Dear Bill,

I have a problem that I hope you can help me with. A few months ago I
downloaded your barbecue book, which I found to be very helpful. I also
subscribe to your email newsletter.

My problem is that, after some initial success, my pork ribs have
recently been turning out very badly. I use a barrel smoker with a
separate fire box, try and maintain a steady temperature of around 223
degrees F and follow your instructions as to time, etc. very carefully.
no matter what I seem to do the ribs turn out tough on the outside and
mushy on the inside. I monitor the temperature of the smoker with a
thermometer mounted through a hole on the cover.

I’m getting tired of throwing away good meat. Any advice you could
provide would be most welcome.

Regards,

Ron

Bill,
I just bought a custom smoker on a trailer.
Do you have pictures of your lang smoker in the inside?
I want to see if the heat shielding from the fire box across the tank is the same thing that this one has?
I am going to add a warming box over the fire box on the outside, and just wanet to see if there was anything else I need to do on the inside.
We have some big events coming soon here at the FD to raise money for CP kids, cant wait to get smoking. 

Thanks,
Lynn

Hi Bill,

I’m hoping that you can steer me in the right direction.  I live in the
Detroit area.  My husband would love to go to a “real BBQ”…..he’s a
fan of ribs.  I was thinking of surprising him with a weekend either in
Kansas City or Memphis to attend an event.  I think that if it was a
competition, it might be a bonus.

I’ve looked on the calendar of events. I see that most of those listed
will have occurred by the end of this month.  Is there anything going on
during the summer or early fall in either Kansas City or Memphis?

Thank you for your time.  I appreciate it.

Nancy

Bill, talk to me about chicken skin. I can cook some awesome thighs on my Lang smoker but the skin tends to be on the rubbery side when finished. Any way to crisp it up a little?

Bill, Thank you for the information in your book.

I was wondering if you could make any suggestions on BBQ Turkey Breast, or smoking turkey breast. You did not cover that in your book, and I do need any help I can get in regards to this.

I will be cooking it on a Big Green Egg.

Thanks, Nick

Mr. Anderson,

  you have probably had this happen a hundred times, but would it be OK to send you a recipe to try?  this one would seem to be a good one (it is for ribs) in that it is not the usual bbq sauced ribs:  the marinade  for the ribs as well as the glazing sauce is very unique.  you mentioned in your book that this was a good thing (i.e. raspberry-vinaigrette) in that it gave the judges a different flavor.

  will send you the recipe if you want:  I would assume the 1331 address?  I have tried this recipe recently and everybody remarked what a different flavor these ribs had.  they loved them!

thanks bill,

Chad

Hi Bill,

I bought your book last January and now I can say that I know a little bit about smoker and BBQ !

I will like to have your comments on SYBBQ equipment ? Is the fact of the rotating shelves can make the smokin’s operation different or influence the temperature ?

Did you ever boil meats before cooking ?

Thank’s for the time reading me (can be hard, I’m French Canadian) and, one more time, congratulations for the quality of your book.

François

I bought a vertical smoker about 13 or so years ago…liking the idea of making my own bbq but not having a clue how to do it.  After a few failures the smoker began collecting dust in the back of my garage.

Found your book during a random Internet search this week…bought it…have read it …three times…and am feeling like I can probably do this bbq thing. 

Please help me with a few questions.

1)  I have a vertical smoker ..charcoal only/no electrical stuff.  It is a Brinkman.  There are no vents to speak of so I am wondering how I regulate temperature?  Is it simply going to have to be trial and error based on the amount of charcoal I add?  The Brinkman product manual says to add 8-10 pounds of charcoal.  This just seems like a whole lot of charcoal to me…and I don’t want my bbq to end up like jerky.  Got any advice?

2)  You’re going to laugh at this one.  I’ve decided to start off with a pork butt…from what I read in your book…the pork butt seems to be the most difficult to mess up.  So here’s my question.  How do you “pull” pork?  I live in Houston…and I have only ever eaten pulled pork once (it is not popular here)…and I don’t know how to “pull” pork?  Pls give me some tips/tricks!

3)  High Temp Plastic Wrap.  I have been to a grocery store, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Academy.  No high temp plastic wrap.  What is the brand you use and where do you get it?

4)  Can’t find your suggested Cook Shack Spicy BBQ Rub or Big Bob Gipsons Red Sauce.  Got any alternate suggestions?  If not…is the Big Bobs stuff a bbq sauce or what?

Thank you for writing this book and answering my questions!

Candace

I bought your book several months ago, in fact it was the first one I bought, and have read it cover to cover several times.  Since then I have gotten several more books including the Jamisons’ “Smoke and Spice” and Smokey Hale’s latest book.That was the reason I originally contacted you. 

After reading all my books and surfing all the BBQ forums that focused on using LP gas tank–style pits and hardwood, I realized the temperatures stated in your book were significantly higher than those indicated by everyone else.  Then I took a closer look at the photo in the front of “Competition BBQ Secrets” and discovered the Lang’s thermometer is located high above the lower cooking rack and decided that was probably the reason for the differences in the temperatures in your book and all the other information I had read.  I decided to contact you in order to confirm my suspicions.

Richard

Also… Continue reading →

Hey Bill,

Did a fairly good sized brisket last night following your
instructions.  10 hours on the Big Green Egg and I’ll be danged if
that thing didn’t turn out moist, tender, and textured just right to
pull apart the slices in your fingers.  No other brisket method has
even come close.  Nice work my friend!

By the by, how do you like your Lang smoker?  We’ve got a line on a
60 and an 84, and I’m chomping at the bit.

Regards,
Ken