electric vs charcoal smoker

Ok looking for some advise. I have a Brinkman Electric smoker that works great set temp add wood from time to time no complaints at all with it. It is large so size is not an issue. I have been looking at a ugly drum smoker that a guy makes not far from my house. I have seen it work hold temp for long times. They are pretty cheap 150.00 comes with 2 racks and wheel kit to move it. I am just trying to figure out if I really need 2 smokers. Can someone give me the pro and cons over charcoal than electric.

Thanks

pantherbrew said:

Ok looking for some advise. I have a Brinkman Electric smoker that works great set temp add wood from time to time no complaints at all with it. It is large so size is not an issue. I have been looking at a ugly drum smoker that a guy makes not far from my house. I have seen it work hold temp for long times. They are pretty cheap 150.00 comes with 2 racks and wheel kit to move it. I am just trying to figure out if I really need 2 smokers. Can someone give me the pro and cons over charcoal than electric.

Thanks

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you can never have too many smokers, I love the charcoal and wood smokers and currently have 2 offset barrel smokers and am in the process of building 2 UDS smokers. You should get a better flavor from the wood charcoal smoker, but thats just my opinion and you can take it or leave it. Anyway try it you will like it

I've been smoking on a side box Chargriller and even with mods and using the minion method, keeping the temp consistent is still a pain in the butt. I like the meat is produces, but I'm also thinking that the convenience of an electric can't be beat. Based on the long cook times for a brisket and pork shoulder, it's way more practical to get them started the night before. I sort of fake it by smoking for 4-6 hours and then move the meat to the oven at 225 over night. The problem is that my house smells like smoked meat for a week after that. While the electrics require reloading of chips every 3 hours, you could start up at 8pm, reload at 11pm and go to bed. The smoke stops but the heat control is still there the whole night.

I'm a BBQ amateur so don't listen to me.

Bobby_M said:

The smoke stops but the heat control is still there the whole night.

I'm a BBQ amateur so don't listen to me.

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Meh, smoke doesn't add anything after 3-5 hours anyway. A big chunk of people just finish in the oven, so letting it run without smoke overnight works great. But you knew that.

Electric is way easier. I don't taste much difference between electric and charcoal. If BBQ is so fun for you that you want to spend all day tending it, get an ugly smoker.

I have both a UDS and an electric flower pot smoker. Since I built the electric smoker, I rarely use the UDS. I have cooked butts side by side in them, and can not taste a difference.

But with the electric, I can cook all night and never even look at the temp again (mine does have a PID controller, though). And, I don't have to go buy charcoal, light charcoal, or clean up the charcoal ashes.

Frankly, I'm thinking of giving away my UDS and building another electric.

Cromwell said:

Meh, smoke doesn't add anything after 3-5 hours anyway. A big chunk of people just finish in the oven, so letting it run without smoke overnight works great.

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I don't normally smoke people, but if I do it's nice to know there are others with experience.

JohnTheBrewist said:

I have both a UDS and an electric flower pot smoker. Since I built the electric smoker, I rarely use the UDS. I have cooked butts side by side in them, and can not taste a difference.

But with the electric, I can cook all night and never even look at the temp again (mine does have a PID controller, though). And, I don't have to go buy charcoal, light charcoal, or clean up the charcoal ashes.

Frankly, I'm thinking of giving away my UDS and building another electric.

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Lowes has one of those mini-fridge lookalikes with the electronic controller already built in for under $200 and it's blingy stainless. I can't imagine building a better one for less money.

Bobby_M said:

Lowes has one of those mini-fridge lookalikes with the electronic controller already built in for under $200 and it's blingy stainless. I can't imagine building a better one for less money.

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The biggest problem with them is that the elements don't last long at all and apparently they are either impossible to get replacements or they cost just as much as a new smoker to replace.



As far as the OP's question. I would say stick with the electric if it fits your needs and wants right now. If in the future you decide you want more control or it dies or whatnot then consider alternatives. No point in getting something else if you are perfectly happy with what you already have.

Bobby_M said:

Lowes has one of those mini-fridge lookalikes with the electronic controller already built in for under $200 and it's blingy stainless. I can't imagine building a better one for less money.

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True, when we're talking PID controlled electric smoker. My Auber controller was already $170. But I like having one I built myself, and my heating element is only a $15 hot plate, and my cast iron pan holds enough wood for the entire smoke.

However, there are lots of people who've built the Alton Brown flower pot smoker without PID, and seem to be able to hold temps very well too. These probably run about $100 to build (assuming you don't already have a couple big flower pots lying around).

A UDS on the other hand, can be built very cheaply (typically under $85) if you can find a drum locally.

I smoke on two primary smokers right now. I use a Cookshack Amerique electric smoker for pork shoulder, brisket, leg of lamb, lamb shanks, ribs, beans, eggs, ham, nuts, jerky, cheese, and fish. I use a charcoal burning Kamado for basically most of the same minus the cheese and nuts and beans, plus stuff that doesn't do well in the electric, like rack of lamb, beer-can chicken, and turkey.

The electric is great for moist heat. THe Kamado is also good for moist heat and, if necessary, higher temps (e.g., poultry).

not to sound like a Weber fan boy, I have no problem maintaining temp on my WSM. On longer cooks (depends on conditions of course)I've never had to refuel even on long brisket cooks (minion method). I had the red Brinkman Electric for several years prior and be it my technique or equipment but I suddenly get smokerings and just overall the food tastes better. I can't explain why all things being equal my results would be so much different but it is and actually just gave my electric away because i have no use for it.

I've had the red brinkman electric for a while now and really like it for all of the reasons that have been mentioned.

My only complaint with it was the size as what I want to stuff it with varies in size pretty dramatically. Some times I just want to toss a butt in there and other times I need to smoke 18 racks of ribs for a tailgate.

My ghetto solution was to go to Tractor Supply, buy a galvanized steel trash can, cut the bottom out except for a one inch lip on the bottom... pop four peices of rebar through the sides (two below, two on top) and then drop round grill grates on each one. I then simply take the top off the brinkman and place the trash can on top... effectively making a four+ foot tall "column-smoker".

Before anyone says "galvanized!?!? you'll give everyone cancer!!!"... no... it won't. I know a hard core professional welder who's been in the biz for about 35 years who says that galvanized is not a problem since as long as you burn it off once. Once it is burned off once, it's gone and it isn't a problem ever again... so... I "seasoned" the can before I used it for smoking by simply placing it over a very small fire going in a fire ring for a while.

Plus... a smoker doesn't get up to a high enough temp for it to be a problem in the first place.

I've been using it for years and no one has died yet.

If I want to just do something small... I use the brinkman solo... if I want to smoke a pile o' stuff, the ghetto smoker makes an appearance

I currently have two electric smokers(a big and lil chief), a propane Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain, a UDS that I built, and I just bought a Big Green Egg.

I am giving the propane smoker away....I just don't care for it any more.

I use the big Chief for smoked fish, and also when I smoke grains and nuts. It's not hot enough to BBQ big cuts for long periods of time.

I never did care for the taste of food done on the UDS. I know I am in the minority here, but I don't care for the taste of food cooked in the smoke from the fat that drip onto hot coals. I tried a few different drip pans, but that affects the way the drum regulates heat. I use it for a burn barrel now.

I have had some really good food cooked on an electric cookshack. I never tried a Master built electric, but have heard good things about them.

I really like the Egg I just got. It's a really versatile cooker that can smoke low and slow, grill at high temps, and also be used as an oven too. Pizza comes out fantastic on the egg at about 550°

I used to have an offset charcoal smoker a few years ago. It was really hard to regulate the temp, but the food came out so tasty.

I guess I am a charcoal guy....I think you can taste a difference.....but I have had some awesome Q from electric and gas smokers too.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Hello friends how r u all i am new here and i want to get more information about smokers products.

johnfred01 said:

Hello friends how r u all i am new here and i want to get more information about smokers products.

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Um, so you joined a HOMEBREWING forum to discuss smokers? okaaaaayyyyy.....



Anywho...


I bought a Brinkman 'El Cheapo' R2 unit for $10 at a yard sale a few years ago and at first I was a bit frustrated with it. I ended up moving the heating element further up in the barrel to try and get the temp up a bit. That seemed to work fine. There is no real temp adjustment on this one. It's still a bit low, but less prone to breezy days.

I can't see myself cooking more than a single rack worth of food, but I have 2 racks just in case.

I am especially fond of being able to put a large pork butt on after work and smoking it until bed time and then letting it go until some time the next day. By end of work or so it's just about right. If I could get the temp a bit higher it would go faster, but now I don't worry about over cooking it either.

I'd love to have a BGE as a grill, but for a smoker I'm very happy with my cheap electric.

I just bought a Broil King Keg smoker and first week experience is I love it. It also used to be known as the Big Steel Keg and Bubba Keg. You want to talk about holding temps for a long time on very little charcoal!!! I had a cheapo brinkmann before that I had to check my temperature every 30 minutes, and usually adjust one way or the other. I can already tell i am going to love this thing. The price is up there, but everything looks like very solid construction. I don't see why this shouldn't last a lifetime if I take care of it!

to season this thing I had to get it to 400 and let it go for an hour. I figured I would just let the charcoal burn out after that hour. I put in maybe 15 briquettes. 3 hours later the temp was still at 400 and I had to go to bed. Who knows how long it stayed hot for.

So far my opinion better than the ceramic smokers, and made completely of steel so much more durable.

Also it looks like a big keg..not a bad look for a homebrewer!

Arrive to Smokepistol.com, which has been helping people to find Electric Meat Food Smokers, Bbq Smokers Tools, Barbeque Smokers Generator. Smoking Meat & Fish.

This is a pretty old post but in case anyone is still trying to decide I wanted to throw in my two cents. I have used both charcoal (Weber Bullet smoker) and electric (Masterbuilt) and electric is the way to go. The Masterbuilt is around $200 and has a digital heat regulator on it. You want 200 degrees for 5 hours, you got it. In my opinion the flavor is better than charcoal, sweeter and without any of that "ashtray" flavor you can get with charcoal smoking if you let it go too long or too harsh. You can smoke for a few hours and then wrap the meats in foil and let them finish either in the smoker since the heat is regulated or in the oven. The trays are good quality and clean up easily with a SOS pad. Go digital, go electric, I "guarantee" you will love it. For the common backyard non-competition smoker, it's fool proof.

Gary
www.drinkupsandiego.com

I have the same electric smoker and I agree. I love my master built. I have done whole chickens and whole turkeys. I've done lots of ribs and a couple of pork shoulders and briskets and everything always comes out awesome. I like that I can focus on improving my recipe and methods not messing with trying to get your temps right. For anyone that hasn't ever messed with smoking meat before the master built is the way to go.

smoking some wings...do you think i should broil them for a few minutes in the oven after to try to crisp them up abit(no grill)?

I would throw them on a grill to get them crispy. I did some the other night and didn't grill them after and they were soggy and a little greasy