What sort of smoker?
Discussion
I fancy having a go at cooking with a smoker - seen a few videos and think it would.be great for slow cooking chicken and pork belly.
Looking around there seem to be two different types - offset, which has a firebox to the side, and stacked which is vertically aligned.
Also seems to be big variations in price - from £40 up to £900.
Looking for some advice, at the budget end of the market as it won't get used a massive amount.
Looking around there seem to be two different types - offset, which has a firebox to the side, and stacked which is vertically aligned.
Also seems to be big variations in price - from £40 up to £900.
Looking for some advice, at the budget end of the market as it won't get used a massive amount.
I was given one as a present a few years ago, bottom of the market type thing, basically just a stainless steel box on a stand with a couple of meths burners underneath. I used it regularly for a couple of years till the burners burnt out then for a few years more just sitting it on top of the gas barbecue.
It was absolutely fine, can't think what difference a posh one would make.
I've gone even more basic since the bottom eventually burnt out of the original. I just sit an old MOD ammo box on the barbecue, a handful of shavings on the bottom and put the food on an old grill pan on top then close the lid. It took a couple of goes to fully burn off the old paint, but it's fine now.
It was absolutely fine, can't think what difference a posh one would make.
I've gone even more basic since the bottom eventually burnt out of the original. I just sit an old MOD ammo box on the barbecue, a handful of shavings on the bottom and put the food on an old grill pan on top then close the lid. It took a couple of goes to fully burn off the old paint, but it's fine now.
amongst others, there is a good, long thread on PH with a lot of advice and people's experiences:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I have been hot smoking using a 47cm Weber Smokey Mountain given to me about 10 years ago. They aren't cheap (£300-450), but like all Weber products they do last well. It's good for ribs, beef (brisket or silverside), chicken (whole roast or wings etc), hot smoked salmon and the ones I use it for most: for pork shoulder to make delicious pulled pork and roast gammon for Christmas, plus other odds and sods, like smoked, stuffed chillies etc etc.
The Smokey Mountain is special in that it has an internal water reservoir and this helps to moderate the internal temperature to keep it stable around the special 110C-120C needed for Low & Slow cooking, the water basin also obstructs the food and stops being cooked direct by the coals, as indirect cooking is what you need here.
I also use the weber for cold smoking (no coals, just burn sawdust in a metal sieve (i use local beech which is great, mild flavour), which is great for smoked salmon, haddock, sausages, cheese, nuts etc.
The many other smokers on the market now, from cheap to super expensive. coal, pellet or electric powered. You can repurpose any BBQ with a lid as an indirect smoker, as I have with varying success, pluys the big Ceramic Egg Kamado types can be used as smokers too.
The offset BBQs look ok, you can add coal and wood without opening the main food chamber ("if you're looking, it ain't cooking" as the old BBQ masters say....), however, the few I've seen in the flesh, although seemingly good value, look badly made with many air gaps, and don't look likey to last a couple of years being left outside.
Saying that - the Weber is no way near perfect. I had to make improvements to it for successful smoking. The solution is to make sure it is as well sealed as possible - to a) keep the smoke in the chamber, and b) allow control of temperatures by adjusting just the inlet & outlet vents. I had to buy some oven sealing rope and silicone glue to stick around the hatch and each of the round sections to seal everything up. Much better after I had done this. Id say if you are after a cheap one to use on the odd occasion, make sure it is, or can be well sealed, as keeping it at a stable low temperature is crucial.
A couple of other things: I have invested (for about £15-20 in a multi probe temperature gauge, to track the temps of the smoker, and the temperature of the meat. The onbe I have sends an alarm to my phone if the smoker gets too cold or the meat is done. Helps a huge amount in taking the giuesswork out of it all.
Also - I try to get the best briquettes possible - I alternate between Weber and ProQ coconut shell. Cheap briquettes made from mineral coal and crappy stach binders tend not to give off very nice fumes and smoke compared to the pricier wood based briquettes. I don't tend to use lumpwood charcoal as it is harder to control as briquettes can be piled up and burn steadily, and also give off their own smoke which doesnt give the flavour you'd like.
For smoke flavour, I use cherry wood from a tree that blew down in my garden, so pretty much got a lifetime's supply. You can buy chunks of wood for smoking - and spend a lot of money buying US mesquite or hickory chunks, but really, uk native hardwood oak, beech, apple, cherry, sweet chestnut (not horse - bad for you) is great and all have their own flavour so worth experimenting.
The other point is it can take a long time - 12hrs to smoke a big chunk of pork for example, so make sure you have your cooking planned out well as you will have family & guests hungry waiting if you still need 4hrs to get to temperature (It has been known that I've finished the meat wrapped in foil in the oven !)
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I have been hot smoking using a 47cm Weber Smokey Mountain given to me about 10 years ago. They aren't cheap (£300-450), but like all Weber products they do last well. It's good for ribs, beef (brisket or silverside), chicken (whole roast or wings etc), hot smoked salmon and the ones I use it for most: for pork shoulder to make delicious pulled pork and roast gammon for Christmas, plus other odds and sods, like smoked, stuffed chillies etc etc.
The Smokey Mountain is special in that it has an internal water reservoir and this helps to moderate the internal temperature to keep it stable around the special 110C-120C needed for Low & Slow cooking, the water basin also obstructs the food and stops being cooked direct by the coals, as indirect cooking is what you need here.
I also use the weber for cold smoking (no coals, just burn sawdust in a metal sieve (i use local beech which is great, mild flavour), which is great for smoked salmon, haddock, sausages, cheese, nuts etc.
The many other smokers on the market now, from cheap to super expensive. coal, pellet or electric powered. You can repurpose any BBQ with a lid as an indirect smoker, as I have with varying success, pluys the big Ceramic Egg Kamado types can be used as smokers too.
The offset BBQs look ok, you can add coal and wood without opening the main food chamber ("if you're looking, it ain't cooking" as the old BBQ masters say....), however, the few I've seen in the flesh, although seemingly good value, look badly made with many air gaps, and don't look likey to last a couple of years being left outside.
Saying that - the Weber is no way near perfect. I had to make improvements to it for successful smoking. The solution is to make sure it is as well sealed as possible - to a) keep the smoke in the chamber, and b) allow control of temperatures by adjusting just the inlet & outlet vents. I had to buy some oven sealing rope and silicone glue to stick around the hatch and each of the round sections to seal everything up. Much better after I had done this. Id say if you are after a cheap one to use on the odd occasion, make sure it is, or can be well sealed, as keeping it at a stable low temperature is crucial.
A couple of other things: I have invested (for about £15-20 in a multi probe temperature gauge, to track the temps of the smoker, and the temperature of the meat. The onbe I have sends an alarm to my phone if the smoker gets too cold or the meat is done. Helps a huge amount in taking the giuesswork out of it all.
Also - I try to get the best briquettes possible - I alternate between Weber and ProQ coconut shell. Cheap briquettes made from mineral coal and crappy stach binders tend not to give off very nice fumes and smoke compared to the pricier wood based briquettes. I don't tend to use lumpwood charcoal as it is harder to control as briquettes can be piled up and burn steadily, and also give off their own smoke which doesnt give the flavour you'd like.
For smoke flavour, I use cherry wood from a tree that blew down in my garden, so pretty much got a lifetime's supply. You can buy chunks of wood for smoking - and spend a lot of money buying US mesquite or hickory chunks, but really, uk native hardwood oak, beech, apple, cherry, sweet chestnut (not horse - bad for you) is great and all have their own flavour so worth experimenting.
The other point is it can take a long time - 12hrs to smoke a big chunk of pork for example, so make sure you have your cooking planned out well as you will have family & guests hungry waiting if you still need 4hrs to get to temperature (It has been known that I've finished the meat wrapped in foil in the oven !)
Edited by prand on Sunday 24th January 10:12
prand said:
The Smokey Mountain is special in that it has an internal water reservoir and this helps to moderate the internal temperature to keep it stable around the special 110C-120C needed for Low & Slow cooking, the water basin also obstructs the food and stops being cooked direct by the coals, as indirect cooking is what you need here.
Not THAT special - most bullet smokers have this - the ProQ Frontier definitely does and it is cheaper than the Smokey Mountain and more versatile as the body can be shortenedprand said:
Also - I try to get the best briquettes possible - I alternate between Weber and ProQ coconut shell. Cheap briquettes made from mineral coal and crappy stach binders tend not to give off very nice fumes and smoke compared to the pricier wood based briquettes. I don't tend to use lumpwood charcoal as it is harder to control as briquettes can be piled up and burn steadily, and also give off their own smoke which doesnt give the flavour you'd like.
This 100%. Coconut shell briquettes burn hotter and longer than ordinary charcoal, which is exactly what you want if you're doing an overnight smoke. Search for the "Minion method" to get the best results. A whole shoulder of pork - smoked for 12 - 14 hours is fantastic.I've been smoking food for about 15 years after trying some proper Southern bbq. Started on a standard Weber kettle bbq. Got a cheap Brinkmann bullet smoker after that. It never sealed and rusted pretty quickly. Next (about 7 years ago) was a ProQ Frontier. Very good build quality - the steel is enamaled like a Weber so the body won't rust. I replaced the fire basket (rusted out from putting her away wet), grills (same) and doors (new design has much improved sealing) last year. It's a British company so you can call them up with any questions and the website is good.
I use it as a grill a lot too, for kebabs and jerk etc. I did steak on it on the weekend - 1 hour as a smoker, ten minutes rest while you open it up and then put a grill directly over the coals and grill for 4 mins.
I use it as a grill a lot too, for kebabs and jerk etc. I did steak on it on the weekend - 1 hour as a smoker, ten minutes rest while you open it up and then put a grill directly over the coals and grill for 4 mins.
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