Anyone multi-task smoking barbecue with home brewing?

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

SWMBO just got me a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) for me to start pursuing yet another hobby...making the best BBQ within my means and ability. I also suspect to keep me out of the house more.

Just curious if anyone else runs the smoker and brews a batch the same day? Any tips or Zen tricks would be greatly appreciated. Trying to visualize how to schedule the day and set up.

 

[InTheBasement]

My grill and my brewing go hand in hand. I grill or BBQ, or smoke while brewing and it works out well. I typically BBQ things that are not high maintenance. Sausages on the grill are a great thing because you can indirect cook them. I always smoke the sausage so I can just leave them smoking while I am in the active parts of my brewing, and then I can tend to them during the mash, or during the 30 minutes of boil after first hop addition.

If I am doing something like a pork shoulder, then that is even easier, because that is a 12 hour smoke. I can pretty much add wood, regulate the temperature, and then leave it alone for the majority of the brew time. Maybe I need to add a chunk of wood during the brew time, but it's easy enough.

So go for it. Brewing and grilling/smoking are companion activities!

 

[Maylar]

No, I don't ever leave a fire unattended. And when I'm cooking there's always the sides that need attention, so a smoking day is pretty much focused on food. I can watch the grill and smoker from the kitchen window but not from the basement brew room.

I do however drink my brew while tending the BBQ. Nothing pairs with BBQ like an ice cold cider.

 

[InTheBasement]

I guess I have to also add that my BBQ and my brew area are both outside, and about 10 feet apart. So I can brew without leaving anything unattended.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Most smoking is unattended time. So you should be fine to do both.

Once you get the hand of your smoker you may want to smoke overnight. That's what I do. If I want a smoked park butt at noon on Sunday I'll put it on the smoker before bed and wake up to a finished product. Cheers

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I've done it at a previous house where I could conveniently brew in the backyard, near the smoker. At my current house I brew in the garage, so I don't do it as I at least like to be close enough to monitor the smoker from time to time.

 

[Griffin495]

I've done it before a few times but I've got a Big Green Egg and you don't really need to babysit those. Set it and forget it, but I also brew outdoors so I'm near it.

 

[TheMadKing]

I do this fairly regularly. Just relax, start the smoker first and get your meat going, then start the brew day. Add wood to the smoker as needed, otherwise focus on your brewing since it requires much more activity.

There's also a lot more down time in brewing than you think, you can use the entire mash or boil to fiddle with your smoker if you need time. At this point it's fairly automatic for me and I spend more time sitting in the AC inside sipping a beer and peeping out the window than I do actively monitoring either process.

Just focus your attention where it needs to be, and relax and enjoy the day.

 

[brick_haus]

All the time! No zen tricks though.

 

[MrPowers]

I do it fairly frequently as well, my zen tip though, get familiar with the process of smoking before you try to mix the two. It helps to get to know your equipment so you know when to add wood and/or flip meat, etc...

 

[Brentk14]

I do it, but for me, it's not that big of a deal because I have a Traeger Texas elite. Just set it and forget it. I also have a true wood fired smoker, but when I use that, I am focusing on just food.

This weekend I'll be brewing a mac and jacks style amber at my parents house, and they have the new Timberline by Traeger. Thing is a beast. I'm doing a brisket that I'll put on at 5am, and it should be done right around 6pm, hopefully the same time I am done brewing.
Off the topic here, but has anyone heard about the smokers Aaron Franklin will be releasing next year? Sounds like they'll be around $2k, but will be a little bigger than most. I can't wait to get more details on them.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I too have a Traeger, but I haven't tried to combine the two. I'm an old master with the smoker, but I've only been brewing for 3 months. I like to keep a reasonably close eye on both, so I'd have to move the smoker out front if I was going to do both. Plus, my process for the smoker requires a bit more attention than most as I spray the meat with apple juice about every 30 minuts. I also wrap in foil at about 4-5 hours to keep it moist.

Also, for my brew day I fill the mash time and boil time with other tasks (setting up more stuff, weighing hops, measuring sparge water additions, mixing sanitizer, getting fermentation stuff ready, washing mashtun, etc) so I stay reasonably busy during the process.

It could be done, but I don't really see the reason unless I really need to brew and it's a day where I really need to smoke. If I could brew beer and have it ready to drink at the same time the meat is done resting....then I'd be all over it!

 

[casualbrewer]

Get a digital bbq controller so you can set and forget. Then you can brew simultaneously.

 

[DemonsRun]

I've done it a few times but I cheat and have an electric Cookshack smoker.

Another way to mix Brewing and smoking...Hop smoked Duck breast, I had it at The Canons' Gait in Edinburgh, wonderful.

 

[brewbama]

I also have a WSM and use it and my Kettle often while brewing.

No need for an ATC with a WSM. It is set it and forget it naturally aspirated.

My zen trick: go to The Virtual Weber Bullet and read every page. You won't have any questions after you do. But, in the off chance you do have a question go to The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board and ask the experts. Chris A and the members there are a wealth of knowledge.

 

[BrooklynTom]

I have smoked, grilled and brewed at the same time. Zen tip -- Don't sample too many home brews while doing this. burned the hamburgers, under smoked and under cooked the chicken and ribs, the Stout worked out fine.....

 

[Toga]

I do both frequently. Both are easy and take little effort so combining a cook with a brew day is a snap. If using my smoker all I have to do is load up the charcoal basket with some lump and wood chunks. Once the smoker is up to temp I can drop in a hunk of meat and let it run unattended for many hours. Nothing like combining the wonderful smell of boiling wort and a couple pork shoulders dripping their juices onto hot coals.

 

[HopGobbler]

I haven't tried both at once, I usually like having the fire pit going while the smoker is going, and spend most of my attention on the smoker. I enjoy drinking my home brews while I'm running the smoker more

 

[hopkincr]

I plan on doing this tomorrow. Brewing a wheat and smoking some ribs. They go hand-in-hand in my house.

 

[oylerck]

SWMBO just got me a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) for me to start pursuing yet another hobby...making the best BBQ within my means and ability. I also suspect to keep me out of the house more.

Just curious if anyone else runs the smoker and brews a batch the same day? Any tips or Zen tricks would be greatly appreciated. Trying to visualize how to schedule the day and set up.

Get a Weber chimney if you don't have one. This filled 1.5 times will keep a fire around 225 from at least 13 hours depending on outside temp. In the winter it's a little shorter. Oh and I don't recommend using water in the smoker, but do what you want. I just foil my water pan.

I have never tried to do both, but I don't think it would be that bad. Light the smoker and then heat the mash water, dough in and the then put food on and pay attention to that for the hour. After a few hours smoke she can't receive any more and then it's just constant heat.

 

[estricklin]

I've done both many times, works out great since most smoking time is just set it and forget it. Add charcoal or wood once or so during the brew session and that's it.

 

[Cyclman]

Great way to spend a day!

 

[tjosborne]

I've done it before a few times but I've got a Big Green Egg and you don't really need to babysit those. Set it and forget it, but I also brew outdoors so I'm near it.

Same Griffin off egghead forum?

 

[brewbama]

Smoked turkey legs, grilled potatoes for a grilled German potato salad, and brewing an Amer Amber Ale

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1497736186.461370.jpg

 

[DeNomad]

Yep, I do this regularly and smoking and brewing definitely complement each other. Personally I prep my brewing equipment start my HLT and strike water first. Start the charcoal for the smoker and head into the kitchen and apply a rub to the meat and put it in my Weber Smokey mountain. Continue with brewing. Adjust temperature on the smoker as required every hour or so. My smoker doesn't require that much attention. I might leave it for 2-3 hours at a time.

Just give it a go and you will figure out your own method. Results are likely to be good!

 

[Micmac001]

I also have a WSM 22.5. And have brewed and smoked simultaneously many times. I've found that with the larger WSM a ATC really helps with the set and forget. I usually put the meat on before going to bed then start brewing in the morning. I also made a heat shield with some Reflex insulation, a water heater basin that the smoker sits in with Velcro around the lip to hold the insulation. With the ATC and the shield I hardly ever need to add more charcoal even on long smokes.

Most import thing to consider is the time required for clean up. I'm anal about cleaning my smoker as much as my brewery equipment so you have to factor that into your day.

I won't turn this into a WSM debate, but I found that flipping the water pan upside down (no water) and foiling the top makes for a much quicker clean up and better temp control. I've noticed no difference in the meat dryness. Most use the waterpan to stabilize the temp but with an ATC and heat shield there is really no need

 

[DeNomad]

I also have a WSM 22.5. And have brewed and smoked simultaneously many times. I've found that with the larger WSM a ATC really helps with the set and forget. I usually put the meat on before going to bed then start brewing in the morning. I also made a heat shield with some Reflex insulation, a water heater basin that the smoker sits in with Velcro around the lip to hold the insulation. With the ATC and the shield I hardly ever need to add more charcoal even on long smokes.

Most import thing to consider is the time required for clean up. I'm anal about cleaning my smoker as much as my brewery equipment so you have to factor that into your day.

I won't turn this into a WSM debate, but I found that flipping the water pan upside down (no water) and foiling the top makes for a much quicker clean up and better temp control. I've noticed no difference in the meat dryness. Most use the waterpan to stabilize the temp but with an ATC and heat shield there is really no need

Good point on the water pan. I actually fill mine with sand. Then layer with tin foil. Then I rolled up about 15 1/2" diameter balls made of tin foil to create an air gap and put another piece of foil on top. The balls create an air gap between the two layers of foil which insulates the drippings from the hot hot sand and prevents them from burning. When cool I remove the top layer of foil and replace. This is my only clean-up other than a quick scrub of dirty grates. In total about 15 minutes and I do the following day. Holds temp just as good as water if not better and much easier clean-up.