Anyone else own an Old Smokey Electric?

[joelq]

The only other member that I've seen post about his is ChargerPower, but looks like he hasn't been around the past year. :-/

If you have any experience with Old Smokey, please let me know - the guidelines for smoking that I've read here don't jive with the guidelines in the Old Smokey's manual. For example, the recipe in the Old Smokey manual calls to cook brisket for 30 minutes/lb, and set it on "high" which, according to the manual is approx 300*F. Other recipes, including that one I use when I cook brisket in the oven calls for 1.25 hours/lb at around 250*F.

One of my questions is - wouldn't the Old Smokey brisket be tough? Is the discrepancy caused by the fact that the Old Smokey has no vents?

 

[larry maddock]

maybe someone can remeber who it is..
when i try the search funtion --it shows other stuff...

anyhow--
the person said until he vented his unit...
it cooked to fast....

also didnt get enough smoke.

i hope they show up for you...

 

[newoldsmoker]

Having suffered with a cheap charcoal water smoker for long enough I looked around for good (cheap) electric smoker. Based on my research I decided to try the Old Smokey. Picked it up on line from the Cunningham's store link on their web sight with a 2" Thermometer you can install in the lid. Total price with shipping was $133.95. OK...not really cheap but your not going into business yet either.
Just received it this last weekend (3 days Fedex ground), put it together (real easy), followed the break-in instructions and did a beautiful moist smoked turkey breast. I'm planning a brisket or ribs for the 4th.
It was so easy compared to all the fussing with the charcoal and water(this uses no water). Follow the directions...just put in your choice of wood chips, meat and adjust the temperature with the thermometer and go relax(or mow the lawn etc.) You can cook it fast or slow. Don't forget to use a thermometer in the meat and check occasionally.
I'll try to follow up with more info on it as I learn it's idiosyncrasies.

newoldsmoker

PS - Don't vent it! Just adjust the temp with the rheostat.

 

[kilgore]

I just purchased an Old Smokey Electric Smoker and did my first Boston butt this weekend. Turned out very nicely.

Talk about easy - just load it up and turn it on. I've been using a smoker box on my grill, so the difference in hands on time was amazing.

I added a thermometer to display the smoker temp, but I'm interested in adding a hole for a meat thermometer probe. Has anyone done that? If so, do you have it sealed in some way? The OS seems to be a totally sealed unit and I'm worried about an 1/8 in. open hole in the top. I wonder if the hole could be plugged with wadded up aluminum foil.

Would love to hear from others with this smoker.

Kilgore

 

[bkennedy]

I bought mine when it was called Redi-Smoke ($65)...they sold to Old Smokey. I drilled a hole in the top for a thermometer....the hole was barely bigger than the thermometer..Ran my thermometer thru a little block of wood first..No smoke to worry about comes out. I Drilled a hole on the side about 2" from the top for my temp probe..Just a numbered drill size bigger than my probe..I have used mine for years. I usually add 2 cups of dry hickory sawdust for smoke..The reason for low and slow is so the meat won't dry out! This smoker keeps it moist through out the time..So its quicker, stays moist at higher temperatures (enclosed) and you cannot hardly burn anything..lol If you want a dryer product (Like ribs)..Empty the liquid from the pan for the last 30-45 minutes..Save the liquid and syphon off the grease and us the Au Jus for sauce or gravy or beans. Always cook your big meat on the grill in the middle ..right over the liquid pan..You can cook on both grills..I have cooked corn on the cob on the top while cooking meat. I line that liquid pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up..
Always use an internal probe in your meat cause this smoker cooks faster and it will not take as long..I have smoked 11 lb turkeys in less than 3 hours on high and the breast was moist..Without a probe you will overcook it...It will still be good but maybe too tender..Years ago I had a turkey slump off the bones...cause I was following one of those 10 hour plans (Before probes)...It was like those overcooked rotisserie chickens at the grocery store.lol

Stir that the grease absorbant material around after each cooking until it all gets coated then replace it..mine is about 1-1/2 inches deep under the heating element..

 

[kilgore]

Thanks for the good info bkennedy. (Just realized you were Old Bill - your posts on another forum led me to the Old Smokey.)

I'd love to put some of your suggestions to test this weekend, but it's gonna be too darn cold up here in Minnesota to try to do anything outside. I'm a transplanted southerner and I was pushing it when I was using the Old Smokey in the 20s last weekend. We're not supposed to above 0 for the next few days - so no outdoor cooking for me.

I miss real barbeque up here and that's why I've been doing my own for the last couple of years. (With a grill and smoker box, before the Old Smokey.) Here the main criteria for barbecue is anything with BBQ sauce on it, rather than low & slow with lots of smoke. I've never seen any smoke coming from the so called barbecue restaurants around here. When I'm back home, I love seeing that smoke (and smelling it too) from a long way away!

Kilgore

 

[normanguy]

Kilgore,
I also have an Old Smokey Electric Smoker I received back on Father's Day, at my request.

Right off the bat I bought the thermometer designed for it for about $8.00.

I had also drilled a small hole in the lid for one of my probes, and placed a heat resistant sealant around it.

I use an inch or two of scentless cat litter in the bottom for grease absorbency, and it also helps to heat.

I have a shop vac, so rather than pour out the old litter, I suck it out with a shop vac.

I find that right now sittingon the back step with 100 degree Oklahoma weather, halfway between low and medium gives me about 225 degrees.

In a nutshell, whenever I cook or smoke chicken, I brine it first in about a cup of salt to a gallon of water...preferably overnight.
Pour off water, season well, let set some hours.

I brine pork as well.

With ribs, I season them well overnight, storing them in a plastic bag in the fridge.

By and large, I smoke ribs or chicken parts for about 2.5 to 3 hours.

About halfway through, I remove the racks, rearrange the chips with a spatula, and put the racks back in.

With ribs, chicken (whether whole or in parts) that kind of thing, I don't worry about the temperature, as the first few times I did it I found that it reaches 180 degress well before it's time to take it out.

When I do a turkey, I'll want to monitor the temperature.

Also, should I want to cook at 300-350 degrees and use it as an oven, I'll want to monitor the temp.

This smoker has quickly brought me to a god-like status at family get togethers and wine club meetings.

I've yet to do a brisket, but will be doing one soon.

Right now, I'm playing around with pouring worsestshire sauce in the drip pan, or a little bourbon.

Did smoked corn, and it was great!

Looking forward to hearing more...

 

[normanguy]

Since the Old Smokey tends to keep moisture inside the smoker, I'd be interested in hearing your methods of smoking brisket.

 

[estremler]

I just picked up an Old Smokey myself, is it necessary to soak the wood chips for a couple hours?

it doesn't say anything about that in the instructions...

 

[papercut]

soaking the wood chips keeps them from smoking/flaming up too soon.  I often mix some wet with some dry on the chip pan of my Old Smokey.  Seems to work better than using dry alone.  Have fun smokin'!