, chicken, steaks, burgers, mushroom, onions, potatoes. (Ribs get this basic rub + ) Dry Rub 2 tbs bl pepper 2 tbs onion powder (granulated) 1 tbs garlic powder (granulated) 1 tbs Lawry's seasoned salt. 1 tbs salt (optional) Store the rub in a sealed container and keep a shaker handy for easy use. If you like baked potatoes, try this. Lay down a piece of foil add a baking potato a quarter of an onion 1 tsp olive oil a good dusting of this rub wrap and bake at 350 for an hour or so onion side up on grill so onions don't turn black.
I make most of my own rubs. Lately beef has been smoked chipotles ground in a coffee grinder with coffee paprika and some cumin. Big cuts of beef liberally salted with coarse salt then rubbed. +1 on lukem with hot water in the smoker pan. I’ve also started using a top down fire method on the Akorn load it with smoke wood birquets or lump and start 5-8 birquets in the chimney starter pour on top and it will run 20+hrs with plenty of fuel left over for 3-4 more normal cooks. Latest store bought rub I’ve been trying: AC Leggs
I use a Kitchenaid mixer with the flat beater to "pull" pork butts now. It will shred a butt in about 30 seconds. Quite a time saver if you are doing very many.
Hahaha... Well I haven't done that to myself, but I may or may not have done that to a neighbor, too bad he's a miserable sob. I woulda felt compelled to invite him over otherwise. Probably smelled better anyways. Think a real good heavy hickory smoke, and I fogged the neighborhood.
Thanks for that tip Brad, I tried it on two Boston Butts yesterday and it was a great time saver and much easier.
