time for a new smoker

[buffalobrewer]

The old indirect smoker has seen it's better days so it's time for a new smoker! Never was impressed with it nor the brinkmann that i used before that. Neither was good at heat control, and the fuel never seemed to last for a long smoke.

What should I be looking at for the new one?

 

[fineexampl]

the best smoker i've ever used was a cheap $150 charsomething that i picked up from Lowes with the sidemount smoker and cast iron grates. looks like a big metal drum. i'm sure most people have seen them. That sucker was great. It was cheap too.

 

[SOB]

... a cheap $150 charsomething that i picked up from Lowes with the sidemount smoker and cast iron grates.

Chargriller is what you're talking about. I gots one too. Its nice, I love it in fact but it's very touchy. Especially for long smokes. You really have to keep an eye on it but it's big and pretty cheap. Had mine for a couple years now. I like it cuz you can smoke and grill on one unit but I've been thinking about getting something else (maybe an upright smoker or maybe even an electric smoker) for those LONG 12+ hour smokes.

As for the OP...I really dont know. It all depends on what you smoke. My Chargriller with side fire box is good for a 6 hour rib smoking but anything more that that is kinda tough due to how close you have to watch and tweat the temps.

 

[fineexampl]

Chargriller is what you're talking about. I gots one too. Its nice, I love it in fact but it's very touchy. Especially for long smokes. You really have to keep an eye on it but it's big and pretty cheap. Had mine for a couple years now. I like it cuz you can smoke and grill on one unit but I've been thinking about getting something else (maybe an upright smoker or maybe even an electric smoker) for those LONG 12+ hour smokes.

As for the OP...I really dont know. It all depends on what you smoke. My Chargriller with side fire box is good for a 6 hour rib smoking but anything more that that is kinda tough due to how close you have to watch and tweat the temps.

100% correct. 6hrs is about the max i ever played with it when i had it and correct about the monitoring constantly. for me, that was part of the ritual and those were a great six hours.

 

[buffalobrewer]

That's the type of unit I'm retiring. The temp control on this particular one has been very difficult to maintain. Anything over 3-4 hours involved refueling. I have the cheapo brinkmann upright but it has trouble getting hot. The coal pan didn't have any vents to let air at the coals and my tinkering has not improved it.

A little poking around the interwebs today showed that maybe the weber smokey mountain or a big green egg might serve me better. Definitely a little more coin that the previous smokers but look like it might be money well spent.

 

[buffalobrewer]

Just noticed you are from edison, where i was born (well, actually the hospital was in the next town over I think).

 

[shelly_belly]

A friend of mine recently purchased the party model from here:

http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/

He's done a few comps over the last 2 years with a Big Green Egg with moderate success. Says he sees a lot of the Backwood smokers at competitions. He's single, so I guess he has lots of disposable income. These are pricy.

 

[friarjohn]

i dont have one but i hear treggers are pretty good.

 

[dataz722]

Get a 55gal refurbished drum and build a UDS (upright/ugly drum smoker). I am in the process of doing one myself and plan on doing a build thread on here when I am done. Just google "building a UDS" and you will find tons of things though.

 

[jezter6]

I have one of those conical "bullet" looking electric smokers you can buy at lowe's/HD for like $90. I use it for long smokes all the time and I like it because unless the power is out, you have a CONSISTENT heat source...same temp ALL DAY every day and not subject to the whims of charcoal heat getting hot, then dying out before needing to refill the charcoal.

It does eat through some chips, only because the chips sit pretty much directly on the element (they say not to, but it's hard when refilling to make sure not spill one on the big hot metal thingy). Of course, a cast iron smoke box that holds the wood chips is a simple $9 fix for that problem.

It has two heat settings. ON and OFF.

Personally, for my lazy arse - it's absolutely perfect. I've smoked 12-15 hours on it without any problems. As for the food -- we'll see if data chimes back in cuz he had some pulled pork from it that I made last brewday.

 

[TheManes]

I have the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker - 18.5". It's great. Great quality, great temp control, and I am partial to water smokers.

 

[Synovia]

I have one of those conical "bullet" looking electric smokers you can buy at lowe's/HD for like $90. I use it for long smokes all the time and I like it because unless the power is out, you have a CONSISTENT heat source...same temp ALL DAY every day and not subject to the whims of charcoal heat getting hot, then dying out before needing to refill the charcoal.

It does eat through some chips, only because the chips sit pretty much directly on the element (they say not to, but it's hard when refilling to make sure not spill one on the big hot metal thingy). Of course, a cast iron smoke box that holds the wood chips is a simple $9 fix for that problem.

It has two heat settings. ON and OFF.

Personally, for my lazy arse - it's absolutely perfect. I've smoked 12-15 hours on it without any problems. As for the food -- we'll see if data chimes back in cuz he had some pulled pork from it that I made last brewday.

I've got one of those too. They're pretty easy to control with something like a Ranco, or other temp controller. Mine has trouble maintaining temp when its cold out, but other than that, its good. I think I need to insulate it or something.


My only real issue with it is that the way its shaped, when it rains, it gets water in it (because the top sits inside the bottom). I need to build a cover for it.

 

[dutch-brew]

i dont have one but i hear treggers are pretty good.

Traegers are good for smoking.. (expensive for a smoker) I made excellent pork-butt, brisket, ham, deer-shoulder on it. Best part, set it and forget it (temp)

They say they're also good for regular grilling, but they suck at it. I'll use my regular charcoal grill for brats, steaks, pork-steaks and such..

 

[snccoulter]

I've got one of those too. They're pretty easy to control with something like a Ranco, or other temp controller. Mine has trouble maintaining temp when its cold out, but other than that, its good. I think I need to insulate it or something.


My only real issue with it is that the way its shaped, when it rains, it gets water in it (because the top sits inside the bottom). I need to build a cover for it.

I have one also and love using it. It sits on the porch under a roof so rain is not an issue but the 10 month old puppy has eaten the plug at least 6 times it keeps getting shorter and shorter theni add a chunck of extension cord that she has eaten thenit works great untill she gets to it again.

 

[TXANM]

+1 on the Traeger. I have had mine for 6 years and it is a part of my family. As far as just regular grilling I have had some good success on it though.

Go Traeger, I promise you will not be disappointed!

 

[FromZwolle]

i've got the brinkmann upright too. You have to drill a hole in the charcoal pan about every half inch to get it to hold a high enough temp, and if you can find the double size charcoal, it works well for the 6-8 hr sessions. I'd love a fancy high end smoker, but for the $, i think i would rather keep the one i have and spend the difference on meat.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

On Dataz's suggestion, I built myself a drum smoker. Damned thing held 200*F for 14 hours. Started with 16 pounds of briquetts. After they were choked out and cooled I weighed what was left and had 8 pounds of useable briquettes after a 14 hour smoke.

Can't get THAT from a storebought smoker.

 

[SOB]

On Dataz's suggestion, I built myself a drum smoker. Damned thing held 200*F for 14 hours. Started with 16 pounds of briquetts. After they were choked out and cooled I weighed what was left and had 8 pounds of useable briquettes after a 14 hour smoke.

Can't get THAT from a storebought smoker.

Wow...that's pretty damn good. Was there a lot of "tweaking" the intake(s) to keep a consistent temp?

What instructions did you use?

 

[barleywade]

I have owned many charcoal smokers and the Weber is by far the best. It has plenty of room to smoke a lot of meat and very good temp control. Look on craigslist or you can get a new one for $250 or so on sale. You will not be dissapointed.