Electric Smoker

[Scapegoat]

I've had two of these. There have been issues with each. Does anyone have one that they like?

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Does anyone have one that they like?

DONE A DECADE OF DAMAGE WITH THIS ONE…but i'm a old school charcoal/wood guy. To each his own. $300 @ Cabelas.

 

[Scapegoat]

DONE A DECADE OF DAMAGE WITH THIS ONE…but i'm a old school charcoal/wood guy. To each his own. $300 @ Cabelas.


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I've used one of these before too. I like them and I've had several real wood smokers. I like them the best but I'm looking for something I can leave a brisket in all day while I'm at work or overnight.

 

[Scapegoat]

Ok how about pellet smokers?

 

[4down20]

Ok how about pellet smokers?

Never used one, but it seems like the best tasting option if you can't do a stickburner.

I think the pellets only last like 4 hours though.

 

[outofyourmind]

I have one similar to this.
If you get a charcoal maze/basket, you can get 6-8 hours of continuous heat.
If your fire box is tall enough, you can put your wood or chunks on top and the charcoal will keep going for a long time. You just have to keep putting wood in, every so often.
It still takes some oversight. Not something you start and walk away and go to work for 8 hours.

 

[batchaps4me]

I have one similar to this.
If you get a charcoal maze/basket, you can get 6-8 hours of continuous heat.
If your fire box is tall enough, you can put your wood or chunks on top and the charcoal will keep going for a long time. You just have to keep putting wood in, every so often.
It still takes some oversight. Not something you start and walk away and go to work for 8 hours.

Keeping the heat/smoke right is part of the fun and is a skill. This is what we use for smoking but I am thinking about a pellet smoker fro inclement weather:
http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/smoke-canyon-vertical-smoker-with-offset-firebox

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

I have a Green Mountain and love it. I was going to get a Traeger but a Traeger owner convinced me to go with a Green Mountain.

 

[4down20]

Keeping the heat/smoke right is part of the fun and is a skill. This is what we use for smoking but I am thinking about a pellet smoker fro inclement weather:
http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/smoke-canyon-vertical-smoker-with-offset-firebox

How you like the vertical box?

 

[4down20]

I have one similar to this.
If you get a charcoal maze/basket, you can get 6-8 hours of continuous heat.
If your fire box is tall enough, you can put your wood or chunks on top and the charcoal will keep going for a long time. You just have to keep putting wood in, every so often.
It still takes some oversight. Not something you start and walk away and go to work for 8 hours.

Never understood why someone would buy a smoker like that and then use charcoal. Seems like a good way to missing out on a bunch of flavor.

 

[PnkPanther]

Whats your budget?

For relatively inexpensive and easy to use

Pit Barrel Cooker - Best Selling Drum Cooker

Many people do brisket on them

 

[batchaps4me]

How you like the vertical box?

After we figured it out, it is awesome. The biggest drawback to this model is to maintain heat you have to crack open the door on the smokebox. Not a major flaw, but we ruined some chicken getting it right. Always learn a new smoker with yardbird ... it seasons the grill and is cheap while learning. We cook everything on it now. One great thing about buying from bass pro is that heavier gauge metal is used. It will take many years to burn through this one. Plus it has a solid hook in the top so you can hang the meat if desired.

 

[batchaps4me]

BTW we use charcoal for heat and split wood for smoke. We have learned how to control the smoke so we never wrap the meat.

 

[PnkPanther]

I almost feel bad mocking this poor lady, but heres what not to do

 

[4down20]

After we figured it out, it is awesome. The biggest drawback to this model is to maintain heat you have to crack open the door on the smokebox. Not a major flaw, but we ruined some chicken getting it right. Always learn a new smoker with yardbird ... it seasons the grill and is cheap while learning. We cook everything on it now. One great thing about buying from bass pro is that heavier gauge metal is used. It will take many years to burn through this one. Plus it has a solid hook in the top so you can hang the meat if desired.

I got a stickburner, but wife keeps saying we need a vertical box so we can do more meat(without having to get a bigger barrel and use more wood).

I guess I should have been more specific in my questions - how do the temps hold in the barrel from top to bottom? That was my big concern.

 

[4down20]

BTW we use charcoal for heat and split wood for smoke. We have learned how to control the smoke so we never wrap the meat.

I only use wood and I use small open flame fires. You can't even see the smoke coming out of mine unless you hold something dark behind the stack.

It's a lot of work maintaining temps, I have to tend to it every 15 minutes. But you can't beat the flavor.

 

[batchaps4me]

I got a stickburner, but wife keeps saying we need a vertical box so we can do more meat(without having to get a bigger barrel and use more wood).

I guess I should have been more specific in my questions - how do the temps hold in the barrel from top to bottom? That was my big concern.

I cannot give specifics because it comes with just one thermometer but we normally use the top three racks when we smoke and it is fairly consistent across those. We use meat thermometers and only twice have we rotated the meat to keep the meat cooking consistently across the three. I have thought about installing two more thermometers but really have not needed to do so. I reread you post and this is the second time today that I could have used Evelyn Woodhead's reading comprehension course. Over all, this is the best vertical smoker I have used.

 

[batchaps4me]

I only use wood and I use small open flame fires. You can't even see the smoke coming out of mine unless you hold something dark behind the stack.

It's a lot of work maintaining temps, I have to tend to it every 15 minutes. But you can't beat the flavor.

Our normal process is to stoke the fire to overheat the chamber and let it come back down to cooking range. Then we add the presoaked split pieces of hickory or apple for smoke. I guess the first hour we have heavy smoke then we go with a lighter smoke for the duration. It is kind of what you said about barely being able to see the smoke at the exhaust. We watch the chamber temp and adjust about every 45 minutes or so.

 

[batchaps4me]

To me, BBQ'ing is an event. It is as much about kicking back with friends and family having a few beers, watching games and starving to death smelling the meat cook for hours. I really worry that I would get too dependent on a pellet grill and miss the fun.

 

[PnkPanther]

Our normal process is to stoke the fire to overheat the chamber and let it come back down to cooking range. Then we add the presoaked split pieces of hickory or apple for smoke. I guess the first hour we have heavy smoke then we go with a lighter smoke for the duration. It is kind of what you said about barely being able to see the smoke at the exhaust. We watch the chamber temp and adjust about every 45 minutes or so.

If you're using full size splits or chunks, you should be able to do without soaking.