Looking to buy an electric, but doesn't smouldering wood = bad combustion = creosote?

[Hauser]

I'm new to smoking personally but I come from an extended family of stick burners where the cardinal rule is getting clean smoke, that clear or very very slightly blue smoke that indicates the wood is burning hot enough that no creosote is being formed. I've been looking for more of a beginner pit and have been considering electrics since I've gotten good results on my FIL's Bradley, but when looking at the Smokin-It, SmokinTex and Cookshack style of pits that use real hunks of wood instead of processed pellets/pucks, it seems to me those cookers only get the wood to a smoulder which produces the sort of white smoke full of creosote you would never want to see on a stick burner!

Am I missing something or are those sorts of electrics for the folks who like that creosote taste?

 

[browneyesvictim]

it seems to me those cookers only get the wood to a smoulder which produces the sort of white smoke full of creosote you would never want to see on a stick burner!

Most folks that use those kinds of smokers have no problem getting TBS. There are different methods and techniques of course for each type of smoker. But that is true for any and all smokers. Lots to read around here and shorten the learning curve no matter which one you choose.

 

[schlotz]

If you ARE looking to buy an electric, consider what many others have done.
They use the Amazen Pellet Tray Smoker and the electric's element for the temp.

 

[tallbm]

I'm new to smoking personally but I come from an extended family of stick burners where the cardinal rule is getting clean smoke, that clear or very very slightly blue smoke that indicates the wood is burning hot enough that no creosote is being formed. I've been looking for more of a beginner pit and have been considering electrics since I've gotten good results on my FIL's Bradley, but when looking at the Smokin-It, SmokinTex and Cookshack style of pits that use real hunks of wood instead of processed pellets/pucks, it seems to me those cookers only get the wood to a smoulder which produces the sort of white smoke full of creosote you would never want to see on a stick burner!

Am I missing something or are those sorts of electrics for the folks who like that creosote taste?

Hi there and welcome!

Most of us electric guys use the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray or tube an that contraption produces Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) by design! Additionally there is no need to keep feeding it. You can burn up to 9-12+ hours if you fill it up.

For the Bradley and the MES there should be little issue using the AMNPS with it and getting airflow. I don't think the Smokin-IT, SmokinTex, or Cookshack smokers have much info with users using the AMNPS but I would find a way to rig it up with a mailbox mod or something like that to do the same thing.

Using the AMNPS and pellets or wood dust solves all of your concerns and adds more desired features than what you have even asked about :)

 

[Hauser]

If you ARE looking to buy an electric, consider what many others have done.
They use the Amazen Pellet Tray Smoker and the electric's element for the temp.

Hi there and welcome!

Most of us electric guys use the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray or tube an that contraption produces Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) by design! Additionally there is no need to keep feeding it. You can burn up to 9-12+ hours if you fill it up.

For the Bradley and the MES there should be little issue using the AMNPS with it and getting airflow. I don't think the Smokin-IT, SmokinTex, or Cookshack smokers have much info with users using the AMNPS but I would find a way to rig it up with a mailbox mod or something like that to do the same thing.

Using the AMNPS and pellets or wood dust solves all of your concerns and adds more desired features than what you have even asked about :)

Ah I actually use an AMNTS on my grill right now for cold smoking with great success! So if burning pellets in an electric gives you TBS, maybe I should be looking at a pellet smoker instead since some of them are almost as easy to use as an electric these days?

 

[tallbm]

Ah I actually use an AMNTS on my grill right now for cold smoking with great success! So if burning pellets in an electric gives you TBS, maybe I should be looking at a pellet smoker instead since some of them are almost as easy to use as an electric these days?

You could go that route. Just know that in general it is seems that as you turn up the heat on pellet smokers the smoke output goes down :(
It seems I read many of the pellet smoker guys here use the AMNTS to supplement the smoke of their pellet smokers.

It's all up to you.

I personally ruled out pellet smokers because I didn't want to be married to buying pellets as a fuel. The electric smoker was was more "fuel" efficient for me since it just needed electricity to produce heat.
Again this is just ME and you may have other desires or wants.

If I DID own a pellet smoker I would burn the cheapest working pellets I could for fuel and then use the best flavor pellets with the AMNTS. This way I got the best flavor but didn't burn up my better betters as fuel.
Walmart sells the Pit Boss Competition Blend Pellets for fairly inexpensive so that would be my fuel. They are a milder flavor pellet but give good flavor so its a win win if I were to follow my just mentioned pellet strategy. I use Lumberjack pellets for flavor and LOVE them!

 

[801driver]

I have been using a Smoken-it #2 for several years now, 5-6 or so at least. Yes, a little expensive, but the door and everything else fits, have not needed to dink with it to make it work in any way. It is outside under a covered patio. While the end product might be 95% of what I was doing with my wood burner, it is so much easier. Like the old "Ronco" commercial, "Set it and forget it."

Mine is not the high dollar $200 to replace with a power surge digital hold within 5' temp swing, mine is the old contact on and off temp swing of 10'-12' like your kitchen oven your wife bakes cakes in. So what? Mine has no other moving parts, chain feeder, use special pellets, additional smoke source, etc. I use a couple little pieces of the bag hickory from the local grocery store produced locally, (it is a miser on wood, a couple oz is enough) have to split some of the larger ones with a hammer and screwdriver to make them small enough to fit, sometimes break up little sticks that fall out of my pecan tree in the yard. I have most likely paid for my unit by not having to buy the special pellets as much as I have used it.

I open a little SS built in smoke box and throw in a few little wood chunks and wait for the remote beeper (Not included) to go off several hours or the next day later. If I want more smoke I throw in a few more chunks after an hour or so. I spent less than $70 to have a spare temp controller and heater element in case I need to replace them some day. That should easily take me through at least 10 years of frequent use. I feel I definitely got my moneys worth purchasing this product. JMO

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I personally have used a charcoal burner in the past, and loathed it. My Masterbuilt is to me an upgrade. It's nice knowing unless the power goes out, things can go overnight with out me looking. I run an AMNPS in it. I have about 40 pounds of pellets on hand between various kinds, and half again in various wood chips.

I've heard of way more issues with pellet grills and smokers and seen some nasty outcomes thanks to them. <On FB I saw a video of a guy's quite literally blowing apart. As near as I and others figured; the augur was grinding some caught pellets to sawdust over time and when he added more pellets, it pushed the saw dust out. The element fired to get things going, and it promptly blew apart.>

 

[zwiller]

Started with charcoal and gave up on it. Never could get it dialed in. Moved to a gasser and made some good stuff finally but was constantly fiddling and smoke was hit or miss. After reading tons here I tried MES + AMNPS and at the time I considered it cheating but WOW. I am still in awe what I am pulling off. MES does perfect temps and AMNPS perfect TBS. Not sure why but pellet grills do not interest me. Seems gimmicky to me and to many moving parts that would translate into failure or something.

 

[Eric6711]

Ah I actually use an AMNTS on my grill right now for cold smoking with great success! So if burning pellets in an electric gives you TBS, maybe I should be looking at a pellet smoker instead since some of them are almost as easy to use as an electric these days?

Hauser
I am a old stick burner guy myself for years. I still have a offset smoker. I have been using electrics for about 4 yrs they are a lot easier and I use a Amnts they really make good smoke. My whole thing is price. I’ve cut up and used all my Hickory and apple wood years ago and when you buy chunks it gets expensive. You can buy a big bag of treager pellets and smoke a long time months before you have to get another bag with your Amazing pellet tray. To me the pellet grills use a lot of pellets to produce all there heat and smoke. So I like a electric smoker it’s cheap to use. But nothing beats the taste of a stick burner
My two cents Happy Smokin