OT - BBQ Smoker

B

BigTone

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Like many of you I have access to high quality, locally raised beef, turkey, chicken, and pork. I love bbq and have been looking into buying a smoker to make brisquet, pork butt, smoked turkey, ect.., but there are so many options im a bit lost. Im looking into either an electric or propane smoker because id rather not deal with charcoal and difficultness behind getting the proper temp.

What brand do you guys use, Oval style or refridge type, what type of wood chips and which fuel type do you recommend? Basicly, anything you have time to offer i would greatly appreciate. I understand its "to each his own," but I would welcome all opinions and advice to help me decide.

Thanks, ~Anthony

 

G

gblj

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

http://www.smokehouseproducts.com/prod_list.cfm?categoryID=17

I have the Big Chief top loader, it works good for me, depending on how much meat you want to smoke size would matter, as far as smoking chips its a matter of taste, apple, hickory, misqite, lots of choices, mine runs on electric, do a search on internet.

 

T

thurlow

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

I understand that terminology may be different in different areas; around 'here', what you're wanting is a grill. I'd suggest making your own; it's no big deal to adapt/use burners from salvaged propane/natural gas ovens or water heaters or it's no big deal to make your own from scratch. (I know nothing about electic grills). Personally, I wouldn't have anything but charcoal-fired, but as you have noted........to each his own. There are NO problems with maintaining the proper temperature. I've made bunches of grills; here are 2 that I currently use; the first is made from salvaged rear/dual 38 inch TRACTOR rims; the second from a 500 gallon propane tank.

<a href="http://s261.beta.photobucket.com/user/thurlow8/media/Thanksgiving005.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

<a href="http://s261.beta.photobucket.com/user/thurlow8/media/Thanksgiving007.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

<a href="http://s261.beta.photobucket.com/user/thurlow8/media/JedClampettJunecouncilmeeting004.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

<a href="http://s261.beta.photobucket.com/user/thurlow8/media/AnnualHarvest003-1.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

 

R

rabbit-1

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

You can find a bunch of different flavors wood chips if you find the right store. Hickory and cherry are most common. I have a few apple trees here that shed enough branches to keep me in chunks of wood. I have an old fashioned Brinkman smoker. Basically a cheap drum with dome lid. Couple of grids on the top and a bowl for a charcoal fire on the bottom. Get the fire going, and throw in a handful of dampened wood chips. My recipe is to take strips of meat, roll them in mix of half salt, half sugar, and smoke them till fairly dry. Don't have to have heat very high, as you are drying the meat, nor burning it to a crisp. I usually only use one grid, as meat on lower grid seems to burn too easily. Turn meat at least once during process.

My butcher has a little room with hooks in the ceiling, A little gas burner on the floor, with a tray where he puts wet wood chips. Hangs sausages, etc on the hooks, sets it going at night, all done by morning.

 

L

Lazy WP

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Do you have any pictures of the inside of the propane tank grill? The one I am building isn't that big, maybe a 300 gallon butane tank, I think.

 

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Check out Treager smokers and grills. They burn wood pellets , they smoke or they grill. Very simple to operate,set set the temp and walk away.
I smoke with mine overnight and never have to check the chips .And the food in delicious.

 

T

thurlow

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Don't know if I have pictures of the inside, but I'll look (I keep it in a side-shed of my shop which is about a mile down the road.) There are 3 removable (side-by-side) grilling 'racks' made from expanded metal and framed with one-inch square tubing. There are additional 'racks' about a foot below them where the charcoal is placed when cooking steaks, burgers, etc. These are removed when barbecueing shoulders, turkeys, ribs, etc.

An ebay search for barbecue grill>sorted by>highest first will show some similar grills with pictures of the insides.

 

O

ohiojim

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

i'm useing a propane, but hard to controll temps,..i think an electric would be the way to go...

 

C

Chuck (CA)

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Like Jim, I use a Traeger (Lil Tex) and it's goof-proof. You put the pellets in a hopper,(lots of flavors, mesquite, oak, apple, etc) and then you set your temp. An auger feeds the pellets to the chamber and maintains a constant temperature. I like to smoke a lot at about 180 degrees. But you can raise it up to as much as 450.
One drawback is it doesn't sear very well. If I want a little crunch,I preheat the propane grill and slap the food on there for a few minutes.
I love it

 

K

Kippster

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Check out some of the bbq grills this young man has built. Pretty cool. He also contributes to this site on occasion. http://www.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009?feature=g-high-u
Kippster

 

6

641Dave

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Spend a little time here.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

...and if you're going to build one, there's folks there that have done some good figuring as far as materials, chamber sizes and layouts.

 

A

Achin' Back

New User

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Where you located? Is this just for your personal consumption or commercial use? I have a Lang"s 60 and an electric Bradley. Be glad to show you or talk to you about either.

 

L

Lazy WP

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

I am thinking about using hammer mill screens, with a cable winch, for my bottom grate, where the charcoal would sit. That way I can bring the fire up to the meat, for steaks and such, then just leave them down for smoking. Just thinking about it right now.

 

S

sd pete

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

My son had an electric smoker of unknown brand and he sure makes some good food in it. He likes to use fruit wood in it.

 

D

David G

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

I am looking into the same thing. I would like to go gas, but have seen complaints from people on gas control being good enough for slow smoking.

I will probably end up electric.

 

P

PJH

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

We've smoked homemade sausage, hams, bacon and jowl in one made out of an old refrigerator. It's almost impossible to find the old fridges with the porcelean interior. I don't think the plastic interiors would work. We took all the shelves and the little ice cube freezer out, and bolted some smoke stick supports to the side walls. A dampered pipe goes thru the roof. Hole drilled thru the side for a stem thermometer. Hot plate sits in the bottom under an old skillet full of wet sawdust/wood chips. Shut the door on the cord - gasket keeps the cord from pinching. I fancied it up with the thermostat out of an old electric oven. The sensor is in the top of the unit, and the thermostat turns a receptical on and off. It's primitive, but works. Haven't used it in a few years, but I've been thinking about a nice batch of polish sausage. I like Thurlow's, made out of tractor rims.

 

E

Eldo case

Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

You are cold smoking he was asking about cook smoking I believe.

 

N

notjustair

Well-known Member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

My folks have an electric Treager. Boy that thing does some good meat. It is nice for them to be able to plug it in and the temps stay constant. Really good meats. I have an Oklahoma joe smoker that's about 30 years old. It makes great meat, too. It is heavier than an ox and needs wood. Not as convenient.

 

C

cannonball

Member

• Dec 14, 2012

• #1

check these out
Untitled URL Link