Smoke Hollow 44241G2 Owners

[poundtown]

Smoke Hollow 44 - You must have gotten a dud !  We love ours !

Sorry to here you boys are having trouble !  Had ours for quite a while and after getting familiar with temp levels and water evap, I have to say it is all in the method.  To bad its not "Made in America", but that's more of a political issue I am sure we are all in agreement on.

Did 12 racks of St. Louis Style ribs for my sons team and couldn't be happier.  Used the 3-2-1 recipe with some apple wood.   I think the foil is the key at the end for fall off the bone results, although I like to char them up a little for my personal taste.  

Customer Service at Smoke Hollow ?  I ordered extra rib racks a few weeks before this smoke and had a good experience with the customer service.  

Ill try and upload a pic.

 

[woodscomp]

Do you mind sharing what your experiences are with cooking in this smoker?  How do you achieve your temps? Location? Are you using both chip pans? 

Also I am fully convinced that my burners are not right.  The right side def burns hotter than the left.

 

[woodscomp]

Just an update, had some good conversations with Chad over at Smoke Hollow and after many emails describing the issues that I have had with this smoker, he sent me a replacement.  Will put it together tomorrow and smoke on it by the weekend.  Did take it out of the box and just looking at the gas tubes I would say these are a bit different than the last ones.  

I would have described the first set of tubes to be just plain old vanilla gas grill tubes.  The new smokers tubes are the same size but the burn holes that run along the sides and over the top are def smaller by comparison and they there is approx 1/3 less of them as they only cover about the last half of the gas tube, whereas the originals went almost all the way back to the front door of the smoker.

To say I am excited about maybe finally having a smoker that will perform as intended is an understatement.  And after the next smoke if all works as advertised I will update and amend my posts here to reflect the customer service that I received and a better review of what this things limitations are.

But for now I need to thank Chad for coming through on the warranty of this thing.

 

[woodscomp]

Well I put this smoker together the other night and I do believe that Smoke Hollow (OLP) must have made some modifications to this smoker.  First thing I noticed was the burners are different as I noted before.  The other thing that is different is the placement of the bottom drip rail is now factory installed and there seems to be much better air flow through the entire unit.  I didn't save the old smoker to place them side by side for comparison.  

And finally, the most important update is the fact that this thing works exactly like it should.  Seasoned it for 3 hours prior to the first run cook session, held a temp of 230 with both burners on low using the dampers to adjust the temp was easy.

First smoke, no chips on fire, filled the water pan, filled the chip pans, lit it off the entire thing came up to temp in 20 minutes and we were smoking.  Had a 6 hour smoke session no issues at all.

I would have to say that for the money this unit could be well worth every penny spent on it, if you get the right unit.

 

[uechikid]

Good to here that this worked out.  Also good to know that Smoke Hollow stands behind their products.

 

[shotsky]

Just a couple comments about some of the problems I've read about here.

First, low temperatures are often caused by the safety mechanism in the propane tank. That mechanism, when it kicks in, throttles the gas flow so it doesn't blast propane if something happens to the hose or burner. To use it properly, have the cooker OFF, and  SLOWLY open the propane tank about 1/2 turn. After it equalizes in the hose, it can be opened a little further. If you open it QUICKLY, and the hose is empty (as if you had the burner on) then the safety mechanism may kick in and you won't see higher temperatures. This is true of ALL propane cooking devices, as it is a function of the TANKS. Some tanks trigger easier than others. I've had some really tricky tanks, and others act like they don't even have a safety mechanism. But I've never had one that I couldn't get working. If you have a tricky tank, use all the propane, then exchange it at Home Depot for a full, new tank. $20 and your old tank gets you a new, 3/4 full tank.

The other item is about flaming wood. Flame is caused by too much oxygen. Period. There are numerous ways to control the oxygen, but one of the simplest is to put the wood into foil packets first, poke maybe one good pencil sized hole in it, and let it go. No matter HOW hot you try to run your smoker, the wood burning will be controlled by the amount of oxygen that can get into the foil pack. Another way to control oxygen is with a slotted lid for the smoker box. I have a GOSM with a huge wood box, and a slotted lid. I actually put another slotted lid on top of that one to further restrict the oxygen. I tend to smoke closer to 300 most of the time, which means I must control the oxygen to the wood or I'd have flames too. A nice thing about the foil packs is that they are easy to replace during a cook. They will be very light when the wood is fully turned to ash. Always be careful about how you dispose of them - a bucket of water is best.

Lastly, the heavier smoke when getting started is bitter and loaded with creosote. When starting a smoking session, it is better to get the smoker up to temperature, and let the heavy, white smoke dissipate before putting your food in. Remember, if it smells acrid, your food will taste acrid. You want the smoke to smell pleasing to you when you put your food inside, which will produce excellent tasting food.

Hope this helps - you should be able to make excellent smoked meats on almost any smoker - the differences are usually more of convenience than function. Heat + smoke + food = good stuff. They all do that, given care in what you are doing.

John

 

[smok]

... The other thing that is different is the placement of the bottom drip rail is now factory installed and there seems to be much better air flow through the entire unit.  I didn't save the old smoker to place them side by side for comparison.  

Woodscomp

I just purchase a 44241G2 this month and am also experiencing the same temperature issues, too cold. Plenty of propane, nice flame, very hot in the bottom chamber, its just not able to pass through to the top chamber.

I was told by the factory to just remove the drip rail. I thought the drip rail was a nice feature and am wondering where all the grease will go without it... I guess I'll find out.

No, not happy.

 

[cabrego]

I just bought this smoker at a local store and I am very happy with it so far.  I was bit worried because I read this thread prior to making the purchase, but I decided to give it a try because I really liked the size of the smoker and the build quality seemed decent on the floor model I had seen at the local store.  I smoked a brisket this weekend and it ran like a champ, ran 220-230 all night long, during seasoning the highest temp I saw was around 360 with both burners on high and no water in the water pans.

Sounds like you got your issues sorted out, I wonder why some folks are having problems, could it be assembly error?  You mentioned the drip rails are now factory installed, I wonder if there is a difference in the design.  I called OLP because I was curious and they said they had a wayy older model of the 44 inch but  it had a different model number-44241G2 is the most recent.

I got a great deal since I bought the floor model, only paid 250 for mine :)  Our  Academy store had it priced for 299, and none were in stock anywhere nor were they every going to get them again-I guess I got lucky.

 

[brandonh1]

Hi All,

This is a very helpful thread.  I'm currently comparing the Smoke Hollow 44241G2 smoker to the Landmann 38" Smoky Mountain Two Drawer Vertical smoker #3895GLA.  

Do you guys have any experience with the Landmann products?  What attracts me most about the Smoke Hollow product is the dual-wall construction.  With that feature and the dual burners I assume that it will hold temperature better.  

The exterior dimension of the Landmann is somewhat smaller which will be helpful in getting it in and out of the back of my SUV for tailgates.  That and the better price are the attraction for this smoker.

Thanks in advance.

 

[aland]

I don't know what you mean by double wall construction cos I bought mine last Sept'11 and it has single wall. I use a fire blanket(welding blanket) to insulate but Smoke Hollow told me to get the flame down I can light it on HI and turn back to OFF to get a lower flame than Low. That was 1 of the complaints Woodscomp had. I don't know if that helps or not but I would love to hear of anything that would help me with mine. I know every smoker has it's own personality and it does ok but I think I am just used to the results I always got from my ECB. I have been thinking of how to make a fire pan for wood or charcoal to use in it cos of the area for meat. It's a dandy smoker and it's probably me but I'm glad to see more 44" SH owners posting ideas. Thanks all.

 

[snowave]

Any more comments on this unit on recent experiences or new owners?  I'm still up in the air between this unit and the 24" Camp Chef Smoke Vault
 

 

[woodscomp]

There definitely two different beasts.  I posted an update to mine in the "calling all smoke hollow owners" thread.  Don't want to retype the entire thing here.  However since Chad at Smoke Hollow replaced mine I have been happy as can be with the 44" Smoke Hollow model.  I don't expect it to last more than 3 years with the gas grill type burners they put in them, and when it does die I look forward to buying a different unit or trying to rig in a proper burner system to the cabinet if the cabinet is still in good shape.  

I will say the thing uses a ton of propane, you have to figure your trying to hold temps in a very thin sheet metal box that is acting like an oven outdoors.  I now own 4 bottles of propane and never run a smoke without having a full bottle on standby.  I would say that on average I smoke about 8-10 hours per session and that I typically use 3/4 of a bottle of propane.  

When you add it all up I think a stick burner would have been a much cheaper smoker in the long run.  Of course I have had my eyes set on the Yoder competition pellet smoker and I am quite certain the pellets aren't any cheaper.

Adding up the cost of the 44" smoker....

$300 to purchase (if it last three years that's $100 per year)

3/4 bottle of propane roughly $16 per smoke for myself
2 bags of wood chips $6.00

Plus cost of the product your smoking unless your hunting your own

It's not the cheapest way to go, but it's damn tasty.

 

[snowave]

There definitely two different beasts.  I posted an update to mine in the "calling all smoke hollow owners" thread.  Don't want to retype the entire thing here.  However since Chad at Smoke Hollow replaced mine I have been happy as can be with the 44" Smoke Hollow model.  I don't expect it to last more than 3 years with the gas grill type burners they put in them, and when it does die I look forward to buying a different unit or trying to rig in a proper burner system to the cabinet if the cabinet is still in good shape.  

I will say the thing uses a ton of propane, you have to figure your trying to hold temps in a very thin sheet metal box that is acting like an oven outdoors.  I now own 4 bottles of propane and never run a smoke without having a full bottle on standby.  I would say that on average I smoke about 8-10 hours per session and that I typically use 3/4 of a bottle of propane.  

When you add it all up I think a stick burner would have been a much cheaper smoker in the long run.  Of course I have had my eyes set on the Yoder competition pellet smoker and I am quite certain the pellets aren't any cheaper.

Adding up the cost of the 44" smoker....

$300 to purchase (if it last three years that's $100 per year)

3/4 bottle of propane roughly $16 per smoke for myself
2 bags of wood chips $6.00

Plus cost of the product your smoking unless your hunting your own

It's not the cheapest way to go, but it's damn tasty.

Thanks a bunch for the info...  if I heard of little or no problems with this unit, price wouldn't be an issue, but it just seems I keep hearing about a bunch of different problems. This has possibly made up my mind with biting on the Smoke Vault 24". Thanks again for your help.

 

[alamar]

Looking at purchasing one of these monsters. Can anyone provide the dimensions of the racks. I am trying to find out the sizes but can't seem to locate a listing. Thanks.

 

[aland]

Hi alamar, aland  here. The racks are 22" x 14".  I also have this model #8(G2). I suggest, if you haven't already, read all the posts.

 

[aland]

To all Smoke Hollow owners and all who have square vertical smokers,  in researching gasket sealer for my SH 44" #8, I ran across a company(High-Que) in Tulsa OK that advertised replacement gasket material for Big Green Eggs in rolls. I called them, spoke to Brian and asked how long the rolls were. I told him I was wanting to seal both doors. He said that they had a lot of scrap pieces and asked for the measures of the unit, I gave them to him and he said he could fix me up with what I should need and a little extra and would only charge me $20 instead of $39( I think it was) and free shipping. They are @ 1-855-444-4783. High-Que.com. At the time, he said they were moving to Phoenix, AZ. I haven't applied the gasket yet but he said their adhesive on the back of the tape was very good just clean the area real good with acetone and I should have no problem. Hope this info might help folks. Thanks, aland

 

[qbirdon]

I just replaced my Brinkmann All I One with the Smoke Hollow 44". I plan to fire it tomorrow morning. I'll post the results. Can I get a couple prayers here? I hope my machine isn't from woodscomps' batch :-|

 

[woodscomp]

Good luck on that..  I have not used mine in a few months.  I hope that I provided enough information for you to determine if it is screwed up at least.