Smoking Meat?

[dfergie]

Has anyone cooked hamburgers in their smoker? I thought about throwing some patties in to take advantage of my coals after pulling the meat on my last cook...

 

[StevenD]

Has anyone cooked hamburgers in their smoker? I thought about throwing some patties in to take advantage of my coals after pulling the meat on my last cook...

Yes! I first had a "smoked burger" at the Cotton Bowl several years ago. It was awesome! Since then, I have been known to grind some brisket, make some patties and throw them on the smoker with some mesquite. Very tasty!

 

[jrp]

I'm thinking of purchasing a smoker. A friend that helps me make venison suasage and salami (actually, I help him make my sausage) is cutting back due to spousal pressure, and I'm looking for a unit that will do the job, as well as other slow cooking duties.

I know there will be many opinions on what works best (eg. wood, gas, electric, etc.), but would appreciate your input.

 

[HD MM]

I'm thinking of purchasing a smoker. A friend that helps me make venison suasage and salami (actually, I help him make my sausage) is cutting back due to spousal pressure, and I'm looking for a unit that will do the job, as well as other slow cooking duties.

I know there will be many opinions on what works best (eg. wood, gas, electric, etc.), but would appreciate your input.

A probable consensus on the best water, cylindrical style smoker is probably the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker aka "The Bullet".

It runs on a combination of charcoal and/or wood chunks. It contains a water pan, two 18.5" cooking grates. Solid construction. It holds it's internal temperture better than the competitors. Temperature control is one of the most important aspects of slow smoking.

We have a thread dedicated to The Weber Bullet in this Food Forum, found HERE. I'm sure plenty others can chime in with testimonials.

 

[stimpson]

A probable consensus on the best water, cylindrical style smoker is probably the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker aka "The Bullet".

It runs on a combination of charcoal and/or wood chunks. It contains a water pan, two 18.5" cooking grates. Solid construction. It holds it's internal temperture better than the competitors. Temperature control is one of the most important aspects of slow smoking.

We have a thread dedicated to The Weber Bullet in this Food Forum, found HERE. I'm sure plenty others can chime in with testimonials.

Couldn't have said it any better!!:up:up

 

[navychop]

I'm with HD MM also. There is also a new 22.5" version just coming out, with a built in thermometer and larger door.

The WSM is popular because it is better built and better designed. Some cheaper knock offs are hard to regulate temps in or don't hold up.

And there are side box smokers. Smoke flows from one side to the other and out. A common problem with these designs is getting the temperature even throughout.

If you want a very cheap entry, and very little work maintaining temps, some speak well of the Brinkmann electric smoker. Personally, I don't care for it, but many others do. I think smoking should be done with wood or natural charcoal, not electricity or propane. Propane is more for grilling at higher temps (350 or so). Smoking is done 220-280, mostly. Never use charcoal briquettes, they leave a lot of residue and have binders that can alter the taste of the food.

Some like "water smokers" like the Orion. This is a good cooker, but is not what is traditionally thought of as a smoker. Similar.

There is another option: The ceramic smoker. These generally cost $1,000 and up, sometimes a few thousand. They can be pretty, and might regulate temps more easily, especially in cold weather. They use slightly less fuel. I wanted one. But I listened to others, read up, and decided to go with the bullet instead. I could always get an expensive ceramic later, if it all worked out. However, I'm getting a second WSM instead. One for home, one for camping. Turns out, the WSM holds a lot more food to smoke, as it has 2 levels. I often use both levels, getting the most out of my fuel and time and effort. I don't recall seeing a ceramic with two levels. So the WSM is far cheaper, and has greater capacity.

The most popular ceramic is the BGE, or Big Green Egg. It comes in 3 or 4 sizes, and they all look the same. For some, buying a BGE is like joining a religion.

Avoid the Kamado. This is the one I really wanted to buy, as it's big and beautiful and you can pick your ceramic tiles, customizing it. They used to be made of space age ceramic material. Now, they're made in Mexico out of something akin to cement, and don't hold up. There are lots of complaints of poor workmanship, refusal to back the product, and serious durability issues. They ARE the plague.

There is also the Imperial Kamado (not sure how active they are anymore) and the Grill Dome. If I ever get a ceramic, it'll be a Grill Dome, and here's why.

But I think I'll stick with my Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet.

Get a high quality cover for whatever you buy, and I recommend a dual probe thermometer- one for grill temp, one for the food, or both for food on two levels. And immediately buy [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Spice-Cooking-Real-Barbecue/dp/1558322620/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233761614&sr=8-7"]this.[/ame] Don't buy any others until you've digested it, by which time you might not need any others. No idea why it's posting a slightly garbled image at this time- there may be a slight site problem.

 

[Skyhi]

I'm thinking of purchasing a smoker. A friend that helps me make venison suasage and salami (actually, I help him make my sausage) is cutting back due to spousal pressure, and I'm looking for a unit that will do the job, as well as other slow cooking duties.

I know there will be many opinions on what works best (eg. wood, gas, electric, etc.), but would appreciate your input.

Don't go cheap. I bought a Brinkman charcoal smoker last year and its nothing but a pain. The food comes out good, but it is a constant battle maintaining temperature. It needs to be babied every 30m or so.

 

[dfergie]

Don't go cheap. I bought a Brinkman charcoal smoker last year and its nothing but a pain. The food comes out good, but it is a constant battle maintaining temperature. It needs to be babied every 30m or so.

I have one of these and totally agree... I love my Orion... http://www.satelliteguys.us/whats-cooking/98135-orion-cooker-7.html I bought charcoal, fluid, Cherry & Apple Chips this morning...

 

[stimpson]

I'm with HD MM also. There is also a new 22.5" version just coming out, with a built in thermometer and larger door.

The WSM is popular because it is better built and better designed. Some cheaper knock offs are hard to regulate temps in or don't hold up.

And there are side box smokers. Smoke flows from one side to the other and out. A common problem with these designs is getting the temperature even throughout.

If you want a very cheap entry, and very little work maintaining temps, some speak well of the Brinkmann electric smoker. Personally, I don't care for it, but many others do. I think smoking should be done with wood or natural charcoal, not electricity or propane. Propane is more for grilling at higher temps (350 or so). Smoking is done 220-280, mostly. Never use charcoal briquettes, they leave a lot of residue and have binders that can alter the taste of the food.

Some like "water smokers" like the Orion. This is a good cooker, but is not what is traditionally thought of as a smoker. Similar.

There is another option: The ceramic smoker. These generally cost $1,000 and up, sometimes a few thousand. They can be pretty, and might regulate temps more easily, especially in cold weather. They use slightly less fuel. I wanted one. But I listened to others, read up, and decided to go with the bullet instead. I could always get an expensive ceramic later, if it all worked out. However, I'm getting a second WSM instead. One for home, one for camping. Turns out, the WSM holds a lot more food to smoke, as it has 2 levels. I often use both levels, getting the most out of my fuel and time and effort. I don't recall seeing a ceramic with two levels. So the WSM is far cheaper, and has greater capacity.

The most popular ceramic is the BGE, or Big Green Egg. It comes in 3 or 4 sizes, and they all look the same. For some, buying a BGE is like joining a religion.

Avoid the Kamado. This is the one I really wanted to buy, as it's big and beautiful and you can pick your ceramic tiles, customizing it. They used to be made of space age ceramic material. Now, they're made in Mexico out of something akin to cement, and don't hold up. There are lots of complaints of poor workmanship, refusal to back the product, and serious durability issues. They ARE the plague.

There is also the Imperial Kamado (not sure how active they are anymore) and the Grill Dome. If I ever get a ceramic, it'll be a Grill Dome, and here's why.

But I think I'll stick with my Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet.

Get a high quality cover for whatever you buy, and I recommend a dual probe thermometer- one for grill temp, one for the food, or both for food on two levels. And immediately buy this. Don't buy any others until you've digested it, by which time you might not need any others. No idea why it's posting a slightly garbled image at this time- there may be a slight site problem.

That is a great book.

 

[HD MM]

I third the Smoke & Spice Book. I've gotten a lot of great rubs, sauces and techniques from that book.

If you go with the Weber Smokey Mountain, I'd advise you visit this forum....

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

Weber's pretty much a cult. Tons of people with the same smoker and they like to share info and recipes on that site. Many questions have been answered by that site and their demo's/cooking instructions are priceless!

 

[navychop]

We are NOT a cult.

At tonight's conclave, after we don our purple sheets and sneakers, we'll be "smoking" your effigy.

 

[Skyhi]

We are NOT a cult.

At tonight's conclave, after we don our purple sheets and sneakers, we'll be "smoking" your effigy.

You guys won't be wearing this at the next meeting?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZp-GLMMJ0]YouTube - The Snuggie[/ame]

 

[navychop]

Depends on what the voices from the mother ship tell us!

 

[stimpson]

We are NOT a cult.

At tonight's conclave, after we don our purple sheets and sneakers, we'll be "smoking" your effigy.

Depends on what the voices from the mother ship tell us!

You so funny!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jrp]

You guys are OBVIOUSLY emotionally attached to your Weber's!

navychop says no charcoal, but several of the pictures in the WSM thread include charcoal (not navy's). Are there different schools of thought here, or did I just misinterpret something?

My buddie's big home built smoker allows for hanging a full length summer sausage vertically (a lot of them actually, about 30, but I have no intention of going that big). Is there a problem with laying a stuffed summer sausage horizontally for smoking?

How are the Webers for temperature control? I've been looking at the Bradley digitals (Six Rack Digital Food and Meat Smoker - How to Make Gourmet Smoked Foods at Home | BradleySmoker.com) and that would seem to be an advantage to these units. Most of the reviews I've seen are quite positive. I understand, and agree, that real wood would be ideal, but it has to outweigh the convenience factor. Meats of higher quality would go a long way toward making inconvenience worth it.

Thanks for your patience. I've helped with the process before, but striking out on my own is a bit unnerving. I have a fear of taking high quality meat and making something bad from it. Of course, that's what kept me from making venison jerky for years. I was richly rewarded once I finally risked a good hunk of sirloin.

 

[navychop]

Charcoal, YES. Charcoal briquettes, NO.

Difference. Natural charcoal.

BTW, Primo is the other ceramic I'd consider if I were to go that route. But it leans more toward grilling than smoking.

Actually, for what you intend on doing, the Bradley you link might be better suited. But that's a big step for someone just entering the field.

 

[stimpson]

For 4-6 hr smokes I use lump charcoal. If I'm doing an overnighter and need long 15-20 hr burn time with out having to refue, I'll use Kingsford briquettes. Temp control on the WSM is rock steady.

 

[jrp]

Charcoal, YES. Charcoal briquettes, NO.

Difference. Natural charcoal.

BTW, Primo is the other ceramic I'd consider if I were to go that route. But it leans more toward grilling than smoking.

Actually, for what you intend on doing, the Bradley you link might be better suited. But that's a big step for someone just entering the field.

Thanks for clearing that up. I'll let you know what the final choice is. Might have to wait until tax refunds come in.

 

[HD MM]

For 4-6 hr smokes I use lump charcoal. If I'm doing an overnighter and need long 15-20 hr burn time with out having to refue, I'll use Kingsford briquettes. Temp control on the WSM is rock steady.

That's usually my method as well on the WSM.

 

[stimpson]

That's usually my method as well on the WSM.

Great minds think alike!