Smoker Recommendations

[2LaneCruzer]

@CurlyDave​

We’ve owned a Big Green Egg for several years–when we bought our house after living in an apartment, it was the first thing we went out and bought. I have never been happier about a purchase.​

I use it mostly for smoking turkey and ribs. The results are amazing–the smoke flavor comes in as a subtle undertone, rather than overwhelming everything else. And, it requires much less cooking time than metal smokers. I can do a whole turkey in about 2 hours.

My most rewarding experience using it was last fall, when I smoked a brisket, using a dry rub, a wet baste, and mesquite chips. Although still took about 8 hours or more, it was worth every minute of my time.

My enthusiasm for the BGE borders on the evangelical. Just make sure that if you do buy one, you get the largest size, because the smaller ones supposedly don’t circulate the air as effectively, and the grill space is on the small size.

Now if only I can find a place near me where I can get one of those Texas-size briskets. []

I too have a BGE and a Weber Smoky Mountain smoker. I use the BGE almost exclusively, and smoke some of the best baby back ribs ever. Brisket had been a challenge, but have finally learned a lesson or two. #1...Get the best grade of brisket you can get...prime if available; I would never choose anything less than choice. #2...I dry brine mine...with sugar...overnight; rinse it and pat it dry, spray with olive oil and add my dry rubb.

I'm sure I have posted the recipe for my dry rubb and my cooking method for my baby backs, but would gladly do again. The other post on cooking has some good stuff too.
Does anyone think a forum of nothing but organized recipes (i.e., a cookbook) would be worthwhile? I know, it would take a lot of work, and while I would gladly contribute, I do not have the skills to compile a cookbook. Just a thought.

 

[alexebdra453]

What is your budget? I can recommend some really good smokers but it may be more than you want to shell out. if you want to be in for just over $100 I would recommend a Weber kettle with a slow n sear attachment if you don't plan on smoking a lot at one time. if you are looking in the 200-400 range I would recommend a WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain) 18 or 22 inches or a pit barrel UDS(ugly drum smoker). There is also some budget offset smokers if you are willing to put some time and money into modifications. someone who has modded like an Oklahoma Joes or something can speak to that. best charcoal smoker Really the flavor in my opinion is a wood-burning offset but that does require some time and effort to use as well as a learning curve even for the experienced smoker. If you are willing to get into the 1000-1500 area you can get some great smokers that put out great food just depends on where you want to be the price point. Hope this helps,

 

[Bearsixty7]

years ago we looked at the Traegers but just couldn't see the value, then looked at Cabela's a while as they looked like Trager clones with some nice improvements then they stopped selling them once I was ready to buy (I had a lot of Cabela's points to effectively lower the price). Just happened to be at a hunting lodge and the guy had a PittBoss XL he loved it, said he got it at Wal-mart for under 400. I checked our local stores and picked one up. So far pretty happy with it, did have to replace an ignitor and the control panel both under warranty during the 2nd year. It is pretty much a set it and forget it process until ready to remove or baste the meat.

 

[coobie]

Yoder smokers made in USA are very nice..

 

[Popgadget]

I have a cabinet model that is well insulated, and very fuel efficient. It will burn 18 hours on one load of lump charcoal. With an automatic draft fan and temperature control, it’s truly a no brainer.
I have never smoked fish, but it will easily handle the low temp required.
I’ve loaded it up and done overnight cooks when it is below freezing out with no problem.
However, you don’t need anything as sophisticated to get good results, but it sure makes it easy. I’ve had a half dozen smokers a various types over the decades, and so far this is my favorite.

Shotgun Smoker

The Shotgun BBQ Smoker has arrived - the latest BBQ oven designed for use with BBQ Guru temperature control systems

bbqguru.com

 

[ArlyA]

We don't have a recommendation but do have a question.... Can we come over when its ready??

 

[gsganzer]

If it doesn't need to be portable, then make a pit style smoker with cinder blocks.

Cinder Block Smoker

 

[oosik]

I would, also, recommend cold smoke. I've never used a small cold backyard smoker of any type. When we lived in Alaska we had a smoke house. It was 8' x10' by 10 feet tall and would hold well over 1000# of meat/fish. Many times we boned and smoked a whole moose, occasionally two moose, or a couple caribou or 450 to 500 pounds of salmon. The smoking process would take four to five days. We had a stove that generated the smoke and ran the smoke thru ten feet of stove pipe to the smoke house.

UV lights kept any mold from developing and fans kept the smoky air circulating within the smoke house. This was a system developed and used my me and my hunting buddy. Everybody had their favorite marinade. So ..... the meat and fish were divided up and each treated accordingly.

Around 30 to 40 pounds were held out for immediate consumption. The remainder were wrapped and frozen.

It would be wrong to say we only ate moose, caribou or fish. We DID eat beef on RARE occasions.

 

[bunyip]

WE use a kamado joe classic which once mastered can do a long cooler smoke well, I have seen pics of a KJ junior and KJ big joe coupled with ducting to cold smoke, someone managed to fit the ducting over the daisy wheel on the junior as the smoke source to the inlet on the bottom of the big joe which effectively made it a smoke chamber.

 

[m7040]

Here is pic of my smoker

 

[ArlyA]

Three simple questions. Where do you live? What's in the smoker now? And when will it be done??

 

[bunyip]

Here is pic of my smokerView attachment 727572

Do you need a licence to drive it?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have used many home made smokers over the years, the next one I plan to build will be a cold smoker, with the smoke running through buried drain tiles from the smoke pit to the smoker. I am a big fan of cold smoking, the big box smokers are hot smokers. I have a number of friends that use the "little chief" smokers. I like to cut my own alder, de-bark it, and use it for most of my smoking.

A cold smoker is definitely the way to go for fish, but ham, bacon or jerky requires some heat. If you are building your own, I think a hot box beside (not under) the smoke box would be a good addition. That way you could run it as a hot smoker or cold smoker.

 

[coobie]

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My Yoder ys480 pellet.

 

[3Ts]

This is a really nice smoker!

What is the purpose of the plastic bucket?
Is that a reverse flow smoker, or do you have a damper to direct the smoke?

One thing I've learned is that a big firebox is better so the temperature can be controlled better. I'm never done a cold smoke or fish so I can't help with that.

 

[m7040]

The bucket is just to keep the rain from going into the smoke stack. Yes it is reverse flow. You control the draft via the damper on the firebox and also in the stack there is damper as well to trim it with. And the box above the firebox has its own damper to regulate how much smoke goes up there. That box is good for hanging up fish on hooks and slow smoke it

 

[Fxfymn413]

I have a Camp Chef pellet smoker which I love, but if you need to smoke that quantity I think any pellet type smoker would be too small.

The best large smoker I ever saw was a used refrigerator truck box. It was about 12 feet long and the refeer unit kept the product cold no matter the outside temp.

 

[jaxs]

Last time OP was on TBN was 2018 so it should be ok to hi-jack. I need to replace my off-set wood burner smoker. I've heard the term "reverse flow" but don't know how that works. Can someone bring me up to speed on how reverse flow is designed/work's?

 

[m7040]

Reverse flow is where the smoke is passing through a channel to the front of the smoker and then it turns into the smoke chamber and returns to the front end and up the smoke stack

 

[jaxs]

Aahh yes I think I know what you are talking about. Tell me if this is correct. On one that look's similar to yours,smoke and heat leave top of firebox to enter bottom of meat compartment and can't turn upwards because a metal plate force's smoke and heat to go all the way to oppisite end where it turn's up to flow around meat back towards firebox then turn's upwards to flow up smoke stack. Does the restrictor plate have additional insulating features byond that of a steel plate? Does restrictor plate have any holes in it other than where smoke turn's up into meat compartment? Other than a damper for inlet/combustion air and damper in smoke stack,is there normally other dampers? I assume some of the handles on yours raises/lowers grates and other functions which is a personal preferance for each cook. BTW that is a fine looking rig and I'm sure you injoy it.