(Part 2) Best products from r/smoking

Reposting my comment from the last time this came up:

I'll second the recommendation for starting out with a Weber Kettle 22" for a first smoker if you're looking to get started smoking. It's the most versatile outdoor cooker you'll find for a reasonable price and it won't fall apart on you even if you abuse it, unlike others. Also, parts and accessories are far, FAR easier to find for it than any other cooker.

You can fit a full brisket or a full rack of ribs (or two) on it as long as you're careful and you rotate at least once during cooking. It has enough space to feed family and friends. You'll only need a larger smoker if you're regularly cooking for large groups of people (10 or more).

Pellet smokers are very convenient, but they aren't as versatile as charcoal smokers/grills. Maintaining high temps for searing, for example, can be difficult to impossible, depending on the unit. And with an automatic temperature controller, charcoal smoking can be made pretty darned hassle-free as they (if set up and used correctly) can virtually eliminate the need to adjust your vents.

If you maintain a low temperature like 225, you can get 6-8 hours out of the initial load of coal you place in the unit at the start of cooking. To give you an idea of the difference: this amounts to about a 1/4 to 1/3 of a large bag of Kingsford blue on my 22" Kettle.

Here's the exact setup I would suggest for starting out for your first few years of learning this craft:

Weber 22 inch Original Kettle - $99

Hinged, Heavy-Duty Cooking Grate (Hinges are crucial for adding charcoal in the middle of a cook and this will last quite a bit longer than the grate that comes with the vanilla Original) - $20

Slow 'N Sear smoking kit (Not 100% necessary but does make the heat way less direct, which is a very good thing when smoking)) - $90

IQ110 Automatic Temperature Regulator (Also not 100% necessary, but almost eliminates the need to tend your vents when smoking) - $140

Thermoworks Smoke (do NOT cheap out on your thermometer! Get something cheaper and you will just wind up constantly replacing probes due to them reporting false temps. You have been warned!) - $100

With this setup, you can turn out BBQ every bit as good as you can on anything short of a full-on log-burning offset smoker with just a little bit of practice, and you won't have to "baby" it. You just dump more charcoal in every 7-9 hours (depending on desired temps, wind, and leakage).

And if you decide to go with a WSM or other charcoal smoker down the road, the temperature regulator can be moved over and will work just as well with it.

Even though I have had a number of dedicated smokers, I find myself still using my Kettle quite a bit when I'm just cooking for myself, my immediate family, and/or one or two friends. It's just more efficient and less of a hassle.

For smoking, generally, my suggestion would be to either start in on your rib technique; maybe split two racks of ribs in half for a total of four pieces and experiment with leaving each one on for a different amount of time to see where you fall on the tenderness=done spectrum. I like mine so tender they almost fall off the bone, but can still hold up to a knife when slicing them. Others prefer them less tender; almost like biting into a steak. To each their own.

Or you can move on to your hot and fast technique with some chicken quarters (which are more forgiving and tastier when smoked than breasts). I generally recommend 300-325 for 1.5-2 hours. Since most folks' palates are so used to the flavor of chicken and it's a relatively mild meat, this is where you can really get a taste for the differences between woods. Always, always err on the side of adding less wood than you would think. 1-2oz on a charcoal smoker is plenty.

Save brisket for when you've got everything dialed in. It can be the most difficult to get right and has gotten to be one of the more expensive pieces of meat to smoke. Even where it's cheap you're usually looking at $40-50 per full (prime) brisket at the lowest.

The most useful thing to get a feel for is how to stabilize the temp of your smoker; make small changes to the position of your vents each time and have the patience to actually give it time for those adjustments to have an effect. Get a feel for what to do when you get a temperature spike from too much charcoal lighting off at once, for example. Will closing off the bottom vents be enough or do you need to choke it off with the top vent, as well (avoid if possible but use if necessary)? Stuff like that.

As always, a good set of temperature probes and thermometers is invaluable here!

Heres the deal with the weber smoker:


If you aren't filling up that top grate with 3 racks of ribs, or even filling the bottom grate there is honestly no point in using it unless you just want a fun hobby thing to do.

If you only want to do 1-2 racks of ribs, go grab a weber 22 inch kettle off craigslist. I got mine for 20 bucks.


It's ROI for charcoal use and time is very high compared to other smokers. Here are some tips that have gotten me lots of rave reviews on bbq using ONLY this smoker:

1. Always cook as much as you can.
   
2. Temp sweet spot is around 225-250
   
3. DO NOT TRUST THE LID THERMOMETER. It is always cold/off by 20 degrees minimum.
   
4. Get a good remote thermometer. The thermopro here is a good one to start with.
   
5. Consider getting a bbq controller. Its like CHEATING with a cook. I have the BBQ IQ130 (bluetooth), but the 120 on amazon here is amazing.
   
6. You can fill both the top and bottom grates with food. The max I have done is 2 small 14 lbs briskets on the bottom, and 3 pork butts on the top. Get a heavy duty table to use to set your stuff on when you need to wrap and rotate meat during a cook.
   
7. FILL THE WATER PAN UP, PERIOD. It acts as a buffer and helps control temp and keep it regulated. I fill with cold water. Every 2-3 hours on a cook I have a hose I carefully put in it, fill it up, and it keeps temps where they need to be.
   
8. Once every 4-5 cooks, do a HIGH HEAT BURNOUT with WOOD to get all the random flaky shit off it.
   
   The weber is a great backyard cooker. Many people win LOTS of competitions with them. It will serve you for MANY, MANY years if maintained well.
   

I read both /r/smoking and r/bbq, and /r/bbq in general has better traffic and is more suited to "can someone tell me about this model smoker"?

Anyhoo, it's a little hard to tell the quality from the picture. Brinkmann is a good name. I liken them to Toyota. Not the best on the market, also not the worst. I have a Brinkmann SnP and while it has drawbacks, it's not something that I'm unhappy with. It's a good name to start with. That said, some things are unclear. I have two major issues. The first is heat movement. If the meat is sitting directly over the coals, you need some sort of a deflector to prevent the meat from grilling (smoking is more like cooking with an oven). I also can't see vents. A fire needs a good supply of oxygen to burn; this requires good vents. If you have shitty vents, you'll get shitty food. With barbecue, there really is a link between how much a smoker costs and how good it is. A smoker that's $100 or less will either make shitty food or fall apart within a year. If not both. This is a mistake everyone of us has learned the hard way.

I wouldn't focus so strongly on a brisket at first. We all have our favorite things to smoke, but I strongly advocate doing your first smoke with a pack of bratwursts as well as a turkey or pork shoulder. Turkey and pork shoulder are delicious smoked, they're cheap, and they're hard to eff up. Brisket is tricky to get right. If you have tons of money and wouldn't be upset to destroy a $30+ cut of beef in maiden smoke, that's one thing. But your maiden smoke is hard. Believe me- my first time, I literally took three hours to get my rig up to temperature. I actually wondered if there was a risk that my pork shoulder spoiled on the way to being cooked (it didn't, but I'm sure I'd get a ticky mark from a health inspector). The bratwursts are there to keep you fed during the 10 hours your pork shoulder (or whatever) takes to cook.

As for chips/charcoal ratio, I would suggest you read up a bit about BBQ before starting. You really want to use hardwood lump charcoal, and you should avoid chips if at all possible. The reason is that when you buy a nice bag of hickory or cherry chips, it's probably 50-80% cut with oak. Think: how often do you drive past a stand of hickory trees? How often do you drive past a stand of oak trees? This tip and lots, lots more will be covered in any good BBQ book. I recommend two:

1. Smoke & Spice
   
2. Peace, Love, and Barbecue
   
   If you hate books : ( then there's a fantastic online resource called Amazing Ribs (which discusses all types of BBQ, including I'm sure your coveted Texas-style brisket).
   
   As I said before, don't buy wood chips. Buy chunks or logs. You'll find a few types at your local Home Depot or Lowes, and any type of wood you can't find there is available at Barbecue Wood. They're a bit pricey, but they ship anywhere in the lower 48 free. And when I say any kind of wood, I mean any. I've been itching to try some of their pecan wood; just haven't gotten around to it because I'm sitting on a big pile of hickory I don't want to get moldy.
   
   Hope that helps! Feel free to send me a PM if you want (though I'm a bit slow these days as I'm moving), and remember that at /r/BBQ you'll probably get more responses to your equipment inquiries.

The pressure smoker is a good idea. It won't give you a good bark, but so what; you can still get great flavor.

Another option, if you have a range hood that vents outside, is a stovetop smoker. I have this one. It's great for pre-smoking food before pan searing to finish: steaks, chops, chicken breasts, burgers, sausages. Also for smoking onions, garlic, cauliflower, cheese, nuts, butter, salt, etc. If you remove the sliding lid and fashion a foil balloon, you can smoke a pork butt or chuck roast for 2-3 hours, then finish in the oven at 250F.

As far as powdered smoke goes, it seems this product is better suited to using as an ingredient in spice rubs, since it's in dry form. If you're going to inject, you might as well use liquid smoke.

But sure, heat up equal parts apple juice and cider vinegar, then dissolve some salt, brown sugar and powdered smoke. Let cool and season to taste with Worcestershire and crushed fresh garlic. Inject a 5-6 lb pork butt. Add some of the smoke powder to your rub, and apply, then chill overnight. Roast at 250F to an internal temp of 200-205F, probably 7-9 hours. I'd cover with foil after 4-5 hours, once the surface is a nice roan color.

I live in an apartment as well and I've been using one of these to smoke. It's not true smoking, but it actually does get a good smoke flavor into your food. If you're not able to use the parking lot, a Cameron's smoker is a great hold-over. I've made sausage, pasta sauce, burgers, chicken, pork, salmon, turkey legs, and even venison with it. The food tastes great and it's perfect for apartments.

I have the Oklahoma Joe Highland and I like it. Fairly heavy construction for a low price. It weighs about 200lbs. It eats a lot of fuel but it is easy to maintain temperature and everything I have smoked on it has come out delicious. I generally have to feed it charcoal every 2-3 hours to keep it at temp so it requires some maintenance but not too much.

The only modifications I made to mine was some self stick seals for the doors and some food grade high temp sealant for the joints between the firebox and the barrel. Without those it leaked a lot of air/smoke.

I would also recommend a thermometer because the one built into the lid always reads 25-50 degrees hotter than the temperature at the grate where your food is. I use this one and it works great. Just glance at it every now and then to check if I need to add more fuel.

So I didn't really use an 'all-in-one' guide kind of a method, mostly just creeping on here and then taking the best videos, sites, and recommendations from it all.

Best video to watch for trimming a brisket, I found was the BBQ with Franklin video; I watched it a few times, and watched it while I was trimming, and still feel like I didn't quite do it "right". It's intimidating once it's in front of you. Thought I knew what the point and the flat were, and it's pretty obvious, but once I started trimming, and it started looking more uniform, I kind of lost track of where I was a bit.

Brisket weight, I honestly went with the cheapest one they had at the butcher shop near my house - I didn't want to waste my money on something huge, or nice, but wanted to try a full packer and not a pre-trimmed cut. Went with a 9lb brisket for like $30.

I used a Maverick ET733 thermometer but like I said, between the two probes I've noticed smoking other things that they're off about 10deg between each other. From what I've seen on this forum, the WSM forum and other places, they're pretty accurate out of the box; I think I got a bad set of probes. I also have a thermapen for steaks and stuff so those got me in the ballpark on internal temp and smoker temp and the thermapen kind of helped verify everything at the end.

Smoked with hickory wood chunks. I would've used apple or cherry (out of preference), but when I went into my garage, that's all I had left, so that's what I went with. Used the minion method for wood/coals. Only really checked on it about 3x the whole time because I was working on other things and didn't want to keep checking and extending the cook time by opening and closing the smoker; didn't spray it, didn't wrap it during the smoke. Wrapped it in foil when I pulled it out for about an hour and a half on the countertop before I cut it. Chopped the point off and made burnt ends. :)

2 things.

For quick setup and entry for really cheap is your Smoky Joe's big brother, the 22in Kettle. You can check for floor models at most box stores to see if you can get one cheap. (i just got my target floor model 22 in for $50 for the second year in a row) Or you can look on craigslist/FMP for the 22in for anywhere from $20-$50.

The other cheap option is Ugly Drum Smoker. Cheap and effective and fun to tinker with. Gives you tons of space to do small or big cooks.

Finally if you just want to spend $250

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-711001-Mountain-14-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B00FKE67V2

Very small so no room to scale but still good entry level. The issue for me is just because its just you and your boyfriend doesn't mean your cooking vessel shouldn't have the proper space for smoking.

A bigger vessel gives room to learn temp control and I loved the UDS for that reason.

Hopefully that is helpful.

You can never go wrong with a thermometer, but if you're looking for some other suggestions.

Aaron Franklin's Meat Smoking Manifesto it's a great read for experienced and amateur smokers.

A nice slicing knife like this, it's nice to have and they don't typically come with knife sets.

An injector to take his meats to the next level.

One of the best "reference" sites is Meathead Goldwyn's amazingribs.com. He also just released a book -- more technique than recipes, although there are a bunch.

Another really great smoking book is Franklin Barbecue. This one is much more about the technique and has only a few recipes. But reading it helped my understanding of the process and really ramped up my game. (and I'd already been smoking for several years.)

And of course anything by Steven Raichlen - http://www.projectsmoke.org

Meathead's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X

Franklin book: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200

Good luck -- smoking is a lot of fun and you never quite "get there" -- you are always learning something new...

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393240053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9JbiDb82S780M


This book is amazing, i have a 15lb ham hanging in my dining room drying. I used their basic dry cure, pulsed about 5 ancho Chiles in a magic bullet until they were powder put the cure on the belly flipped every other day for 5-7 days pulled it out of the bags, cut a piece rinsed and fried it to check my salt level(at this point you can let it cure longer they say up to 10 days but it gets super salty. After you’re happy with your salt level rinse thoroughly and pat dry let sit in fridge(or the garage if it’s cold out, hence why i like doing it in January/February) over night suspended and uncovered. Then cold smoke for about 16 hours on applewood(I’m a big fat cheater and use the masterbuilt cold smoking attachment about $50 on amazon and cut a hole in a 55gallon drum absolutely perfect setup) if you’re afraid it’s gonna get too warm keep a tub of ice in the bottom.

I installed one of these last weekend and calibrated it to the probe temp at the grate. The iGrill2 wireless is great but its nice that I can just glance at this one from across the patio (at 5" diameter its pretty easy to see).

I've got opinions on a couple of these:

-1. pork butt is super forgiving...next closest I would say is a prime rib roast. It's a nice big chunk of tasty meat that smokes up nicely. Turkey breast is another tough to screw up option.

-3. You'll want a wireless like a Maverick and a decent instant read unit, the Lavatools Javelin is a very good and inexpensive option

I think there's the foundation of a good idea here, but I think it needs more work. One of the attractions of al pastor is that it's broiled on the trompo, so the bits of meat are seared at high heat, which lends them a lot of flavor. I think it's great that you're smoking the meat, but after it's cooked, I still think you're missing out if you skip the sear. You could hit it with a Searzall, ideally, or just a plain propane torch.

I've owned probably 5 of these, over the last 7 years. I kept buying them because they were cheap, and they ran the dual function of grill and smoker, and here are my thoughts for whatever they are worth:

• Depending on your climate, these things rust out really fast. I live in South Florida, and I would get about a year out of one before it was totally unusable. That said, at $60 a pop, it made sense to me.
  
  
• They work pretty well as a grill. They have a lot of surface area, and you can do some creative things with indirect versus direct, versus grilling with some extra fire and smoke in the fire box.
  
  
• As serviceable as they are for grilling, they are really hard to use for smoking. The design on most of them has the smokestack at the top of the half-barrel, which means a lot of your heat and almost all of your smoke will go from the firebox, up to the top of the half-barrel, then out of the chimney. As a result, the stuff closer to the firebox will wind up with VASTLY more smoke than the stuff farther away. This is not necessarily a bad thing if you are cooking a lot of different stuff at once, and want varying smoke intensity. It can be a bad thing, however, if you want consistency. Additionally, compared to other kinds of smokers, you need a larger amount of smoke to get the same flavor because of the inefficiency.
  
  
• It can teach you all of the principles of smoking, if only through troubleshooting its flaws.
  
  If it were me, with that budget, I would go with a classic weber kettle which is a hell of a grill, but also can produce some GREAT smoked foods with some accessories.
  
  If you find you're using it a lot, save up for a weber smoky mountain, and you'll have all the gear you'll ever need (but your smoker lust will have just started).
  

You need 3 books.

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fBcDzbYN9KZW9


Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YBcDzb7V60BMC


Project Smoke: Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana, Plus 100 Irresistible Recipes from Classic (Slam-Dunk Brisket) to Adventurous (Smoked Bacon-Bourbon Apple Crisp) by Steven Raichlen (2016-05-10) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FEKD1XI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ACcDzbGV4NSBK

You're welcome.

I got this one. The app is good and easy to setup, I like it a lot better than my Maverick plus it has 6 probes

I got a WSM a couple of years ago. I also got the Meathead book at the same time. Using the recipes in there my friends and family always want me to cook for parties. Get a wireless thermometer and it's great.

A couple of things help. First, don’t slice it right after smoking. Throw it in the fridge overnight. It firms up and is much easier to slice thinly.

Second, buy a good slicing knife. Something like this: Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-Inch Granton-Edge Slicer Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P0OIBM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P2cJAbZJT3HZD

i use This Dyna-Glo

i love it! It is ~$177 and works great for me. i am going to be entering my 1st KCBS competition this spring and this is what i plan to use. (hopefully i won't be shunned as a newbie)

Obviously if you're a Q-Enthusiast you may already have most of these, but in addition to the other post:

Bear Paws

Flavor Injector

If you have a big spender looking for ideas, Automatic Temperature Regulator or any of their competitors

For the poor person looking for ideas, could give them a rub recipe you love (e.g. Meathead's Memphis Dust) and have them make it out of stuff they likely have access to in their spice cabinet already. The rub will have a limited shelf life, but useful to have and cheap for them to put together in a mason jar. Similarly, could ask for good hardwood to throw in the smoker

1. I've heard this before from people, but it's nonsense. I can easily make things bitter from too much smoke if I want to using my Traeger. But there's no way I can go back to a non-pellet smoker giving the convenience. Sometimes I have a lot going on and the smoker is only part of that day, not the center of it. The hands-off nature achieves that. And the smoke flavor is plenty enough.
   
   
2. I wouldn't recommend trying it. I can get mine up to around 500F on a hot day, which is not nearly enough (and it takes a while). If you're just looking for something that will put a high-temp sear on a piece of meat (like for finishing it off, searing scallops, etc) you could try something like a Searzall. You could also just use the broiler in your oven (it's basically just an upside down grill). Or if you want to be a little more traditional, just put a cooking grate top of a charcoal chimney starter.
   
   I cook a lot of things sous vide the last few years. I've found myself searing the meat that comes out of the bag in a cast iron skillet on a portable butane burner that I can take out onto the back porch if I'm searing something like steak. I also sometimes will use that to put a crispy exterior on things that have come off the smoker. It's only 11K BTU, but it does a very good job at making the cast iron extremely hot.

good tip on the door, thank you. i'll keep an eye on it and start dreaming up fixes.

wrt the eel, im an hour from the DC fish market. nofear.

im looking at a slightly cheaper model of thermometer, that appears to do everything i need it to. reviews arent unpleasant, its on sale. the smoker is going to be, directonally, about 30 feet from my computer, so im not too worried about range on the wireless ohshitometer. is there specific places i should place the probes? top of the smoker? bottom? between the meat? IN the meat?

I use this and am very happy with it: Maverick Wireless Dual Probe Thermometer . You can take the wireless reader around the house with you or set it in your kitchen, whatever your fancy. It's great.

That would work great but I was talking about this https://www.amazon.ca/Weber-711001-Mountain-14-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481408962&sr=8-1&keywords=weber+smoker

Its a gril but works amazing as a smoker. You can usually find them at a big box retailer for 150

Might I suggest a Weber Smokey Mountain? They are awesome cookers and have an almost cult like following on the various BBQ forums and lots of videos on YouTube, this will help him learn quickly. They are well built (it's a Weber) and should last a very long time. Lots of BBQ teams use them too!

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-711001-Mountain-14-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awdotod_h8NCwb0JAB1MA_tt

It looks like it's pretty much the same guts as every other bluetooth thermometer, at least judging by the fact that it's using the exact same app (just rebranded for Inkbird vs. something like Tenergy Solis or any number of other rebranded versions of the same). If someone hacks any one of those, they'll all effectively be hacked.

What to give the man that has everything? Something rare, something he probably won't think he needs...

1. Guava Wood! some darn hard wood for smoking. Great with pork and chicken as it is a fruit wood. Ok with beef. http://www.hawaiiguava.com/
   
   
2. a TORCH.. why not? Make creme Brulee, caramelize that sauce etc.
   
   Get the TS8000 and this :
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Booker-Dax-Searzall-Blowtorch-Attachment/dp/B00L2P0KNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419274787&sr=8-1&keywords=searzall
   
   
3. How about if he wants to cold smoke some cheese:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/A-MAZE-N-AMNPS5X8-A-maze-n-Pellet-Smoker/dp/B007ROPJ1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419274936&sr=8-1&keywords=wood+pellet+smoke+tray
   
   

River Country!!! To install in the WSM, I had to purchase a unibit and drill out the hole to 13/16" to fit it in, but this thing is affordable and bang-on accurate!!!! Stole the idea from T-Roy Cooks on youtube. Additionally, there's a set-screw type deal in the back where you can calibrate it - so if you wanted it to sit in the hood like I have but actually read what the temp is at the grate level, you can stick a probe in at grate level and calibrate the River Country to read what that reads- so even though it's placed in the top of the smoker, it will read the correct transcribed temp from the grate level. Couldn't recommend this therm enough.

River Country Therm


Unibit Set for drilling

If you're new to sausage making I'd recommend this book, it's got good sausage recipes and lots of tips. Only deviation I make is I only use maybe a quarter of the ice cold water they recommend putting in the sausage, otherwise it comes out a bit crumbly I find.

Cooker: Kingsford Barrel Grill (Not technically a smoker, but I've learned to BBQ on anything).

Time: 3 1/2 hours for whole chicken and 2 hours for wings.

Temp: 250F

Wood: Hickory

Equipment: Tenergy Solis Digital Meat Thermometer w/6 probes. This was my first time using it after I bought it and I was very impressed. Used 1 probe to read cooking chamber temp and one for the whole chicken. Worth the $54 and uses a Bluetooth app.

Edit: link to thermometer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077821Z4C?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Mercer Culinary M13914 Millennia 14-Inch Granton Edge Slicer, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P0OIBM/

Something like that will make the brisket slicing SOOOO much better. Watermelon too lol

I'd pay attention to knife edge guard and get one if it's not included.

I would go with the Weber Smokey Mountain as mentioned, it is a relatively cheap investment for something you aren't sure you will pursue in the long run. They maintain temp like nobody's business and provide quality results with a minimal learning curve. Additionally, the money you save from not buying an expensive smoker can go into a much needed dual probe thermometer such as a Maverick.


If you want a truly set it and forget experience you can buy this little gadget. All for around $650 (depending on size of WSM) total investment.


Note: The IQ 120 is not a requirement just nice to have.

allthingsbbq and HowToBBQRight are great youtube channels to watch to get you started. I also recommend Meatheads Book.

I am looking to move to a propane smoker myself. I was looking at the Masterbuilt unit you referenced above and then I came across an article that said this was rated best top end propane smoker: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006FU06M6/?tag=outdoorlivinggear-20

Reasonable price also. Anyone know anything about Smoke Hollow?

This is the one I got:

https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Hollow-44241G2-44-Inch-Vertical/dp/B006FU06M6

Would love to get into making briskets and ribs! There’s only 2 of us so I think I jumped the gun space wise too it’s very big.

two of these

It’s definitely worth doing on any smoker, and if you haven’t I recommend a high temp silicon based sealant to coverup all the cracks on the outside.

I ended up getting this and my buddy got this one which he's says is also good. But don't take my word for, see what else reddit likes.

Interesting - I'd never heard of a pressure smoker before. Found a few online for others who are interested:

https://www.amazon.com/Emson-Smoker-Indoor-Pressure-Smoker/dp/B005G6TQE4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-T16008-Digital-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B00SX8SGDO

Yes it works well. I had to use acetone to clean the surface before I stuck it on. This is the tape

The River County 5" seems like a good replacement

This looks awesome! I actually ended up doing this without the marinade and I made my own BBQ sauce. Turned out great. I've been thinking of getting the book Smoke and Spice but I might have to get both.

I have one the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker which works vey well.

I've also heard really good things about Pit Barrel Cooker though I haven't used one myself.

Love my Pit Barrel Cooker

Personally, I have gotten much enjoyment and use from Smoke & Spice, even as a beginner. It also has solid information on smoking techniques for beginners, which I still consider myself.

Have you thought about looking into a pressure smoker? My dad has one in his apartment and he likes it a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/Emson-Electric-Indoor-Pressure-Smoker/dp/B009SBY1RU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

There's also a cheaper 5 QT version:

http://www.amazon.com/Emson-Electric-Smoker-Pressure-Smoker-Cook/dp/B005G6TQE4

You are going to smoke up your entire apartment with one of those without a industrial hood.

Haven't tried one but this might be a better option ...

http://www.amazon.com/Emson-Electric-Smoker-Pressure-Smoker-Cook/dp/B005G6TQE4

Buy this one and fix it up:

Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQ59VTO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H559AbHEER2HX

It’s amazing

Opening it every half hour to probe the meat will make it incredible difficult to maintain consistent heat in the kettle.
Also, if you are not constantly monitoring the pit temp, you are asking for disaster.

I recommend getting something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Remote-Smoker-Thermometer-ET-73/dp/B0000DIU49/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1415644800&sr=8-8&keywords=maverick+thermometer

Its a great price and you can watch the temp of the kettle as well as the meat from your house.

My dome thermometer doesn't work but I don't care because I have an Weber iGrill, 4 probe wireless thermometer. I use one for grill temp and the three others for meat temp. I bought the Cajun Bandit door because it looks and seals so much better. I was still losing a lot of smoke around the lid so I bought this gasket. All I did was clean the lip around the barrel and it sticks just fine. I also bought the grommet and drilled the hole for it. It's not necessary but I like it better this way.

Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-Inch Granton-Edge Slicer Knife
I've really enjoyed working with this one.

thanks for the review! Is this what you're talking about?

https://www.amazon.ca/Weber-711001-Mountain-14-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481408962&sr=8-1&keywords=weber+smoker

My wife got me one for Christmas, and I've used it for smoking a few times so far. I've used it so far on fresh tomatoes (for making Bloody Mary mix), salmon, chicken, and pork chops. A little teaspoon of the wood chips (they go a long way...) produces a lot of smoke.

It definitely works well for smoking delicate meats (and now I'm going to try it on cocktails!). Putting smoke into pans covered with foil / plastic wrap, and into ziplocs, the smoke will leak into the room, so be aware of that. Also, I've found for some things that 2 or 3 applications of smoke may be needed.

I am looking forward to experimenting with teas and dried herbs (Earl Grey-smoked pork?) - but don't think coffee would work in it.

Will this work on anything large you want to smoke? Probably not. But something like ribs, with maybe several applications over several hours? Maybe.

You might also look into a stove-top smoker. It will cook and smoke, but also something you want to use with a window open...

Really, really like this one. Bluetooth with an app and 6 probes with lengthy cables, in case if you're doing a lot of different meats.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077821Z4C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I will post the other one as I make it. This one is just tossed together and most of it isn't even welded yet. Lots of high temp silicone and and chimney putty.

I'm kinda leaning towards maybe building a vertical offset and pellet combination. A guy that lives a few miles from me has an old traeger I can buy cheap and scrap out the auger and hopper. I would offset from right bottom of the vertical shack and pellets from left or back.

A smoker friend of mine got the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQ59VTO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_y9uDxbAFKEBDS a few months back and I really like the vertical offsets now. His is a little small but we still had lots of ribs going and a tray of beans on the bottom. :P

These are the handles: https://amzn.to/2LJaYJN I took a pair of sturdy pliers and a crescent wrench and bent the mounting tabs slightly to fit the curve of the grill. I think you can see what I'm referring to in one of my other pictures

And this is the thermometer: https://amzn.to/2JvcMn4 I get a couple cents in amazon referral on this...full disclosure

This is the guy I'm looking at picking up next, hear a lot of good things about it: Pit Barrel.

You really should use Food Safe Hi-Temp Sealant on smokers.

This is a good book if you ask me.

It doesn't look too hot to me. In the pic titled, "Day light and Bear is on watch" you can see the thermometer fairly clearly, at least clear enough to see that the needle is on the left side of the colored in area of the thermometer. Here is a similar model, and it looks like the colored in area of the thermometer ranges from 225 to 275, with the left edge being at 225. I think you are right about the sauce preventing a smoke ring, but I think he probably pulled it well before it should have been pulled. I think he pulled it while stuck in the middle of the stall.

I just did the same thing, and used the food grade stuff good up to 500. I went with it to be sure that I wasnt eating any off-gassing crap that wasnt food safe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0114AERBM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Industries-ET-73-RediChek-Thermometer/dp/B0000DIU49/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340224672&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+smoker+thermometer

this is the one that i have an i love it, you can set alarms for both the smoker and food temps so if it goes too high or low you will know

Buy this book:http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Spice-Cooking-Real-Barbecue/dp/1558322620/ref=pd_sim_b_21

Cook everything in it. Die of a heart attack in sheer bliss.

I got mine on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Regulator-Standard-Adapter-Mountain/dp/B00A7F1B60/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=iq+110&qid=1556438728&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Without a doubt the Maverick ET-733.

If they allow burning charcoal and such, 14 inch weber smokey mountain. Right on the $ with your budget too. I have to cut a 3 pound slab of st. louis cut ribs in half to get it to fit, but it works. I smoked a 12 pound turkey (came out perfect) in one of these for thanksgiving, and a 3 pound tri tip was my first cook.

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-711001-Mountain-14-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B00FKE67V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482213486&sr=8-1&keywords=WEBER+SMOKEY+MOUNTAIN+14+INCH

amazingribs.com for recipes and ideas

I can't speak to whether or not these things work, but this is probably your only legitimate option.

Mercer Culinary Millennia 14-Inch Granton-Edge Slicer Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P0OIBM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_JbhJCtB676CU8

Meathead’s book is a smoking bible. https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_7FiZCbQ22SCF8

This is the one I have my eye on: Maverick ET-73 BBQ set

It comes with both a meat probe and a pit probe. For about the price of two replacement probes.

Meathead’s book


https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_zd0ODbRMDPP7M

Drop another $50 and get a 14.5 WSM

http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Spice-Cooking-Real-Barbecue/dp/1558322620/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345019615&sr=8-1&keywords=smoke+and+spice

They actually make these, she even mentions Camerons in the video

http://www.amazon.com/Stovetop-Smoker-Original-Camerons-Stainless/dp/B00004SZ9D

http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Remote-Smoker-Thermometer-ET-73/dp/B0000DIU49/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1419911294&sr=8-9&keywords=maverick+thermometer

Mercer Culinary M13914 Millennia... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P0OIBM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Boom.

I settled for a 22.5 kettle because I didn't want to spring for a whole smokey mountain.

That was 5 years ago and I still use it for everything.

Sorry for this cut and paste abortion on mobile - Stovetop Smoker - Stainless Steel Indoor Or Outdoor Smoker Works On Any Heat Source - with Recipe Guide and Wood Chips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SZ9D/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_apa_5MWjzb29J7V1E

Nope, not at all!

http://www.amazon.com/Stovetop-Smoker-Original-Camerons-Stainless/dp/B00004SZ9D

It's nothing like the fancy stuff you guys are used to, but it gets the job done.

Others here have given you advice on using a proper temp gauge, getting one for the smoker and one for the meat, but they forgot one. Get a beer or some liquor,relax, and have one or five drinks.

Also this is the temp probe I have Maverick Redichek . Not the best but it gets the job done.

I had the same trouble with that same unit. I gave up and bought this

This. Electric is convenient but makes inferior BBQ. Just work down this list and stop when you've spent enough money.

• 18 in. WSM
  
• charcoal chimney
  
• smoke wood
  
• charcoal
  
• Meathead's book
  
• wireless thermometer
  
• silicone gloves
  
  Maybe add a bone-in Boston butt (pork shoulder) for a first project.