Smoking Essentials Course

ByJeff Phillips
163 Comments
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This is a course that you can subscribe to if you want to learn the basics of smoking meat.

Bonus: you'll also get the compact version of my “Time and Temp Chart” when you subscribe.

As always, No SPAM and it's easy to unsubscribe if you change your mind.

This will be ongoing information on how to smoke meat covering topics like fire building, meat selection, tools and equipment, the cooking process, flavor improvement and so much more as well as smoker recipes.

Here's a few topics we'll cover right off the bat:

  • Selecting the Meat
  • Fire Management and Smokeology
  • Improving the Flavor
  • Smoking Equipment, Tools and Supplies
  • The Smoking Process and When is it Done?

I get a huge number of questions and emails on a daily basis concerning different aspects of smoking meat. As a result of that, I felt it would be useful to put together a course to help you learn all of the basic things a person needs to know to get started smoking meat.

Hopefully this will help answer a LOT of your questions and you can sort of advance from there.

And because you took the time to learn the basics, you'll be ready to impress family and friends with your mad cooking skills.

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163 Comments

  16. My dad was a real pro at smoking fish but, sadly I didn’t pay enough attention to his instructions before he passed away. I would love to continue his legacy, but more along the lines of smoking jerky.

    Reply

  18. Can you please send me the eCourse again? I misplaced them in my email and now have only chapter 5. Thank you.

    Reply

  20. Hey Jeff,

    I’d like the 5 day eCourse please. BTW, do you have a recipe for Brunswick Stew?

    Thanks

    Reply

  46. Hi Jeff,
    Entered my Name and Email Address for the classes,
    then an message came up that said there was an error and that you’d been notified.

    Reply

    1. Bill, I’m not sure what the error was but I checked on your subscription and I am showing that all of emails with the eCourses were sent to you. I have to assume they ended up in a spam folder. Do you have a way of checking on that?

      Reply

  49. Jeff, Three years ago I jumped into smoking meat with no experience. I purchased the wrong smoker and dried out a lot of good meat. After I purchased your book and rub recipes I got on the right track. I now have a Rec Tec smoker and have made a lot of delicious meat. I just ordered your sample package of rub and BBQ Sauce and had you send it to my son, and he loves all three items. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge and humor.

    Reply

  50. Jeff, I love your recipes and your cook book. Your news letters are very informative, can’t wait to get my Smoking Basic Ecourse. Thanks!

    Reply

  53. Try as I might, my antivirus refuses to allow me to download the e-course. I’ve known my software longer than I’ve known about this site so I’ll respect it.

    You’ve got my email address. All I need now is a safe link from you.

    What do you have to share?

    Reply

    1. Dianne, I can assure you that I am very concerned about viruses and unsafe web pages and I have taken every measure available to me as a website owner to ensure that all of my pages are 100% safe. I am not sure what your antivirus is seeing that is throwing it off, so I can’t fix that side of it. What I can do is send you the eCourse by email and see if that works for you. It is a a common PDF and you should see it shortly. Let me know if you need further help with this.

      Reply

    1. Roy, you were added to this on Wednesday per your previous request. I’d say they are probably ending up in the spam folder, junkmail or maybe one of the pesky tabs that Gmail puts things into.

      Here’s the tabs and how Gmail sorts email into them. You may have to log into gmail on a desktop or laptop to see these correctly:

      Primary: person-to-person conversations and messages that don’t appear in other tabs
      Social: messages from social networks, media-sharing sites, online dating services, and other social websites
      Promotions: deals, offers, and other marketing emails
      Updates: personal, auto-generated updates including confirmations, bills, receipts, bills, and statements
      Forums: messages from online groups, discussion boards, and mailing lists

      Another option is to subscribe to the smoking meat newsletter at https://www.smoking-meat.com/subscribe and your first auto-reply will have a link to the PDF version of the Smoking Basics eCourse so you can download it to your computer or device.

      Please let me know if I can be of further assistance with this.

      Reply

  55. smoker is at 210 put the meat in temp. drops takes a while to get temp back up to cooking temp. when do you start timing the meat that is to small to use a temp. gauge on , start timeing as soon as you put the meat in or after it heats back up ?

    Reply

    1. I usually just time it from the moment the meat goes in and the door/lid is closed but another alternative would be to preheat the smoker 25-30 degrees (or more) hotter than you need it, then when it drops due to your initial open, it recovers a lot easier due to the extra heat to start with. You can adjust the temperature down to what you want it to be once the smoker begins to recover.

      Reply

  57. I already receive your newsletter and love the recipes in it. I would like to receive your beginners eBook but didn’t want to sign up again. I have a Dyna-glo offset wood smoker and love it but am always online looking up how to cook different cuts of meat. I am going to sign up for the eCourse after the new year. I have learned a lot from the newsletter and if the course is as informative I will love it.

    Reply

  58. Your newsletter and weekly recipes have been a great help in my smoking experience. My Bradley, four rack, electric smoker is in operation at least once a week has been great for my wife and I and occasionally a neighbor. I look forward to the ecourse and learning techniques that will improve the product from my smoker.
    I cook for relaxation. I smoke for the love of great food seasoned naturally.

    Reply

  59. Just signed up for the course and the recipe a week :)
    Looking forward to getting busy, got my salt and sugar coming in bulk and the cure #1
    As soon as my salt gets here we will start with brineing some meats with POP’s recipe w/o the cure, pretty excited :)

    Thanks

    Guy

    Reply

  60. I have a Masterbilt 30″ electric smoker. Will this help me learn more about how to use it? I mostly see people using the big green egg and other types of smokers.

    Reply

    1. Bill, Smoking meat is all about temperature control and smoke. This eCourse is designed to give you the basics of smoking meat regardless of what smoker you are using. Smokers like the Masterbuilt control the temperature for you and make it real easy to turn out something wonderful. The Big Green Egg requires some knowledge of fire starting with charcoal and maintaining the temperature through proper vent/air control but in the end it’s still just heat and smoke.

      Reply

  61. Jeff,
    I’m a well a semi experienced smoker guy. There are a few of us here at the lake I live on in Eatonville Washington. We are wanting to do a 60-80# hog over a spit. Ani advice you or your followers may have about cook time, wood to use for best flavor, all fruit (or Apple and Cherry ) any and all input welcome. This will be my first spit smoked hog so guess you could say hog newbe.
    Thanks to you for the site I love it. And thanks ahead of time to you and all followers for any and all help

    Reply

    1. Mark,
      Great idea doing the whole hog on a spit! I’ve ton a ton of these and would highly recommend pine wood for your smoke. Also, you want your temperature around 800-900 F. In fact, it’s best if your flames are coming up around and above your hog. The seasonings are really up to you, but anything with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and used coffee grounds have always worked best for me. Just keep the spit moving until internal temps hit about 225F. Best of luck and enjoy!

      Reply

  66. Dear Jeff,I have just subscribed to ur 5-day training in smoking. However pls advise. I want to set up a plant for whole smoked chicken on commercial basis. I alraedy have a chicken processing plant. WHat do I need for the plant? Hw do I smoke the birds- 50 birds at a time. Thanks

    Reply

  67. Hey Jeff!
    Thanks for everything on your website. The recipes are great! Especially the Honey Barbecue Smoked Chicken Wings from the March 5, 2015 newsletter. Have made them twice!
    I have used a lot of your tips from the newsletters and recipes have turned out great!

    Have you ever used pecan wood for smoking? I personally feel it is the best! It is tastes great on all kinds of meat. It’s a lot like hickory only milder.

    Reply

    1. jeff already a subscriber and would like a pdf version if you could email me the link. thank you very much. Also thank you for the bone in rib eye. Did that for my 31st birthday and the family has never had steak like that before it was delicious!!!!

      Reply

  70. I am getting a new trailer smoker and was thinking of seasoning it with coconut oil instead of peanut oil. Thoughts

    Reply

    1. I am by far no expert on seasoning, I’ve only done two pits, but I used old fashion cheap veggie oil on both and they both came out working great for years, So I cant imagine there being much difference in the oils as far as that goes.

      Reply

  71. I am getting a new trailer smoker and I am thinking of seasoning it with coconut oil instead of peanut oil. Thoughts

    Reply

  72. Jeff, before I sign up, I would like to know if your course tells how to prep your grill. In other words, how much charcoal to use and how to keep the flames to burn for 5 hours. My biggest problem is keeping the fire burning. I have to keep adding charcoal and I can never keep an even heat it’s always to hot or to cold.

    Reply

  73. Hi There,

    Looking for a good quality smoker or smoker trailer in South Africa. Also interested in the E- course

    Reply

  74. I just bought a Backwoods Smoker and would like to learn more about smoking meat and cheese. I have done a little bit of smoking on my Weber Kettle Grill. Please sign me up for the 5-day e-course and newsletter. Thank You

    Reply

  76. I could not find where to signup for the ecourse. I am a current newsletter subscriber. Please sign me up for the ecourse.

    PLUS
    If I am smoking (3) 10lb briskets at 250degrees how long do they smoke. Total weight is 30lbs but everyone says smoke @250 1hr per lb. Do I smoke 10 hrs, 12 how long?

    Reply

    1. I will sign you up for the eCourse right away.

      Regarding brisket, the heat is working on all of the briskets at once so it does not matter how many you have. The brisket will most likely take 10-15 hours depending on how cold they are when they go in, how many times the door is opened, how consistent your temperature is and how accurate your thermometer is.

      It is possible that your smoker will take slightly longer than usual to recover once you put all of that cold meat into the smoker but it is usually a fairly insignificant number as long as you keep the lid/door closed as much as possible and especially during the first few hours.

      Reply

  77. Jeff, i am what i would call moderately experienced when it comes to smoking. We have a group that cooks every weekend. I would love to see your course and see if i can refine my techniques. Thank you.
    Andy

    Reply

  79. I’m 79 years old and more than a little tired of my smoking and BBQ efforts going to the extremes of fantastic to disasterous; especially if I try to get just a touch “fancy”, they end up the most disasterous.
    If I can learn how to brine something as thick as a chicken I will be a happy smoker; and with that sentence I just told you how little I’ve learned about smoking in my 79 years. lol
    5 day course please.

    Thank you
    Ken

    Reply

    1. Hi Jeff;
      I may have missed it, but when should I expect the 5 day course to begin? I signed up 4 days ago and I have no idea if I should have received the first lessons by now or not.
      Please forgive me If I’m just being overanxious.
      Thanks again for this offer.
      Ken

      Reply

      1. Ken, I was not able to find a subscription under the email address that you submitted here so I signed you up again. If you don’t get something today, check your spam filter then let me know if you can’t find it and I will take care of it.

        Reply

  80. Hello Jeff,
    I have not received the first two chapters of the ecourse, will you please resend? I’m new to smoking, and acquired an older Brinkmann smokin pit. Will this be enough to suffice, to start off, learning to smoke? Where can I purchase/find, different woods, to use to smoke with? I’m located in El Paso,TX. Any leads by you, or anyone else, will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Tony

    Reply

  83. Would like to get the e-course, thanks for putting this together. Getting ready to get an MES 40 gen II and a Maverick Et733 (or two). A couple years ago I got a propane smoker and I’m in a windy area and have problems keeping the thing lit for low and slow so I’m hoping this smoker will work well.

    Reply

  85. I have an old Brinkman charcoal (R2D2) as I call it. I modified but looking to upgrade to a larger unit.

    Can anyone help me with the pros/cons of the following smokers:

    Propane/Wood Chips

    Electric/Wood Chips

    Charcoal/Wood Chips

    Wood Only

    Reply

      1. I’ll have to disagree with you a little… I’ve tried cherry or apple when smoking chickens and each wood gives the poultry a unique flavor

        Reply

  93. Jeff, for some reason I have not received my Chapter 4 of my e-course.  I have received each of the others, but not 4.  Please re-send.

    Thanks, Fay

    Reply

  96. I am a newbie to this forum and to smoking meat. I would love to recieve your 5 day course. thank you.

    Reply

  100. I have been smoking meats the past two years but I am always interested in becoming better at it so please sign me up

    Reply

  101. Hey Jeff, I just paid to have it delivered all at once (I have some free time on my hands today). How do I download it?

    Thanks,

    Tim

    Reply

  104. Jeff, great site you have here.  I own a Bradley and just love it.  Right now I have a corned beef brisket on.  Can't wait to taste it.  Anyways, I didn't get your first 2 installments of your 5 day ecourse.  Is it possible for you to resend it to me.  Thanks

    Reply

  105. Jeff is it possible to get the E-course emailed to me again.I lost mine on an old computer that crashed.Thank You

    Ron Lambert   P.S. I got your rub and sauce recipe from my wife for christmas and they are now all i use. I also have your book. Thank's for everything you do on this site! (:

     

     

    Reply

  107. All of you who have asked for the eCourse over the last few days, I have set you up for it. Also the self-signup form is now working again so you can put your name and email address in the box above and it should start sending you the 5 chapters (one per day) right away. If you don't see it, check your spam filters.

    Reply

  122. Perhaps you should think about binding your 5 day course and selling through your site for parcel post delivery.  I for one would buy it.

    Reply