HOW/WHY

[mike243]

Is it possible for 2 different smokers run the same pellets and get 2 different smoke profiles/tastes ? . Run them at same temps some state higher ??? burn wood,circulate heat/smoke in chamber,vent smoke ? ,Trying to determine why/if paying 2x=5x more for a smoker can make them cook better and if so whats the magic bullet? ,we all know convection cooks quicker in a oven,also humidity will play a bigger role than say in a stick burner due to increased air flow over the meat.Does allowing the same smoke to linger around the meat longer let more or different compounds to leach into the meat vs the smoke just kissing it on the way out? ,does more moisture in the unit cause more flavor to become stuck to the products? .Having a insulated cabinet means less fuel/air flow is needed to cook due to heat loss so more of a soaking instead of a drowning so a stronger/better smoke flavor ? that's my wonderings for the day,I will let that soak in and see what others thoughts are lol

 

[bgingras]

My pellet smoker definitely cooks faster than my rever flow stick burner. I’ve run them side by side and my pellet smoker seems to be about 30% faster. I think it’s just another tool and you need to learn how best to use it.

 

[yahoot]

Having the smoke linger is not good. you want it to pass through and be gone. If it lingers too long, the creosote in it will condense out (bitter taste). This often happens when people don't open up enough exhaust vents.

The real key to smoke flavor is cooking low and slow. I think this is a point of confusion about pellet grills/smokers. there is an inverse relationship between smoke and temp. the hotter the fire, the less good smoke available to flavor your food. Smokers produce the best flavor at low temp. we usually smoke below 180, depending on lots of variables. At those temps, meat will pick up a lot of flavor for a long time. At higher temps, the rig is burning cleaner and you get less smoke, plus your meat is done faster, so it is exposed to smoke for less time (nature of grilling).

This is one reason we have been shifting more to buying "smokers" (verticals) and away from "grills" which we almost never use as real grills anyway. For most cuts, we smoke low and slow, then finish on the broiler or a non-wood burning grill just to sear. However, if you only have space/budget for one rig, a pellet grill is a good choice, but you have to recognize that it can be a smoker (at low temp), or a grill (at high temp), but there is no magic way to get low temp results at high temp.

 

[oldsmokerdude]

For the most part, the cost of the smoker is related to the quality of the parts and assembly (e.g. higher grade and gauge of steel, quality of controller, spot vs full weld, etc). Some folks turn out amazing results on a $60 ECB .... as good as others can turn out on a $6000 commercial smoker. As mentioned, the smoker is just a tool, the final product is a combination of technique, knowledge, quality of meat (and sometimes a bit of luck).

So bottom line, will a high end cooker make you a better smoker? No. Will a high end cooker make it easier for an accomplished smoker to produce more consistent results? Probably.