Smokers

[RonT]

I have never used a smoker before but would like to try using one. Anyone have any suggestions on a small, inexpensive smoker that works well? One of the local sporting good stores have a Brinkmann combo grill/smoker on sale for a good price and it says it can hold 50 lbs of meat at a time. Are these combo smokers effective? Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.

[Happy Trails]

Ron,

A lot of BBQ has been cooked on a what is affectionally called a ECB (El Cheapo Brinkman). To me, it all depends on what you are smoking and how much time and energy to want to put into it. The Brinkman does not have any insulation so it is influenced by the weather conditions. Another downside for me is a good pork butt or picnic takes a good 18 hours, give or take, to render a goodly portion of the fat out and make it nice and tender for pulled pork. A beef packer cut brisket takes almost as long. You'll be adding charcoal and wood all through the night. Now a slab of salmon can be hot smoked is a little over an hour. I've also gone the route of the offset stick smoker and that is a all nighter for beef and pork as well.

I finally got to lazy and moved up to the smallest residential Cookshack. When and if you might decide to "dig a little deeper", this alternative sure simplified things for me. Insulated to 1000 degrees - cooks the same in summer and winter. The cooking process is still an all nighter, but I sleep right through it. Just stick a polder temperature gauge into the meat. "Set it and forget it". There is also a chinese knock off product which is basically the same item, called a Smoken Tex, for a little less money.

But, honestly, I don't think the meat cares where it gets it's smoke and heat from, as long as, it's held at the right temperature for the right length of time.

HT

[Happy Trails]

Ron,

Here is a link to another electric smoker at about half the cost of a Cookshack. I don't know anything about the smoker other than what I read from one "happy camper". But perhaps, you could get a peek at one as they are marketed through Bass Pro Shops and I believe there is one down in your neck of the woods.


http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=6549 2&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

HT

[webeable]

You can build one out of an old fridge and a electick hot plate. Take out inside box, and all insulation, wash clean, cut small hole in side. lower will make smoke build heavier. You use cooling racks for baked goods that you can get cheep. Use conduant for shelf supports, bolting through sides of box. You then use a hot plate and small stainless steel pan to hold your wood chips.

[Ohio Transplant]

Mike I knew a guy that built a smoker out of an old fridge. He loved to smoke meat and often would do 50 chickens at once and give them to his friends. I don't know much about smoking, but the food he did was great.
I have a little smoker out in the garage. I've never used it.

[up north]

if you use a hot plate, find an old oven and take the control amd thermostat out of it and hook that to your hot plate. then get a long stemmed thermostat so you can read it on the outside of the smoker, just make sure it is located in the midle of the smoker. this works great!! I have made several smokers for myself and for friends and we get ecellent temperature control. for racks you can use old oven racks.

Todd

if you make a real big smoker you can use a double hot plate.

[jeffmo]

here's an easy & inexpensive way to build a smoker if anyone is thinking about making one.

http://www.theqjoint.com/forum/showthread.php?4120-Building-a-basic-drum-smoker-(UDS

[Frank]

HA! - You've been reading my mind or PM's again Jeff? LOL

My sister and I have been discussing smokers lately.
I think she is going to buy a Masterbuilt and I want to try this guys plans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqr45vma3fU) for a small smokehouse type.

Of course, I may just settle for this this Redneck Smoker (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/72840/you-might-be-a-redneck-if) solution as we will soon be replacing our kitchen range. :grin:

[Bachflock]

LOL! Good work. Nice plans also Jeff. So many different ways to go. I have a nice electric smoker. It is not a cooker/smoker which would be nice have. It makes some nice smoked fish and jerky tho. Luhr Jensen Big Chief. 10 years ago paid $20 for it at a second hand shop. Works like a champ!

[Frank]

20 bucks is the best kind of smoker Vance.

I thought that the smokehouse that guy built would only be good for cold smoking, but he gave me a tip on how to hot smoke with it too. Just cut a piece of wood to block off the upper part and smoke you meat closer to the heat.

His is only 1/2" plywood and he hot smokes @ 200+ deg even in winter. I plan to make mine out of a sheet of 3/4" I have on hand. I doubt I'll have to insulate it at all.

[Frank]

Just curious if anyone here has ever built a small wooden smokehouse themselves.

If so... any tips?

[sanilacshroomer]

I have made one and I'm totally happy with it. I have added additional racks and my blue ribbon dish is home made smoked beans. I got the recipe from an aunt of my (may she RIP) and for final touch I smoke them low heat 2.5 hrs. instead of the oven. I have a weber top for mine and can control the heat very good.

[Frank]

Oh yeah, smoked baked beans are great. Also try it with scalloped potatoes. They are also great this way if you can get your temps up to 275-300F for last hour or so. I only added wood during the 1st half of cooking though. Too much smoke seems to give a bitter taste. But that may be because I usually use green maple cut fresh from the tree.

I remember my dad laughing when we told him we made baked beans and scalloped potatoes smoked on the grill. He didn't laugh after we made some for him tho'. He couldn't believe how good they were. LOL
Those potatoes are awesome that way. Of course I used smoked ham in them.

Best not to use good cookware though, that smoke is heck to clean off.

Weber top. Sounds like you made a smoker out of a barrel then Paul. Is that right?

[sanilacshroomer]

Yes Frank. I got a little lost and was responding to the barrel smoker post. I can control the heat to smoke or cook. I just love it & for the price. You can't beat it. I've done venison jerky, pork butt, pork shoulder, beans, chicken, turkey, venison & pork hams

[Frank]

I'd make a barrel smoker Paul, but I'm even worse working with metal than I am wood. And that's ptetty bad. LOL

[Bachflock]

My dream is to have a hand-mad brick grill with a smoker off the side, brick, in the back yard someday. That would be nice.

[jeepfreak]

The best and easiest smoker I ever built was out of an old round Charcoal smoker that I bought for $10 at a yard sale(brickhouse smoker). I took it home and cut a hole in the bottom and put my little single coleman burner in the bottom, added angle iron leg extensions. Then I drilled holes for long thick bolts with big washers to set my cheap iron skillet on for my wood. The last thing I did was add extensions onto the bottom grate supports so I could put a small pan for water and voila.....I had a cheap propane smoker that I could hook up to a 20lb propane tank or a 100lb tank and could smoke venison without having to babysit it. My next project will be making a rack that I can hang meat or sausage on instead of using the grates for a more thorough smoking session and less babaysitting. (some meats require flipping every so often if you have to use grates but hanging them doesn't require flipping them at all and smoking sausage while hanging gets a more even smoke on them. Maybe this will help someone :)