Good smoker or no?

[Champco]

Have been smoking meat for 30 years on various styles of smoker. I prefer a charcoal/wood smoker. I can smoke meat in anything but for serious brisket, pork belly, ribs chicken I have found that a smoker that the airflow is completely controllable is necessary.
Smoking meats is a slow/low heat journey where controlling the heat is achieved by controlling the air flow, as well as using the proper amount of both coals and smoking wood. I will give you a hint on the wood. less is more. 3-4 ounces of smoking wood is plenty. The stack does not have to be belching smoke all the time and you can easily over do the smoke no matter what smoker you chose.
There is no law I am aware of that says you cannot own more then one smoker.

 

[Champco]

Hey question for you guys....if I smoke fish in this and later on do like ribs or something for someone with severe fish allergies...would it affect them even if the racks are cleaned very well?

Always clean your racks. Nothing else matters as far as cross contamination of meats.

 

[Ross6860]

There is no law I am aware of that says you cannot own more then one smoker.

Very old Bradley, brand new Bradley, Weber Kettle Grill, Weber Genesis, Brinkman Water Smoker, old Charbroil CB940 (still in excellent condition).

I didn't have the heart to throw out the old Bradley, at least not yet.

 

[slippers-on]

This is my wood pellet smoker...does an excellent job!

 

[LHorn]

Always clean your racks. Nothing else matters as far as cross contamination of meats.

I guess as long as nothing can drip or flake off of the inside of the smoker it should be good. I just checked and my racks fit perfectly inside of my dishwasher..so that will help sterilize them. The person involved did eat burgers off my grill that had been used for fish and had no problems afterwards.

 

[slippers-on]

I guess as long as nothing can drip or flake off of the inside of the smoker it should be good. I just checked and my racks fit perfectly inside of my dishwasher..so that will help sterilize them. The person involved did eat burgers off my grill that had been used for fish and had no problems afterwards.

If youve had a previous cook all you need to do is burn it off with the heat of the smoker/grill

 

[LHorn]

Update on my new smoker: I seasoned the smoker on Sunday then did some baby backs yesterday. While I they did have intense smoky flavor and great bark I didnt get the infamous smoke ring. One problem with the build quality is the gas valve. You get it set around the temp you want it but then trying to fine tune that temp was a PITA due to the valve. Just the tiniest movement of the knob would drastically raise or drop the temps. I even worked the knob through its range to try to get it to settle down but nothing. I had to adjust the vents to get it to stabilize the temp where I wanted it. Another problem is at low flame it is mostly yellow flame and it has no adjustable air valve.

That also created the issue with no smoke ring since I couldnt keep the temps low consistently to allow for oxygen to do its magic. One other thing is I couldnt keep the wood smoking at the 225° mark when I did get it stabilized. I had to crack the door open and turn it up to get the wood smoking again. I put the wood in an aluminum pan that fit inside of the chip pan. Next time I'll put it in the pan itself as the aluminum pan is not getting that direct heat.

And of course the wind played its part in fluctuating the temps. Every time the low temp alarm went off I'd go outside just to find the wind was kicking up again. I need to build a cinder block enclosure or something to block that. I also want to add a 3/4" hole midway on the side with a movable flap over it to run the temp probes through instead of running them up from the bottom vent.

All in all it was a learning experience but still a tasty one.

 

[Shominy]

Are Masterbuilt smokers any good?

I'm keeping an eye out for a smoker on FB Marketplace and CL that I can buy without making payments. It's just me so I dont need a huge smoker but I will be smoking a lot of chile peppers later this year. I like the idea of dual fuel like the one pictured. Gas and wood..no electric...no pellets. I also like the multiple rack system as well. Any recommendations on what to keep an eye out for would be appreciated.

Currently looking at one like this one for a buck eighty...and very clean.

View attachment 2546737

I sold the brand when I was working at Bass Pro. Many of them were returned for rust and flow control mechanisms failure. I personally would not buy one, based on the customer feedback and higher-than-other-brands returns.

 

[LHorn]

I sold the brand when I was working at Bass Pro. Many of them were returned for rust and flow control mechanisms failure. I personally would not buy one, based on the customer feedback and higher-than-other-brands returns.

Yeah I went with the Camp Chef. Still made in China but I never let my expectations run rampant.

 

[jheu02]

Just say no to pellets! They actually do a really good job, but it feels like cheating to me. They are the iPod of the meat smoking world

Great quote.

 

[slippers-on]

That's a pretty good choice of woods.

Hickory is the standard Carolinas wood for pork, but I think it works well for anything. Fruit woods are my preference for pork.

For brisket or beef ribs (my strikezone) my roots call for pecan, but oak can be the jam and I think hickory works as well. Very similar to pecan. I've never used Chestnut.

I like mesquite for short, hot cooks, but not for anything long, unless it's just a piece mixed in.

The reason I ask is that I love wood cooks and would go with a decent (doesn't have to be great) off-set stick burner with the chimney coming out of the opposite side (not the top) if a) I had more space in my yard for it and b) I could get my preferred woods. But, here in Seattle it's all fruit wood and alder, so I use a Primo kamado grill and lump charcoal with some occasional wood when I have something that I like. A good ceremic egg-like grill is a glorious thing, but a bit more expensive. I cook/smoke a lot, though. They don't rust, they manage heat very well and with a little practice, I can stabilize it and leave it overnight with an occasional check in for that long brisket.

Just say no to pellets! They actually do a really good job, but it feels like cheating to me. They are the iPod of the meat smoking world.

How can you say that about pellet grills when you can stabilize the Green Egg and leave it over night with an occasional check in for brisket? I run a pellet smoker as do a few others I know. Just like a stick smoker, the heat/smoke fluctuates all the time within a certain range. So it’s not always set it and leave it…you do have to monitor and rotate food as it cooks. Pellet grills have hot spots and cooler spots. Pellet grills cook more like a stick smoker in that regard….fluctuation and rotation. ….which is actually good for the chemical reaction from the fluctuation of heat , smoke and meat. Not like a gas grill which behaves more like an indoor oven….no fluctuations at all. Coming from stick smokers as well as gas grills….there is a huge learning curve with pellet grills. I’ve had a few stick smokers in my life time….some off sets. If one didn’t know how to regulate the air and smoke, it’s very easy to over power with too much smoke. Even a very good smoked brisket or pork shoulder/butt is a different smoke profile than a pellet smoker. The smoke profile with pellet smokers are never over powering and is much of a lighter profile of smoke flavor. Some guys use a smoke tube inside their pellet smoker to get a more heavy smoke profile like stick smokers…but for the most part, pellet smokers have a lighter smoke profile than stick smokers. Most people who eat food from a pellet grill love the taste and many comment of just the right amount of smoke….not over powering.

 

[slippers-on]

Sounds like good combos. I havent tried chestnut either. I want to try to make some true Hungarian smoked paprika. I've got two types growing so next I think the wood they use is Beech...so I'll have to find some of that.

Yeah I've heard nothing but good comments for the Kamodo...maybe when I hit the lottery.

I bought this smoker tube for my grill and some pellets. While it works great I didnt care for the flavor. Now I use real wood chips in it with a few pellets to fill the gaps and keep it burning good...little better. I also have a stainless steel box but with a gas grill its a fine line to keep it going without flaming up.

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Back in February I got rid of my off-set stick smoker and my smaller gas grill. Kept the larger gas grill and purchased a pellet smoker which I love! When smoking meats, the lower the temp the better the smoke…thus low and slow. Temp from 170 too 250F is the temp too smoke meats. With a Gas smoker it’s hard to keep the wood chips going at such low temps. One must actually use a torch to like the wood chips, let it burn for a few and then blow it out and hope it continues to smoke with such a low temp on gas grills. A pellet smoker has a glow plug to keep pellets burning a low temps.

 

[troika]

I've enjoyed some very good food that came off of pellet smokers. No denying what they can do.

I've never personally cooked on one, so what do I know about anything? But, I'm still going to trash talk, because, you know...that's what we do.

 

[slippers-on]

I've enjoyed some very good food that came off of pellet smokers. No denying what they can do.

I've never personally cooked on one, so what do I know about anything? But, I'm still going to trash talk, because, you know...that's what we do.

Hahahahaha.....yeah we can trash talk with the best of them.

 

[jobrewer1983]

Are Masterbuilt smokers any good?

I'm keeping an eye out for a smoker on FB Marketplace and CL that I can buy without making payments. It's just me so I dont need a huge smoker but I will be smoking a lot of chile peppers later this year. I like the idea of dual fuel like the one pictured. Gas and wood..no electric...no pellets. I also like the multiple rack system as well. Any recommendations on what to keep an eye out for would be appreciated.

Currently looking at one like this one for a buck eighty...and very clean.

View attachment 2546737

why not use a Weber kettle?

 

[jobrewer1983]

I've enjoyed some very good food that came off of pellet smokers. No denying what they can do.

I've never personally cooked on one, so what do I know about anything? But, I'm still going to trash talk, because, you know...that's what we do.

I do a lot of BBQ, I’m not an expert at all but I do use my Webers multiple times a week. That was dinner yesterday.

for smoking tho wouldn’t you want to stay away from propane? Weber makes a smoker and they can be found for sub $100 on CL all day long.

 

[Erik Tracy]

Propane can be a contentious issue, but that's what some of us start with when getting into BBQ - and it can turn out some really good product.

Temperature control, smoke, seasoning, quality of meat, and time management - that's good "Q". Fuel source is less of an issue for me unless competing because of rules.

Propane can be harder to manage as the OP is experiencing(for temp and smoke management), but good bbq, imho, is more about knowing your rig than anything else. I've read that the ever sought after and elusive smoke ring can be harder to achieve with propane because of the way it burns with higher moisture content, but is, by itself not necessarily an indicator of quality bbq. KCBS rules have done away with smoke ring for judging as teams were concocting ways to get a smoke ring that was deemed short cutting.

I've been using a WSM smoker for years now as my rig of choice not because of a purist attitude but because I like the process and smoke management.

For backyard family bbq - know your rig. Who cares what anyone else thinks, but that's just me.

 

[LHorn]

why not use a Weber kettle?

Well I already have my Weber grill and the main reason for this big smoker is for the bushels of peppers later on this summer. They take up a lot of room. With just me here I've managed with the grill for other stuff I cook.

@Erik Tracy ... If I cant tame this smoker I'll add a separate box to the side of it so I can control the heat and smoke independently. I think putting the wood chunks directly in the heavy gauge tray it comes with will solve that problem. The aluminum pan had indents on the bottom so it didnt contact the chip tray enough...but even then it would keep smoking around 275°. I'll get-r-done one way or another. At least the learning curve is a tasty one...and yes..I'm the only one that cares.

I just picked up some oak and maple wood today..with a few chunks of cherry mixed in for $20. The guy works at a place that makes swamp mats. I have a lot of splitting to do. I want to get some feed bags from a friends farm to bag it up after I get it sized down. The bin in the back is the cherry I got from a tree on moms property last year. My niece's husband will take some of it..I hope...otherwise this pile will be petrified by the time I burn through it.

 

[Bill S]

Couple friends of mine have Traeger pellet smokers. They do a good job of marketing, I'll say that. They always seem to be repairing them. From auger to temp control issues. I've had them over for ribs and pork shoulder I made on my 15 year old Weber Smokey Mountain and they can't believe the difference in taste and texture.

The WSM regulates heat pretty good once you know what you're doing. I've done 12 hour overnight cooks with one check after 6 hours. I can hold 225-250 pretty long without messing with it. It's more for meat tho, not a bushel of peppers.

 

[Champco]

Couple friends of mine have Traeger pellet smokers. They do a good job of marketing, I'll say that. They always seem to be repairing them. From auger to temp control issues. I've had them over for ribs and pork shoulder I made on my 15 year old Weber Smokey Mountain and they can't believe the difference in taste and texture.

The WSM regulates heat pretty good once you know what you're doing. I've done 12 hour overnight cooks with one check after 6 hours. I can hold 225-250 pretty long without messing with it. It's more for meat tho, not a bushel of peppers.

Most all those shitcan smokers suck but that one you have looks like the real deal. For those who do not know I can explain. Air control. All the other ones I have seen have a wide open bottom. Yours is enclosed. I have not seen them before. Very nice. Question is how does the coal pan look? How is the air flow there??