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Let’s Talk About Smokers

ThumbsMcGee

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2018
Messages
223
I will be becoming a homeowner soon, and one of the first upgrades to our lives will be a smoker. I know very little about smokers, so I figure why not ask on here to get input. What is everyone using and why is it great?


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Dedicated smoker or do you want to be able to grill on it as well?

Hard to beat an kamado/egg-style grill for that. Can smoke and grill on it.

Traegers are also really nice. I like how much control you get over smoke and temp on them. Maybe just a hair less fuss than a kamado.

I'd avoid any of the cheaper chargrillers or webers. There are better grills for the money.
 
Oh. Love this thread. First grill/smoker was a weber. I then have upgraded to a char-grill Acorn which I love until my neighbor bought a Pit Boss and now i am jealous, that thing is the BOMB. You can cook anything on it for as long as as you want. I will be getting one sometime this summer for sure.
 
Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha pellet grill. Its built like a tank and has a 4 year warranty. Customer service people were great when I was ordering it. So far I have cooked steaks, pizza, wings, and jerky on it. They have all come out great. It has the dual controller on it for steady temps, or more of a swing. I am sure there are other good smokers out there. Its just all a matter of preference and how much you want to spend.
 
I don't have anything terribly fancy either... started with a propane smoker, and got a free charcoal Weber Smokey Mountain that i really like - just seems to taste better cooked over coals. I know it isn't quite a smoker, but this is my baby. Talked the CFO into letting me get one as a house warming gift to ourselves - nothing says housewarming party like a pig roast!Screenshot_20200207-130600_Gallery.jpg
 
I have a pitboss pellet grill and a MB 40" electric smoker. I don't use the smoke function on the MB smoker, I use a Amaze-N smoke box in it. I don't smoke much on my pellet grill, it's not really what it's made for IMO. When I find the right old school fridge I will be building a smoker.
 
My wife bought me a MasterBuilt LP/Coal Smoker a couple of years ago and we've really enjoyed it. We smoked a prime rib for New Years and it was delicious! I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but it isn't all that difficult either. The one thing we've learned is that it is one of those things that you pretty much have to commit your whole day to doing it in order to keep the temp right and the wood chips at "smoking" We've done chicken, pork, beef, venison. For some of the bigger cuts of meat I would recommend some kind of injections system. We did not need that for the PR though.
 
Larger Weber for grill and smoker for small cooks.

Chargriller with firebox for multi butts and ribs. The cooking team I’m on usually mod the chargrillers with harbor freight knobby tires and custom steel plates for heat distribution below the grates and after market gauges. We have won a few Grandmaster and assorted hardware in the local shade tree competitions. They take some babysitting until you dial them in.

Also research big ugly drum smokers. You can DIY the heck out of those.




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Thumbs: Check out amazing ribs.com anything you want t know about smoking or grilling is on that sight and it is a good info, it all depends on how much time you have to put into smoking, the less time you have the better the smoker you want to buy. Charcoal can be a pain but it does give a better flavor but requires more babysitting ( OK if you like sitting around drinking beer). Gas and electric are OK if you don't have much time. One tip! If you are smoking fill your smoker because it cost almost as much to cook 3 items as it does to cook 1 item. I fill my UDS with beef pork and chicken and eat all week.
 
I have a Broil king keg kamado and love it. Do mostly grilling, but do the occasional smoking on it as well. Even with grilling, the lump charcoal gives it such great flavor. Even cook pizzas on it. It takes some getting used to with getting the right cooking temps, but can't be beat for that true smoky flavor while also getting a daily griller.
 
I have a pit barrel cooker, and love it. I also have a couple of ugly drum smokers
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I’ve had an Oklahoma Joe for 5-6 years, and it has worked great. It has charcoal, gas and is an offset smoker. I use the gas grill portion the least, and it’s starting to rust out. Next time around, I will buy a offset barrel Smoker, and a seperate gas grill.
 
I have a pitboss pellet grill and a MB 40" electric smoker. I don't use the smoke function on the MB smoker, I use a Amaze-N smoke box in it. I don't smoke much on my pellet grill, it's not really what it's made for IMO. When I find the right old school fridge I will be building a smoker.
What makes you say that the pellet grills are not made for smoking?
 
I have a camp chef pellet grill that I've smoked fish, chicken, and turkey on and it works great. I also cook pizzas on it and won't do them any other way now.
 
A weber grill can easily be smoked on. I've been running an 18 and a 22, would love 26, but they a bit more pricey. I've done many wings, pork butts and briskets on a simple weber 22.

22" here. Bought a Slow N' Sear on Cyber Monday. Don't see myself needing much more. Although I need to add a side table.
 
Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha pellet grill. Its built like a tank and has a 4 year warranty. Customer service people were great when I was ordering it. So far I have cooked steaks, pizza, wings, and jerky on it. They have all come out great. It has the dual controller on it for steady temps, or more of a swing. I am sure there are other good smokers out there. Its just all a matter of preference and how much you want to spend.

I started with a Weber barrel, when I purchased my first house and as the years flew by purchased more expensive or "popular" smokers. I took the plunge on a Grilla 3 years ago and it has never let me down. I don't smoke much, maybe 300 pounds of meat a year, and primarily stick with ribs, pork butt, chicken, and turkey, but have smoked in 10- 100 degree weather with no issues. Of course with any electronic smoker, water is your enemy - and I keep mine in the garage when not in use. I feel out of all the smokers I've owned, the Grilla is the easiest to operate, maintain, and clean -- for most smokes more of a set it and forget it type of thing. Come to think of it I have two spatchcoked birds sitting in a buttermilk brine for the past week that need to go on the smoker this afternoon!
 
Masterbuilt 560. It's a gravity fed charcoal grill/smoker.
Recently introduced with an 1120 due out this spring. I don't own one yet but follow a Facebook group of owners that do and they are legit.

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