Gravity feed smokers , why cook in pans ?

[Smokin Okie]

I've noticed on the TV BBQ comp shows, that many comp people use gravity feeds, especially in Georgia where most are made. And they're always putting the meats in pans.

Listening to Malcolm Reed's latest podcast on YT, he says there's two reasons. One to keep the cooker clean and the other is an off flavor from drippings scorching on the deflector plate. The latter is puzzling because I thought that was something reverse flow stick burner folks liked ???

I like how my MB560 smokes. I'd also like to upgrade, even thinking about one of these . But I've got to wonder about cooking meats in pans, seems to me ya get very little air flow/convection.

I can also see that cleaning the bottom of a GF could turn into a real job.

Also, just because a smoker is popular with competitors doesn't mean its good for the back yard. They're wanting an oven that fits in KCBS rules as a smoker. They working with time constraints and don't want to deal with babysitting a smoker. They're gonna put flavor on their meats with marinades, injections, rubs, sauces , and who knows what else.

Here's the part of Malcolm's podcast where he talks GF's

 

[JLeonard]

I do a lot of my cooks, especially if its a fatty meat like pork butt with a pan under it to catch the dripping. Mainly cause I'm lazy and dont want to clean the smoker a lot and also since I use a MB gasser cabinet smoker to cut down on the chances of a grease fire. I will have the catch pan on a lower shelf or use a baking rack to elevate the meat out of the pan. I know this doesnt answer your question but its what I do.

Jim

 

[Smokin Okie]

I do a lot of my cooks, especially if its a fatty meat like pork butt with a pan under it to catch the dripping. Mainly cause I'm lazy and dont want to clean the smoker a lot and also since I use a MB gasser cabinet smoker to cut down on the chances of a grease fire. I will have the catch pan on a lower shelf or use a baking rack to elevate the meat out of the pan. I know this doesnt answer your question but its what I do.

Jim

I would do the same. Maybe the comp people cook directly in the pans because they've got it loaded up with meats ?

 

[negolien]

I think pans is mostly because they are lazy lol. I never use pans and I have had my gf for over 4 years. I do burn offs before and after and don't have an issues.

 

[SmokinAl]

I’m lazy & cook everything I can in a pan. I do put a grate on top of the pan, so there is good air flow around the meat. I have done this with all my smokers. However I have never owned a GF before, but I have had cabinet smokers.
Al

 

[clifish]

I have 2 pans on the LSS manifold cover on my mb800, I am lazy too, but also don't want the grease dripping down the front leg onto the pavers. I also have this baking rack if needed as it covers most of the grate.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085283N2G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Smokin Okie]

I use drip pans on MB560. I was thinking more about cooking down in pans. I thought that's what Malcolm was saying, but maybe not.

 

[JLeonard]

I use drip pans on MB560. I was thinking more about cooking down in pans. I thought that's what Malcolm was saying, but maybe not.

I went back and watched the video with the captioning on. He said pretty much what the rest of us have said. Pan with meat elevated on a rack to help keep things clean and to keep down the scorched fat smell.

Jim

 

[Smokin Okie]

I just listened again also, he did say they cook on raised racks inside the pan to keep the meat up off the bottom.

I would think, if not on raised racks, then it would be as much braising as smoking.

I'd like to see Malcolm get a GF , cook on it, and give us his thoughts. A good patio size GF runs $2300 to $3500. I want all the info I can get before dropping that kind of money.

 

[JC in GB]

I have a Stump's Baby GF smoker and the only reason I would put a pan or grate under food is if I was concerned about black marks on the food after smoking.

Cleaning the smoker is not difficult at all. I just use a drywall scraper and scrape the floor and racks before every cook.

One great thing about my smoker is I can run it over 350 degrees and cook any grease build up off the walls. I do that once a year.

If I placed aluminum foil on the bottom of the smoker, clean up would be even easier.

I love my Stump's GF smoker. If I could have only one, this would be it.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me anything about my GF smoker.

JC

 

[Smokin Okie]

I have a Stump's Baby GF smoker and the only reason I would put a pan or grate under food is if I was concerned about black marks on the food after smoking.

Cleaning the smoker is not difficult at all. I just use a drywall scraper and scrape the floor and racks before every cook.

One great thing about my smoker is I can run it over 350 degrees and cook any grease build up off the walls. I do that once a year.

If I placed aluminum foil on the bottom of the smoker, clean up would be even easier.

I love my Stump's GF smoker. If I could have only one, this would be it.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me anything about my GF smoker.

JC

Now , that's what I was hoping to get.

I came close to pulling the trigger on an Old Country GF. I really liked the price point.

But I kept reading about problems with it getting up to temp and then problems regaining temp if opened for any time.

I've concluded its an air flow problem. The firebox/ash bin are even with the bottom of the cook chamber which puts the charcoal grate about a foot high in cook chamber. So they direct air down into chamber.

I read some are taking up to 1 and a half hours to get up to temp.

From best I can tell from pics, no one else does that. Everyone else that I can find has the ash bin/firebox below the bottom of the cook chamber ( even Masterbuilt ). The charcoal grate is even with the bottom of the cook chamber so air flows laterally into the chamber.

Is that how your Stump is designed ?

In the OCGF , air has to take a 90 * turn down, go through a narrow tunnel, and then turn 90* again. And its forcing hot air to go down, which hot air doesn't like to do. Like this ....

 

[seenred]

I’ve been cooking on a Southern Q Limo Jr GF for several years. In fact, I’ve owned 2 of them. IMHO it’s the best smoker I’ve ever owned.

About the only time I’ve ever used a pan was when I smoke meatloaf. I put the meatloaf on a small rack, put the rack on the top of an old cake pan - like I did it in this cook:

Red's Smoked Meatloaf - Qview Heavy

Happy Sunday Evening, SMF Friends! One of the things I've been meaning to try forever is smoking a meatloaf. I don't really know why I hadn't done this yet...I've been watching many of my smoking buddies here do this forever...and kept meaning to do some for myself. But for whatever reason...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Makes handling the meatloaf between the kitchen and the smoker easier for me.

However, no matter what I’m cooking, I do usually put a large disposable foil pan on the bottom rack of my Limo Jr. to catch most of the grease - for couple reasons. First, the pit has 4 racks in it, and I find I rarely need the bottom rack, unless I’m doing a really large cook. Second, I’m lazy, and it makes it a lot easier to keep the smoker clean

Red

 

[Smokin Okie]

I’ve been cooking on a Southern Q Limo Jr GF for several years. In fact, I’ve owned 2 of them. IMHO it’s the best smoker I’ve ever owned.

About the only time I’ve ever used a pan was when I smoke meatloaf. I put the meatloaf on a small rack, put the rack on the top of an old cake pan - like I did it in this cook:

Red's Smoked Meatloaf - Qview Heavy

Happy Sunday Evening, SMF Friends! One of the things I've been meaning to try forever is smoking a meatloaf. I don't really know why I hadn't done this yet...I've been watching many of my smoking buddies here do this forever...and kept meaning to do some for myself. But for whatever reason...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Makes handling the meatloaf between the kitchen and the smoker easier for me.

However, no matter what I’m cooking, I do usually put a large disposable foil pan on the bottom rack of my Limo Jr. to catch most of the grease - for couple reasons. First, the pit has 4 racks in it, and I find I rarely need the bottom rack, unless I’m doing a really large cook. Second, I’m lazy, and it makes it a lot easier to keep the smoker clean

Red

I would guess that the very bottom rack is too hot to be usable anyway ?

So that would make it a good place for drip pans ?

How bout temp difference side to side ? The OCGF has very definite hot side, the chute side is hotter. But I'm thinking that has to do with the location of the charcoal grate.

 

[seenred]

I would guess that the very bottom rack is too hot to be usable anyway ?

So that would make it a good place for drip pans ?

How bout temp difference side to side ? The OCGF has very definite hot side, the chute side is hotter. But I'm thinking that has to do with the location of the charcoal grate.

I don’t get hot spots from left to right. And while the bottom rack is the hottest, there’s not a huge temp difference from top to bottom. I‘d estimate that most of the time the temp difference between the top 3 racks is less than 20 degrees.

Red

 

[Smokin Okie]

It appears here, that the Limo Jr also directs hot air down, but its not 90* angles like the Old Country

 

[seenred]

It appears here, that the Limo Jr also directs hot air down, but its not 90* angles like the Old Country

I don’t claim to have any knowledge about the design - or possible design flaws - of those Old Country rigs. But I’m pretty sure that Southern Q uses roughly the same design that Stumps, Assassin, Deep South, Myron Mixon, and other established pit builders have been successfully using for years.

As far as I know, they all have some kind of downward-angled diverter at the opening to the firebox, that acts to baffle the heat and smoke across the bottom of the chamber - below the bottom cooking rack. I think that angled diverter is roughly at about 45 degrees in the GF pits I’m familiar with.

Again, I don’t know about that Old Country pit, but I’m positive that the diverter doesn’t cause air flow issues in my pit. In fact, my belief is that it is the main reason for even temps through my cook chamber. I assume the same is true of Stumps, Assassin, etc.

Red

 

[Smokin Okie]

I don’t claim to have any knowledge about the design - or possible design flaws - of those Old Country rigs. But I’m pretty sure that Southern Q uses roughly the same design that Stumps, Assassin, Deep South, Myron Mixon, and other established pit builders have been successfully using for years.

As far as I know, they all have some kind of downward-angled diverter at the opening to the firebox, that acts to baffle the heat and smoke across the bottom of the chamber - below the bottom cooking rack. I think that angled diverter is roughly at about 45 degrees in the GF pits I’m familiar with.

Again, I don’t know about that Old Country pit, but I’m positive that the diverter doesn’t cause air flow issues in my pit. In fact, my belief is that it is the main reason for even temps through my cook chamber. I assume the same is true of Stumps, Assassin, etc.

Red

Yes, that's what I saw with Stumps Baby GF, he has an angled deflector .

From what I can tell from video and pics, Assassin has a direct flow into the cook chamber. But they may be the only ones.

But frankly, both of those are well out of my price range. when it gets to over $3,000 before shipping, you can stick a fork in me, I'm done.

 

[seenred]

But frankly, both of those are well out of my price range. when it gets to over $3,000 before shipping, you can stick a fork in me, I'm done.

I’m with you there! When I first started looking into GF pits, I really wanted a Stumps. But unless a person could find a used one in good shape for a good price, they’re just beyond what I could justify spending.

That’s when I learned about Southern Q. Now I bought this in 2019…so these are pre-pandemic costs. But I bought the new Limo Jr, with an added 4th cooking rack, an added travel latch, and a new BBQ Guru system…AND had it shipped from Georgia to Oklahoma, for less than $3K. The Stumps I was comparing it to starts at about $3900, before add ons and shipping. Don’t get me wrong - I still love those Stumps cookers. They’re sure nice…but IMHO, Southern Q offers the best value for the money of any of the insulated GF cabinet smokers.

Red

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

With my Louisiana Grills vertical pellet smoker I always have an aluminum pan at the bottom for two things. To act as a catch pan and filled half way with water to stabilize the temperature. After the cook when it cools down I toss the contaminated water and clean it a bit for the next cook.

When it gets too dirty I simply toss it out and replace it. They are cheap and I rarely have to clean the bottom of the smoker other than vacuuming up the ashes.

The only time I have used a pan in the cooking itself is on a honey mustard glaze that is very messy.

HAHA I was not smoking a sponge, It was left there after cleaning the glass. Here is a quote for choosing a glass front for your smoker.

Have no regrets in life because of the choices you make. Good or bad, they are a learning experience, to help you grow. The only regret in life, is to never make a choice at all.
James Hauenstein

 

[JC in GB]

Now , that's what I was hoping to get.

I came close to pulling the trigger on an Old Country GF. I really liked the price point.

But I kept reading about problems with it getting up to temp and then problems regaining temp if opened for any time.

I've concluded its an air flow problem. The firebox/ash bin are even with the bottom of the cook chamber which puts the charcoal grate about a foot high in cook chamber. So they direct air down into chamber.

I read some are taking up to 1 and a half hours to get up to temp.

From best I can tell from pics, no one else does that. Everyone else that I can find has the ash bin/firebox below the bottom of the cook chamber ( even Masterbuilt ). The charcoal grate is even with the bottom of the cook chamber so air flows laterally into the chamber.

Is that how your Stump is designed ?

In the OCGF , air has to take a 90 * turn down, go through a narrow tunnel, and then turn 90* again. And its forcing hot air to go down, which hot air doesn't like to do. Like this ....


View attachment 663943View attachment 663944

The Stump's has the fire out below the lower rack. It has a heat distribution/grease plate above the firebox output. My smoker comes up to temp quickly. I used to fill the charcoal chute and light it from the inside of the smoker but that turned out to be such a PITA that I got a Weber charcoal starter chute. That was the ticket.

The smoker comes back to temp quickly when opened. The insulated walls help a lot. I live in Wisconsin and smoke year round so having an insulated cabinet was a must.

The smoker is well constructed and I am sure it will outlast me. There were 2 small drawbacks on this design though.

1) Charcoal bridges in the feed chute so you have to occasionally use a stick or some other tool to tap the charcoal and break the bridge. Not really a big deal. IMHO

2) Smoke stack output is right in the middle of the cabinet. During cooks when the temp is low, I will get condensation in the stack and it drips ugly black water onto my food. Doesn't really affect taste but looks crappy on a slab of bacon.

When you order your Stump's smoker, you get put on a Mfg. list. Just ask for a side output stack and any other extras you might want when you order. I got the heavy duty wheel package and slam door latch. That was well worth it. The guys I spoke to at Stump's were very friendly and helpful.

Lastly, I use my own home brew temp controller on my smokers. Looking at the smoker design you posted, using a forced fan blower for thermal regulation might make all the difference for that design.

Hope you found this helpful.

JC