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Cheap smoker?

w_r_ranch

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I had a similar one back when I was in the service & living in on base... It will work, however they have a number of drawbacks IMO...
  • They are small & don't hold heat very well.
  • They also don't hold much charcoal (which requires you to open the door to throw more on & in doing so you let the heat out).
  • Very limited meat capacity.
  • There are a few others but those are the biggies.
Now I know you said that you just want to try smoking (and this will allow you to do that), but if you have to fight with the smoker & exert more effort than necessary, you will not come away from the experience with a positive impression.

If you're are open to other suggestions &are willing to invest a little more, there is a design that is referred to as a UDS (some people call them an 'Upright Drum Smoker', others call them an "Ugly Drum Smoker')... They are inexpensive to build out of common materials yourself or you can certainly find someone locally to build it for you. They are the PERFECT starter smoker!!!

Even Popular Mechanics has simple plans for them here.

Here is the detailed text. Google them and you will also see kits that you can complete before noon & be burning it out later that same day. They are dead simple to master and hold heat very well.

BTW, not all of them are 'Ugly', LOL!!!

 
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Slowngreen

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Thanks for the advice, I'll be checking into the kits....You have one Mike?
 
R

Rolex

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This one, showing at Home Depot for $289 is $199 at Sam's Club this week. It's electric so you can also run it inside.

 

Mike

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Thanks for the advice, I'll be checking into the kits....You have one Mike?

I do not own one. Though I've been looking for a new grill and/or smoker for a while since I just have a very basic Weber charcoal grill and would like to upgrade. I've actually been looking at one of the Big Green Egg grills, they say they are perfect for grilling, cooking and smoking but are about $1,400.
 
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Slowngreen

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Old thread but Ima bump it up. I never got one last year but my parents surprised me with this guy for my birthday. Yay!
 
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Slowngreen

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Thanks WR! Got some chicken in the freezer, thats about it for meat at the moment. Guess I'll try it first.
 

w_r_ranch

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Whatever you do, don't use mesquite as it is way to strong for chicken or pork. Here's a list of various woods as I have no idea what's readily available in your location:

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BEECH - The wood of the Beechnut produces a mild, somewhat delicate smoked flavor. Since it is a hardwood, it remains longer for smoking before it turns to ash. Similar to, but not as sweet as hickory, more like pecan.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

OLIVE- A medium strength smoke, similar to pecan

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
 
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Slowngreen

Guest
Thanks! Gives me something to go off of. I'll let you know what I chose first.
 
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Mr_Yan

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Whatever you do, don't use mesquite as it is way to strong for chicken or pork. Here's a list of various woods as I have no idea what's readily available in your location:

ALDER - ....


Wow great post. Thanks w_r_ranch
 
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majorcatfish

Guest
from the brinkmann web site... it's basicly the same as w.r. posted but look at the very bottom.
you have to be very careful about what you use..
will post more information once home this afternoon....

ACACIA

These trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. Is a very hot burning wood.

ALDER
Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND
A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE
Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH
Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH
Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY
Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD
It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE
Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES
Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY
Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC
Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE
Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE
Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY
The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK
Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT
Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR
A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN
Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE
Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT
ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Types of wood that is unsuitable or even poisonous when used for grilling. Don't use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, etc. Also ELM, EUCALYPTUS, SASSAFRAS, SYCAMORE and LIQUID AMBER wood is unsuitable for smoking.
 
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majorcatfish

Guest
well that does not surprize me..on a old fishing forum that i was a administrator on<we had a falling out on how things should be run, they have removed my post on woods to smoke with among other posts> and of course that article that i wrote was not transferred from the old hard drive to the new one.....grrrrr
so over the next week will do my best on recreating it.....then post it...sorry
but in the mean time use only known sources of quality smoking woods
 
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Mr_Yan

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@majorcatfish regarding toxic woods for smoking. I have to say that I was surprised at walnut listed as safe but with a little surfing I find that it is common to turn bowls out of black walnut.
 
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majorcatfish

Guest
@majorcatfish regarding toxic woods for smoking. I have to say that I was surprised at walnut listed as safe but with a little surfing I find that it is common to turn bowls out of black walnut.
personally i think these lists of woods for smoking are absurd, firstly who in their right mind use cottonwood or any of those woods that produce excess amount of ash... who wants that on their meat.... but again some of these soft woods are good for cold smoking.....
 
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ErnieCopp

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Walnut tree roots emit a toxin that makes it difficult for oter tree seedlings to prosper where the roots are or were, but many tobacco smoking pipes used to be made from Walnut wood, and as a kid in Kansas we would remove the ripe green hulls from Walnuts, deeply staining our hands, with no noticeable harm. So maybe the only problem from Walnut is in the root zone.
 
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Slowngreen

Guest
Ok @w_r_ranch I picked up some apple yesterday and just got some chicken going. Im really excited, hopefully it turns out and this will become my new favorite way of cooking. Dont bbq much since its always windy here, and my bbq isnt very good any more.
 
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