Smoking Virgin Looking to Pop my Cherry (Wood)

Hi Mark!  to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 45,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 900,000 posts describing it! The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but you can still ask too if you want!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-Course, it will teach you all the basics plus a whole lot more!

to SMF, glad you found us!

Do you know what type of smoker you want to use? Charcoal/wood burning, propane/gas, or electric? That will help narrow down your search to a manageable number. Also, how much product do you want to push out, and what type of product? Pulled pork, sausage, chicken, cheese, etc? Do you want to feed your family and a few friends or the neighborhood when you smoke?

I go for electrics personally, more of a set it an forget type of smoker and pretty forgiving units to learn on. I am partial to the Smokin-It electric smokers, they are very reliable and sturdy machines. Don't need to do any mods to get them working right, use very little wood, and will last you a long time. They also fall within your budget.

With regards to books, I passed on them, but there are a ton. I started with very little knowledge not very long ago. Same as you, was a foodie who loved cooking and had some basic smoking under my belt. I found this site and so far it has been enough info for me to really learn as much as I need to for now anyway. Way more info available here for free than I can process right now, so I don't think a book would be best for me at this point. I just ask here, research old posts, etc. Use that search bar, it will be your BEST friend in the world if you have a question - SOOO much info available.

As far as tools or extras, here is the two that I find essential:

Smoke generator: I do both a hot smoke and a cold smoke (cheese, etc.) and for cold smokes you need to make smoke and not heat. I have an AMNPS, which burns pellets. They are made/sold by a member of this forum, who is a regular contributor and in my opinion sets the benchmark for what customer service should be. Link: http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8

Thermometer: If I had to choose only 1 other widget other than the smoker, a thermometer would be it. Food safety is critical, you need to know what temp things are getting along at. Along with food safety, knowing the temp of your smoker as well as the food in it is very important and can make or break a good smoking experience. You want to leave your smoker closed, regardless of what type you choose, as much as possible. As they say, if your lookin' you aint cookin'. For this I prefer a wireless thermometer, I use a Maverick ET-732. It has probes that monitor the meat and smoker temp, and send that data to a remote receiver that you can monitor from the comfort of your couch. This is also available the same place you can get the AMNPS. Link: http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MAVET-732

Good luck, and again welcome to SMF!
 

I have to agree electric is a great way to start and the smokin-it smokers are a great choice.

to SMF!  Glad you joined us!

Jeff's E-Course is a great source of information for anyone.  Will get you the basics. Dave has given you the link to start that. 

If you need any help roaming around the forums...just holler!  Will be glad to help out!

Kat

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/terms-of-service

You'll love electric, until the power goes out.

Since I live out in the country side that is a possibility, also with storms brewing. Propane is my choice and since I also have a fish fryer and Gas grill, I have extra tanks. They are also pretty much a set it and forget it smoker.

Some electrics have problems with reach higher temps also.  One thing I cannot do with out is my Digital meat thermometer. Make sure you get a couple of those.

I can only say that I have the basic Bradley electric smoker I bought on sale at Bass Pro.  This smoker never fails to perform as promised.  I did have one problem and Bradley immediately corrected the issue and mailed out replacement part.  I enjoy the almost set it, and forget it aspect of this smoker.  On long smokes you have to watch the water pan as the Bradley pucks are extinguished in that pan.  Failing to watch the water level can cause the pucks to ignite.  Smoked cheese this weekend using AMZPS and the cheese is awesome.

Hi Mark,

 to the SMF, the best BBQ site on the web.  Whatever you need to know about the fine art of BBQ you can find it right here, from recipes to technical knowledge.

1. Can someone suggest a couple of smokers (vertical or horizontal though I am not sure what the differences are beyond the obvious) that would be good for a newbie? I can afford maybe $500 or so in the beginning. If you can tell me the strengths and weaknesses or Horizontal vs. Vertical that would be a bonus.  - For less than $500 you can buy a WSM, one of the best little smokers on the market - it's a vertical and is capable of doing just about anything you want.
    
2. Can you suggest a couple of good books for me to do some 'learnin'?  Don't know about books but this site is the best on the web for learning about BBQ.
    
3. What essentials should I have around or do I need to buy?  Start with a smoker, get yourself a chimney starter, maybe a propane torch, some good knives, and a collection of spices.

One thing you need to know about us is that we like to see pictures of your creations and your gear.  We call it Q-View and its basically the !!!

So, don't just talk about your food, show it!  Otherwise you may get a gentle reminder, like this...

  or this...

Good Luck and Get Smokin'

Bill