looking to buy/build a decent smoker-suggestions?

[oinco]

I'm dying to get a smoker and learn how to use it well. Seems like the "nicer" smokers are easily over $500. The "green egg" seems very good- plenty big enough for me-thoughts from those that are experienced in this endeavor?

I've seen a few vids that show you how to make your own out of a huge terra cotta pot, and that seems like it would work well.
I haven't seen much qualified info on what is the critical part of designing/welding up your own- firebox placement/airflow/volume/temp regulation/etc.
The crap I see for sale on the cheap seems like a step backwards from just using my grill except for volume?
Should I just hunt for a used smoker and learn to find its' sweet spot and that is the secret?


to help qualify- I have tried a lot of bbq places in town- best I have tried so far is Yazoo downtown. I could care less about bbq sauce- to me the flavor/quality of the meat should stand alone-
I hit the Aspen BBQ challenge thing last year- pretty amazing- most of what I tried that was really good isn't within dinner-driving distance.

Thanks!

[SideShow Bob]

Are you going for hot smoking or cold smoking ? Big difference in what you will need.

[Mtn.man]

We built a dozen out of 55 gal drums with side mount wood boxes, they work great fed 400+ people at daughters wedding. Some we put on wheels and lower storage areas.

[patrick0685]

i bought an electric smoker from bass pro this year and it has worked great, real nice too and keeps the temp perfect all day, it was only like $150 and I have made many good meals including one last night

[oinco]

I don't know all the ins/outs of cold vs hot smoking.....when I lived in AK, we cold smoked a few pounds and hot smoked hundreds of pounds of salmon every year...don't expect to do much fish, mostly red meats and hopefully some elk. Although a smoked white lasagna sounds pretty good.

I'll check out the BP electric version- the electrics seem to be less maintenance to keep an even temp?

[Colorado Osprey]

You also need to decide if you hot smoke if you want to dry or wet smoke.
I'm not referring to the debate of wet vs dry wood for smoke but whether you plan to use a water pan.

Both have their advantages.
You can add flavors in the liquid during wet smoking. It is almost impossible to dry out a chicken or fish when wet smoking.
Wet smoking will not create a bark on beef and pork though.

If you like your meats to break down and get tender electric and gas smokers usually cook too fast to allow this to happen. Will they break down, sure, but not like a wood or charcoal smoker.

If you plan on just trying smoking you might get a kettle type that allows both wet and dry smoking and if you like it you can upgrade and get an electric element for it. These are relatively cheap (around $40) from Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brinkmann-Smoke-N-Grill-Charcoal-Smoker/876295

Electric Conversion: ($40)
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Smoker-Electric-Converter/734414.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dsmoker%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader %253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=smoker&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

These kettles are plenty big enough to do 2 turkeys or about 30-40#'s of meat at a time.
You can also charcoal grill on these too.

I highly recommend wood chunks instead of ships and purchase of a good book like "Cooking with Fire and Smoke" to learn different methods, suggested woods for certain meats and cooking times, etc.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Have you looked at Alton Brown's flower pot smoker?

http://www.ehow.com/way_5718327_homemade-alton-brown-electric-smoker.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ2Uj_3v6Dw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ka2kpzTAL8

You're looking at around $50 to make this thing. Start with the last link to look at how he made it .. the middle link just gives you the setup on his theories about barbecue.

[SideShow Bob]

Today's Gander Mtn. Ad has an electric smoker on sale. Take a look, it might be what you are looking for.

[BPTactical]

Or "Liberate" a traffic signal controller cabinet from "somewhere" and build your own.

[Ah Pook]

Alton Brown Pot Smoker (http://www.naffziger.net/blog/2008/07/05/the-alton-brown-flower-pot-smoker/)
http://www.naffziger.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/smoker.jpg

55 Gallon Drum Smoker (http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/2465841/Re_55_Gallon_Drum_Smoker)
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z227/nascarchuck/Barrel%20Smoker/ds-009.jpg

Double Barrel Smoker (http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2255)
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p264/jswordy/FAIRLANEBUFFEDassembly032.jpg

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31609&sid=6d0558aad53049a68b198f3e836384c8
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Ryan10700/BBQ%20Smoker/P9240036.jpg

[Dinner]

[patrick0685]

I love my electric smoker because you set the temp and it stays there all day, that the important part good heat

[jscwerve]

I love my electric smoker because you set the temp and it stays there all day, that the important part good heat

If I was really into smoking I would get a charcoal/fire smoker. As it is now though, i LOVE my electric. No temperature fluctuations, I can dry smoke or wet smoke. Maintains a perfect 220 degrees all day without doing anything. I've got the cheapie brinkman smoke'n'grill and I usually do about 25lbs of meat at a time. I am looking for a new smoker for next year and I think I'm definitely going to go electric again, but a higher quality one that seals better.

[BREATHER]

It does depend on how you want to smoke. I have had a Jensen Lil' Chief for years. I have smoked alot of different meats, ribs, fish and even cheese(gotta keep on eye on the cheese though). For the money and ease of uses, you might want to check these out. Jensen has a bigger one called Chief. they are electirc and compact.

[ShooterJM]

I built mine out of 1/2" cement board. Cost me about $50 worth of parts and holds anywhere from 200-400 degrees pretty easily. As a bonus it's insulated enough that the outside doesn't get hot enough to burn you if you brush up against it. Have used it every weekend for the last month and a half. Quite happy with it.

[rondog]

A lot of smokers have been built out of old refrigerators or freezers, but they have to be really old ones with steel interior walls, not plastic. I have a propane smoker that I bought at Bass Pro Shop and built a plywood cabinet to put it in. That elevates it up to a working level, keeps the wind from molesting the fire, and gives me storage space underneath. I'll put some photos up later.

OK, photos. I like the two-door design, so I can mess with the fire, wood chunks and water pan without opening the cooking area. There's 8 pork shoulders in there, so it has good capacity. I just set the fire as low as it'll go and let it cook. Gotta soak the wood chunks or they'll catch on fire and make it too hot and the meat sooty. Gotta keep the water pan full too.

Oh ya, that meat was good....damn good! But another guy mixed up the spice rub for it, I don't know what was in it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/cooking/DSC_0181.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/cooking/DSC_0178.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/cooking/DSC_0192.jpg

[oinco]

Rondog......that is beautiful! I like the vertical treatment.

ShooterJM....I like the cement board idea.

I may have to do a couple now-

[funkfool]

Rondog... I hate you.
[Flower]

That said... the last pic is worth another post....



http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/cooking/DSC_0192.jpg

[rondog]

Rondog......that is beautiful! I like the vertical treatment.

ShooterJM....I like the cement board idea.

I may have to do a couple now-

I'm old, fat and lazy, and my back doesn't like bending over all the time. Putting it up high like that works great for me, and with the wheels I can roll the contraption out where I need it, and roll it back in the corner of the patio out of the way. I still need to finish it with some doors to enclose it completely, then paint it to match the house so it'll blend in when I have it pushed in the corner.

I also prefer propane because I don't have to dink with the temp control all the time. I set the burner as low as it'll go and it stays right at 220-225* as long as the wood chunks don't catch fire.

Oh, I also screwed the legs to the platform to keep the smoker from moving around.

Pulled pork sammich, anyone? [Tooth]

[mcantar18c]

On my list of projects to get around to...

http://jmillerid.com/wordpress/2009/12/55-gallon-drum-smoker/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4207904194_a1a02c0369.jpg

[colorider]

I have a Kingfisher Kombo Kooker. It is a propane grill, smoker. You can use it just as you would a propane grill, or fill the wood box with coal and woodchips. Or fill the box with logs. It is an awesome unit.
Just recently I bought a Traeger Pellet grill/smoker. It is a kick in the pants to cook on. Slow smoke, or just grill. You choose what you want to do. Fill the hopper with cooking (not pellet stove) pellets and turn the temp knob. Pellets come in all woods for smoking. I got it at Ruffs BBQ shop in lakewood.. By far the best place to buy an grill or smoker. Ruff knows more about BBQ then anyone in town.

[ChadAmberg]

I'm not sure if you're ever down here in the Springs, but I want to sell a smoker I have and never get to use anymore. Slightly older version of this one:
http://www.brinkmann.net/products/outdoor_cooking/charcoal_smokers_and_grills/details.aspx?item=810-3044-S
50 bucks. Has the thermometer and such in it...

[oinco]

Well,

Thought I owed it to all who helped along the way- and esp to Chad- thanks for getting me started. And now, my proud first results:

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/917/img6063m.jpghttp://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6880/img6062v.jpg

[rondog]

You did well, Grasshopper, you did well!

[blacklabel]

Looks great oinco. What did you end up smoking them in?

[oinco]

dropped71 - took over caretaking of the horizontal smoker linked in post #21...mesquite for 4.5hrs, used only a rub. I'll never buy substandard bbq at a restaurant again.

Best complement- my wife is a sauce girl- had it on the table- she made it a point to mock-push it away and gave it a "pssshhhh"!
I think I'll probably get the "meat sweats" tonight....I love the Paleo diet!

[Outlaw1]

Thanks. Now I'm going to have to pull the smoker out of the garage tomorrow. :)

[ChadAmberg]

Now that looks like some darn fine eating right there. Looks like you nailed it the first time. Now, you get to experiment with different rubs and methods.

How was keeping the temperature even? I've found it was actually easier to do it on colder days like today, the coals seemed to moderate themselves better than when it was hot out, they'd seem to burn too quick then.

[mcantar18c]

Soooo.... COAR BBQ at Oinco's place!

[copfish]

Nice info here. I think I'll check out the small electric smokers until I figure out what I want to do. Any recommendations for a electric small smoker? I live out in Pueblo West and it gets windy out here... Also any favs to rubs?

[Outlaw1]

Nice info here. I think I'll check out the small electric smokers until I figure out what I want to do. Any recommendations for a electric small smoker? I live out in Pueblo West and it gets windy out here... Also any favs to rubs?

I bought one of the Cabela's electric smokers that's just a re-badged Brinkman. It works fine, but it's not very heavy, so it will blow away if it's windy.

[banks74]

I built my own in the spring and have been learning to use it all summer.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x249/banks74/IMG_0392.jpg

[oinco]

banks74....i think you had fun building that masterpiece! do you have two chambers in that thing? I would assume it also has bluetooth and a rib/handgun rack for curing hi temp coatings and hunger?


I wanted to find something fun to cut in half to use...maybe a drug smuggling Mexican submarine or a F16 wing tank...or perhaps someone has an old Azar's Big Boy statue I could use for fun.

[One Shot]

My friend has a smaller one its like a smokehouse something and it works good I think it was around 200 bucks. I think its electric.
Prob depends on the amount of stuff u want to smoke.

Have u tried Famous Daves?