electric or propane smoker?

[alko]

Thank you for your reply, just wanted to know somebodys opinion. In my opinion, everything must be in balance, eat meat and live well : )

 

[redneck2]

I have a Cabelas, model 50 IIRC. It's not here right now or I'd check. Digital electric. Extremely easy to use. Love it.

I'd most strongly suggest getting a digital remote thermometer with the woven lead. I set it on top of the unit, then run the lead thru the door seal and put the probe in the meat. An audible alert lets you know when the proper temp is reached. Keeps you from having to keep opening the door to check progress.

 

[Rembrandt]

Simple is better....I work with digital controlled items everyday, doesn't matter if it's a furnace, dishwasher, washing machine, or automotive......circuit boards and their components will fail. That's why I prefer the Smokintex over the digital controlled units.

 

[Birdman253]

I have two different smokers. I have a large, wood-burning unit with separate firebox, and a Masterbilt Digital Electric. I use both, and have found the only basic difference is in ease of the process. The flavor is the same, but when using the electric, I set the temperature, and then just add soaked chips as needed. When doing it "old school," I have to watch the temp constantly, build more fire as it goes down, etc. I smoked this way for 30 years, but since the wife got me the electric for Christmas a couple of years ago, it is so much easier.

With all that said, there are certain things that I just prefer the wood smoker for. Pork ribs happen to be one. A whole rack of ribs won't fit in the electric without cutting it in half. We are having ribs this Sunday for the Super Bowl (family tradition in our house.). So I will be building fire, and tending the smoker most of the day. May have a beverage or two while I'm at it!!!!

 

[double bogey]

I bought the electric knowing I could replace the temp control with a pid controller if it fails, just like the one I use on my lead furnace. Like Birdman, it was a lot of work tending the fire on the wood smoker. You just start the electric, set the temp, fire up the AMPS, put the meat in, set up the dual remote thermometer, do whatever you need to do until the meat gets done (according to the internal temp), get the meat out, wrap it and let it rest for a bit, then lets eat.
Lots easier than tending to a fire and watching temp all day. By time I'm done with the wood smoker, I don't want to eat Q anymore.
I looked at the propane. I think they would be good for some stuff, but won't make low temps, not sure how even they control.

 

[anothernewb]

funny this topic came up, as I'm researching my own too.

what I've heard so far is that electric is easier, but propane/charcoal give you a better "smoke ring" in the meat.

Many of the basic smokers are simple stamped steel, and not well sealed. They're jsut, well, cheap. That accounts for much of the problems people have with them. I've read a bunch of stuff on how people have modified the crap out of the smoke hollow and other units and have gotten amazing results - but at the cost of time on your end.
A very common mod is to line the cabinets either internally or externally with insulating material - fire blankets and cement board are very common. albeit - ugly solutions. Lso using fireplace cord for sealing the doors. Wind and ambient temp are huge factors as well. so they have to be protected from that.
it's also common to replace the cheap regulators with far more precise ones. which is another source of the temp problems.

Those that have done these mods report incredible success. However, after all that work - they're actually into that $199 smoker for about $400 after time and resources

It's truly hard to find a double walled, insulated smoker. The big green egg is one example, but they push $1,000 at my local store - that's kinda out of my range.


Myself, I've decided to give one called a "smoke vault" a try. it's relatively inexpensive, 30" wide but not overly tall (which is kinda rare) and since I have a buddy with a welder, I'm going to weld up a double insulated box for it - essentially making it a ceramic lined unit. and getting a fine adjustment for the regulator.

 

[fireman 9731]

I have been very happy with my Big Chief Smoker. Its just a simple aluminum box with vents, racks, and and electric heating coil that you put a pan of wood ships on.

No thermostats, regulators, or gizmos. Just plug it in and add a handful of chips every couple of hours. It maintains about 170 degrees on an average day. Perfect for smoked salmon. Great for jerky. Prop the door open and you can cold smoke cheese and whatever else you could imagine. Try smoking boiled eggs!

People now use smokers for cooking. Smokers are meant for flavoring. Not cooking your brisket. I might smoke a brisket for a couple of hours then finish it on the grill or in the oven. But that is what my smoker was designed to do.

Don't over complicate it and seal it up. Smokers need to breath. Look at the old smoke houses, they weren't sealed up tight.

 

[Birdman253]

Fireman, I understand what you are saying. But, in my opinion, you have mingled two totally different types of food prep using smoke. You mention smoked salmon, jerky, cold smoked cheese, and that old fashioned smokehouses weren't sealed. This is true, as they were intended to smoke food as a preservative measure, i.e. smoked salmon. Salmon was smoked to preserve it so it could be stored and eaten at a later date. Same thing for jerky. It is used to preserve beef so that it can be stored without refrigeration.

The other side of the coin is using smoke as part of a cooking process, such as on a brisket. Here you are not simply trying to preserve the cut, which you really couldn't do due to the thickness of the cut itself. You are actually cooking the cut, using low heat, and long cooking times. The smoke is used to impart flavor. For example, I do brisket at 225 for 10 to 12 hours, and add chips for smoke for the first 5 hours or so. I could cook the same brisket in the oven for the same time at 225, and it would be done, but without the smoke flavor. In today's world, the term "smoking" has come to be another way of saying bar-b-queuing.

 

[fireman 9731]

I agree completely birdman. I'm just afraid that most people nowadays don't know the difference between smoking and bbqing. Also, just to make you guys hungry, I put 16 ham hocks in my smoker about 2 hours ago! First time trying them.

 

[Johnny Lightning]

Check out smokin-it model 1. I have a wsm 18" and it's a great charcoal smoker but you need to check on it every hour or so while smoking. You will not get the all mighty smoke ring w/ electric or propane...you need the combustion of the charcoal or a lot of wood to get that. You could cheat and use curing salt in an electric smoker to get the ring. The smokin-it model 1 is $300 built tough and has great reviews. That's the one I'm getting when I get tired of tending the fire. I have a commercial cookshack at work and put out some great q w/ it and you can cold smoke if you put a baffle in the bottom of the smoker.

 

[Birdman253]

I disagree about not getting the almighty smoke ring with electric. I consistently get a nice smoke ring on brisket using my electric. And besides, unless you are cooking in competition, which I sometimes do, who cares if there is a smoke ring or not? Granted, it is visually appealing, but the flavor is exactly the same, smoke ring or not. If I blindfold you, you can't tell whether there is a smoke ring or not. In competition cooking, the smoke ring is one of the things judges look for, so it is important. For backyard bar-b-que for family and friends, it matters not one tiny bit.

 

[armedwalleye]

If you can't get a smoke ring with an electric smoker, don't tell my SmokinTex. Remember nobody ever said you can't put charcoal in an electric smoker. I almost ALWAYS add 4 or 5 charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal in the wood box along with my smoking wood.

 

[788Ham]

My wife got me a New Braunfelds propane smoker about 5 years ago, its a dandy for smoking any type of meat, especially brisket ! I need to build something like the one guy did, shielding the flame on the burner, had a time keeping the right temp. Nice looking pork shoulders my friend !!

 

[Lloyd Smale]

my first smoker was a propane master built. Had it for two weeks and brought it back and swapped it for an electric one. I make a lot of summer sausage and to do it right the smoker has to be able to get down to 120-140 for the first couple hours and a gas smoker just wont go that low unless you leave the door open and doing that you let all the smoke out. For a small smoker electric is the only way. My BIG smoker that my neighbor and I built is about the size of a side by side fridge and has a separate smoke generation vessel that is gas powdered and the cabinet itself has two electric elements to control the temp.