SMOKING-MEAT.COM HELP CENTER
A little help finding your answer.
Whether you need help with an order, have a question about the website or are trying to figure out what is happening on the smoker, let’s get you pointed in the right direction.
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A few common questions.
Orders & Downloads
Help with purchased Master Formulas, download links and getting the product you meant to order.
I lost my purchased recipes. How do I get them again?
If you have lost the Master Formulas or another digital product you purchased from me, first visit the resend download link page and enter the email address you used to order. Check your inbox and your spam or junk folder for the download email. If that does not work, or you no longer have access to the original email address, send us a message with your order details. If your email address has changed, include both the old and new addresses so we can help you recover the purchase.
Where are the recipes I ordered?
Digital purchases come with an email containing your download link, so check your spam or junk folder if you do not see it in your inbox. The Master Formulas are purchased recipes, which means they arrive as a download rather than bottles in the mail.
If the email has not arrived or you cannot find it, first use the resend download link page with the email address you used to order, then check your inbox and your spam or junk folder. If you still need help or no longer have access to that email address, contact us with your order details and we will help you get your download.
I thought I was ordering bottles of rub or sauce.
My Master Formulas are digital recipes that let you make my rubs and Original Barbecue Sauce yourself, while the bottled products come already made. You can shop the digital products here or order bottled rubs and sauces from Thin Blue Foods.
If you ordered the wrong format, send us a message with your order number, purchase date and the email address you used to order so we can help straighten it out.
How do I request a refund?
My policy on the purchased rub and sauce recipes is simple: if you are not happy, I am not happy. If you have tried them and they are not what you expected, send us a refund request with your order number, purchase date and the email address you used to order.
If you have only looked at the ingredient list, I encourage you to give the recipes a try before deciding, since ordinary ingredients can do some pretty good things when you put them together in the right amounts. If you still want a refund, let us know.
I forgot to use my coupon code. What can I do?
Send us a message with your order information and the coupon code you meant to use. We can check the code against your purchase and help with the missed discount, including refunding the discount amount when the offer applies.
Are the rub and sauce recipes in Jeff’s book?
The rub and sauce Master Formulas I sell separately are not included in Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue, since many readers had already purchased them before the book was published.
I offer book owners a 20% discount on the rub and sauce recipes. Send proof of your book purchase, such as your receipt or a picture of you holding the book, and ask for the book-owner coupon before ordering.
Rub & Sauce
Questions about the recipes, adjusting the flavor and storing a batch after you make it.
Are Jeff’s Naked Rib Rub and Original Rub the same thing?
They are the same rub. I changed the name from Jeff’s Naked Rib Rub to Jeff’s Original Rub because it works on a lot more than ribs, so references to the old name in earlier articles are referring to the Original Rub.
My Texas Style Rub is a separate, savory rub without sugar, while the Original Rub has a sweet and slightly spicy flavor and is very low in salt.
Are the rub and sauce recipes gluten free?
The homemade rub and sauce recipes can be made gluten free, but you need to check the ingredients you use, particularly Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and any seasoning blends, because brands can differ. Choose products labeled gluten free when that matters for your household.
This answer concerns the Master Formulas you make yourself; for a bottled product, check its current label and ingredient information rather than assuming every version is identical. If you have a question before ordering the recipes, get in touch.
How can I make the rub or sauce less spicy?
When you are making the rub or sauce yourself, reduce the hot pepper ingredients in the recipe rather than cutting back on every seasoning, since that lets you lower the heat while keeping the rest of the flavor. Start with a small batch and use about half of the hot pepper called for, then adjust the next batch to suit your taste.
For sauce, give it a little time after mixing before deciding whether it needs more heat, then add any extra hot pepper a little at a time. With a rub, try a small amount on food rather than judging it only by tasting the dry mixture. If you still need help adjusting a particular recipe, send me a message.
How should I store homemade rub and sauce?
Keep homemade dry rub in an airtight container, away from heat and moisture. For a larger batch, I like to put it in a zip-top bag and then inside an airtight container in the freezer, where I can take out what I need without making a fresh batch every time.
Keep homemade barbecue sauce refrigerated in a clean, covered container and use clean utensils when serving it. A thoroughly cleaned squeeze bottle works well, although the garlic pieces may call for a wider opening. Make an amount you can use reasonably soon, or freeze smaller portions for longer storage.
Website & Membership
Find recipes, get help with printing and learn about advertising or using the site without ads.
How do I search for a certain recipe or topic?
Use the search box at the top of this page and enter a meat, recipe name, ingredient or cooking question. If the results are too broad, try something more specific, such as “boneless turkey breast” instead of “turkey.”
You can also browse the recipe collection when you are looking for something to cook, or visit the Learning Center when you need help with a method, smoker or cooking problem.
Why no printable version at the bottom of some recipes?
I began adding printable recipe cards around 2013, so some older recipes still have their instructions in the article without a separate card at the bottom. I am working through those older posts and adding cards, but there are quite a few of them.
If you find one you would like to print and it does not have a card, send me the link so I know which recipe you are trying to use.
Why are there so many ads on the website?
The ads help pay for the work and expense involved in keeping Smoking-Meat.com running and making the recipes and cooking help available to readers for free. Much like television and radio, the commercials help pay for the things you came to see.
If you would rather browse without them, the ad-free membership removes the ads across the website for $19 per year.
Do you accept guest posts?
At this time, I am not accepting guest posts. If that changes, I will update the information here.
Can I advertise my product on your website?
If your product would be useful to people who enjoy smoking meat, grilling or cooking outdoors, email [email protected] with the details. Our ad team can discuss the available options and pricing with you.
I paid for the ad-free membership. Why can’t I log in?
Payment and registration are separate steps, so paying for the membership does not create your username and password automatically. After payment, look for the email containing your personal registration link, including in your spam or junk folder, then use that link to finish setting up the account.
If the registration link gives you an error or the email has not arrived, send us a message with the email address you used to pay and the approximate payment date. Please do not pay again to try to fix a registration problem. If you already completed registration, use the membership login page or reset your password.
Does subscribing to the newsletter or buying recipes create a website login?
No. The free newsletter, digital recipe purchases and ad-free website membership are separate services. Signing up for the newsletter gets you emails, and purchasing a digital product gets you a download link, but neither of those creates an ad-free membership login.
You can read the free recipes and cooking guides without an account. If you want to remove the website ads, join the ad-free membership and complete registration using the personal link sent by email. If you are looking for a purchased recipe rather than a membership, start with the resend download link page.
How do I get the ad-free experience?
The ad-free membership costs $19 per year and removes the ads from Smoking-Meat.com while you are logged in to your membership. After payment, watch for the email containing your personal registration link, then use that link to create your username and password.
Where do I log in to my membership?
Go to the membership login page and enter the username and password you created when you registered. If you paid but have not registered yet, look for the registration-link email, including in your spam or junk folder. If you cannot find it, contact us so we can help.
How do I reset my membership password?
Use the password reset page to request help signing back in to your ad-free membership, then check your email for the next step. If the email does not arrive, check your spam folder or send us a message.
I think I paid for the membership twice. What should I do?
Before submitting another payment, contact us with the email address you used, the payment dates and the amounts showing on your statement. Let us know whether both charges are completed or whether one is still pending, and we can check the payment records and help resolve any duplicate charge.
If the reason you tried paying again was that you could not log in, check for the registration-link email first. Paying again will not finish the account registration for you. Please do not send your full card number or card security code.
Where do I sign up for the free newsletter?
You can sign up for the free Smoking Meat Newsletter here. I send smoker recipes, smoking meat help and useful tips on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, following the five-day Smoking Essentials welcome course. Your welcome email also includes the smoking times and temperatures chart, and every newsletter has an unsubscribe link.
Cooking Help
Open a question below for help with a particular cooking problem, meat or smoker. For more detailed instructions, the Learning Center brings the newer guides together in one place.
For the most complete cooking help, start with the Learning Center.
The Learning Center brings the newer meat guides, smoker instructions and cooking techniques together in one place. If you are new to smoking meat, Start Here will help you work through the basics.
Basics of Smoking a Brisket
Start with a steady smoker at about 225 to 240°F, season the brisket and cook it with indirect heat and a clean-burning fire. If you are cooking with charcoal, add a few chunks of smoking wood to the coals rather than piling on enough wood to fill the yard with smoke. Add fuel and wood as your smoker needs them.
A brisket can take 12 hours or more, depending on its size, thickness and cooking conditions, so leave yourself plenty of time. Around 200°F is a useful place to start checking for tenderness, but the real finish line is a probe that slides into the flat with very little resistance. The Learning Center has the more detailed brisket and smoker guides when you are ready to work through the whole process.
For the complete process, from choosing and trimming the brisket to resting and slicing it, see my Ultimate Guide to Smoking Brisket.
How Long to Smoke a Brisket
At 225°F, roughly 1½ hours per pound can help you make an initial plan, but it is an estimate rather than a promise. The thickness of the brisket, the weather, your actual grate temperature and whether you wrap it can all change the cooking time.
An 8 to 10-pound brisket may take roughly 12 to 15 hours or longer, and I have had one take 20 hours on a cold, windy night. Build in time for resting and a little extra room in the schedule, then use tenderness to decide when the brisket is finished.
My guide to the best temperature for smoking brisket explains how your cooking temperature affects the stall and the overall cook.
Brisket Problems – Done too Quick and Not Tender
If your brisket appears to be finished much sooner than expected but is still tough, first check what you mean by finished. Reaching a temperature suitable for roast beef does not mean a brisket has cooked long enough to become tender, and the stall is not something every brisket shows in exactly the same way.
Check the temperature at grate level with a reliable probe, since the reading on the lid can differ from the heat reaching the meat. In an offset smoker, keep the brisket away from the strongest heat coming out of the firebox. Use the charcoal grate to keep the coals above the ashes and allow air to reach the fire, then continue cooking until a probe slips into the brisket flat with very little resistance.
See How to Tell When a Brisket Is Done for where to probe and what tenderness should feel like.
Smoking Time for 5 Pound Pork Butt & Best Rub
Even a smaller pork butt can take a surprisingly long time at 225°F, so I would give a 5-pound one room in the schedule for a long cook rather than assume it will be ready in a few hours. Thickness and the stall can matter as much as its weight, and wrapping once the bark has good color can help move things along.
For pulled pork, keep cooking until it pulls apart easily and the bone, if there is one, comes out with little resistance. About 207°F is a useful target for pulling and about 185°F for slicing, but the texture you want is what determines when to take it off. My Original Rub works well here because it is very low in salt and has enough brown sugar to help build a good bark.
For a closer look at the probe test and bone test, see How to Know When Pork Butt Is Done.
How to Smoke a Whole Chicken
If a whole chicken tastes plain inside, brining is a good place to start. Brine a roughly 4-pound chicken for about 4 to 5 hours, then season it before it goes on the smoker. An injection is another way to get seasoned liquid into the meat if you want a stronger flavor inside.
Cook with indirect heat and check the thickest part of the breast and thigh with a thermometer. The breast should reach 165°F, while the dark meat is often better at 175 to 180°F. If you want more smoke flavor and better skin, smoke at a lower temperature for the first hour, then turn the heat up to about 350°F to finish, watching the breast temperature so it does not dry out.
For the brine recipes and timing for different cuts, see How to Brine Chicken for Smoking.
Tough, Inedible Chicken Skin
Chicken and turkey skin can turn tough and leathery when the meat spends the entire cook at low smoking temperatures. After brining, pat the skin dry and leave the bird uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight when you have time, to help dry the surface before cooking.
Apply a little oil and your seasoning before it goes into the smoker, then use a hotter finish to improve the skin. I like giving chicken about an hour of smoke at a lower temperature before increasing the heat to 350°F or higher, while keeping an eye on the meat temperature. Breast meat should reach 165°F; thighs and legs usually have a better texture around 175 to 180°F.
For the full explanation and my step-by-step approach, see How to Fix Tough and Rubbery Chicken Skin When Smoking Chicken. If you are cooking turkey, I also cover why turkey skin turns rubbery and how to improve it.
Using Pecan Wood. seasoning time?
Pecan is one of my favorite smoking woods, and I like to let freshly cut wood season for at least six months in a dry, well-ventilated place before using it. The actual drying time depends on the size of the pieces and your conditions, so a large log and a small split will not be ready on the same schedule.
Keep the wood off the ground and let air move through the stack, then use manageable pieces that burn cleanly rather than trying to cook with wet, green wood.
My Ultimate Guide to Smoking Wood covers wood flavor, clean smoke and how the wood behaves in different smokers.
Where can I find hickory, pecan and fruitwood for my smoker?
A local barbecue shop, hardware store or outdoor cooking retailer is a good place to look for smoking wood chunks in varieties beyond hickory and mesquite. You can also order chunks online, although shipping can make a small bag more expensive than you expected.
Another option I have used is finding someone with a suitable fruit or nut tree that needs trimming or removing and arranging to take some of the wood. Make sure you can identify the tree and know the wood has not been treated or contaminated, then give freshly cut wood time to season before cooking with it.
Once you have found a source, my Ultimate Guide to Smoking Wood will help you choose wood that fits your smoker and the meat you are cooking.
Maintaining Heat in Square Brinkmann
A light-gauge offset smoker loses heat more quickly than a heavier one, especially in cold or windy weather, so it may need more attention and fuel to hold a steady cooking temperature. Start with a good bed of coals on the charcoal grate, keep the ashes from choking the fire and give it plenty of airflow while it comes up to temperature.
Once the smoker is hot, make small adjustments at the intake and give each change time to work, while keeping the exhaust open enough for the fire to burn cleanly. Check the temperature where the food sits with a reliable probe, since a lid thermometer can give a different picture. Firebricks in the firebox can help add thermal mass, although they also make the smoker take longer to heat up; keep them from blocking the airflow.
STILL NEED A HAND?
Let’s get it figured out.
If you did not find what you need, send us a message and we will do our best to help. For cooking questions, you can also compare notes with other folks at SmokingMeatHelp.com.
