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Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: jdb on August 11, 2018, 09:07:51 AM

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Title: Entry level smoker
Post by: jdb on August 11, 2018, 09:07:51 AM

I'd like to get into the smoking game. I've dabbled a bit with a side box on my charcoal grill. I'm looking to do things like chicken and maybe brisket, pulled pork. Things if that nature. I'm thinking one of the smoke hollow propane units but I'm wondering if there are better options?

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on August 11, 2018, 10:14:44 AM

Build a UDS. Ugly Drum Smoker.

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: jagermiester on August 11, 2018, 08:32:55 PM

Make one.

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: jagermiester on August 11, 2018, 08:35:15 PM

Honestly though the one on the right was my first. $99 at Walmart. Great entry level smoker!

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: PastorJoel on August 11, 2018, 08:52:18 PM

My first thought was, "Don't start!  That stuffs addictive and tobacco can cause cancer."  Then I realized this was about smoking meat.  Then I thought, "Oh boy, I love smoked meats.  They're addictive!  But then I thought, maybe they cause cancer too"   :o :o :o  :chuckle:

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: jmscon on August 11, 2018, 10:10:44 PM

I have a small Brinkman that my wife got me for Father’s Day a few years back. They aren’t very expensive and fun to fart around with. Best thing I’ve made was a chuck roast from Owens in Cle Elum. I only mention the place I got it is because I’ve made other chuck roasts and they did not turn out nearly as good as the one from Owens. Worst was thanksgiving turkey! Woke up at 3 to start it and holy crap what waste of a good turkey! Should have started it in the smoker and finished in the oven. In that sense a smoker like a Traeger would be a lot better because you could do it all in one.

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: Alchase on August 12, 2018, 09:40:44 AM

I have had way too many smokers of all types. I started with a Big Chief, about as simple a smoker you can get, but limited in volume. Moved to many iterations of homemade smokers, then a  freezer smoker with a single burner and a outside fire tube for cold smoking. Then on to many different Charcol/wood smokers.
I currently have two Bradley Smokers. These I can pretty much set and forget by using a remote thermometer that I can monitor from my iPhone. I also use a Brinkman tall kettle BBQ grill/smoker for the times I want to smoke/cook up a salmon just for dinner. This is my wife's favorite way to cook salmon
My Grandfather had a Smoke house the size of a single car garage, fed by a fire pit about twenty feet away through a 3 in pipe. That smoke house had 100s of pounds of meat in it at any time of the year.
If you are just starting out, the one thing I would advise is keep a log recording the following:

Brine type (if used)
Rub used
Wood type
How long on smoke
Notes - if you liked it

There are infinite ways to smoke something, keeping good notes will help you remember what you like and not make the same mistakes over and over.
It would make sense to start with a "real" wood/charcoal smoker so you can learn all aspects of the process, but then again you can jump straight into high end programmable and read tons of information of recipes already developed.
Smokers are pretty easy to build, but I will warn you, it gets in your blood and you will always want a bigger, better, smoker. If you search the posts there have been some pretty amazing builds done with great details. And there are a couple members who smoke as a business @White Pirate and others who have provided tons of information over the years.

Bottom line, it does not really matter what type of smoker you have, they all can produce a decent product once you learn how to use them correctly.
Experiment and record what you did, and enjoy!

Don't forget to post what you are smoking, and pics are mandatory, LOL!

Title: Re: Entry level smoker
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2018, 10:22:40 AM

Nothing better than smoked turkey, milk made gravy on mashed 'tatos.