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Home BBQ experts, educate me on smokers.

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A few folks seem confused about propane and electric smokers. Both use wood chips to smoke meat. Both use water pans to aid in heat transfer ie you don't need as much propane or electricity to reach a specific temp. Both have set and forget temp control. Both take about 20 minutes to heat up. Both have vents and dampers to customize smoke control. Propane is portable and usually cheaper than electricity. Some electric smokers have other controls such as delayed start time or probe based shut offs.
 
If you really want some good info on smokers go to smokingmeatforums.com. Yes, it sounds homosexual but it's not. Those folks really know their BBQ. There have been times where I've just wasted hours looking through the custom built and modded smoker threads.
 
MagnusTheBrewer said:
A few folks seem confused about propane and electric smokers. Both use wood chips to smoke meat. Both use water pans to aid in heat transfer ie you don't need as much propane or electricity to reach a specific temp. Both have set and forget temp control. Both take about 20 minutes to heat up. Both have vents and dampers to customize smoke control. Propane is portable and usually cheaper than electricity. Some electric smokers have other controls such as delayed start time or probe based shut offs.
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Huh? If you add a pan of water, you need more energy (electricity or gas) to get to your final temp. A pan of water adds a considerable amount of mass that must also be heated. Do you mean that the water will help stabilize the temperature? If so, that is true.
 
sjwaste said:
Huh? If you add a pan of water, you need more energy (electricity or gas) to get to your final temp. A pan of water adds a considerable amount of mass that must also be heated. Do you mean that the water will help stabilize the temperature? If so, that is true.
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Water vapor conducts heat more efficiently than air. Happy now?
 
Fritzo said:
He speaks the truth. It also keeps the meat from drying. Some smoker pros even make a smoking "brine" made of various liquids to do this.
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I use apple juice. Keeps the outside a bit moist and acts as a heat sink. I use a side fire box smoker and even with some mods (chimney cord to close off gaps, perforated deflection shield, lowered exhaust vent, etc) the side closer to the box can get quite a bit hotter. The tin of juice acts as a heatsink to regulate temps across the grates and to keep temps up in the chamber if weather is affecting the fire.
 
Fritzo said:
He speaks the truth. It also keeps the meat from drying. Some smoker pros even make a smoking "brine" made of various liquids to do this.
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am i right in thinking these "brines" would only carry water, floral, alcohol and other lightweight compounds? what temperature is typical for a water pan?
 
Depends on what you are smoking. If it's something like a pork shoulder then I like to go "dry pan" and get a good, thick bark on the roast. There's enough fat throughout the cut to keep it plenty moist. If I'm doing chicken or salmon I'll put water in there.
 
The Boston Dangler said:
am i right in thinking these "brines" would only carry water, floral, alcohol and other lightweight compounds? what temperature is typical for a water pan?
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Yeah, they put all sorts of things in there. One slick guy I saw at a competition in N. Carolina put some locally made whiskey in a sauce pan while his pig was cooking. After 8 or so hours, it turned into a smokey syrup, and he added that to his beans. Those were the best freakin' BBQ beans I've ever had. I've never tried to recreate them, but that was a slick idea. He said that the corn flavoring meshes with pork perfectly. In the Carolinas they baste their BBQ with either a mustard or vinegar based sauce, and it was really flavorful.

Temperature of the liquid isn't that important, just have to keep it filled and the heat 250-300F.
 
Damit! This thread is giving me a ravenous apetite for some BBQ! May have to run up to the local joint and pick up some ribs for dinner 🙂
 
quackagator said:
This baby
http://www.biggreenegg.com/
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Any serious BBQ avoids that hunk of shit like the plague. It's like the monster cable of BBQ. Great for smoking cheese or cold smoke, but otherwise useless. Not enough smoke to do much good. Yeah, I had one. Sold it after the crap it produced.

worthless as a smoker. Here's a hint - you need smoke to smoke something. That piece of shit is nothing but an oven. It does NOT smoke meat.
 
spidey07 said:
Any serious BBQ avoids that hunk of shit like the plague. It's like the monster cable of BBQ. Great for smoking cheese or cold smoke, but otherwise useless. Not enough smoke to do much good. Yeah, I had one. Sold it after the crap it produced.

worthless as a smoker. Here's a hint - you need smoke to smoke something. That piece of shit is nothing but an oven. It does NOT smoke meat.
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Yeah, it's more of a charcoal fired crock pot.
 
Fritzo said:
Yeah, they put all sorts of things in there. One slick guy I saw at a competition in N. Carolina put some locally made whiskey in a sauce pan while his pig was cooking. After 8 or so hours, it turned into a smokey syrup, and he added that to his beans. Those were the best freakin' BBQ beans I've ever had. I've never tried to recreate them, but that was a slick idea. He said that the corn flavoring meshes with pork perfectly. In the Carolinas they baste their BBQ with either a mustard or vinegar based sauce, and it was really flavorful.

Temperature of the liquid isn't that important, just have to keep it filled and the heat 250-300F.
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That sounds pretty good. I don't really think adding things to the water pan adds a ton of flavor, but using it to reduce a liquid, collect some of the drippings, and absorb some smoke sounds like a fantastic idea as a sauce base. Or those beans. I might be on the water pan wagon again, just because of that.
 
Fritzo said:
41AJHXPCH1L._SL500_AA300_.jpg


I added the firebox option for the side as well. I've since made my own barrel smoker, but still use this for small jobs.
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:thumbsup:

I've been using the same grill for 7 years. Have the firebox on the side too. Awesome smoker. Just recently got the gas version of this for quick burgers and steaks.
 
Texashiker said:
If you want to set it and forget it, use an oven. That way you dont even have to go outside and get your hands dirty.
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Actually, for something like a brisket or pork butt, that is a perfectly viable option. If you're going to have the meat on the heat for 12 hours you do NOT need smoke for 12 hours. You can put it in the smoker for 4 or 5 hours then transfer to a 225* oven to finish and have perfectly acceptable food.
 
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