Hello from Missouri

[nfrogge]

Hi everyone! I'm as new to this as they come. Just started in March with the Hunsaker Vortex Smoker. I am loving it so far. Trying new recipes, dialing in just the right times/temps, and customizing my setup has been a lot of fun. One question for the group - anyone have a good resource for hot and fast recipes (especially ribs)? Seems like most of the stuff here is low and slow. My smoker loves that 275-300 range, so keeping it down to 250 is a challenge. Thanks!

[Donw]

Welcome from Maryland. I personally smoke almost everything at 275 or slightly above and still use the low and slow recipes. Only difference is the cooking temp and the time it takes to finish.

[Craigar]

Bingo

[Alan Brice]

Welcome fr Cincy Ohio. Not a source of info on hot n fast. Keep looking in the pit n asking ???
All will be revealed.

[ofelles]

Welcome from the California Delta.

[jfmorris]

Welcome to the Pit from Alabama! Glad to have you onboard!

I've been smoking stuff for 30+ years, and these days I personally consider anything below 300 as "low and slow", as my stick burner likes to run around 275, and I've been cooking most of my low and slow stuff on the kettle and kamado around that temperature as well. All you need to know is that cooking on your Hunsaker at 275 to 300 will shave HOURS off the cook times, and being a barrel smoker, like my kamado, it will tend to be a more moist environment than something like an offset, meaning no water pan likely needed.

For me, for cooks like ribs, it just means that you can knock an hour off the 5-6 hours folks say to expect at 225 smoking temperatures, and maybe start checking them at 3-4 hours. For the typical 8 pound Boston butt, at 225 that puppy will take 12-14 hours if you don't wrap the meat, but will be done in 8 at 275 or so, and I got 5 8 pound butts done in just over 6 hours a couple of weeks ago, smoking at 275 to 300, and wrapping in foil once they were about 170 degrees. Same with brisket - but brisket is the one meat you really have to be careful of drying out, but my days of 20 hour brisket smokes at 225F are long over. Today I run it at 275, wrap/crutch once the meat hits 170, and get my cook done much faster.

I don't think many here own a Hunsaker, but many own the Pitbarrel Cooker or the Oklahoma Joe Bronco, and some Gateway drum users. I would look in the forums under the various Charcoal Drum and Barrel cookers, and ask any questions you have there. I am also paging fzxdoc Potkettleblack and Panhead John to give you further advice, as they all cook on a barrel cooker of some sort, and I think even if its not the same brand or size, the advice will translate.

EDIT: Hot and fast would probably be something you smoke at ABOVE 300 degrees, like chicken and turkey, which I smoke at 325 to 350 smoker temps... You can do a Boston butt at those temps for sure, but I am not sure I would do ribs or brisket that high.

[Panhead John]

What he said 👆

[Craigar]

Ditto what Panhead John said.

[mrteddyprincess]

Good advice. My offset cooks naturally between 275-325 F and no one ever complains about the flavor...

[Panhead John]

Howdy from Houston and welcome to The Pit! We’re glad to have ya. I’ve learned so much from this group since I joined, and you’ll find that this place is one of the best resources for almost anything BBQ related. There’s a lot of us here who have drum smokers, from the PBC, OJ Bronco to several with your Hunsaker.

You’ll get lots of good advice here when asked, and pretty quick too. When I first joined I was amazed at how quickly so many people responded to my questions… My advice here is don’t worry too much about maintaining low temps, 225-250. One of the best briskets I ever cooked, was done in my OJ Bronco at 275-300. It was around a 10-12 pounder after trimming and it was done in 9 hours. There’s a large part of our community who are finding no difference between smoking at 225 or 275, except it’s done quicker with no difference in taste. I don’t remember the last time I smoked something at 225. Not to say there aren’t a few exceptions, but for ribs, pork butts, Chuck roasts and brisket etc. 250-275 works great. And don’t forget, we love pics!

[Craigar]

Sage advice.

[FireMan]

Yup, O’l PJ doesn’t remember much at 225. What he’s not lettin ya in on, he doesn’t remember much at 250, 275! 300, ya get the picture. We do try to take care of him as well as we can. It’s a struggle sometimes.

[bbqLuv]

Well, hello from NW Oregon.

[RonB]

Welcome to The Pit.

I agree with jfmorris . Cook where your cooker wants to cook and save time.

[FireMan]

Yes, over here, over there & even here, yessir!

[LA Pork Butt]

Welcome to the Pit from Dallas, Texas!

[Starsky]

Welcome! And no. I've always been a low and slow kinda guy

[Whiskeyman53]

Welcome to the pit from the bbq capital of New England, Massachusetts.

[FireMan]

Well, first, welcome "new as they come". Second, what’s 25 degrees amongst friends. No bigga deal, that’s a little foreign lingo there. Third, this is no testament to my math skills, you know I’m pretty adept with my numbers by now, grillin, Q’in & cookin is not an exact science, unless it’s Meathead or Doc Blonder talkin salt, steaks or microwaves. Glad to have ya, eat good & have fun!

[holehogg]

Greetings from South Africa.

[RichieB]

Welcome from Western Massachusetts. As far as answering your question in the Barrel Cooker section there is a channel for your cooker. I would suggest to scan the other cookers there too. The PBC channel has a lot of information which should translate to your cooker as previously mentioned and be sure to check out the threads by fzxdoc. Very detailed guidance.

[HawkerXP]

Welcome to the Pit!