Decided I want a smoker, just not sure what to get.
I've seen the electric cheapy ones at Lowes/HD, around $150.
Also similar models that are gas powered for about the same money.
Saw a cool one the other day, was nearly 500$, electric, and had some sort of wood chip/puck that it drops in the fire when needed.
There is a weber smokey mountain 18" on sale at amazon for $200 (charcoal)
I thought about making a UDS, but I really don't have the time to drive an hour each way to buy a drum, and have been unsuccessful locating one close by.
I've even seen the teracotta pot smoker as well, but I'd rather have something larger.
I'm thinking the electric ones will need parts within a year, maybe the gas one as well? Is charcoal the way to go? Is it really a lot more hassle?
Everything else pales in comparison.
www.biggreenegg.com (//http://)
I can fill the hopper on my traeger and let it smoke all night while I sleep.
http://www.traegergrills.com/ (http://www.traegergrills.com/)
+1 for the big green egg. Spendy but versatile.
I have one of the cheap Lowes Electric Smokers. I use it about 8 times a year.
After two years the electric timer/temp gauge has quit on me. However the two years I did have it, it was great. Very easy to use, keeped a very consistent temperature +/- 3 degrees with little to no supervising.
However, when you consider I was only able to cook about 16 items, it doesnt seem quite worth the $150. You get what you pay for... If you are serious, go big. If this is a passing hobby, get the $150 smoker. Enjoy!
It is amazing how well you can control temperature and how little charcoal you use with The Big Green Egg. And if you want to roast a chicken or cook some nice rare prime aged steaks...oh my.
Quote from: hbliam on May 08, 2011, 03:03:01 PM
I can fill the hopper on my traeger and let it smoke all night while I sleep.
http://www.traegergrills.com/ (http://www.traegergrills.com/)
+1 for the Traeger = very much set it & forget it. had one for two years and love it.
I have two friends that have the BGE, and they like them very much, BUT more of a hands on deal, which is not necessarily a negative...
one of the many things I love about my traeger is how I only need to clean it every 3-6 months - it uses pellets, which burn very efficiently. another is the cooking area - I have done a 18 lb turkey as well as a 14 lb prime rib roast at the same time.
Charcoal (lump not briquettes) or wood is nice if you want to be a purist. It takes practice to learn to properly regulate the heat though, and the smoker must be monitored quite a bit. I now have one like below. It works well but takes practice, and is a bit of a PIA. They're cheap though.
(http://www.charbroilsilversmoker.com/images/char%20broil%20silver%20smoker%202.jpg)
I used to have a gas vertical smoker. It wasn't a true smoker as the meat was basically steamed by the burner heating a water pan, and the smoke flavor came from the wood chips. It was easy to use though and made great food regardless. Temperature was very easy to regulate.
After looking at the Traegers here...I'm liking those. [thumbsup] Might have to look into getting one.
Don't make the beast with two backs around. Buy a Cookshack.
http://www.cookshack.com/home (http://www.cookshack.com/home)
I also am looking forward to purchasing a smoker, I have some friends who have them already. The thing I hear the most, is go propane. You can control the temp much easier. I don't know if I am 100% sold thought. I only grill with charcoal, and the misses is completely against gas grills. I'm going to look at all the options of the poster's here.
Quote from: YellowDuck on May 09, 2011, 02:36:19 PM
Don't make the beast with two backs around. Buy a Cookshack.
http://www.cookshack.com/home (http://www.cookshack.com/home)
My buddy has a Cookshack......$3500. He smokes 10-15 pork asses at a time and it does a great job. The thing is built like a tank!
I use a Chargriller with a side box.
start with charcoal using the minion method.
chunk wood after that is going.
more labor intensive but that's part of the fun.
my neighbor has a traeger, i make fun of his 'outside oven'
real men use wood. 8)
This gizmo will make The Big Green Egg as effortless as a Traeger:
http://www.fredsmusicandbbq.com/BBQ_GURU_PIT_MINDER_NANOQ_BUILD_YOUR_SYSTEM_p/bbgnanoq-sys.htm (http://www.fredsmusicandbbq.com/BBQ_GURU_PIT_MINDER_NANOQ_BUILD_YOUR_SYSTEM_p/bbgnanoq-sys.htm)
I've had a Weber Smoky Mountain for a couple years and love it. [thumbsup]
FYI, many guys who participate in BBQ competitions use the WSM.
Quote from: Speedbag on May 10, 2011, 04:16:45 AM
I've had a Weber Smoky Mountain for a couple years and love it. [thumbsup]
FYI, many guys who participate in BBQ competitions use the WSM.
I really like my 2 other weber grills, and want a smoker. This just might be the one I want. The green egg and traeger seem like too much, and the electric ones don't seem well built.
What do you use for charcoal and wood?
mitt
Quote from: JEFF_H on May 09, 2011, 05:21:29 PM
my neighbor has a traeger, i make fun of his 'outside oven'
real men use wood. 8)
Traeger men do use wood........... wood pellets. I'd like to see you tend that chargriller on smoke for 12 hours. I did a 14 hour pork butt a few weeks ago...perfection. I will admit we have to have an electrical connection.
I've had my green egg go 8 hours smoldering along at 250 doing a brisket. It would have gone longer as the coals weren't all gone when I fed her in the morning......
Quote from: rgramjet on May 10, 2011, 12:09:41 PM
I've had my green egg go 8 hours smoldering along at 250 doing a brisket. It would have gone longer as the coals weren't all gone when I fed her in the morning......
I thought we were talking about smoking? What flavor smoke do coals produce? :)
I used almond wood chunks on that particular brisket. Beautiful red ring. One of my finest cooking moments. Charcoal=heat, almond wood=flavor.
Quote from: mitt on May 10, 2011, 07:54:08 AM
I really like my 2 other weber grills, and want a smoker. This just might be the one I want. The green egg and traeger seem like too much, and the electric ones don't seem well built.
What do you use for charcoal and wood?
mitt
Price on the WSM was closer to reality for me, plus a hardcore-BBQ friend let me in on the tip that the competition guys use them, which speaks volumes. They're built pretty well too.
Charcoal: I've found that Kingsford is best.
Wood: I use hickory, mesquite, and apple mostly, have used pimento for jerk (although mesquite is very close). Depends on what you're making.
I wasn't even considering spending BGE money, but after a little researching it's not as bad as you might think.
Lifetime warranty on the bits
Company has been around ages
Ability to nearly set/forget it on temps
It smokes
It grills
It sears
It takes the place of a large gas grill and a smoker, and is nearly the same cost as an avg version of each
And they hold a "eggtoberfest" about 2 miles from me here in GA, where I can get a demo with goodies for a few hundred off.
There is a cooking class next week I signed up for that uses BGE's, so I'm going to go check'em out.
just got a weber smokey mountain [thumbsup] I have a lot to learn!
mitt
Buy a cheap electric one for $40.
If you're serious about smoking you'll throw that POS out and get a real one eventually.
If you're not, you're only out $40.
I was serious about smoking meats for about a year, but ultimately I wasn't up for getting up at 2AM to start smoking the Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever.
And I was only out $40.
Also, avoid mesquite. It's good for people who want a quick smoke flavor in a BBQ. Put mesquite into an 8 hour smoker and what comes out tastes like tar.
Quote from: mitt on June 05, 2011, 08:17:17 PM
just got a weber smokey mountain [thumbsup] I have a lot to learn!
mitt
[thumbsup]
But it's delicious learning.
..This thread came along at the perfect moment [thumbsup]
I'm planning on nabbing a smokey mtn and givin' her a whack this weekend [beer]
I currently am down on smoking woods...need to replensih. I only have about 2 cords of seasoned cherry, 1 cord of seasoned maple, 3 or 4 cords of seasoned oak, 2 Jack Daniels barrels worth of whiskey soaked oak chunks, 1/2 cord of pecan and a very large pile of hickory chunks left.
I made my smokers. The big one resides at my grandparent's place and used to be a fire department water tanker trailer. I can get 3 or 4 whole pigs in there or 2 healthy sides of beef.
The patio smoker looks like most side by side smokers but is far more sturdy. I will post up pics after this weekend. Having some friends over for a dinner party and I picked up 27lbs of brisket, ~20 lbs of pork tenderloin, shrimp, 15lbs of chicken wings (a few hours in the smoker and then slow simmer in various sauces...)
Damn I am getting hungry now...
I am mostly (90%) wood fired but I do have a propane burner in the little smoker to help regulate temps a bit better.
I built a small one with a tin garbage can, hotplate and some cooking racks. I put the smoker box right on the hot plate on low and it does a reasonable job. I've done some decent ribs, brisket and pork shoulder on it, but eventually I'd like to spring for something a little more substantial.
I have a buddy from work who built a smoker out of an old steel fridge, stripped of it's guts and uses the steel fridge racks for cooking racks. It works very well.