Opinions please!!!

[abomb]

I am looking at a gas smoker for my Christmas present. Actually this is one http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=12429510,
I was wondering if anyone could tell me about how much propane one of these uses up. I am a very excited new comer to smoking. I have found lots of great recipes on here and can't wait to get started. So I will probably be a pretty steady user. I am trying to figure out about how much it will cost me in propane. I would also appreciate any opinions & thoughts on the smoker itself. It seemed to get a pretty good review from the website.

NOTE: i am going to smoke for the first time this weekend and I plan on doing a picnic size pork shoulder. I have a used ECB that I am going to restore. Any tips on that would be great!

Thanks,

ABOMB

 

[pineywoods]

GOSM smokers are very good smokers and you should get around 40 hours of smoking out of a 20 lb cylinder give or take a few hours.
Check out this link for the pork shoulder

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=57139

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I've had the small GOSM for about 5-1/2 years...my only regret is that I didn't get a bigger one.

I've also been eyeing the 3405BGW your link shows. The sale price is a pretty good buy...jump on it if you've got the cash!

You can smoke full slabs of pork spare ribs with that smoker, if you're wondering.

Eric

 

[bmudd14474]

if you can swing it I would say get the one from bass pro shop. Its $199 but its the 24"wide one. If not the 16" wide one from Walmart will be fine.

 

[k5yac]

Hit that link in Pineywoods post... that's about as simple as it gets. You will need a thermometer for you pit and I highly recommend the digi meat probe.

To elaborate a bit on Meowey's thread... the plateau you may have read about occurs during the smoke at 120, 130, 140, 150, ??... somewhere in that area generally, the temp will just stall (hold) for an hour or two or more. It is tempting to crank up the heat... DONT! Just keep on smoking and you'll eventually start to see an increase again. This is one of the reasons it is so difficult to cook to time, the plateau is totally unpredictable. Add to that the outdoor conditions (cold, breezy, etc.) and you have way to many variables to estimate time accurately. No matter how you look at it, temp rules. It is the only way to know for sure that you are eating safe.

Follow Meowey's tips and you'll do ok.

 

[k5yac]

I just wanted to add... have a backup plan for dinner. In other words, be prepared to fail. My first smoke (and a few after that) were near disasters. I think I've told you the story of the packed smoker with brisket, pork, ribs and a chicken. None of it came out good, and I had several people waiting to eat. Good thing they were all family and friends. LOL! Could I pull that off now that I've had several years of practice? Maybe, but not without my trusty digital meat probes (which I didn't have or even know about back then) and my very familiar SnP. I'm sure that most others on here can tell you of some of their not so good first smokes. Here is a recent ECB example... http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...threadid=85226

I'm not trying to discourage you before you even get started, and as I said before, you are starting with one of the most forgiving pieces of meat, so odds are you will end up with something edible. You are starting out way ahead of where I did just by being here.

Smoke on!