Anyway, I wasn't happy with smoke control, heat distribution, limited cooking time due to starting after work, temp control or temp measurement during the first smoking session, so I was determined to try and rectify these issues before firing it up for the second time.
First off was improving the lid seals, I lightly sanded all the edges around the openings, and primed with a standard red oxide metal primer (using masking tape to keep it nice and neat
)
I then put a bead of HT30 Silicone Heat Resistant sealant all the way around the opening, thicker in areas that I knew had bigger gaps, and thinner in areas that didn't. This stuff goes off pretty quick, so I had to do this part pretty quickly, as the important step was to place a 1" wide strip of greaseproof paper on top of the bead of sealant (I made sure these were pre cut). This is to ensure the sealant didn't stick to the lids when I closed them, whilst allowing the still wet sealant to form itself correctly to the exact shape of the lid. it didn't work perfectly, but it was a damn sight better than before. I may still re-do this, and if I do, then I'll be sticking the greaseproof paper to the inside of the lid to prevent it from creasing up when closing it.
I also used a baking sheet (with permission of course), found the biggest drillbit I had and put lots of holes in it. then curved up one end with a lump hammer so that it would fit into the smoker and act as a kind of heat baffle.
Next up was two £7 Fantast probe thermometers from Ikea, one for the meat, and one for the smoker temp. I just couldn't afford one of the recommended ones on the forum, but I personally thought these did the job perfectly!
Grabbed a 1.5kg unsmoked, uncooked gammon from a local supermarket, covered it in the rub I used for my first smoking session about 1-2 hours before starting to smoke. Fired up the smoker with a handful of lumpwood charcoal and some bits of oak at about 11:30am.
I think this next one is after about 4 hours cooking (no basting yet)
Made a baste out of some cider vinegar, honey, oil, moustard powder and a teaspoon of the dry rub, and put this on from about 5 hours cooking onwards.
I tried to keep the temperature at around 93oC - 105oC, and although I had some fluctuations, I don't think I did too badly. The alarms on the pit timer sounded when it went over 130oC whilst I was off strimming the garden!! Which was a handy feature when I finally heard it!
I was aiming for the internal temp to hit 71oC, which it did after 6 hours and 40 mins.
Let it rest for about 20 mins:
I thought I learnt a lot after the first attempt, and have learnt a hell of a lot more after the second, and am now very much looking forward to the next installment!
