Smokers! (Of the cooking variety)

[coachgrd]

Alrighty group, I've been telling my wife that if there's a group that will point me in the right direction, it's always this one.

Our 19 year old son enjoys smoking meats. He even found plans online for one, made from a 55-gallon drum. He made some darn good stuff this past summer in the drum. We've been thinking about getting him a real smoker for Christmas. I've not done a great deal of smoking myself, so I'm wondering if any of you have makes/models you'd suggest.

A friend suggested an electric, as they make it necessary to hover around the smoker continuously. This is an aspect of smoking meats that my son seems to enjoy. This friend seems to enjoy that he DOESN'T need to do this.

Anyway, I look forward to checking out any suggested models you might have.

 

[GeoHorn]

Propane (or other gas) smokers add moisture to the smoking process as the result of the burning of fossil fuel (the by-product of fossil fuel is CO, CO2, H2O). .... while the electric only adds heat.

You can put a pan of water in there with the meat...but that eventually becomes awful/nasty.

 

[85Hokie]

A friend of mine uses the electric pellet smoker - little auger pulls in more pellets as needed - keeps temps in whatever range you desire ......180....225 or higher.

Not sure if this is the one ....but seems close to it

I have had some of his smoked meat - damn good. Only thing you buy is the pellets, and yes they come in different flavors!

 

[random]

I don't know much of anything about electric smokers. I suppose if you don't want to monitor it, or if you're doing something requiring perfect consistency (like a restaurant or food truck) they're good. I just use a plain old offset barrel smoker - here's mine: https://www.chargriller.com/collections/charcoal-grills/products/smokin-pro-e1224#

Same company has a couple other, bigger ones:

Char-Griller® Offset Smoker Grills

Professional grills and smokers. Seriously hard working grills.

www.chargriller.com

Grand Champ™ Offset Smoker

Professional grills and smokers. Seriously hard working grills.

www.chargriller.com

Mine can take a whole brisket and a couple racks of ribs, so I've never found need for more.

If part of the fun for your son is the monitoring of the cooking, that may be a route to go. It also has the bonus of being able to use logs - I don't know about electrics but a lot of them I've seen appear to require pellets.

 

[ccoon520]

Alrighty group, I've been telling my wife that if there's a group that will point me in the right direction, it's always this one.

Our 19 year old son enjoys smoking food. He even found plans online for one made from a 55-gallon drum and made some darn good stuff this past summer. We've been thinking about getting him a real smoker for Christmas. I've not done a great deal myself, so I'm wondering if any of you have makes/models you'd suggest.

A friend suggested an electric, as they make it necessary to hove around the smoker continuously. This is an aspect of smoking meats that my son seems to enjoy. This friend seems to enjoy that he DOESN'T need to do this.

Anyway, I look forward to checking out any suggested models you might have.

It sounds like he already made an offset smoker out of that 55 gallon drum as those are the most common style with the barrel. If it were me I wouldn't replace that especially since he took the time to make that one he is probably pretty attached to it.

I would suggest getting him a quarter cord of wood (This is usually around $300 for fruit woods), I always use Hickory (because it is cheaper and more readily available around me) but there's apple, and walnut, and peach I hear are also good for smoking that I just haven't gotten around to trying yet. Maybe an insulation blanket for the barrel so he can continue to use it in the colder months, or if there is an issue that he is currently having maybe just offering time to help improve his current build by adding heat resistant paint, stainless grill racks, improved airflow control, or something like that. Not trying to sound cheap but the home made smoker is probably stronger and larger than anything that you'd buy for him without dropping a bunch of money. Plus he gets bragging rights that he made it himself.

If that isn't the avenue you want to take I am partial to the ceramic style smokers. The ceramic insulates the heat really well meaning that it is an all season smoker, they are compact, have 0 mechanical parts like augers or burners to fail, and can handle temps well above 500°F which means they can sear steaks and pull double duty as a normal grill. I have a Coyote Asado, it is well made the ceramic has a lifetime warranty and the stainless components have a 5 year warranty. My parents have a Primo, and my extended family have Big Green Eggs.

 

[Daren Todd]

It sounds like he already made an offset smoker out of that 55 gallon drum as those are the most common style with the barrel. If it were me I wouldn't replace that especially since he took the time to make that one he is probably pretty attached to it.

I would suggest getting him a quarter cord of wood (This is usually around $300 for fruit woods), I always use Hickory (because it is cheaper and more readily available around me) but there's apple, and walnut, and peach I hear are also good for smoking that I just haven't gotten around to trying yet. Maybe an insulation blanket for the barrel so he can continue to use it in the colder months, or if there is an issue that he is currently having maybe just offering time to help improve his current build by adding heat resistant paint, stainless grill racks, improved airflow control, or something like that. Not trying to sound cheap but the home made smoker is probably stronger and larger than anything that you'd buy for him without dropping a bunch of money. Plus he gets bragging rights that he made it himself.

If that isn't the avenue you want to take I am partial to the ceramic style smokers. The ceramic insulates the heat really well meaning that it is an all season smoker, they are compact, have 0 mechanical parts like augers or burners to fail, and can handle temps well above 500°F which means they can sear steaks and pull double duty as a normal grill. I have a Coyote Asado, it is well made the ceramic has a lifetime warranty and the stainless components have a 5 year warranty. My parents have a Primo, and my extended family have Big Green Eggs.

Some make a smoker out of the 50 gallon drum, but it's not a side box smoker.

There are plans online for a fire box for them that gets put inside the barrel. Then the meat is suspended from the bottom of the lid by a hook.

You fill the box with lump charcoal. Then use a chimney starter to start some of the charcoal.

Once the chimney starter is good and going, you dump the Amber's on top of the charcoal in your fire box.

Put the meat on your hook and drop the lid on.

My coworker built his this way. With wing nuts that lock the lid down tight onto the barrel.

But it seems like a royal PITA to me personally.

 

[Daren Todd]

I use a chargriller grill with the side mount fire box.

You can catch them at certain times of the year where you can by the grill itself for under $100. Not sure what the side box goes for. But you can find the grill and side box together.

I have an easier time managing temperature with mine using firewood instead of lump charcoal. And just buy a bag or pre seasoned wood from Academy Sports for around $15.

By loading the firebox with wood, it will hold a consistent temperature for around 4 hours or so.

I don’t add a tray of water in mine. I've had really good luck with tinfoil baking pans covered in tinfoil instead. I bought a case of them from Sam's club.

I'll smoke the meat for 4 to 6 hours depending on the time frame for the meat. Then once it's time to tinfoil the meat i put the meat in a tinfoil baking dish. Add some broth or flavored vinegar to the bottom of the pan, coat the meat in what ever sauce I want to use. Then cover the pan with tinfoil and finish it off in either the smoker or oven.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I always use Hickory (because it is cheaper and more readily available around me) but there's apple, and walnut, and peach I hear are also good for smoking that I just haven't gotten around to trying yet.

A little OT. You've reminded me that my neighbor promised me a sample of something cooked on the walnut I gave him. I had never heard of using walnut. What's it like?

 

[ccoon520]

A little OT. You've reminded me that my neighbor promised me a sample of something cooked on the walnut I gave him. I had never heard of using walnut. What's it like?

Haven't used walnut yet. I have a 1/3 cord of hickory to go through before I can justify buying more wood for the smoker.

Some make a smoker out of the 50 gallon drum, but it's not a side box smoker.

There are plans online for a fire box for them that gets put inside the barrel. Then the meat is suspended from the bottom of the lid by a hook.

You fill the box with lump charcoal. Then use a chimney starter to start some of the charcoal.

Once the chimney starter is good and going, you dump the Amber's on top of the charcoal in your fire box.

Put the meat on your hook and drop the lid on.

My coworker built his this way. With wing nuts that lock the lid down tight onto the barrel.

But it seems like a royal PITA to me personally.

If it is one of these then maybe have the gift being installing a firebox on the side, adding grilling grates, adding a lip seal (its a felt like material and is like 30 bucks on amazon), adding a lid clasp or just additional weight to the lid, and removing the internal firebox. Could be a relatively inexpensive and easy project and can be done piece wise. If you aren't that handy you can go with the other suggestions that have been listed so far.

 

[Daren Todd]

Haven't used walnut yet. I have a 1/3 cord of hickory to go through before I can justify buying more wood for the smoker.



If it is one of these then maybe have the gift being installing a firebox on the side, adding grilling grates, adding a lip seal (its a felt like material and is like 30 bucks on amazon), adding a lid clasp or just additional weight to the lid, and removing the internal firebox. Could be a relatively inexpensive and easy project and can be done piece wise. If you aren't that handy you can go with the other suggestions that have been listed so far.

My coworker decided to go the hard route. He chooses to pull everything out to get to the fire box

 

[skeets]

I use an electric smoker a lot easyer to keep the temp right, and with a water pan you can keep the moisture up to where you want it. It will smoke with pellets or chips or sawdust for that matter and you can either soak or not soak your wood. The temp can go very low to 300 I think though I never go that high. And time is not the best way it is the internal temp of what you are smoking, because you are not really smoking to preserve the meat just to flavor it

 

[ehenry]

I"ve had an Oklahoma Joe sidebox smoker going on 23 years. It is heavy built. I've used it for grilling and smoking. The only thing I've had to do is replace the cooking grates.

On the ceramic kamodo grills, my wife gave me a medium BGE that I've learned to use. I say 'learned' because there is a learning curve to them. Once you get the vents set and temp stabilizes you can leave it and let it cook. They grill, smoke and bake. I bake thanksgiving and christmas dressing on mine every year.

The only drawback to a BGE is price. The damn things cost way too much and the accessories and expensive too. Look at other brands of kamodo grills if you consider one.

 

[imnukensc]

I'm real happy with my Masterbuilt smoker. Uses propane and keeps a good steady temperature. I've smoked 4 or 5 butts and a few racks of ribs at separate times. All the butts were on for at least nine hours and the ribs had 5 hours. Still on the first 20 lb cylinder of propane. As much as I love poking around a fire the propane beats the hell out of wood or charcoal.

 

[lmpres]

I've had an electric smoker and now have used 3 pellet smokers. They are not the same!

The pellet smokers use electricity to run the auger that regulates how many pellets go into the burn bowl. This allows you to be able to leave your smoker and let it self regulate the temp. It is the way to go!

Many of the electric smokers, that use electricity to heat, have trouble keeping up the temp. I had that problem with mine.

I had a Pit Boss 1500 for 2.5 years. Loved it! You can smoke with it, cook a steak/hambburger on it, it's very versatile. Needed to replace it because of the auger getting blocked. Partly my fault because it was left out in the elements (you need to cover them).

Thought I'd try a Treager. Had 1 for 2 weeks and returned it. Temp wouldn't go up high enough for grilling (even though it's advertised to).

Went back to Lowes and bought another Pit Boss, the newer model 1550. Back to loving it.

Do the pellet smokers!

 

[johnjk]

Question to ask is where doe he want to go with this hobby? If he is looking to do larger volumes of meat then a nice offset on a trailer may be the way to go. If he is happy with weekend cooks, then I would go with a ceramic kamodo smoker. You can do anything from cold smoking fish/cheese to pizza to reverse searing steaks at 600+ degrees. For a low and slow cook, you can run 24hrs on one load of lump charcoal. I have a Large Grill Dome and like it. Bought it used off a competitive cooker in 2005. Still going strong. If he needs more space many makers have XL oval shaped grills.

Another gift would be a pit minder. Check out ThermoWorks Signals. Works off Bluetooth or WiFi and has a built in cloud feed so you can get updates or check your cook anywhere. I have no problem putting on 2 or 3 shoulders or a 14lb brisket and going to bed. Set thresholds and it will wake you when it gets there. Unit works on pretty much any smoker out there and can be adapted to home built systems.

 

[JWool]

I use an offset smoker with an insulated firebox and 3/8 steel, I burn logs and use a fireboard wifi multi probe temp monitor.
https://www.fireboard.com/shop/fireboard-2/
it is a bit more work than a pellet which I think would be the next best thing.
I don't think I can beat the taste of a real wood cross flow smoker.
It also has a water bath below the racks to keep even moist heat and also catch the drippings that can flow out a large valve on the bottom.
Just my thoughts.

With this set up I only need to add wood about once an hour and maybe not as often when it warmer out.

 

[NHSleddog]

I have electric and we modified it by doubling the shelves for jerky making.

Amazon.com

It is very consistent. It works best with wood chips.

 

[PaulR]

Agree with the sentiment of not replacing what he built.
Masterbuilt propane smoker here. It's good for what it is, can be finicky, may be replacing soon with something nicer.

Agree on the accessory gift things: Wood, Pit Minders/Thermo's. A good cordless/bluetooth multi-pronged sensor system can run into the hundreds of dollars.

I got this one, very nice, works well, well built. I did in fact however leave it out in a heavy rainstorm and it died, they replaced it no questions asked, which was nice of them:

Smoke® Remote BBQ Alarm Thermometer

Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.

www.thermoworks.com

 

[1964vette]

I have an original Traeger, probably 15 years old and stall cooks great. It is best used as a smoker. Like someone else said here, Traegers are advertised as grills. My wife just bought me a new one for my birthday! It's 2 1/2 times the size of my old one. Traeger also.

 

[lugbolt]

yeah one more thing I put on the pellet grill

I've wanted to try cooking a pizza on my rectec

did it tonight

it wasn't that good

it was absolutely delicious I'll never use the oven in the house again for frozen digiorno pizza

it's rare for me to eat a whole pizza and rarer yet to have a whole night not doing something in teh shop but you know what? The pizza was SO good, that I done at the whole thing, not all at once though. I'd eat, clean the plate, put it up, then soon as I get out the door I was wanting another slice. Man it was good. Definitely will do that again sometime

baked potatoes is another one I do pretty often but it takes a few hours. Try it on any smoker. Really good!! And real easy.

used to have an old smoker that I made out of an old air compressor tank that I bought from the landfill, modified it with racks and pans and whatnot, and usually around September I'd roll a chunk of hickory into the pond to let it sit there for a while, so it'd be nice and water logged by Thanksgiving. Use that to smoke a turkey. Very good but you have to tend it often to keep the temps in check, wood filled, charcoal full, etc. That's why I bought the little pellet grill. WiFi controlled, temp probe, set the alarms on teh probe at whatever temp, set the temp on the grill itself and walk away. Just make sure it's full of pellets beforehand. Works very very good. I use it all the time for (now pizza), baked taters, fresh fish that I catch (crappie catfish trout some white and hybrid bass), beef of all kinds, and last weekend I smoked some chicken...which was also VERY good.

Still got my old air compressor smoker but haven't used it in over a year now. No sense in using it when pellets are 'almost' as good, and much much easier to deal with.