New Alaska Smoker

[jrowland]

Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska.   I'm brand new to the world of smoking, so I'm running around the internet trying to figure things out - stumbled on this site, and decided to jump in.

I received a Sportsman Elite 30" electric smoker for my birthday a few weeks ago (probably as a hint that the wife is getting bored with just burgers on the grill all summer long).  

I'm still reading and looking, so I'm not sure I have any specific questions about actual cooking yet... but I do have a quick first question about smoker placement.  While I was looking over the instructions and some included recipes, I noticed the following:

1) only use outdoors

2) do not use within 10 feet of anything flammable

3) and don't use in the rain. 

hunh... if I actually follow all of those directions to the T, I guess I cannot use my smoker.  Their legal department must simply think that not using it at all is the best policy for not having any accidents.  With some of these recipes indicating a 12hr cook time, there sure is no way to predict a whole day when it isn't going to rain. And if it IS going to rain, I would want it under a roof of some kind to  protect the electronic doodads... but that defeats the "not within 10 feet of something flammable" precaution.

So... how are these things used "in the real world"?  I have a small wooden (8x8) deck off my kitchen door where my gas bbq currently sits.  It's not sheltered at all, so when it's drizzling out, the cook gets a little wet.  I was thinking about just placing this out on the deck next to the grill, and buying a canvas cover for it when not in use.  But, what's the "real" way to use it on those not-so-sunny days?  It's about to be "rainy season" here in Alaska... which coincides with Silver Salmon season... so I hope to be getting a lot of use out of it.

Thanks for any tips, and I look forward to lots of advice as I cruise through this site.

jimmy

 

[disco]

Welcome from Canada!

This is a great site with a lot of information and great members. Likely, one of them has your unit and could give you advice.

I have a Bradley Electric Smoker. I run it in and outside cookhouse that is not quite up to the instructions they gave in the book. It is about a foot from the wall and is under a 9 foot roof. However, I made a point of the cookhouse not being attached to my house and having a good space away from anything else.

The issue is you might end up with a fat fire some day and you want it far enough away from anything that burns that you are not at risk.

Disco

 

[dandl93]

I quess if you are living in Alaska you get to use your electric smoker 16 days a year? I would be getting me a stick burner.

When I was in the USA I bought one of those colapsable  deck awnings 10x12 screwed the 4 corners down to my deck only took it down when the snow started.My deck was alot bigger but it was great over the grills and could get out of the sun during the hot time of day

Just a Idea

Dan

 

[tropics]

I have an electric that is used under a canopy, this time of year. Winter it goes into the metal shed.

 

[jrowland]

Thanks for the replies.  I do have a 10x10 white awning thing (the kind that you see at all of the vendor fairs and markets everywhere)... I hadn't thought about that.  Sounds like a good idea.

 I quess if you are living in Alaska you get to use your electric smoker 16 days a year? I would be getting me a stick burner.

Hmmm... does that imply that you cannot use an electric model in the winter?  I grill all year long - so if it's just being outdoors that you're referring to, that doesn't bother me.  Of course, sometimes I have to shovel my way to my grill, which is only 6 feet from the door. :^)

Seriously, though... do electric models not do well in the cold?  Have a problem holding heat or something?

 

[jrod62]

:welcome1: my daughter lives in Seward up there

 

[tropics]

They do not hold the heat that well in the wind and cold, They don not like their electronics being burried in snow. Good luck have fun post some pics.

Richie

 

[disco]

 
Thanks for the replies.  I do have a 10x10 white awning thing (the kind that you see at all of the vendor fairs and markets everywhere)... I hadn't thought about that.  Sounds like a good idea.

Hmmm... does that imply that you cannot use an electric model in the winter?  I grill all year long - so if it's just being outdoors that you're referring to, that doesn't bother me.  Of course, sometimes I have to shovel my way to my grill, which is only 6 feet from the door. :^)

Seriously, though... do electric models not do well in the cold?  Have a problem holding heat or something?

If I keep my Bradley out of the wind, I have smoked at -25 Centigrade. The top heat I got was 230 F but that is enough for pork butt or ribs.

Disco

 

[gary s]

Welcome from East Texas got a lot of response there, I'm an old stick burner so no help from me.

Gary S