Meat Smoker Help

[redfishbluefish]

I've never smoked meat. I'm a simple, "throw it on the grill and done" kind of outdoor cooker. However, my daughter wants to play around with smoking some different meats, so I'm looking for an inexpensive smoker so she can play. I originally was going to DIY a smoker, but looking at a couple plans, by the time I get done, it's a good chunk of change and time. So instead I told her I'd buy something around one hundred bucks for her to play.

Here's where I need the help of all you experienced smokers....what is a good, inexpensive "starter" smoker? And should it be electric, gas or charcoal....or pellet? I did a quick look and this popped up on Amazon for 130:

Thanks for your help!

 

[block134]

I started with an electric smoker. In my opinion they can be a little easier to learn on since you don't always have to worry about temputure changes. They are set the temp and they will normally hold it within a few degrees.

I did a lot of my research and learning at https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

You can see smoker reviews, learn , and get recipe ideas. It is a great community to ask questions and learn from.

 

[JCOLE]

Yes. There are a couple different styles of smokers and it will depend on what you prefer. That is a great smoker for wood chips, etc on open coals. I prefer an Offset smoker for full logs. There is also pellet smokers as well which is an easy set it and forget it. However, I don't get the same smoke flavor out of pellet smokers though. Look up Oklahoma Joe's Offset Smokers. This is the one I have. Once you get used to them you will be hooked. I am smoking a butt on one this weekend.

Jump over to this forum as well. A lot of good people discussing smoking.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bbqing-reefers-whats-on-your-grill-smoker.415433/

 

[NS Mike D]

There is a reason that the Weber Smokey Mountains (WSM) are so desired and hold their resale value. In addition to longevity, great customer service, they are easy to learn and their are excellent resources to follow. The 14' is a bit small @ $219. The 18" is the backyard choice @ $329 right now on amazon.


The 18" Pit Barrell Cooker at $349 is arguably the easiest charcoal smoker.


The problem with the less expensive smokers is that they are made of thin metal, cheaper parts and lots of air leaks. May not sound like much, but unless you are handy and like to do mods, smoking can get frustrating with the fluctuating temps and need to refill charcoal often.

Another PITA is budget smokers tend to be smaller that a rack of ribs . Ribs cook much better as whole racks.


Gassers are better than electric, IMO, but again, the prices are similar, the ones that are large enough to hold a rack of ribs an don't require mods start about the price of the WSM.


I started on a $60 charcoal box from home depot and before the end of that summer, I had the 18" WSM.

Over the years I've had/have

22" WSM
Akorn Kamado
Cookshack Fast Eddy 120

I've cooked on just about every smoker out there (except electic and gas), from the charbroil banderas, pit barrel cookers, DIY Ugly Drum SMokers (UDS) and $50,000 trailers.

And with all that hardware, my highest BBQ competition award was in ribs with a WSM with no electronics.

 

[ndrwater]

@gcarroll
I know Greg has his going more often than it's not..

 

[MTBake]

Huge fan of the Wber Smokey Mountain. Recommend not going smaller than the 18" if you do go this route. I'm not a huge fan of the electric pellet smokers. Just doesn't taste the same to me.

 

[flyline]

Electric smoker they are cheap and very easy for a beginner just set it and forget it till dinner

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

I prefer Oklahoma Joe's offsets for home smoking. Offsets in general are fairly hard to learn temp control on, but once you get it down,, it'll be the best smoke you've had.
OKJ is a nice sub 350 brand. Good quality materials and a huge chamber to smoke in. This past weekend I used mine, fit a 15lb brisket, 6lb butt and 3 racks of ribs with room to spare.

Edit: I like spending the time outdoors and tending fire. If you or your daughter are set it and forget it types, electric pellets are probably your best option. Not everyone enjoys spending 12+ hours tending fires

 

[NS Mike D]

I like offsets but would not recommend to a beginner. The heat is not even, they usually require tinkering with baffles. Inexpensive ones will leak all over the place making tending the fire harder.

They do have the advantage of a flat work space as opposed to the round WSM and the awkward need to remove the hot top shelf to get to the lower one.

As for volume most smokers are over kill. It's why I recommend the WSM 18 over the 22 for the backyard smoker. I can cook 15 briskets in my Fast Eddy pellet, set it and forget it, but at home I'll fire up the WSM 18. I can hold pork butts and briskets warm in a cooler long enough to do a second cook of ribs and chicken in the 18. Does one really need to cook more than 40lbs of meat at home?

 

[JCOLE]

I have the Oklahoma Joe as well. I like the build of it. However, the offset drove me crazy until I did a couple things to help with steady temps. After that it's a smooth ride. I am prepping the grill this saturday night for an early sunday smoke and I will post a couple pictures of what I do to help. Tin foil is your best friend with keeping even temperatures throughout the smoker. Also, I have a Thermapro wireless temp probe. I won't smoke without one again. I tend the fire then I can go inside for an hour and watch the handheld for at least an hour before tending again.

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

I have the Oklahoma Joe as well. I like the build of it. However, the offset drove me crazy until I did a couple things to help with steady temps. After that it's a smooth ride. I am prepping the grill this saturday night for an early sunday smoke and I will post a couple pictures of what I do to help. Tin foil is your best friend with keeping even temperatures throughout the smoker. Also, I have a Thermapro wireless temp probe. I won't smoke without one again. I tend the fire then I can go inside for an hour and watch the handheld for at least an hour before tending again.

For a better and more efficient smoke, use something on the inside to lower the chimney about 6-8 inches, fairly close to the grates. Like foil. It'll take hours off the end smoke!

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

Pics of my second to last smoke about a month ago. Short ribs were in for 6 hours, first shot is about 4 hours in for the brisket, 1 for the small butt and ribs


Temp of 215 far side, 255 near the firebox

 

[JCOLE]

For a better and more efficient smoke, use something on the inside to lower the chimney about 6-8 inches, fairly close to the grates. Like foil. It'll take hours off the end smoke!

Yes! That is one of the must haves. Helps the smoke and heat stay along the meat instead of up and over.

 

[homer1475]

Head spinning yet?

You'll get just as many answers as asking what your favorite skimmer is!

Seriously though, the easiest thing I learned to smoke on was a cheap electric masterbuilt smoker. Think it was like 110$. Uses wood chips that can be bought pretty much anywhere, and only require electric to operate. The one nice thing about electric over charcoal, is they are set and forget till your done cooking. Great piece of kit to learn on, then when your comfortable try another grill, be it charcoal, offset stick burner, or a pellet grill.

Smokingmeatforums.com is a great resource!

One thing I will comment on, with the pellet smoker you don't get that thick black acrid smoke flavor, more pf a campfire flavor. With a stick burner, electric, or propane your just smoldering the wood so you get that thick black acrid smoke(typical of todays BBQ'ers and not what traditional BBQ is). With the pellet grill you get just a nice mahogany color and sweet smoke flavor without all the black charring, and burnt wood taste.

I actually like my pellet grill over my offset stick burner as far as flavor goes.

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

Head spinning yet?

You'll get just as many answers as asking what your favorite skimmer is!

Seriously though, the easiest thing I learned to smoke on was a cheap electric masterbuilt smoker. Think it was like 110$. Uses wood chips that can be bought pretty much anywhere, and only require electric to operate. The one nice thing about electric over charcoal, is they are set and forget till your done cooking. Great piece of kit to learn on, then when your comfortable try another grill, be it charcoal, offset stick burner, or a pellet grill.

Smokingmeatforums.com is a great resource!

One thing I will comment on, with the pellet smoker you don't get that thick black acrid smoke flavor, more pf a campfire flavor. With a stick burner, electric, or propane your just smoldering the wood so you get that thick black acrid smoke(typical of todays BBQ'ers and not what traditional BBQ is). With the pellet grill you get just a nice mahogany color and sweet smoke flavor without all the black charring, and burnt wood taste.

I actually like my pellet grill over my offset stick burner as far as flavor goes.

Its not charring, its called the bark lol. There should be literally 0 burnt bits on it, because you aren't cooking it over direct heat. Other than that entire paragraph I agree with of what you said.

PS- BBQ and smoking are not the same thing

 

[homer1475]

Ok maybe "charring" wasn't a good word choice....

There is a difference between bark and black acrid smoke. When you add wood to an offset, or propane/wood chip smoker you get thick black acrid smoke, which makes your meat black. Most people can't even tell what wood was used to smoke, because all you taste is that thick acrid smoke, not the actual wood flavor.

Ever been in a competition, or watched them on TV? None of their meat is black. It's a nice mahogany color.

Your meat should not be black, but a nice mahogany color. I still get quite a bit of "smoke flavor" on my meat with the pellet smoker, just not that thick black acrid smoke flavor you get with the more conventional type smokers. And I even have the nice pink smoke ring(there are ways to have that pink ring without even using a smoker, if you know how!)

Think of it this way..... Back in the day when people cooked over a camp fire(or even today with charcoal), you don't lite the wood/charcoal and throw your meat on, you wait till it's done burning and down to coals. You wan't heat not all that heavy smoke. I feel the same way with the more conventional means of smoking compared to the pellet grill.

While I've had an offset stick burner(not one to stand there and tend a fire), a propane chip smoker, an electric chip smoker, and now a pellet grill(never used a charcoal smoker), I will take the pellet smoker over all of them for ease of use, and taste of the meat.


While I am a chef by trade, and schooling, I am in no way to be considered an expert in smoking. Just my opinion.

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

Ok maybe "charring" wasn't a good word choice....

There is a difference between bark and black acrid smoke. When you add wood to an offset, or propane/wood chip smoker you get thick black acrid smoke, which makes your meat black. Most people can't even tell what wood was used to smoke, because all you taste is that thick acrid smoke, not the actual wood flavor.

Ever been in a competition, or watched them on TV? None of their meat is black. It's a nice mahogany color.

Your meat should not be black, but a nice mahogany color. I still get quite a bit of "smoke flavor" on my meat with the pellet smoker, just not that thick black acrid smoke flavor you get with the more conventional type smokers. And I even have the nice pink smoke ring(there are ways to have that pink ring without even using a smoker, if you know how!)

Think of it this way..... Back in the day when people cooked over a camp fire(or even today with charcoal), you don't lite the wood/charcoal and throw your meat on, you wait till it's done burning and down to coals. You wan't heat not all that heavy smoke. I feel the same way with the more conventional means of smoking compared to the pellet grill.

While I've had an offset stick burner(not one to stand there and tend a fire), a propane chip smoker, an electric chip smoker, and now a pellet grill(never used a charcoal smoker), I will take the pellet smoker over all of them for ease of use, and taste of the meat.


While I am a chef by trade, and schooling, I am in no way to be considered an expert in smoking. Just my opinion.

I've actually won 2 of the 7 comps I've entered. I too, am a chef by trade, and schooling. I guess your perception of BBQ and smoked meats depend on where you're from.


Back to the topic at hand though, electric pellet smokers are the easiest to use, because you don't do anything but set the temp and leave it. They all have different flavors profiles that they impart on the meats/vegetables smoked, even if using the same wood types. Depending on what part of the U.S/World you are from, you will have a preference bias towards whatever is most popular and used near you. What I mean by that is, Kansas Citys BBQ is not the same as Oklahomas/Texas, it has its own unique flavors. South Carolinas BBQ is much more different than either of those. Offsets and Reverse Offsets are commonly used and found in the Midwest/South Central. Mainly because we DO enjoy the "acrid" taste the cherry,apple, mesquite wood imparts on it.

The website listed above is a great website to browse for more information. Sorry for the thread jacking!

 

[homer1475]

Yeah didn't think of the locality thing, and what different BBQ means to different parts of the country.

Good point!

Hijacking threads? Isn't that what we do in the lounge anyways?

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

True. He signed up for it.
Region is perhaps the biggest thing when it comes to any type of cooking meats with flame. (Really, food in general).
I had "BBQ" in New York and was appalled. It wasn't bad, but it was NOT BBQ. At least not to me. But thats how they take it. I'm not a fan of SC bbq either, but they aren't fans of ours. BBQing is serious business and its taken seriously in the southern states.

A caveat I forgot to mention- with charcoal or wood burning smokers, weather is extremely important. Everything from the humidity, temp, wind, wind direction, even elevation will directly impact your smoke. Colder more humid or windy days will add HOURS to your cook time. Drier climates will have less cook time

 

[homer1475]

I got you on the regional thing.

For instance:
We vacation in the southern end of North Carolina(Topsail Island for anyone in the know), which is right across the inter coastal waterway from camp lajeune in Jacksonville NC. Anyways, we went to this famous BBQ place all the marines go to. I was not impressed because of all the "bark", and the heavy, heavy sauce on the meat. All I could taste was smoke, and BBQ sauce. I missed the meat flavor.

So YES region has a lot to do with how you cook BBQ.