I recently upgraded from the ECB to the big Smoke Hollow (Number 8 I think). So far I've only done a shoulder, 10# of wings and and about 150 Moink Balls (all for a Super Bowl party). Here are my initial thoughts...
Likes:
1) Space (obviously). The ECB was pretty small, though a great 1st smoker for a newbie.
2) Temp control. It is winter here in Upstate NY, so I may have to modify come Summer (I modded the ECB with a needle valve to be able to get the temp DOWN to 225). I could get this down low enough (225-240) for the shoulder, but had no problem running around 275-280 for the Scarbelly wings. It was about 20 outside at the time.
3) Solid build. So far this thing is a tank. Doors latch securely and it is very stable. Easy enough to assemble with the help of my 12 year old son (who now runs the ECB)
4) Price was right. Picked it up on sale at Gander Mountain for $300 in store, so I didn't have to worry about damage from shipping.
Concerns:
1) Chip trays. There are 2, they're small, and not very heavy duty. I used to burn chunks in the ECB (it has a HUGE bowl for the chips) so I would go a long time without having to add wood. The trays are small enough that you need to use the little chunks in the bottom of the bag or chips. The thinner box construction also runs HOT, so I feel like I'm adding chips frequently. I intend to switch out the stock trays for those cast iron ones you can buy at Home Depot to use on the grill. I'll let you know how that works out.
2) Fuel consumption. Uses a bit more propane than the ECB for the same "cook". This may be an early assessment as I haven't smoked a lot on it yet, so I will update this after a few more smokes. I expected this anyways.
Overall:
At this point I am very pleased with this unit. It came down to this or the Smoke Vault by Camp Chef, and I really liked the build quality and dual door design of the Smoke Hollow for the same (sale) price. I'll continue to update this thread as I get more experience with the unit and let you know what mods I've made and how they worked out.
Jeff
Likes:
1) Space (obviously). The ECB was pretty small, though a great 1st smoker for a newbie.
2) Temp control. It is winter here in Upstate NY, so I may have to modify come Summer (I modded the ECB with a needle valve to be able to get the temp DOWN to 225). I could get this down low enough (225-240) for the shoulder, but had no problem running around 275-280 for the Scarbelly wings. It was about 20 outside at the time.
3) Solid build. So far this thing is a tank. Doors latch securely and it is very stable. Easy enough to assemble with the help of my 12 year old son (who now runs the ECB)
4) Price was right. Picked it up on sale at Gander Mountain for $300 in store, so I didn't have to worry about damage from shipping.
Concerns:
1) Chip trays. There are 2, they're small, and not very heavy duty. I used to burn chunks in the ECB (it has a HUGE bowl for the chips) so I would go a long time without having to add wood. The trays are small enough that you need to use the little chunks in the bottom of the bag or chips. The thinner box construction also runs HOT, so I feel like I'm adding chips frequently. I intend to switch out the stock trays for those cast iron ones you can buy at Home Depot to use on the grill. I'll let you know how that works out.
2) Fuel consumption. Uses a bit more propane than the ECB for the same "cook". This may be an early assessment as I haven't smoked a lot on it yet, so I will update this after a few more smokes. I expected this anyways.
Overall:
At this point I am very pleased with this unit. It came down to this or the Smoke Vault by Camp Chef, and I really liked the build quality and dual door design of the Smoke Hollow for the same (sale) price. I'll continue to update this thread as I get more experience with the unit and let you know what mods I've made and how they worked out.
Jeff
