Electric smokers compared

[Sinus211]

Costco currently has a Traeger with complete heat control, cold smoker/braiser box underneath, and smoker/bbq chamber on top. I'd like to go old school with a traditional side smoker box but it's hard to deny the convenience of the Traeger. $799 IIRC.

[Jeffro]

Ever used one of these offset firebox units for an all day smoke?

I have one and it's an all day task keeping it fired up properly so the temperature doesn't swing from ambient to 350 degrees during the cook

I now just use my offset firebox cooker for meats that don't take all day to cook. I also use a mix of lump charcoal and wood (whatever flavor I like that day)

Yes I have, many times.
I know it's a lot of tending but what else am I gonna do. Watch NASCAR?
I have a electric starter coil, every hour or two add a hand full of chunk charcoal
and refresh the pan of wood chips as necessary. Repeat....
Then I can start a bed of coals in the main box and grill it and any sides on the menu.

I started smoking with a "Little Chief", upgraded to a Weber,
The Chargriller/broiler works way better, even with the added maintenance time.

[Sinus211]

But for us guys who want to do an overnight smoke and "set it and forget it" what's the best option?

[lionhrt]

But for us guys who want to do an overnight smoke and "set it and forget it" what's the best option?

For set it and forget it your best option for overnight is an Ugly Drum smoker. I have 4 smokers and it is my favorite . It is also cheap to make. All you need is a 55 gallon steel drum, Grill rack 22 1/2 in size. 3 0r 4 black iron pipe pieces with caps on all but one and a valve on one and 4 steel screws with nuts to hold the rack up and then make a fire box out of expanded metal. I have ran mine at 225 degrees for oer 26 hours on one load of lump coal and wood chunks. Once you lock in the temp you just leave it alone. And it makes some great Que. Just ask some of the guys who went to the group shoot up in Medford whn I brought Brisket and Burnt ends.


If interested in getting a kit that has everything but the barrel here is one place to get the kit. They even include a bottle opener so you can enjoy your beer while cooking. https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/big-pop ... smoker-kit

[Massivedesign]

But for us guys who want to do an overnight smoke and "set it and forget it" what's the best option?

Pellet with a maverick remote thermometer. My RecTec 300 has a 14lb hopper, so it should be able to smoke for 8-14 hours unattended. The larger ones with the 40lb hopper can smoke for up to 20 hours.

[deadshot2]

But for us guys who want to do an overnight smoke and "set it and forget it" what's the best option?

For a truly set and forget it smoker that will run overnight, or for that matter days, the electric's are hard to beat.

If you want to make the smoke a set and forget item too, not having to add chips every few hours, get an A-MAZE-N smoke tray like this




Fill it with your favorite wood pellets, (pack it full and snug). Light one end through the hole with a butane torch and place it at the end of the heater/chip tray in your electric smoker. It will provide smoke for 12 hours or so and from there on the meat has absorbed all the smoke it will take so you really don't need to refill. For shorter smokes where you want heavier smoke light the maze at both ends and you get about 6 hours of smoke. Drape some aluminum foil loosely in a tent over it so dripping doesn't put the smoldering pellets out.

This is also great for cold smoking fish (that you have brined first) or smoking cheese. Great for beef jerky too as it doesn't generate much heat and it's easy to keep temps low enough to dry without turning the jerky into crispy critters.

[lamrith]

But for us guys who want to do an overnight smoke and "set it and forget it" what's the best option?

For a truly set and forget it smoker that will run overnight, or for that matter days, the electric's are hard to beat.

If you want to make the smoke a set and forget item too, not having to add chips every few hours, get an A-MAZE-N smoke tray like this




Fill it with your favorite wood pellets, (pack it full and snug). Light one end through the hole with a butane torch and place it at the end of the heater/chip tray in your electric smoker. It will provide smoke for 12 hours or so and from there on the meat has absorbed all the smoke it will take so you really don't need to refill. For shorter smokes where you want heavier smoke light the maze at both ends and you get about 6 hours of smoke. Drape some aluminum foil loosely in a tent over it so dripping doesn't put the smoldering pellets out.

This is also great for cold smoking fish (that you have brined first) or smoking cheese. Great for beef jerky too as it doesn't generate much heat and it's easy to keep temps low enough to dry without turning the jerky into crispy critters.

I have a similar type of item some guys use in their masterbuild smokers as well as pellet grills, propane grills etc..

Smokin Wedgie:

I also have pellet sampler packs

[lamrith]

Set and forget can be a challenge. The electric smokers and pellet grills are probably the best two, then propane. That is only because I see (and had myself) numerous issues with the propane maintaining stable temp thru a long cook.

Between those two to me it comes down to what sort of cooks you want to do.

• If you only ever want to smoke and like heavy smoke, then the Electric is the way to go. Electric and propane units just put out lots of smoke because they are not using the wood for heat, the wood gets to sit and smolder. These are great for low n slow smoking.
• If you want a unit that does everything, but has a lighter smoke flavor then go pellet grill like Dan's RT300These will run all day unattended, but since they use the pellets for the heat burn the wood more efficiently and do not produce the heavy smoke of the others. However they are probably the most versatile cooking units around, they do everything from low n slow 180* smoking, to 350-400* baking, to high temp searing for steaks and burgers. And all of those formats you will get that wood fired flavor. With a couple additions they can turn into high temp wood fired ovens, add some after market grates and they can give you heavy char marks like your favorite restaurant. They run on electricity for the controllers that sit there and automatically adjust feed rate of the pellets to maintain your temp and fans to stoke the fire. I bought one 3-4 years ago and have not used a propane grill since.

[MadPick]

And if you have a pellet grill, check out lamrith's site: http://www.pelletpeddler.com/index.php

The guy's a douchewaffle, but he does have a great selection of pellets at awesome prices.

[Wetpaperbag]

I got the master built without the glass as a gift from Cabela's two years ago. Super sale for less then $130. It's been a great little smoker. Haven't had any issues, works like a champ. There are times I wish it could get a little hotter. There is an attachment for cold smoke, but nothing a crafty guy couldn't make himself. As for an intro smoker it is great.

[KeystoneCowboy]

Domt forget about the "Stall". True set and forget can get tricky. Brisket will stall out. Once that happens you either have to wait it out, or wrap it to get the temp to climb again.

[Barfly]

the "stall" can be a bitch....

I love the convenience of my Traeger. I probably wouldn't have ponied up the cash for one, but I received it as a gift. It makes smoking delicious food quite simple. It's great as just a wood fired oven too!