Haven’t added a BBQ post in awhile but I had pics that I took on a recent cook. The Pork was purchased in a cryovac package that weighed 23.04 lbs. I had no specific plans so I thought I’d cook it for future meals. I had plenty of leftovers which I like to divide in small portions into Foodsaver vacuum bags and freeze them. The Foodsaver vacuum sealer works great and keeps the high quality and freshness for the spur of the moment BBQ treat without going through the whole smoker set-up and cooking.

I’m always tweaking with the homemade rubs with all the spices I have on hand. I have a great source of local stores here who provide bulk selection of almost everytype of spice in whole or ground. Being in California we have a large selection of sundried Chili’s which then can be dried a little further in a oven at a low temperature and then ground in a coffee grinder for a fresh spice kick.

Here is a recent BBQ rub batch that I used on this cook that worked well.

• 8 TBS – Chili  (ground new mexico, pasilla ancho pods)
• 8 TBS – Brown Sugar
• 4 TBS – Kosher Salt
• 4 TBS – Garlic Powder
• 4 TBS – Onion Powder
• 4 TBS – *Garlic Minced (blend pre-bought with red pepper flake, kosher salt)
• 2 TBS – Fresh Ground Pepper (coffee grinder – medium grind)
• 1 TBS – Oregano Dried
• 1 TBS – Turbinado Sugar (sugar in the raw type)
• 1 TBS – Celery Seed
• 1 TBS – Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 TBS – *Pepper Herb (blend pre-bought with red pepper and rosemary, kosher salt)

*The pre-bought Garlic and Pepper blends are pretty basic and no surprise ingredients so you can make your own. Each of them has a little Turbinado sugar added and Kosher salt. I buy them in bulk and use them on a lot of meals including my breakfasts.

Herb Pepper

Garlic Pepper

Started 10am with the Weber Smokey Mountain with 2 Chimneys full of Kingsford and added around 4-5 good chunks of Hickory and Apricot wood. I used the waterless water pan wrapped in aluminum foil and adjusted the lower vents for temp control. I added the Pork Picnic when the WSM was @ °250 and the temperature quickly lowered to °240. I then adjusted the lower 3 vents so that vent1= off and vent2/3 were open 30%. At 4pm or 6 hours later I readjusted vents and the WSM was  @ °235 and the Pork internal temperature was °185 for the upper and °161 for the lower.

Final cook time was 12 hours and the Pork came off at 10:30pm when the pork was @ °190. Delicious cook and leftovers were allowed to chill and cool off before sealing with the vacuum sealer.

I have other BBQ cooks documented with pictures and more.

You can do a search or browse MY BBQ CATEGORY HERE!

The easy inexpensive journey to speed using the Parkzone Stryker platform.

Started a new build based on the Parkzone Stryker airframe. I’ve been accumulating parts for the Stryker while I was researching and deciding what exactly I was looking for in my first flying wing rc plane. I wanted to keep the build relatively inexpensive and there are many options and approaches to accomplish this.  This was my next project after the Turnigy 3536c motor mod to the Parkzone Corsair Upgrade.

The Stryker build started with the obvious, the airframe. This was ordered online for $17 dollars.  And while I was shopping I ordered all the hardware as follows online.

• Airframe ($16.99)
• Complete Hatch Set ($6.79)
• Motor Mount ($3.99)
• Clevis & Pushrod ($1.89)
• Fin Retainer(2)& Landing Skid ($1.19)
• Propeller 6×4: F27C ($2.29)
• Vertical Fins w/Tape (2): F27/B/C Stryker ($6.39)
• Elevons w/Control Horns: F27C ($3.19)
• CustomRC Motor Mount – 28mm ($36.99)
• TowerPro H40A Brushless Speed Controller ($8.99)
• Turnigy2836 brushless Outrunner 2350kv ($16.32)
• HXT 2845 (380L) 2100kv Brushless Inrunner ($17.29)
• HXT900 9g / 1.6kg / .12sec Micro Servo ($2.99/ea)
• Hitec HS-85mg servos ($30.99 ea)
• ZIPPY Flightmax 2200mAh 3S1P 30C ($16.43)
• Spektrum AR500 receiver ($59.99)
• Carbon Fiber Tube 40″ .210 OD ($5.99 ea 2)
• 2-56 threaded rod and clevises

That was the main list of ingredients on this Parkzone Stryker. I will follow up and post addition details and pictures.

The fuselage was strengthened when I added two .210 carbon fiber tubes to the fuselage. One tube was installed from the nose and the tail and the other was installed near the leading edge of the wing left to right. I used a metal ruler to mark the straight lines of where I wanted to install. Then I used my soldering iron wrapped with a small piece of aluminum foil on the tip to melt away a bedding area allowing the carbon fiber tubing to lay flush with the foam.

Once I had the depth correct and insured that I wasn’t interfering with the motor mount I then laid down a nice bead of Gorilla Glue White (fast cure)  and installed the carbon tube and held down with plastic clamps and tape. I added a smaller bead on the top of the carbon and smoothed out then added packing tape over the glue and the length of the rod. The glue will foam up and the tape helps create a smooth surface when it rises. I also just left the top of one rod without tape and manually scraped off the extra glue as it foamed. You should keep a watchful eye on the glue for the next 60mins and when some of the foam escapes from where you do not want it you can easily wipe it away. This can also been done when dry but you may need to cut or sand some areas. Others have used hot glue for this carbon install but it’s heavier and not as secure as the Gorilla Glue.

.210 Carbon Tube

Scotch Extreme tape was used on trailing edge underneath the installed elevons. This will help prevent the elevons from pulling away from the foam. I also used the the extreme tape over the servo install once they were put in place with a small bead of hot glue. I haven’t installed the higher quality metal gear Hitec HS85mg yet but plan to soon. The HXT900 are doing fine for the time being but they’re a weak point of the build. After glue has settled I covered using the DuPont Tyvek tape.

The original stock motor mount screw holes are fragile as heck. I went through a couple rather fast due to over tightening the motor screws. After the first maiden I also noticed a few tabs cracked from the flights so that is why I invested in the expensive CustomRc mount.

CustomRC Motor Mount

I epoxied the battery hatch covers using carbon fiber tow and extreme tape and then installed neodymium magnets to the hatch and the fuselage. The ESC was then programmed for high timing, high voltage cutoff and installed. Spektrum AR500 full range receiver installed with velcro next. Then it was time to spin the motor. In a small room the motor music was PIERCINGLY LOUD! Here are some results of the testing.

Motor testing using Turnigy Power Analyzer Watt meter

1. Parkzone Stryker Stock 6×4 prop / 3s 2200mAh 30c Zippy

497.4 watts

43.29 amps

2. MAS 7×4 prop – mao740ne / 3s 2200mAh 30c Zippy

729 watts!

66.10 amps!

3. APC 6×4 EP Pusher lpo6040ep / 3s 2200mAh 30c Zippy

464.3 watts

40.2 amps

The maiden of the Stryker was really easy and needed a little adjustment in the trim and control surfaces. The servo throw is not enough so I was going to add servo extensions but have since purchased HS-85mg and Super Strength Long servo arms from DuBro(DUB672). My Stryker wasn’t as fast as I was expecting and thought I would have to throttle down a lot more. Easily resolved with a 4s lipo and larger esc but I will enjoy this for now. It screams and definitely is quick,  just not blazingly fast like the youtube Strykers. Very gentle glide rate which allows for smooth landings and slow fly-bys. It was very easy to fly for me but wouldn’t recommend it to a inexperienced pilot.

I have video I shot of the of the maiden flight and also some on-board footage from the Stryker so I will update the post later.

Some resource links

• F-27C Stryker – Beyond the Parkflyer – rcgroups
• Stryker Mods From The Darkside Part 2 (Bullet Proof A Stryker) – rcuniverse
  
• Speed MY way – rcgroups blog
• Flying Wings Forum – rcgroups
• Official F27 Stryker Part 8: Beginners to Custom Darkness – rcuniverse
• Build A Bullet Proof Stryker (Brushless Or Stock) – rcuniverse

On board video flying my Parkzone Corsair F4U and my newly installed Turnigy TR 35-36c 1100kv motor. I’m also using my new Plush 60a ESC and new 3s 2200mAh 30c Zippy batteries. This flight is using a Master Airscrew 10×8 -3blade prop that is a little worn. I have amp and wattage testing data on this post here.

I have  a lot of full throttle passes on this video as well as limited throttle showing that even on low throttle the Corsair is still faster than the original setup.

After waiting well over a month for the Turnigy motor and several other parts to arrive I finally had the chance to get this monster motor and esc installed. Here is a breakdown again of what I purchased and installed. Also listed is some of the parts that I am currently using in conjunction with the new Turnigy 3536c motor.

1. Turnigy TR 35-36C 1100kv Brushless Outrunner
2. Turnigy Plush 60amp Speed Controller
3. Turnigy 35-XX series Spare accessory pack
4. Turnigy AerodriveXp 35-36 Shaft
5. Turnigy BESC Programming Card
6. Custom RC Motor Mount for Corsair
7. Turnigy Watt Meter Power Analyzer
8. Zippy 3s 2200mAh 30C Batteries
9. Polymax Gold 3.5mm Bullet Connectors

New! Test Flight On Board Video Here

The installation of the new Turnigy 36-36c motor was very easy.  I first had to solder on new 3.5mm bullet connectors on the new Turnigy Plush 60a ESC. I use Deans Ultra Plugs for my battery connections so I soldered a Male Deans on the other end of the ESC. Next step was to simply attach the Turnigy 3536c motor to the CustomRC’s Motor mount. Before adding the screws through the mount to the motor I added some Blue Loctite to the screw threads to ensure that they will not loosen over time. Th3536c now attached to the mount was simply screw to the Corsair’s firewall with the included screws. Everything fit fine and I then connected the motors bullet connectors to the new ESC bullet connectors. The Turnigy Plush 60A speed control is larger both in amps and physical size to the original stock Eflite 30a ESC. Because of this I placed the new 60a ESC to the side of the battery using double sided foam tape.

I also should point out that the 3536c wires are tiny. They are smaller diameter than the insulating cover, quite a bit. In addition the bullet connectors on the motor come already soldered and installed. One of the wires came loose in flight which caused loss of power on takeoff. Upon further investigation the solder joint was absolute crap and looked dirty which was the reason it came out. I quickly soldered a higher quality connector on with a much solid connection. Situation corrected but made me cautious of the other “pre-soldered” connections.

Stock VS 3536C

Plush 60A ESC

The Turnigy programming card was then used to confirm the settings for the new motor. The stock programming within the new 60A ESC seemed ok but I wanted to tweak it just a little. I found it rather entertaining that the ESC comes with perhaps 10 different start up songs that you can choose from. I quickly tried a few examples to amuse myself but came to the conclusion that I do not want to listen to the extended music EVERY TIME I connect a battery to the ESC. It’s entertaining as a change from all my other ESC’s but I imagine the music would get old pretty quick. I’ll re-program it back on to show off to my other RC friends as a half ass attempt on making them jealous of my melodious ESC. So back to the REAL programming. I changed the voltage cutoff to High. This will soft cut the voltage at a higher voltage to protect my lipo’s from discharging to low. It should cutoff at 3.1v per cell x 3S = 9.3v which is a lot lower than I would want but is the highest setting available. I changed the timing to High which should give it high performance and the static test runs using this seems to work fine. That was all the programming needed and the card allowed these changes instantly.

Original Program Settings

The next step was to connect the Turnigy Power Analyzer and do some testing to see how much power the 3536c can generate with a specific battery then with a specific prop. This was one of my biggest disappointments which revealed a few problems with my setup. It was very underpowered, at least compared to my expectations, and it became obvious that I would not be able to use my current 3s 2200mAh 25c and 15C batteries. My old batteries were not able to deliver the power based a combination of their age/use and overstated C rating. Bottom line is the main motor testing was done when I received my new batteries and WHOA! Huge difference between the tests comparing my new setup with the old batteries VS the new 30C batteries. I have several different props that I wanted to try so I recorded a few results below.

Turnigy 35-36C 1100KV Motor Prop Tests for AMPS and WATTS

** Stock Motor and ESC using older 3s 2200mAh 25c batt and Master Airscrew 10×8 **

221.1 watts

21.2 amps

NEW RESULTS!

Master Airscrew 10×8

519.1 watts

44.91 amps

Master Airscrew 11×7

505.9 watts

43.88 amps

Parkzone Messerschmitt BF-109  3-blade 10.6×7.8

716.5 watts !

65.02 amps !

Master Airscrew 3-blade 10X7 (little worn)

523 watts

46.58 amps

Master Airscrew 12×7

651.8 watts

59.02 amps

Parkzone Corsair Stock 9.5×7.5

460.1 watts

39.84 amps

E-flite 11×8

538.9 watts

47.57 amps

I have several more props that I ordered and when they arrive I will update the results here. Even with all the extra power the new Turnigy 35-36c generates at the flying field I was still not completely satisfied. I was expecting a MASSIVE change in flight speeds and therefore the necessity of reenforcement of the wings and other control surfaces because of the additional thrust and speed. Now don’t get me wrong the Corsair is plenty fast with the new motor, just not the “HOLY SHI*! What did I do” type of modification. It’s certainly a new plane and has impressed my other RC friends with the speeds and sounds and maybe this is where I should stay for awhile before I do damage to the airframe and rip the wings off trying to look for more power. The new motor has dropped my flight times considerably. I’m getting about 8mins top per flight and more realistic 6mins using a lot of full throttle. I may purchase additional batteries this time with larger mAh to provide longer flights.

More later including some flight video I’ve take using the keychain camera and also new prop testing. I also have my new motors for my Parkzone Stryker build along with the new Spektrum AR500 receiver. I only need a stable motor mount and I will soon be ripping through the skies at 100mph.

New On Board Flight Video Test Online HERE

I have been testing my new keychain camera for the past few days on all my RC airplanes. The keychain camera gained a lot of attention on the rc forums due to it’s inexpensive price ($15+/-), high quality video (30fps), and miniature size. I have used a camera on my planes before but it was larger than the keychain camera and the quality is noticeably less. I am impressed with all aspects of the keychain camera and will continue to experiment with different flying location as well as varied angles when installing on the planes.

The camera is available on Ebay (search results here). The majority of sellers are located in Hong Kong so it will take a few weeks for the camera to arrive. I purchased (2) cameras from two separate sellers on ebay. I had no problems with either and suggest that if you choose ebay to purchase ensure your seller has a lot of positive feedback.

When preparing the keychain camera to mount on my rc planes I had to do a little preparation. The covering of the keychain cameras is a little slick and the 3M Scotch Hook and Loop velcro adhesive tape that I routinely use was not adhering properly. I simply used some 250 grit sandpaper to roughen up the backside of the camera and used Gorilla Super Glue with a toothpick to spread a light coat before I added the velcro. It is super solid and will not come off anytime soon. The foam on the rc planes was cleaned with a spray solution of water and rubbing alcohol and when dry I then attached the velcro to the plane.

Super Cub Top Fuselage Mount

Parkzone Corsair Underside Mount

I also learned that a few members on RCGroups have used acrylic plastic to form a camera mount to their glasses or sunglasses. I really liked the idea so I went to the local Lowes Hardware store and picked up a couple of .080″ 8×10″ Acrylic Sheets. They were $1.60 a sheet and are listed as 20x stronger than glass. They had much stronger selections but I wanted the acrylic to be easier to form. After scoring the acrylic several times with a knife or chisel or any semi-sharp object you snap off your desired piece. I then lit a candle and held the acrylic piece about 2 inches above the direct flame to gently soften the plastic. Never allowing the flame to directly touch the acrylic. You’ll have to experiment with the time it takes to get to the desired flexibility but when it’s ready I used a ruler to help form straight angles and was happy with the results. I molded several different variations to experiment with and had a lot of fun working with this new acrylic. I see some interesting projects in the future using this material.

Same design but used on a baseball hat, nice and snug it’s not moving anywhere and the velcro can be switched for correct camera orientation:

Outside Cap

Inside Cap

Here are a few of my more recent Keychain Camera Videos

Testing the keychain with the U-shape mount on my baseball cap

Keychain Camera LINKS:

1.) Chuck Lohr COMPREHENSIVE Review and Mods ETC !! KeyChain Camera 808

2.) RCGroups Keychain Camera Thread – good tips

3.) Free video editor – VirtualDub and the filter to remove the TIME/DATE on VIDEO(timestamp.vdf)

Turnigy 3536 - 1100kv

After flying the Parkzone F4U Corsair for over a year I decided it was time to work on building a faster plane. Some of the owners have accomplished this with simply adding a larger 4S 14.8v Lipo and running the stock e-flite esc without any problems. I went back to my favorite forums and found a lot of the guys were using Turnigy motors with upgraded ESC’s and having great performance increases. This is the route I choose to take with my Corsair and now I just have to wait for the super slow shipping from Hong Kong to arrive.

My recent purchases:

1. TR 35-36C 1100kv Brushless Outrunner
2. TURNIGY Plush 60amp Speed Controller
3. TURNIGY 35-XX series Spare accessory pack
4. Turnigy AerodriveXp 35-36 Shaft
5. TURNIGY BESC Programming Card
6. Custom RC Motor Mount for Corsair

** INSTALLED! PICS AND TESTING HERE **

This new upgrade when installed on the Corsair will have a DRAMATIC effect compared to stock. And to ensure the structural integrity of the Corsair I have several different sizes of Carbon Fiber Tow that I will add to the wing and fuselage. I can’t wait for the items to arrive so I can begin the build process. As always, I will update my site and document the process with pics.

Edit – April 8, 2010:

Can you believe I am still waiting for this order! There was one item on my HobbyKing order which was in backorder hell but this morning the order shows all items reserved. Which basically means that I should expect to see the order ship shortly then wait for approximately 2 weeks for the items to arrive. Boy, this is a long time to wait for the Parkzone Corsair upgrade. I purchased a new 3 Blade propeller that the guys on RCGroups are very happy with. It’s a Master Airscrew 3 Blade Series Propeller 10 x 7. Part number – MAS1070T  -$6.29 is what I paid. It’s known for it’s ruggedness and thrust on the stock set up so I look forward to trying this on the stock power system.

So in the meantime I have been working on a Parkzone Stryker build. I am buying all the parts À la carte! Just the items I need and want. I have the airframe and most of the stock parts on order but I will be adding my own Spektrum AR500 receiver along with a 40a ESC and a couple of choices of Brushless motors, both inrunners and outrunners. Should be a fun build and even better performer than anything I currently have in the hangar. I will create a separate post with pics and build log along with items I used when I get further along.

Edit – April 26, 2010:

Most of the items are finally in my possession(motor,esc,etc)!

I am waiting on larger 30C rating batteries to handle the extra amp load as my original 25C rated batteries are not doing well on a 20amp load when I was testing new props for the Corsair. I simply do not trust them at this point so I ordered some new 2200mAh 30C batts.

** INSTALLED! PICS AND TESTING HERE **

Sukhoi: Krylon H2O Yellow Spray

Added a very light, simple coat of Krylon H2o paint to the Parkzone Sukhoi. It greatly adds to the visibility while flying and looks great while in flight. I also put on the other GWS prop I purchased which adds additional speed.  A minor mod I also did was to remove the crap velcro on the Parkzone batteries. The velcro hooks weren’t as long and didn’t have enough grip as the 3M Scotchmate Hook and Loop Velcro I routinely use , the battery no longer drops from the plane in flight and was a quick 30sec mod.

The GWS prop 5043 is now installed and flies great. I was using the GWS 5030 which is also better than the stock Parkzone prop and is the orange colored one in the other photos. They are both great props the have better performance and clearance. Remember that when using these GWS props you need an adapter for the prop to fit on the 1.5mm prop shaft. I am using GWS part no. gw/spnoo1 (package of 6, but only 2 can be used 1.5mm) there are also other adapters on the market but I like the spnoo1 as it protects the prop in case of a nose over.

GWS 5043 Prop with GWS spn001 Adapter

My new batteries, the Hyperion 1s 240Mah arrived a short while ago. I haven’t installed them yet because I’ve changed my mind on the adapters I will be using. The JST connections that I have are larger then what I want to use so I had to place an order for a couple other connectors that I will experiment with.

Hyperion 240mAh

UPDATE -

** I have used all the battery connections below and in my opinion the hands down WINNER is the .8mm Gold connectors from Hobbyking! They are the most secure, easiest to connect and remove, and have a larger contact area which translates to more efficiency for current. Another advantage is it’s a easy install using .o38 solder. A lot easier then the molex connections. **

Bullet Connectors FTW!

The main problem I discovered is that you can’t easily purchase the battery side connector that is on the Parkzone micro airplanes and E-Flite micro heli’s. The local hobbystore has the receiver side (male) plug but Parkzone doesn’t sell the female connection. Hell, there isn’t anyone yet who can agree what to call the connectors but here is what I have learned.

The owners at various forums are using either different connectors all together or splitting THIS  extension from HobbyKing to make theirs just like the stock connection. Another option at Hobbyking being used by RemE (member RCGroups) and now myself,  is .8mm Gold connectors from Hobbyking. You can see pictures of his battery upgrade configurations HERE . These .8mm gold connectors are currently on my batteries (pictures above on my 240mah hyperion 1s lipo’s)

Hobbyking Micro Extensions

I finally located what I was searching all over the hobby stores and the Internet for! The Parkzone Sukhoi and Mustang Ultra Micro Airplanes use the following on the battery connection. This is the $320 crimp they want you to use! You should be able to use the the crimp common on most wire strippers as a less expensive alternative to the $320 Molex crimper. Make sure the connection is SOLID!

**Trying to crimp and solder your own connections with these small Picoblade molex connections can be difficult and if done incorrectly can cause damage. If you intend to use the same stock molex connections look into the Hobbyking connections or switch to adapters that you are comfortable with.

Crimping information HERE

More Molex Picoblade info here:

PicoBlade™ 51021 (1.25mm)

• Connector Type – Receptacle
• Contact Type – Female Socket
• Number of Positions -  2
• Pitch – 0.049″ (1.25mm)
• Number of Rows – 1

You then need to add a crimp onto the bare wire and then install in the housing above. The Digikey technician suggested the following crimp to finish the connection:

WM2023-ND CONN TERM FEMALE 26-28AWG TIN

WM2023-ND

* another source for battery side connections through ALL-Battery.com HERE, they are more expensive then the HobbyKing connections though.

If you want to avoid having to solder any connections and would like increased flight times than you can always purchase the Turnigy 160mAh 1S 30C batteries. They’re about $3 and have increased capacity as well as a higher discharge rate. These batteries sell out fast and the quickest way to receive them is by backorder at the moment.

Turnigy 160mAh 1S 30C

Here is the flight test using the new Hyperion 240mah batteries and filmed with the hatcam keychain camera

Original Parkzone Radian Post, along with pictures, is located here.

So instead of using paints I have been experimenting with the Monokote Trim Sheets. I have them on my Hobbyzone Super Cub and also my Parkzone Corsair. They are basically stickers or decals and they have stood up to several flights and show no signs of peeling. I decided to add Red fluorescent on the Radian’s rudder and then to add thin strips of the same color on the leading edge of the wings. The weather here is not cooperating today so I will have to postpone reviewing it’s effectiveness until later. The smaller trim on the wings probably will not be distinguishable at altitude and the when the Radian gets to a very high altitude the rudder color will be hidden as well. I have found that will the sky color we have in our area painting the bottom wings and rudder in flat black gives you the best ability to spot the plane. Both my Super cub and my Corsair have the bottom wings painted black with the Krylon H2O. If I had the chance to do the Radian’s bottom painting again I would use BLACK paint and not the altitude stripes it currently has. All though, at high altitude any color pattern will blend and appear dark.

I used Krylon Fusion for PLASTIC spray paint on the CANOPY. – Do not use this on the FOAM! Various paints will eat right through the foam so stick to the Krylon Latex H2O Paint for foam. I added a base of white spray paint first and then added what Krylon Fluorescent paint after that. I finally added matte clear spray to the canopy and allowed to dry. The color is as bright as I would have hoped for. But I have time and paint invested into it so I am not in a rush to purchase another canopy.

Additionally I added strips of Strapping tape to the wings and smaller strips to the rudder and fuselage. The Radian’s tail end of the fuselage has a lot of flex in it and is very evident when I have my video camera facing rearward and I later review the shots.

edit – I was able to bring the Radian out to the park before dusk. It was getting late but I put the Radian in the air and the rudder really stood out. The Radian’s rudder is pretty large to begin with but the visibility of the Red fluorescent Monokote trim sheet was great. As expected this is not as visible at very high altitude but I wasn’t pushing it due to lack of light. The canopy and leading edge are low altitude only markers. I’m satisfied with it’s current appearance and will begin to concentrate and the video platform. I will need a separate post for all the information.

My Parkzone Radian Onboard Video Located Here

All of my other goofy RC videos on my YouTube Channel Page Here!

Edit- added new color to bottom of the Radian’s wings. I chose BLACK, using the Krylon H2O spray paint. After painting and drying I added 1 coat of Minwax water base polyurethane aka WBPU to protect the paint.

Black Krylon H2O, WBPU coat

Original Paint - Altitude Stripes

I used the Turkey carcass from the Super Bowl weekend cook to make a hearty stock with. The stock consisted of adding the carcass with additional dark meat in a roasting pan with carrots, celery, onion, garlic cloves and a little vegetable oil. The oven was set at 425° and I allowed it to meld together for about 5o minutes, stirring the mixture a couple times. After roasting I then added to a large stainless pot along with water to cover completely, Thyme, Peppercorns. Bay leaf . The roasting pan was deglazed with Brandy Liquor and a little water and added to the stock pot. High heat until boil then covered and left on low to simmer for a couple hours.

Making Turkey Stock

After a couple hours the stock was ready and I separated the meat from the bones and added it all again to the stock pot along with the following fresh ingredients.

• Fresh Kale Bunch
• Fresh Spinach 1/2 Bunch
• 7 Bean Mix Raw-  After 5 Hour Water Soak
• Whole onion
• Baby Carrots
• Celery
• Thyme
• Celery seed
• Dried Cilantro
• Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning (salty, added by taste)
• Garlic, Onion Powder
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Cilantro (finishing herb)

When the stock pot came to a boil I let simmer again on low for a couple hours then taste tested and adjusted spice level again based on my preference. By this time the beans were fully cooked and was ready to serve. Perfect for taking a Smoked Turkey and adding fresh ingredients for making a hearty flavorful meal. I have plenty of leftovers for future meals making reheating a small portion very easy now that the major task of cooking a meal prep are finished.

Turkeys And Salmon Just Added

For Superbowl Sunday BBQ I am cooking two Pre-Brined Turkeys and a fillet of Steelhead Salmon on the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM). I am trying another injection to marinate one of the turkeys. It is Tony Chachere’s Butter Creole Injectable that included a injector with the marinade.

Tony Chachere Butter Creole Injectable's

The rub that I am putting on the Salmon will be a light combination of Golden Brown Sugar, Granulated Garlic, Fresh Ground Pepper, Salt, Light Dusting Of BBQ Rub and that is it. It needs very little and the end product will be fantastic. Even those who do not eat Salmon normally always try this and usually have seconds and are surprised they like it so much. I can eat Salmon all day so I love it, smoking it is a bonus and this is just the appetizer version. The appetizer version is cooked a little longer which firms it up and has less moisture  and allows for either Hot, Cold, or even room temperature serving. This is a casual way of serving where fingers are only needed. The salmon disappeared long before it cooled down as you can tell I was taste testing as soon as I took it off the smoker by breaking off small samples.

Salmon Fillet Sliced

Salmon Off Smoker

The Turkeys cooked fairly fast as the Smoker temperature was 350° for several hours and overall was on the WSM for around 4 hours total. I added a few fist size Hickory pieces to 2 full chimneys of Charcoal and still had plenty fuel left. The Turkeys were once again outstanding. I am beginning to prefer just to season the Turkeys with dry rub and other herbs as I feel it gives excellent results. The injection marinade from Tony Chachere’s was just ok. I only used 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottle and the Turkey was plenty saturated with enough as it was. The main difference was the texture, taste wise they’re both delicious. and each was very moist. It would be hard to really change the excellent taste of just adding a brined Turkey to the WSM with a little seasoning under the skin and dusted on top and inside the cavity.  You really can’t go wrong with a Turkey on the WSM and I enjoy trying new marinades, spices, herbs and will continue to mix it up.

There were plenty of Turkey and side dishes for leftovers. The Turkey carcasses will be used to make Turkey Stock and this will go into a 7 Bean Soup I’ll make later. I also will make another soup this time using noodles, celery, and carrots with the Turkey stock and meat.