Best of both worlds?

[DougE]

I can't be the first one to think of this and was wondering if anyone else has started smoking a butt on an offset with charcoal/wood chunks and pulled it off at, say, 150 or 160 and finished it off on a pellet grill. In theory (at least in my mind) you'd get the smoke flavor of fire/wood without having to babysit a fire for the entire time of the cook.

 

[Hamdrew]

Why not just use the oven, as people often do? Meat only picks up smoke til 140-160.
If you expect it to still pick up smoke flavor, just like pellet grills as a whole, you are (arguably) sacrificing quality for convenience.

I suppose I am confused as to where your confusion comes from, why you are uncertain if that would work. WSM's and UDS's are often used as "set and forget" smokers, if you had not considered using one (especially if using a wood/charcoal combo in an offset).

 

[thirdeye]

Why not just use the oven, as people often do? Meat only picks up smoke til 140-160.
If you expect it to still pick up smoke flavor, just like pellet grills as a whole, you are (arguably) sacrificing quality for convenience.

I suppose I am confused as to where your confusion comes from, why you are uncertain if that would work. WSM's and UDS's are often used as "set and forget" smokers, if you had not considered using one (especially if using a wood/charcoal combo in an offset).

Actually it's the smoke ring that stops forming in the 140° neighborhood. Meat will take on smoke flavor until you ruin the meat.

 

[thirdeye]

I can't be the first one to think of this and was wondering if anyone else has started smoking a butt on an offset with charcoal/wood chunks and pulled it off at, say, 150 or 160 and finished it off on a pellet grill. In theory (at least in my mind) you'd get the smoke flavor of fire/wood without having to babysit a fire for the entire time of the cook.

Friends of mine to that often when cooking overnight. They start a charcoal pit around 6 or 7pm and smoke briskets or butts until 11pm, then switch the meat to a pellet cooker because of it's thermostat and fuel bin. Usually they have a remote thermometer so they can monitor the cook from their phone or a remote on the bedside table.

 

[DougE]

Friends of mine to that often when cooking overnight. They start a charcoal pit around 6 or 7pm and smoke briskets or butts until 11pm, then switch the meat to a pellet cooker because of it's thermostat and fuel bin. Usually they have a remote thermometer so they can monitor the cook from their phone or a remote on the bedside table.

See, that was my thinking. Even if you started early in the morning, you'd get the smoke profile from a charcoal pit by starting on that, with the convenience of not having to tend a fire for the whole smoke.

 

[Hamdrew]

well there ya go

[i might still switch it over to a loaded WSM, maybe even get one of those intake fans+sensors/alarms as a guarantee]

 

[thirdeye]

well there ya go

[i might still switch it over to a loaded WSM, maybe even get one of those intake fans+sensors/alarms as a guarantee]

I've seen some nice set-ups

 

[chef jimmyj]

A Smoker is an Oven that generates Smoke. If at any point you are satisfied with the amount of time spent in smoke, a Kitchen Oven or any other piece of equipment that generates sufficient heat, will finish the cook. Personally, if I wrap meat that needs several more hours of cooking, I put it in my Kitchen Oven. It is the least likely to Crap Out before the meat is done...JJ

 

[SmokinAl]

Nothing wrong with finishing in the oven or a pellet smoker. It’s a bitch to babysit an offset for 12-14 hours. But I have to say if your not wrapping the meat then the off set will give you a better flavor. If your wrapping it then the oven or pellet grill, or electric smoker, is the way to go.
Al