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My wife discovered Gator Pit smokers out of TX. Commercial quality. Expensive but really nice. I traveled from CO to TX to pick mine up - about. 500 lbs! Love it. The one that they built for us is a smoker, propane grill, and huge burner with a stainless griddle that hinges down. A really Skookum unit.
I seemed to remember being told to clean out every time I used it. It is much more convenient if the cleaning is every 2-3 bag of pellets. However often you clean it, just can't beat the combination of convenience and taste of a pellet smoker. I did a whole brisket (roughly 10 pounds -- smallest one available in the commissary) and 4 pounds of German sausage yesterday -- family polished off about 2/3 of the brisket and 1/2 the sausages.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiememphis
I find I burn less pellets, temps are easier to maintain, and I can get higher temps for grilling if there's a little ash in the bottom. I also bought a pellet grill for convenience. Cleaning it after every use doesn't pull the convenience lever.
Made a whole packer brisket last Friday in the snow with the blanket on. I think I used fewer pellets than in normal weather.
How are they for grilling? From what I see, a lot of the hardcore bbq guys don't care for using smokers because they don't get hot enough to get a good sear.Quote:
Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo
The Pit Boss does have a sliding cover that allows you to apply direct heat for searing, but I'm wondering how well it works, and what the pellet consumption looks like.
That's really the only thing that seems questionable, and why I like the Camp Chef setup with the propane-powered Sidekick.
Also, any idea on how it does for cold smoking? I'd like to try my hand at smoking fish and cheese, and based on what I'm seeing, a lot of smokers, even pellet smokers, aren't capable of doing those sorts of low temperatures.
The Sidekick burner is fantastic for steaks. And the pizza oven. I love that thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin
Correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin
Cold smoking is usually considered anything under 100F. Most guys that do this use an external smoke generator or a pellet tube and the smoker is just a chamber. My GMG will run at 150F which isn't technically cold but I did a salmon this week and did cheese this summer with good results.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Q/i...ustments-M.jpg
The cheese was a bit tricky. I put a pan of ice on the grate, insulated by a couple wooden shims. The the cheese was on a grate on the ice pan.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Q/i...IMG_9661-M.jpg
Smoked for two hours, let it sit in the fridge overnight, wiped the excess oil off and wrapped it up. Stuck it in the fridge for a week to temper the taste. Turned out great.
I think I want to try some crab legs next. It that works well, it sounds great!
I had my Traeger on Smoke for 2 hours and an insulating blanket and temp was running at 130. Still not 'cold smoking', but figured I'd drop that in for a reference.
A stick burner with an offset fire box is usually the 'go to' for cold smoking.
I did 15# of king crab legs on my RecTec a few weeks ago. Results were amazing. I did not smoke them though. Thawed them till still cold and rubbed them with olive oil and garlic. and put them on the RecTec at a temp of about 400. Turned them after about 10 min and let them go for another 10 or so. They were unreal. Slight smoke taste, perfect wood grilled taste, and juicy as can be. Won't ever steam them again.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiememphis
Yeah, that setup looks like it's really ideal for being able to get a good sear, or something you can fire up on a Tuesday night after work to grill a handful of burgers for dinner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bailey Guns
Yeah, I've seen the various different setups; the pellet tubes seem to be very reasonably priced; any idea how well they work?Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiememphis
When you smoked the salmon, did you do the whole process where you pack it in sugar and leave it in the fridge for a day or so beforehand?
Traeger has a video on Youtube that shows the cheese smoking method you describe, and I'm glad to hear that it works well.
Also, what about smoking vegetables? Last time I went over to a buddy's house, after we were done smoking turkey, I threw some olive oil-covered garlic cloves on the smoker just to see what would happen, and they turned out incredible. Did I get lucky, or is smoking vegetables a fairly straightforward thing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin
I skin the filet that place it in a plastic container. add kosher salt and white sugar in about equal parts. The salt will draw moisture out of the meat and will dissolve both the salt and sugar. The muscle fibers will then draw the mixture back into the meat. I do it for about six hours. Any longer and it gets too salty for me, but I don't cook with a lot of salt so I find a little to be a lot.
This is called a dry brine. It works great on chicken as well but I only do it for a couple hours before grilling.
The most important step with salmon is to then rinse it and pat it dry. Then let it sit uncovered for a few hours. This forms a sticky film called a pellicle which does two things. It hold the albumen in, which is the white protein that you see when you grill salmon. It is also a nice sticky surface for the smoke particles to adhere to.
I love grilled veggies especially asparagus. A little oil and some jerk seasoning, toss them on the grill until the ends are crispy and pull 'em. I don't smoke them since I prefer them al dente and leaving them in the smoker long enough to get smoky usually overcooks them. But every grill and smoker, and palette is different. But you are right, smoked garlic is awesome, as is smoked salt.
My two go-to sites for smoking and grilling info. The first one has great insight about how smoke and food work together and why a lot of the techniques you will encounter are nonsense. The second has a lot of great recipes.
https://amazingribs.com/
https://www.smoking-meat.com/
It's essentially a 'cured salmon': https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/ho...to-cure-salmonQuote:
Originally Posted by eddiememphis
Yes I have an idea. Don't bother using the smoker, except as a place to place the cheese. Buy one of these, or something similar, that can expand, as needed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin
https://www.amazon.com/Trojan-Grill-...114179&sr=8-15
light it, then place under the drip tray, on top of where the pellets come out of the auger. I started out "cold smoking" using the low smoke setting on the CC DLX. The procedure required suspending (for lack of a better word) the sections of cheese over a turkey pan loaded with ice.
If you decide to do it that way, you better keep an eye on the grease bucket hanging off the side. It fills with water from the ice melting / condensation and can overflow if not paying attention
Buy the smoker tube and make it as easy as possibly. I've cold smoked enough cheese, to really simplify the process. if you have any ?? pm me.
I've taken a look at those, and wasn't sure how well they worked.
Seems like it might be an easy and cheap way to dip my toe in cold smoking, and I can use my current piece of garbage grill, too.
In the long run better all around. This way there's o concerns about smoker getting too hot, etcQuote:
Originally Posted by Justin
That's what I was thinking. Why take apart the pellet grill to put in a pellet tube? I could just put the tube in my Weber kettle grill to contain the smoke.Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin
Just ordered one of the Sam's Masterbuilt pellet grills. $150 plus tax local pickup (Thornton).
That's a great deal. Let us know what you think of the quality and usability. Happy smokin'!
A buddy picked one up a few weeks ago. We did a brisket and a couple slabs of ribs last weekend, some chicken a couple weeks ago, and another couple weeks ago was a pair of pork butts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
It would be nice if the hopper was a bit larger, but for the price, it cant be beat.
For pellet grill/smoker owners: is there any issue with switching the thing on at a set temperature that is not in the "smoke" range?
I have a thermometer on the way that I can read from anywhere. If the cook is done, I could kill power using a smart switch. If I needed to turn it back on (if it was cooling too fast due to weather, and it was set at something like 225, is it going to be bad for something to startup there instead of the smoke range?
This would be handy if I was at work or something when the cook finished.
The issue with trying to start the grill at a higher temp is that you can end up with a bunch of pellets in the fire bowl before it actually lights and can create a mess. The grill may also not turn on the hot rod to ignite if not set to smoke at the beginning of the cycle depending on the grill. What does the manual say?
Manual says to start on the smoke setting. Was just curious if my theory would work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
You could always try it and see what happens. [Peep]
I keep mine under a cover, so I need to go out and uncover, plug it in, put the front shelf on, check pellets, and flip the switch anyway. The whole remote thing doesn't do much for me other than being able to see pellet level, temp, and food internal temp. I figure I need to do *something* to be able to take credit for turning out such a tasty product using an incredibly simple pellet grill. [Coffee]
Anyone have experience with GMG Davy Crockett or Traeger Tailgater? We are looking at getting a smoker because are tired of using our George Foreman in the house for mediocre results and having the house stink for days. The GMG seems to be more bang for the buck and that on sale for $279. We are pretty limited on space and it’s primarily going to be just for us, two people so we don’t need to get anything big. I know they always say get one bigger than you think but we really don’t have the room for much.
Untill you want to do 2 racks of ribs, or spatchcock a turkey.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthPaw
IMO for the money the GMG DC is the way to go. Primarily for them having a side vent, which you could put a flue cover to adjust temps and smoke during colder months.
While the traeger is a little over priced. They have slots cut in the back of the grill for vents. So there's no way to control smoke & temp.
You'll be happier with the GMG.
FYI: pellets in 20lb + bags are cheaper @ SW, walmart, lowes and or HD and of all places (out here) safeway.
Do you have a grill now? Reason I ask is you may be able to get rid of it if you get a smoker with a sear burner attachment. The one for the CampChef has been perfect for all the grilling for two of us and occasional guests. So you could possibly have a smoker and grill combo in the same amount of space.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthPaw
The GMG definitely looks better on paper. Little bigger hopper, WiFi, 5 degree temp adjustments vs 25* on the traeger, max temp of 500* vs 450* on the traeger and an outlet for the included thermometer. It does say it has a capacity of (2) racks of ribs, (4-6) steaks or (12) burgers which is more than we need. Both have a little footprint which is important. Sportsman’s does have them on sale for $279 and I think a bag of pellets were $14.99.Quote:
Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo
Pretty un-American of me to say but right now, we don’t have anything but a tiny George Foreman type of ‘grill.’ It barely fits two burgers lol. I’ve been looking at reverse searing and it looks like that would be the ticket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mtneer
The Traeger Tailgater appears to be what was the Traeger Junior Elite, but with collapsible legs for portability. As GK said, the slotted venting is not optimal. We bought Traeger Junior Elites for my parents and the wife's dad one year. My folks have had a number of issues with theirs. I know from experience that it's difficult to fit a turkey in there. A couple of racks of baby backs wouldn't be a problem. The 3rd one wouldn't have a home unless you used some type of vertical rack inside the grill. The shallow pellet hopper is more prone to feeding issues, especially if you live in a humid area.
If you don't need something portable, I'd find something that's not purpose built to be portable. There are probably better options with a similar footprint that are meant to stay in one place.
ETA: Between those 2 options, I'd go with the GMG DC.
For about 7" more in width than the GMG DC, I compared my Lil Tex Elite 22 dimensions and you get almost double the cooking surface. It's plenty for a brisket, maybe 2 if they weren't huge. 3 racks of baby backs laid out isn't a problem at all. It's enough for the 2 of us.
If it were me, I'd find the total amount of space that I had for the grill and then find as much grill as I could get to fit in that space. You'll likely find that it's difficult to have 'too much grill', especially once you get into it. It's so convenient and easy, you'll probably use it quite a bit.
I agree, it sounds like the GMG is the way to go. I don't necessarily need full portable but it will have to be moved in and out of the garage for each use. I like the idea that the legs fold so I can toss it up on one of the shelves in the garage when we aren't using it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
Got a WSM couple weeks back. Only done baby backs so far :)
https://i.imgur.com/eH6t6WN.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/Qrr8XZ7.jpg?1
For any rookies to pellet grills, keep that drip tray clean. If you get a fire going in one of those things, they get to roaring pretty quick.
Throw out another option for RECTEC. Several offerings from them. Could not be happier, Does a great steak with the sear kit.
If I have to replace mine, this one is on my short list: https://www.campchef.com/camp-chef-s...-sear-box.html
I assume you are speaking from personal experience?Quote:
Originally Posted by 00tec
Nice looking food
WSM can definitely do it all
WTF... tried to post this earlierQuote:
Originally Posted by ray1970
Personal experience, yes, but not my grill.
Someone (whose house you have been at) had a fire start in his. Looked like a steel forge. Flames coming out every potential place by at least a foot. No bueno. Paint bubbled, etc
Easiest way to keep that from happening is. Use the HD Al foil on the drip pan, and grease rail it sits onQuote:
Originally Posted by 00tec
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
I looked at one of those. Then decided the gas grill works, for searing, and it's paid for.
I don't have a gas grill. ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo
With the spring like weather but still snowing off and on today, I fired up the smoker to do a pork tenderloin and a beef Pikes Peak roast. It's Mrs. Hummers birthday. I'm still an amateur at this but they came out wonderful.
Pic at the beginning. Smoked for 30 minutes on top rack with apple chunks, then on the grill for a little longer.
Accompanied with a nice Palisade Cabernet Franc.
Attachment 81122
[panic]Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
surprised there's none listed on CL