Smokers

[whistlepig]

I am looking at getting a Smoker. Small and easy to use. If it's not easy to use its probably not going to get used. I have been looking at the Masterbuilt 30" electric smoker. Can these be used under a covered deck without staining the ceiling? Masterbuilt 30'' Electric Smoker

 

[DOWDENUSA]

I've never used the electric models. I've only used an offset style, slow, & steady. Hours of relaxation. Staining the ceiling depends on how much wood & how much you use it. Just don't know how much smoke the electric creates. I prefer to entice the entire neighborhood. I fire up 2 offset smokers, and am in the process of constructing the my jumbo offset. Summer time project because I hate the coooold. I would expect the smoke to permeate the surroundings.

 

[whistlepig]

The smoker would have to be fired up in the morning and hopefully everything is cooked and ready when my day is done. I can't sit and tend it. If a smoker has to be tended all day it just wouldn't work out for me.

 

[DOWDENUSA]

Well I guess that might work for slow steady temp cooking. What I'm not sure of is the smoking capabilities of not being tended to. Replenishing the smoke supply [wood, chips, etc] would be not occurring. If it's the smoke flavor you're after, maybe syringe flavor injection would be possible. But, there would be no smoke ... no staining your cover. Who knows, after a few cocktails, might taste purdy good.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I use a homemade gas smoker that we built under my carport and it hasn't stained my white sheetrock ceiling, I believe you will be fine with an electric smoker, building an electric smoker is one of my to-do list projects.:thumbsup:

 

[whistlepig]

Well I guess that might work for slow steady temp cooking. What I'm not sure of is the smoking capabilities of not being tended to. Replenishing the smoke supply [wood, chips, etc] would be not occurring. If it's the smoke flavor you're after, maybe syringe flavor injection would be possible. But, there would be no smoke ... no staining your cover. Who knows, after a few cocktails, might taste purdy good.

So maybe I could tend it a little. I know absolutely nothing about smokers. I am thinking along the lines of a crock pot (slow cooker). Put the stuff in and 8 hours later it is done. Sounds like smokers don't work quite that way.

 

[arsenix2001]

There are ones that are electric and auto feed smoking chips, but youll never get the same results as you would on an offset wood or bullet syle charcoal water smoker. You will always be doing something to the meat, bastingcor foiling. Its complicated, ive been doing it for 2 yeaes and still learning. In fact its funny, im smoking 2 8lb pork butts right as we speak. On hour 9 of maybe 14!

 

[whistlepig]

Maybe too much for me to handle. I work long hours through the week and take care of our place on the weekends. Only a few hours on weekend afternoons is all that is left for me. I couldn't tend a smoker all day.

 

[DOWDENUSA]

Don't give up yet. Think about it, apple juice mixed with the water pan, hickory chips soaked over night, plug'er in, set the temp, & fire her up. I've read that there is less smoke flavor, like no red smoke ring in the brisket but, with a bit of water and warmed up the next day, that tends to bring out a bit more savory smoked taste. I would not turn down a free meal.

 

[Kep]

Been using a cookshack for years, miminal fuss, great results and American made.

Cookshack - Residential

 

[Alan L.]

Problem with at least some electrics is of course you can only get the smoke from chips or pellets and my nephews electric smoker just won't get hot enough - lucky to get it up to 200. A that temp it would take forever to do a big brisket or pork butts. I think there are units that will keep it fed with pellets and that might be a good selection if you don't want to tend the pit.

An alternative is to get a regular smoker and smoke for maybe 4 hours then finish in the oven. I typically finish butts in the oven because it has a temp probe and will shut off at the 190 or so degrees I like to cook butts to.

I have both a weber bullet vertical smoker which uses charcoal (you imbed chunks of wood in there too for more smoke flavor) and also the regular wood offset smoker. If you want it easy to fire it up the offset smoker is quicker, but it has to be tended constantly. If you want to go hours without tending the Weber vertical smoker is better, but it takes maybe 45 minutes to get it cleaned up and ready to fire up each time.

Both do a fine job, I tend to do big briskets on the offset smoker and butts on the bullet smoker. I've never done a bad butt on the Weber. For about $350 or so it is a very good buy. Built to last. The big green egg is similar although it seals better and has the porcelain to hold in the heat. Pretty expensive but I've never use one. I see the Webers at BBQ competitions on TV sometimes.

 

[whistlepig]

Don't give up yet. Think about it, apple juice mixed with the water pan, hickory chips soaked over night, plug'er in, set the temp, & fire her up. I've read that there is less smoke flavor, like no red smoke ring in the brisket but, with a bit of water and warmed up the next day, that tends to bring out a bit more savory smoked taste. I would not turn down a free meal.

You are making me hungry. Still sounds like a lot of prep though. I think you are getting me on the right track.

 

[whistlepig]

Been using a cookshack for years, miminal fuss, great results and American made.

Cookshack - Residential

Very nice. A bit out of my price range.

 

[archerynut]

I have been using a Traeger pellet fed smoker for the past year and have been happy with the results. Typically I smoke something every weekend during spring, summer, fall and it has worked very well. Just fill the pellet hopper and set temp and walk away, I usually just leave. I do wrap my stuff in foil for the last 1-2 hours and turn up temp, but that's about it. I never have left over's and I always make way too much food.

/BBQ Grills & Smokers - Traeger Wood Pellet Grills

 

[Bill 55]

If you want a set it and forget it I think the closest you will find is the Big Green Egg. It is pricey but will require very little tending. Smoking tends to be labor and beer intensive. It is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday. wheel out a cooler of your favorite beverage, TV or radio of your choice and kick back and smell the mouthwatering aroma of smoke and the animal carcass of the day

 

[NativeSon]

Been using a cookshack for years, miminal fuss, great results and American made.

Cookshack - Residential

The Cookshack is great. I've had a couple over the years and the one I have now is over 20 yrs old. It's foolproof, load the meat, put wood in the firebox, set the Temp & time you want it to cook, then punch the start button. Come back when it's done.

I'll cook hams in about 4 hrs and briskets in 12 or so, depending on the size. The briskets I cook over night and they're ready the next day.

The Cookshack doesn't use much wood. I've got a BBQ pit made from an old propane tank that will use up a way too much wood.

There are lots of professional pits but the Cookshack is not that expensive and is pretty much idiot-proof.

Been BBQing over 30 years,

Charlie

 

[The Dougster]

I believe we are making a rather simple thing complicated... The use of wood smoke is to give the meat flavor. If you are limited by time and circumstances, use your indoor oven. If you are trying to cook a big brisket, season it, wrap in foil and cook it slowly in the oven... before it's fully done, remove it and place it in your smoker for an hour or so. Simplify is the key.

 

[rgamble3]

I've been useing a Bradley smoker. Just add pucks, meat set the remote temp gage and forget it untill alarm sounds.

 

[studor]

I have a Masterbuilt with a window and have used it to do goose jerky, venison jerky, sausages, pork tenderloin, chicken, fish, and ham. It does not requires a lot of tending- the digital settings are easy and seem farily accurate.The amount of chips needed for good smoke generation may require refilling the pan once or twice but only on really long smokes. Mine is under a second floor deck and does not generate staining on the underside of the deck boards. I am still experimenting after a year so I am no expert, but so far the end product has all been eaten

 

[dmccarty]

I bought this a few years ago at Cabela's.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home-Cabin/Outdoor-Cooking/Smokers-Accessories|/pc/104798880/c/104754780/sc/104582880/Cabelas-Premium-Stainless-Steel-7-in-1-CookerSmoker/732396.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhome-cabin-outdoor-cooking-smokers-accessories%2F_%2FN-1101316%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104582880%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104798880%253Bcat104754780&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104798880%3Bcat104754780%3Bcat104582880

I does more than just smoke meat.

But I only use it to smoke meat and to fry something like a turkey or breaded oysters. :licking::licking::licking::licking:

When I split wood the little pieces that fall off the hardwood I save as fire starter for the wood stove and the smoker. I also use bigger pieces in the smoker. Basically I start a small, very small fire and let the wood burn to coals and then put meat in the cooker.

I watch the temperature and add wood chips as required to keep the heat up and/or smoke going.

I just cook big pork loins at this point. I buy the biggest pork loin I can find when they go on sale. I cut it into four pieces, coat with pepper, maybe some sugar and soy sauce. GOOD soy sauce I get at a little Japanese grocery store owned by this little old lady from Okinawa.:thumbsup: The soy sauce has salt, lots of salt and Umami.

Umami is the fifth basic taste. And you thought there is only four, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami is savoriness.

To cook the pork to 140-150ish degrees takes 60-90 minutes. I like it on the rare side both for taste and since we will reheat the meat over the next week. One of the quarters is really good when cubed up and cooked with white or black beans. :licking::thumbsup:

The meat will cook with The Pink Ring in this amount of time. Very, very good. :licking: Even my picky kids love it.

Later,
dan