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[SWHUNTER]

 

[Gobble]

When I was using a big/little chief I drilled a hole in the lid and inserted a cooking thermometer into it, it worked great. The only way to smoke correctly is to monitor the temp and keep it at certain temp. 140-160 degrees is about where I smoke at and its fairly consistant for most most things. I use a weber gas smoker now and its much easier to regulate the temp at a consistant setting, esp in cold weather

[Gobble]

What are you planning to smoke?

[ICEMAN]

.....The only way to smoke correctly is to monitor the temp and keep it at certain temp.

Huh?   I have two manufactured smokers and one homemade....neither have a thermometer... Plus, family and myself smoking meats for years without a thermometer....

Guess I have been doing it wrong all these years! 

[Gobble]

.....The only way to smoke correctly is to monitor the temp and keep it at certain temp.

Huh?   I have two manufactured smokers and one homemade....neither have a thermometer... Plus, family and myself smoking meats for years without a thermometer....

Smart A$$ 

I should have said for consistancy monitor the temp. Smoking fish, jerky, etc is much easier if you have it at a constant temp you can pretty much bank on how long it will take to finish it. Without it (I'm sure you can agree with me ICE) its a big guessing game. I couldn't tell you how many fish etc I overcooked/smoked because I had no clue how long it would take, esp with a charcoal smoker. 

Guess I have been doing it wrong all these years! 

[ICEMAN]

Yeah, I know....just being my normal wiseass self.

Best advice is to monitor your food like you said....

Damn, now I want to get the smoker out! 

[Gobble]

Yeah, I know....just being my normal wiseass self.

Best advice is to monitor your food like you said....

Damn, now I want to get the smoker out! 

I know, I have a bunch of vension cut into jerky size pieces I need to take out and smoke soon. I don't do it all at the same time because the kids (and I ) will have it all eaten in a week

[Gobble]

When I smoke jerkey I never check the temp. I got a new meat grinder for Christmas and Im gonna start making sausage. I was told to moniter the temp when smoking sausage. Is this really necassary?

I tried it once and failed. Yes you will want to monitor the temp with sausage. Mine looked like little black turds when I was done 

[ICEMAN]

We smoke our homemade sausage every year we make them. Just to put a light smoky flavor, not to dry them out too much. After we lightly smoke, we then freeze or pressure can the sausage.

[Gobble]

We smoke our homemade sausage every year we make them. Just to put a light smoky flavor, not to dry them out too much. After we lightly smoke, we then freeze or pressure can the sausage.

 

[Alchase]

It all depends on what you want to smoke? If you want to cold smoke you definitely do not want the temp doing the cooking, you want the smoke to cure the meat.

I use to add a single element burner in my Big Chief if I wanted to cook/smoke. The element that comes with the big chief does not get hot enough to cook through large pieces of meat to desired temp easily. The Big Chief does cold smoke very well.

I use a Bradly Smoker now and just insert a remote thermometer to alarm me when the desired internal temp is reached. Remote thermometers  can also be used in the Big Chief, it is just harder to regulate the smoker temp to get an even temp.

Back to your question, yes you can put a thermometer in the Big Chief and it would be useful to judge cook time.
And you should use a remote thermometer or regular meat thermometer in your smoker if you are doing smoke/cooking so the internal temp you want is reached. Do you have to have one? No, but they sure make things easy.
We found that if you take the meat out 10 deg. before fully cooked and wrap it in a damp towel then place in a cooler for about 15-20 min. the internal temp will continue to rise and it will have moisture locked in.

[NRA4LIFE]

I ALWAYS monitor the internal temperature of the smoker AND the internal temperature of the sausage.  It really does help in getting the end product right.  My smoker is an old refridgerator with a rheostat controlled electric heating element.  I use a couple of those electric meat thermometers for all temperature monitoring.  Just as a backup I have a dial type with a long probe that I have inserted through a hole in the back.

[Alchase]

I use one of these

http://www.amazon.com/RediCheck-Remote-Cooking-Thermometer-Settings/dp/B0000AQL24

I set the internal temp to alarm when reached, I love these things. If you get busy and brainfart your time it lets you know and has a pretty long range. Once I set the temp and smoke, I do not have to open the smoker until the meat has reached temp.

[NRA4LIFE]

Alchase, that's the exact same unit I got!  I use that one for monitoring the temps. inside the smoker.  It's really nice in case you've had a few too many adult beverages too.

[ICEMAN]

Alchase, that is so cool. May have to add that to my must have list!