BBQ Smokers

[General Lee]

So I fired up the new Horizon these past couple of days. Terrible heat swings from one end of the box to the other. Horizon makes a baffle plate to help even temps out and I will be ordering it. From what I read though, they are slow getting orders out. Depending on the stage of the fire I was getting 100-200* temp difference from one end to the other. How is one supposed to smoke food using all of the cooking space with temp swings like that??

It was fairly easy maintaining my 225-250 at the far end and smoked some ribs, chicken and ABT's (Atomic Buffalo Turds) were done indirectly on my Weber kettle grill.

Ribs on



Beautiful color



They turned out phenomenal



ABT's - jalapeno peppers stuffed with Italian sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and topped with bacon.

 

[bumperm]

Kinda like the difference between hitching up the mule team to plow the back 40 and firing up the diesel tractor. I'd suppose there's a closer feel and bonding to the trodden earth if you really have to "trod" it .

Stoking up the smoker, like readying them mules, can be a time consuming though rewarding ritual . . . been there (well, not with the mules). Pushing a button on my RecTec smoker and having it come up to and maintain 185 F (or whatever temp I set) for hours on end is sure convenient. This effortless convenience translates into using the smoker more often to add some zest and epicurean delight to a couple of otherwise bland chicken breast for dinner - or whatever else would otherwise get cooked in the kitchen oven or frying pan.

 

[General Lee]

I agree, "set and forget it" smokers are most convenient but, in my opinion, cooking with wood/charcoal tastes better hands down. I love tending to the smoker, adding wood, etc and getting in touch with my inner cave man traits to cook meat

 

[IslandTractor]

ABT's - jalapeno peppers stuffed with Italian sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and topped with bacon.

View attachment 399898

Those sound simply sinful! Wish I had a few right now.

 

[General Lee]

They are delicious, however these turned out more spicy than I wanted. I hollowed them out, no membrane or seeds but somehow they still got tainted with heat.

 

[forgeblast]

I saw this on ebay New Huge 4in1 Combo Gas Charcoal Grill 3 Burner BBQ Propane Smoker Sear Box 84" | eBay and it looked like it might have it all.
What do you all prefer electric or lp? (for the smaller units) I saw that gander moutain will have one on sale for black friday, I think its a master craft.

 

[Jim Nelson]

So I fired up the new Horizon these past couple of days. Terrible heat swings from one end of the box to the other. Horizon makes a baffle plate to help even temps out and I will be ordering it. From what I read though, they are slow getting orders out. Depending on the stage of the fire I was getting 100-200* temp difference from one end to the other. How is one supposed to smoke food using all of the cooking space with temp swings like that??

It was fairly easy maintaining my 225-250 at the far end and smoked some ribs, chicken and ABT's (Atomic Buffalo Turds) were done indirectly on my Weber kettle grill.

Ribs on

View attachment 399894

Beautiful color

View attachment 399895

They turned out phenomenal

View attachment 399896

ABT's - jalapeno peppers stuffed with Italian sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and topped with bacon.

View attachment 399898

Temperature control is done with air flow control which is what makes the ceramic cookers so nice.Before I got my first Green Egg I had an off set Char Broil rig and I really loved that thing even though it was a full time job tending to it when smoking anything and over nighters doing butts was out of the question for me. With the Egg I have a BBQ Guru pit minder temp controller and have done 18 hours without opening the lid and had enough fuel left to do 2 or 3 more normal cooks. You just have to be able to seal all the leaks to control the flow and that is hard to do with most metal grills.

 

[RobertN]

I have been threatening to make a UDS(ugly drum smoker). Those seem interesting...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

They are delicious, however these turned out more spicy than I wanted. I hollowed them out, no membrane or seeds but somehow they still got tainted with heat.

I make them quite often on my BGE; slightly different recipe. We use the little Smokies sausages, or a small piece of Kielbasa. Top with cream cheese, onion flakes and a dash of garlic if you like and sprinkle with dry BBQ rubb; wrap with bacon, add more BBQ rubb. And yes, you have to get rid of all the seeds and the veins in the peppers. I love them and so do the guests.

 

[IslandTractor]

I make them quite often on my BGE; slightly different recipe. We use the little Smokies sausages, or a small piece of Kielbasa. Top with cream cheese, onion flakes and a dash of garlic if you like and sprinkle with dry BBQ rubb; wrap with bacon, add more BBQ rubb. And yes, you have to get rid of all the seeds and the veins in the peppers. I love them and so do the guests.

2Lane, which type of pepper do you use?