Meat smokers?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

So I've been using an el cheapo "bullet" electric water smoker for years and its about time to get a new one since the old one is getting a little disgusting and they're pretty tough to clean.

My FIL also is interested in one.

Not looking to spend a brazillion dollars...I use it about five-six times a year and he might use it a couple of times and then shove it in the shed.

I figured one of the stainless interior "box" style smokers might be a better choice, although many of them seem to be $300-1000.

I saw the Kenmore Pro electric for $149. I might go over to the store and look at it tomorrow.

Anyone else got an easy to clean, easy to use electric unit thats under $200? I've fiddled with the wood and charcoal models and they were a pain in the patookis. The electric one was just way easier to use.

 

[Moemg]

We have a stainless steel one that my So bought online . It's electric and a pain to clean especially since he's a redneck and smokes the turkey gizzards . Uck !

 

[saluki9]

You clean your smoker?

I have an old brinkman electric bullet. I don't bother cleaning it, I just buy new grates for it every summer. I do about 5-6 briskets, 8 slabs of baby backs, and a couple fish on it every summer. Did a side of salmon yesterday that came out just great.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

The one I have is like this:

After using it and letting it sit, theres a quarter inch of rancid fat in the bottom and a nice layer of some not so good smelling stuff all over the inside.

I can open the bottom to clean it, but you have to take out about 15 screws, remove the element and the bottom plate, then scrape.

The only good way I found to easily clean it is to take a blow torch to the whole thing and burn it off. The smoker itself cant reach a high enough internal temperature to get the job done.

Otherwise, for about an hour after you turn it on it smells pretty bad. Thats not good eats.

I figured one of the box ones with the easy clean interior wouldnt get quite as nasty.

 

[Gazingus]

I love my Brinkmann electric bullet. I don't need a screwdriver to pull the element and change the rocks, though.

I have smoked turkeys, briskets, and ribs on it, but only about once a year. We cook 4-5 times a week, normally chicken or fish with the element section sitting on top, right below the meat. It's awesome for those foods; perfectly grilled chicken every time with no burning. It does not get hot enough to sear the fat on a steak, so that's the drawback, but if you're lowering cholestrol the natural way....

Last year, it was still $50 bucks at Walmart when I gave my parents one. I need a new element about once a year, so I keep a spare, $35, clicky-clicky on the internet and it appears behind me on the front porch two days later. That still amazes me.

Also, if you cook on it regular, it doesn't rust and the rocks or fake briquets will self-clean.

 

[donheff]

I have been using a Brinkmann electric water smoker for years with no smell problems. I always use the water tray and have to clean that but drippings never get down on the electric grid and rocks. The sides of the thing are a bit dark but it doesn't smell.

 

[donheff]

I have the Smoke'N Grill double electric. You lift the entire smoking section off the grid section so it is easy to get at the rocks/grid.

Edit: Thanks for bringing this up. It reminded me to order some new lava rocks. Mine were somewhat depleted.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Rocks? Mine lifts off as well, but the bottom part has a reflective disk that covers it and that has a hole in the middle and a notch about the size of a little fingernail. Thats screwed to the bottom 'dish', the element is attached to that, etc. Most of the gunk ends up in my water pan too but the water pan has about an inch gap between its edge and the sides of the smoker. No lava rocks involved though...


The other thing that happens with this is that its a great condensation device. About once a week I have to take the top off and pour water out of the bottom of the lower section. Leaving the top off solves that, but then it turns into a spider den. I didnt use it for about six weeks once, popped the top and had three black widows hanging around in there.

Hmmm...smoked black widow anyone?

 

[saluki9]

The one I have is like this:

After using it and letting it sit, theres a quarter inch of rancid fat in the bottom and a nice layer of some not so good smelling stuff all over the inside.

I can open the bottom to clean it, but you have to take out about 15 screws, remove the element and the bottom plate, then scrape.

This is why I love the Brinkman. The base isn't connected at all to the body, the body just rests on the base.

In the bottom there is the heating element, on top of which I put hickory hunks usually, and then above that on the middle shelf I put a disposable foil pan to collect fat. Plenty of smoke still hits the meat (enough for a good smoke ring) and the cleanup involves throwing the pan out and cleaning the grate that the meat rests on.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah, mine is setup the same way, lid, body with hangers for a water pan and two grill racks. In fact, mine might be a brinkman or be made by them.

Never tried a foil pan to catch drips, but then the only times I use the smoker is when I have it jammed full of stuff. I usually have ribs, a brisket and a pork shoulder in there or a couple of chickens, and sometimes add some shrimp or scallops for the last little bit of cooking.

Not a lot of room for a drip pan...

 

[donheff]

Sounds like Saluki and I may have the same version. Mine is a relatively cheap model. The bottom section holds lava rocks with a heater element that sits on top. You place the soaked wood chips right on the element. The water tray sits on clips under the lowest rack on the top half so drippings end up in the water tray, not on the elements. Mine will get water logged if I leave it outside but I keep it in the garage where it stays dry.

 

[TromboneAl]

Another electric bullet non-cleaner here. Reasonably satisfied.

What about those L'il Chief types -- they any good?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sounds like you guys have rocks in the bottom while mine has this fixed reflective disk that I guess is supposed to increase heat reflection upwards. The lava rocks would also capture and hold heat pretty well and absorb a lot of the grease, but need periodic replacement.

Hmmm...

Well I'll go over to sears and look at that box smoker, see what I see.

 

[CCdaCE]

My old man is pretty happy with his Masterbilt. Now they've added a vent and some other nice feature, that his didn't have.

Mine is a Bradley, but not this stainless one, just black. I'm happy with it, and now they've added an digital readout for temperature, as opposed to the 3" slider bar, to take you from 100-300 F or whatever, which was a pain to get adjusted. The drip tray goes into the water pan, "making cleanup a breeze".

The Bradley has the Bisquettes to create smoke, which is kind of a racket, to me. But, since I only smoke meat a couple times a year, it's just as easy as tryin' to hunt down a bag of maple chips or whatever. One Bisquette lasts 20 min. or so, so a pack of 48 for $20 lasts a long time. And, you can buy the 120-pack or some ungodly number for cheaper (per unit). I've seen them in "pick your local warehouse" club, or Lowe's or Home Depot or somewhere once in awhile. The used Bisquettes fall into the water pan which sits on the bottom, under the heating element.

4 racks, I think? I put 4 large salmon fillets in there, and still had a rack left.

If I had to buy another one, I don't think I'd change my choice, I got this one for my birthday two years ago, and the only better option is the digital temp. readout. The nice part with the Bisquettes is that you can do the cold smoking, walk away, do the hot smoking and walk away, etc.

Edit: Here's the Bisquettes.

-CC

 

[Pete]

Meat Smoker

Check out your local thrift store or online classifieds. Like this one for 50 bucks, new. Meco Model 5030 Electric Grill and Combination Water Smoker

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Well I dropped by sears and looked at it, and I like it. I also saw a Brinkman during my hardware store travels this afternoon. The brinkman is the same as what I have, except the bottom is open and easier to clean.

The kenmore electric looks good because it has dual wall construction (will help on windy or cooler days), the door allows access to four grates of food directly (my old bullet smoker required that you take one grill out to access the one below), the interior is a shiny stainless steel like easy wipe surface, the water and smoke tray slides out independently and doesnt require removing the cooking grates first to access it, and the bottom has a slope to the center with a hole and a drip cup for the grease that hangs underneath. It can be removed and dumped during use without opening the door.

So I think I might try it and see how things go. Other than digital temperature control, it seems to be similar to some other electric box smokers I've seen that were twice the price.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Picked them up yesterday and have one put together. Sprayed it all over with a little PAM and have it curing its paint out in the driveway.

Very pleased with it so far, I'll be trying some food in it tomorrow. Seems its temp range is good for 0-~275 although if I put it right out in the direct sun when its 100 out I'll bet it'll hit 325-340.

The grease draining system works well providing you keep the unit level. I sprayed about 3tbs of pam in it and got about 2tbs in the drip cup at the bottom about a half hour after turning on the heat.

 

[JDARNELL]

I have a smoker that I built years ago using 2 55 gal barrells. Bottom is the fire box with 2 vents coming up into the top. If I had my way I would buy a smoker by Dave Klose in Houston. You can to a search and find his site. Nice smokers

Tomcat98

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

So whats that sized for...2 or 3 burgers?

Holy cow. 110 gallons of smoked something. Back to the wholey cow... (saved you the trouble REW...)

Have half the family coming over tomorrow. Making brisket, bratwurst and atomic buffalo turds in the smoker, salad, cole slaw, potato salad, strawberries and this ginormous chocolate layer cake I got at sams club for ten bucks.

 

[Rambler]

Never used an electric smoker, always charcoal (have three different kinds)...let us know how it goes. I may get one if they save me the time and effort of dealing with the charcoal.

R

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I had a charcoal cheapo bullet smoker for a while and went to the electric bullet.

I think theres a distinction in the process. If you like tending fires, have a lot of time on your hands, and you're into the "man and his smoker becoming one with the universe" thing, the charcoal version will work. I was using chunk mesquite charcoal and I had one hell of a time maintaining a constant temperature. If you just want to eat the food and treat the process like a slow cooker without liquid in it, the electric is pretty slick.

Set it and forget it. On a cold or windy cool winter day, you can put a big cardboard box over the whole thing and cut a little flap in it to check the temperature. Traps the heat beautifully and maintains a nice 190-220 degree temp. Done!

This new box model I got has a dual layer design and I see from prodding it a little that it has some yellow fiberglass looking insulation in between the layers. Maybe I wont need a box.

 

[JDARNELL]

So whats that sized for...2 or 3 burgers?

Holy cow. 110 gallons of smoked something. Back to the wholey cow... (saved you the trouble REW...)

The cooking area is one 55 gal drum slpit long side down the middle. I started with the little R2D2 looking charcoal smokers years ago. But here in Colorado I had a hard time getting the temp up with the wind and cold temps. So I decided to go wood and built this one. It is definately a conversation item as I live on a golf course and may golfers think it is a still.

True story, I had a buddy who was going to Missouri to help move some family members things. He said he would bring back a load of oak if I could find a place to get it. So I called the local chamber of commerce in this little town where he was going. The lady said "Joe down by the school sells firewood. She gave me the number and I called Joe. I told Joe I was in Colorado amd had a buddy that was going to be in the area and wanted to get a load. Joe says "Dude, we don't deliver to Colorodo." I said what about if I pick it up and you load if for $5 more. He agreed.

The things we do for good BBQ.

Tomcat98

 

[TromboneAl]

The part I bought for mine was a metal plate with a heating element. It wasn't quite strong enough for our 60 degree, shady, breezy weather, so I added a second element (one of those charcoal starter things).

You put a metal plate on the heating element, and periodically place new chunks of wood on that plate. It's kind of pitiful really, you have to spend a lot of time adding the wood, and monitoring the amount of smoke.

The thermometer on this model is totally inadequate, so I drilled a hole in the top and added a meat thermometer.

Here's a tip: don't bother soaking the wood chips or chunks. It really doesn't make much difference. Soak one overnight, and cut it open. You'll see that the water penetrates less than a millimeter.

 

[HFWR]

Yeah, I've never bothered with soaking the chips. If you keep the oxygen level low (i.e. keep the lid closed), the chips will smolder, providing plenty of [-]carcinogens[/-] good smoke...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Chips?

CHUNKS!