Do you like smoke? Smoking Section!

General Discussion
#1

Anyone else here a smoker? I am not, but I want to be.

Not a cigarette smoker…A MEAT SMOKER! (no, not that kind of meat smoker lol)

Anyway, I have a pretty robust Vermont Castings natural gas BBQ but I want to add a smoke/charcoal element to my outdoor cooking.

I have been considering a few options

1. Big Green Egg - this is a great all in one device. They’re about $1000-1200 for the ‘large’ which is shockingly expensive for what looks very basic. It’s ceramic I believe…weighs 200 lbs or so. Incredible for smoking, charcoal grilling, pizza etc… This would almost make my bbq obselete…and would unfortunately feel like overlap with my gas grill. I do like that you can do some HIGH heat charcoal cooking with it. Apparently you run into space concerns with this, so that is something to think about, with just the one 18.5" round grill surface.

http://www.thepoolmaninc.com/images/BGEbyPool-2-2-2.jpg

2. Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker - this is strictly a smoker, vertical bullet style. Looks to be well thought out. Two sizes…18.5" and 22.5". Has two round grills seperated by a foot or so of space. Looks well made, and well thought out. $299 for the ‘small’ and $399 for the bigger one. I have seen them side by side and holy crap the larger one is MASSIVE.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/22wsm_photos/wsm18&22_lg.jpg

3. other smoker…something cheap - there are a bunch of items that are like the Weber, but maybe not as well made and about half the price. Here’s a Master Chef vertical smoker for $80. Not great design, but not bad. You can see it’s leaking a lot of smoke and heat. Doors are a little smaller and annoying etc.

http://cdn.smokingmeatforums.com/9/99/99d1cf24_IMG_2919.jpeg

SO…what do you guys use? Any tips on purchasing?

#2

great topic

I’ve been meaning to pickup/build a smoker at some point. My parent’s neighbor does quite a lot of it so I’ve been meaning to tap his knowledge.

I’ve been thinking about building a big cooking pit in my back yard out of stone and was thinking it would be cool to be able to smoke with it too. Basically a big immobile stone grill.

#3

I was just up at Bass Pro shop yesterday, and they had a bunch on display, including a BGE knockoff for about half the price including the side trays.

They also had a bunch of big heavy oil drum on their side, looking things. Some were a couple grand, while others were only a couple hundred.

I have thought about grabbing one too, but still havent made the plunge. I happen to have a huge Vermont Castings gas bbq too. I bought a Can Tire charcoal last year, and the flavor is amazing.

I think I would recommend getting a cheap smoker for a couple hundred first. If you find you like it, and the food is worth all the effort, then you can always upgrade. BGEs hold their used value very well, so if you want to take the plunge, that is another option. If you contact them, you can reserve one of the demos they sell after ribfest. You have to pay up front, and arrange pickup after the event. I cant remember the discount, but it is significant. Maybe that is the way to go.

EDIT: It is EGGFEST, not RIBFEST. Looks like the discount is only 10-15%.

#4

http://www.shopperschoice.com/item_item_2791936.html?source=froogle&mr:trackingCode=2A5B95C3-1EE8-E111-9B44-001B21BCB944&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=17206694542&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=40613727742&gclid=CMrd8qb96LUCFQdU4AodgAcAKA

Expensive…

#5

Whoa, that is crazy expensive.

Here is a link to the 2012 eggfest prices. Actually quite a big discount over new
http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=biggreeneggtoronto&fm=1

EDIT: Well, those are just deposit prices, it seems. Just called them and they said that Large are $1100 plus tax, and XL will be $1450.

#6

Large regular retail is $1100+tax lol

although that’s just for the egg, not including the nest or any side trays etc.

I’m really leaning towards the 18.5" smokey mountain. Annoyingly Lowe’s Canada doesn’t carry it (i have a $100 Lowes gift card that I need to use up)

Home Depot does…anyone got a $100 Home Depot gift card they want to trade for the far superior Lowe’s (I love Lowe’s…)

#7

So you pay the retail price for the egg, but get this added in to make up for it being a demo…probably worth $200 if you pay retail for stuff.

Rolling Nest, Plate Setter, Grill Gripper, Ash Tool, 1 Bag of Charcoal.

#8

Yeah, it turns out they are smokin something allright. And it aint brisket!

#9

I’ve been smoking meat for about 3-4 years now using a cheap Brinkmann electric smoker http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009WG6RA/ref=asc_df_B0009WG6RA2414777?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1146-17-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B0009WG6RA

It works pretty well but I don’t have a lot to compare it to since I’ve never used another one.

Smoking is an art form. The first time you try a specific meat, it probably won’t turn out too great. It takes practice and research. Smaller pieces like fish, sausage or chicken can be done in a few hours, but anything larger like pork shoulders, or brisket requires a whole day dedicated to cooking.

I’d pass on the BGE and recommend that you get something on the cheaper side to try it out first. Just make sure it has a built in temp gauge. That’s the main thing I miss from my electric smoker. My next one will also be a horizontal design, because I find dealing with the vertical smokers to be a pain in the ass.

#10

A friend of mine is nuts for this stuff. He’s a BGE guy and he goes to contests and shit lol

#11

I occasionally smoke meats. I do it the old fashion way - charcoal. I have a barrell type Char Griller with a smoke box.

#12

meat smokers… :-\

#13

Seriously though I’m more of a rotisserie/spit fan over a nice open wood fire pit. I have thought about buying a smoker too though.

#14

Good tips thanks bwt

Any smoker forums or books with cooking tips you can recommend?

#15

Good tips thanks bwt

Any smoker forums or books with cooking tips you can recommend?

#16

I’ve had a Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Wide Smoker for like 5 years now. It is powered by LP gas which is great because it makes it VERY easy to control the temperature. For instance, I can “set it and forget it” a brisket overnight and not have to tend to it like a charcoal-powered smoker.

I bought it from Gander Mountain for just under $200 when it was on sale. I think you can find it normally priced at like $289 or so. Keep in mind this is US pricing.

Anyways, this unit is big so I can do several racks of ribs, a turkey, salmon, etc…pretty much all at the same time if I want! It also has nice thick walls and is very sturdy. Walmart sells a similar model for much less but the wall thickness is considerably less and I think it is the non-widebody version. Steer clear. Cheap units usually don’t regulate temperature well. I can keep mine at a rock solid 225 degrees without much if any muss/fuss. And I’ve smoked in the hot summer and cold winter with good results.

I’ve heard mixed reviews of electric smokers but have no direct experience. The Weber smoker is quiet infamous and a great piece but heat control takes time to learn. And the BGE (or Makado Dragon, etc.) is simply too expensive for my blood and I have a very nice natural gas built-in weber S660.

There is a yahoo group that I belong to called Smoky Mountain that is a very friendly smoker community. I stopped participating a year or two ago but assume the group is still running.

#17

Holy shit that those are more expensive than I thought!

My father-inlaw has one. He does the best well-done charcoaled strips on this side of the Mississippi . . .

Literally, I have to go out and pull mine off the grill at the “half cooked” stage to just keep it at a medium temperature.

#18

Big green eggs are awesome. My parents have one and it makes awesome food. People swear by them… there is like a cult following for the things. They supposedly last forever so Im sure they are worth the money. I want one.

I have never used any of the others you mentioned so cant comment on those.

#19

Let me see what I can dig up. There was a pretty good website that had a monthly newsletter that I used to read. Haven’t been on in a while though…

#20

I bought a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker (the 18.5" one) and it worked pretty well. Made a chicken and two chicken quarters just to try it out lsat night

3 hrs, around 225-250, dry rub on the chicken (paprika, cayenne, brown sugar, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper)

The good - the meat was INSANELY moist. I’m frankly shocked. Seriously. It was hard to pick up the chicken quarters because the meat literally just jumped off the bones. Everything smelled great too, and it was cooked to perfection right through.

The bad - the skin got way too tough, so it basically was not eatable. Disappointing because the rub smelled great as I made it and put it on. I reckon this is a result of having the chicken on too long (although I followed the instructions in the Weber SMC instruction book re cook times @ 250 or so). Also, the meat while succulent, wasn’t as full of flavour as I’d have liked. Perhaps that was the skin acting as a barrier…or perhaps I didn’t include enough wood chunks for smoke (I used 1 hickory and 1 apple chunk , each about the size of a small bean bag).

Since this was my first forray, I was pleased that I got the unit started alright and it got to temp (and held temp like a rock despite it being windy and 30 degrees out last night). I will have to refine my process on chicken to get a little more flavour and tender skin.

Next I’ll try ribs. Probably on Saturday.

Anyone have any preparation tips for the rack? They’re fresh and sitting in my fridge right now.