Smoker recommendations please

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4meandthem

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I have owned the Brinkman smoke and go and the red larger version with a porcelain coating before and both were decent. I wound up giving them away because my wife is not big on smoked foods. I now have 2 kids (ten years later) and want to introduce them to smoked foods that we can enjoy when sweetie is away or eating something different.

I currently own a weber kettle for charcoal and I have a nice canadian gas grill I really like. I want something I can grill with wood and slow smoke a turkey or brisket when I want.

What do any you have that fits the bill and you would buy again?
 
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Check out Traeger. These are self feeding thermostat controlled smokers. Much easier to use, perfectly smoked foods, best smoker I've owned but pricey $$$

Less expensive and would work with your weber kettle is a smokenator. This is a metal insert made to fit your diameter kettle that holds wood chips and inexpensive at $60. If you go this route here is some good advice on setting your kettle up for smoke.

.40
 
Although I don't own one, I have friends that have them and really like them. They are also more versitile than just a smoker. The BGE.
 
I've been smoking on a Weber kettle. I use the set up on the "here" link. It works fine. You just manage the amount of charcoal and wood chips/chunks based on the size of the meat.
 
Right after I win the lottery for hundreds of millions, I'm buying a house with a big yard so I can get a really nice smoker and smoke lots o stuff. It will go in an area across from my 52 car garage.
 
I use this old heap, I love and understand her.Clic on pics to make bigger garden & BBQ 006.jpg

garden & BBQ 007.jpg
 
I used to use my Weber kettle for smoking and it did a fine job. Long, low temp smokes for several hours without refueling.
I needed a little more capacity so I built myself a UDS (Google: ugly drum smoker) last summer from a reconditioned food grade 55 gallon drum. It is very fuel efficient with either lump or charcoal briquettes, toss in a few wood chunks for smoke and it can easily cruise at smoking temps for 12+ hours. Virtually zero maintenance and very easy cleanup.
If I were looking for another smoker I would build another one of the same.
It's a fun DIY project with readily available parts if you're into that sort of thing. :))

img_1130212_0_2a947ae8c9336a73dff9a89a3b5b9292.jpg
 
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forty_caliber said:
Check out Traeger.

Less expensive and would work with your weber kettle is a smokenator. This is a metal insert made to fit your diameter kettle that holds wood chips and inexpensive at $60. If you go this route here is some good advice on setting your kettle up for smoke.

.40

.40, your "here" link has a wealth of information! I have a Weber kettle, am considering a Smokenator.

Thanks!
 
.40, your "here" link has a wealth of information! I have a Weber kettle, am considering a Smokenator.

Thanks!

Meathead has Q'ing figured out pretty well. Of course that can't make up for native born Texan, but I give him the benefit of the doubt. :ROFLMAO:

Rhett & Link have an entertaining way of explaining the regional differences BBQ and why it has so many variations and means different things to different people. :wacko:

.40
 
The Smokenator is a neat device and it really works as advertised.
However, you can pretty much accomplish the same thing (with or without water pan) with a couple of common bricks in the kettle and using the Minion Method to light your briquettes. Lots of folks over in the bbq forums use this method.
 
I have a Chargriller with side box and it does ok, though it is a bit hands on when you are doing a long smoke.
 
Right now I think it is a toss-up between the electric charbroil thingy and either a side box smoker/gril or the old brinkmann/masterforge cylinder type smoker.
 
I have owned the Brinkman smoke and go and the red larger version with a porcelain coating before and both were decent. I wound up giving them away because my wife is not big on smoked foods. I now have 2 kids (ten years later) and want to introduce them to smoked foods that we can enjoy when sweetie is away or eating something different.

I currently own a weber kettle for charcoal and I have a nice canadian gas grill I really like. I want something I can grill with wood and slow smoke a turkey or brisket when I want.

What do any you have that fits the bill and you would buy again?
I have one of those little Brinkman's. But, my cousin took his like the one you might have had, and converted it to being an electric one so he could be out on the lake and smoke fish.
 
I have the gas version 3 in 1 version. Smoke, grill, roast and even bake with it. Love it, travels well too. We take it camping every time. It smokes wonderfull, and even faster. So when smoking make sure its set to low.
 
I used a Weber for years before I purchased a Smokin-it electric smoker. Set it and forget it.... No smoke ring though. That's all I smoke with. Salt, cheese, jerky, fish, ribs, brisket....

One nice thing is that when the wife and I have big based, we use it as a warming oven.

Mark
 

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