Smokers

CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Not the tobacco kind.. ;)

The cooking kind!!

Its just me and pop. So I dont need a full blown smoker. I have been using a small electric Mastercraft smoker. Its been awesome. Cleaning it this year its showing its ware and has lost most all its paint. Not it works fine but Im thinking maybe its time ta upgrade. Id like to have a option of different fuels. I see master craft has a dual fuel charcoal/ wood/Propane. Not so thrilled about propane... I mean is there a differrent flavor? My Electric works but I often find not the temp range I always want. Hard to find a balance and all too often it get too hot or too cold.

CW
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I have been pretty happy with my pellet grill. My is by Blazin Grillworks, made right here in NE.
works well for smokin meat but I can also crank it to 500 and do some nice pizza or bred baking.
I wanted something I didn’t need to baby sit overnight.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
That temp is a nice option. When new, I was able to hit 400° pretty easy. Now 300 is beyond reach. Unsure why dirty element?? I have lava rocks in bottom then pan covered in foil for easy clean up. (But used this setup from day one) Thankfully 175-225° is 98% of what I need if just used as smoker.

Ability to hit those kind of temps would be very very nice!!
 
Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
Pellet grill/smoker is the way to go. Takes a little time to get going to grill but no longer than a charcoal one does. I have been extremely happy with ours. It gives so much more flavor than a gas grill it is crazy. It still gives the wood cooked flavor with the grill. Just a hint of the wood. My grill will go to 525* Plenty hot. And down to 175* to cold smoke.

Plus all the different wood pellet types really help nail down the flavor you want. I really like that you can also get charcoal pellets. I mix them with Pecan for my normal grilling pellets. If you use the charcoal straight is is just like a regular charcoal grill flavor except no lighter fluid contamination to the flavor.
 
smokeywolf

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Up until 20-something years ago, I used a Weber Genesis propane grill. Following that, I went to the offset smokers; have owned 3. When we moved I studied the pellet grills, but we really like the charcoal or wood or charcoal/wood combination flavor. Bought the Kamado Joe because I wanted the barbecue right outside the kitchen door which is a covered second floor (above the walkout basement) wood deck. I have the Kamado positioned on a couple of welder's blankets.

The pellet grills have come a long way. If memory serves, Brad bought his before we moved, which would make it >5 years old. As I understand it, the weakness in the pellet grills is usually the electronics. The more expensive ones have better electronics. Also the quality of the pellets have gone through quite an evolution and plays a very big part in the final product.

I think I've had my Kamado Joe 4 years now. A bit pricey to purchase, but last long with minimal care and very economical on charcoal and wood chunks. While we really like the flavors that can be produced with a Kamado style barbecue, I do miss my offset "stick burner". Nothing can match the flavor that can be produced by an offset.

If you're cooking for 2, you don't need more than about 400 sq. in. of grill/grate surface. If you have guests now and then you'll need more. If you have a bulk propane tank and a stub out for the BBQ you can cook some pretty fine barbecue with the addition of a wood chip tray or just grill without adding wood chips.

I've never used electric smokers or even studied them, so can't speak about them.

If you want a "set and forget" type of setup and pretty short learning curve, I would go for a quality pellet grill. Because it can get mighty cold where you are, be sure and consider thickness of the steel used in the construction of the barbecue. That will make a big difference in temp fluctuation and fuel usage.
 
JBinMN

JBinMN

Member
I bought a Pit Boss Austin XL pellet smoker November of 2022.

I have used it consistently since then.

I grew up smoking meats, cheese, fish, etc. using charcoal. (Since the late 1960s/early 1970s) Smokehouses, barrel smokers, stacked smokers, old refrigerators, even cinderblock/concrete block setups, etc.

Tried the electric & propane ones but still stuck to the charcoal ones for close to-50 years...UNTIL I got the pellet smoker.
After using the Pit Boss Austin XL for about 3 months, ( even in a Minnesota winter) I got rid of all of my charcoal smokers but for one cabinet style charcoal smoker & I have not used that cabinet smoker since Nov. 2022.

I am so impressed that I wish I had one long ago.
BTW, I did steaks on it last night & did yardbird on it tonight. 2 days in a row. Cuz the weather was nice.
;)

Anyway, I rambled.

I cannot say how much I am impressed with these pellet smokers & I can only say that if I was to recommend a smoker to anyone, it would be a pellet one.

( I should add though, that I am still stuck in my ways about having a good charcoal style smoker... Just in case ya have no power to run the pellet smoker. ;) )

Get one~!
;)
 
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Wasalmonslayer

Wasalmonslayer

Well-Known Member
I have owned just about every smoker made from a little chief to a full blown custom offset.
Sold em all and have pit boss vertical smoker now and it does it all from 160 deg to 500.
Smoked fish, summer sausage, brats, turkeys, ribs, prime rib, chicken and on an on.
Best bang for the buck and if smoke flavor needs increases on large cuts I run a smoke tube and it is perfection!!
5 year no bs warranty and it just keeps on working it’s is a great smoker and if it died tomorrow there would be another one in its place by the time the sun set again.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
We have a Louisiana Grill 700? pellet grill and have been well pleased with it. I don't use it for smoking. LG makes a cold smoke cabitnet that attaches to the pellet grill. I missed it when they were on sale and have not popped for one yet. Apparently you can run the cold smke at about 90° for smoking things like cheese and eggs.
About every 5 years or so I pick up a used Master Built electric smoker off FB Market Place for no more than 50 bucks. I smoke mostly fish and peppers in that. I also have a gas grill that just won't die and we cook burgers and brats on that.
What I really want is to build a small smoke house, with an under ground remote fire pit like my Dad used to smoke carp in when I was a boy. Only he used an old 55 gallon drum. I want something a little nicer than that. Of course her grew up on a farm from birth in 1927 until about 1950. They had a smoke house, big enough to smoke multiple hams, and bacon, and sausages. Had until one windy day, when Uncle Willis fired it up and Grandpa warned him the chinking in the field stone foundation was getting bad and made it hard to control the draft. Yup, burned it down full of meat. Not just theirs, but also two neighbor's. That was long before I was born. I must have been damn near a tragedy.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
This is what I have.

mgrills.com

Grand Slam Pellet Grill and Smoker - American Made

The Grand Slam Pellet Grill & Smoker is the ultimate American made choice for grilling enthusiasts. With a spacious cooking surface, you can easily cater to your entire family. This versatile grill comes with convenient features like welded-in Pro Shelf Kit brackets, a Pro Series control...
mgrills.com mgrills.com

Have had it for roughly 6-7 years? Outside of replacing an igniter I have done no maintenance on it beside cleaning. No way round some basic cleaning.

Plug it in, set the temp, and wait. The PID is no different than what many of us use on our casting pot. In cold weather I will add some pellets to the combustion chamore to get the temp to rise quicker.

I leave pellets in all the time with no issues. Mine has a nice lip around the top of the hopper to keep water out and I also keep it covered.
 
Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
One warning I am sure everyone that has had a pellet grill for smoking. If the meat is fatty, make sure to have something to catch the grease. Or before shutting it down, turn it to high and burn off the grease inside. I have almost burned my house down the first time I learned this lesson.

I smoked 4 pork butt over 2 days. About a week later I went to cook a steak. I did not have anything in it to catch all that grease. It lit it up and caught fire. It was so hot it burned the paint off the one side of the smoker. I had to replace the internal temp probe it got so hot.

And make sure to store your pellets inside. And to empty your hopper each time you use it afterwards.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I store the extra pellets, in the factory bag, in my garage. I have never emptied the hopper. Never had a problem. I do keep my smoker covered so rain water is not getting into the hopper.
 
D

dale2242

Well-Known Member
I use my Pit Boss pellet grill to smoke heavy portions of meat, pork butts, ribs etc.
I use my Big Chief to smoke jerky and fish.
 
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