Redi-Smok Electric Smoker

[Dutch]

Last week while on vacation, my son and me cleaned out and reorganized my mom-in-laws garage. Back in the corner, under the work bench was a Redi-Smok electric smoker that belonged to the dad-in-law. Mom asked me to haul this off along with the other junk that she wanted cleared out.

Dad passed on a couple of years ago and as he was an avid hunter, this smoker smoked its share of ducks, geese, pheasants, fish, deer and elk. Mom said that looking at this smoker every time she went out to the garage to pull the car or truck out was emotionally hard on her; she had even went so far as to leave her car in the driveway to avoid the garage. They were married for 47 years.

Seeing as I was using her pick-em up truck to haul stuff to the landfill and I had stuff in my yard that need to go to the landfill as well, I swung by my place. Earlier in the week, I had cut out the dead branches from my maple tree. It looked like the tree had taken a lightning strike last summer which in turn caused part of the tree to die. The branches that were 2 inch across and larger I stacked next to my cherry wood. The smaller stuff was going to the land fill.

We off loaded the smoker and placed it in my garage and loaded up the twigs and branches and off we went to the landfill.

When I got back home Ma Dutch asked what in the world was I doing with another smoker and where did the smoker come from, etc. I explained that the smoker belonged to her dad and I was going to honor his memory every time I use it. With that explanation, she was receptive to the new addition to outside kitchen.

First up will be a couple of beef chuck roasts-seems that Ma wants some of my Shredded Beef Enchiladas for dinner this week. Can't wait to see how this baby works!!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Nice way to keep Dad's legacy alive, Dutch. Definately let us know how it goes. Never heard of the brand, that thing's probably a collector item by now.

Eric

 

[Dutch]

FLOS-Redi-Smok is now being manufactured under the "Old Smokey" brand. From what I can see, there are some minor changes between the two but they work under the same principle.

The "Old Smokey" brand has the removable thermostat that plugs into the heating element-the Redi-Smok is hardwired to the element. The "Old Smokey" controller gets up to about 350*-the Redi-Smok can get up to 400*.

I was able to download the User Manual for both the Redi-Smok and the Old Smokey from the Old Smokey site.

I'm going to clean the smoker up tonight and maybe do a fattie for a test run.

 

[fire it up]

Good thing you explained it to her before you got in trouble.
Don't suppose she would go for an answer like "There's no such thing as too many smokers".

Congrats on a great find, is there a thread anywhere for your beef enchiladas?

 

[pineywoods]

Congrats on the new addition and a nice way to keep the memory alive

 

[ronp]

Good luck with the new smoker.

 

[the dude abides]

Nice addition to the collection. I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep that thing outta sight when mom-in-law comes to visit.

 

[Dutch]

Fire it up, Here's the link to the recipe- http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...84&postcount=1

Enjoy!

Dude, Mom was over at the house yesterday and I mentioned to her that I decided to keep the smoker rather than tossing it away. Her response was one of relief, she told me that she dreaded the thought of a perfectly good smoker being in the landfill. She said that she knows that I'll use it.

 

[irishteabear]

Glad to hear your MIL is happy you kept the smoker. Did you do a test run in it? How did it do?

 

[Dutch]

Dawn,

I was gong to clean it out last night and do a fattie in it but I got stuck in a late meeting at work. When I got home and got my clothes changed, Ma informed me that we were going to paint the kitchen. I spent last night spackling the walls and sanding until bed time. I hope to do something with the smoker tonight (keeping my fingers crossed!)

 

[irishteabear]

I wish you luck! lol

 

[Dutch]

Well we got the new Granddaughter home and I was going to smoke some chicken breasts and corn on the cob for the celebratory smoke. Pulled the racks out to clean 'em and boy what a mess. What I thought was cooked on food and grease turned out to be rust. It's a toss up to have the racks media blasted and then oil them up good and season them or cough up the bucks and buy some replacement racks. Ma was laid off last week so I gotta be a true Scot and be frugal with my spending.

I'm wondering if the racks from my ECB will fit???

 

[grothe]

That's great Dutch...congrats!!

 

[Dutch]

Well as much as I hated doing it, I had to put the Redi-Smok smoker down.

After years of neglegte (mom said she knows dad NEVER cleaned it out), it just collapsed.

I did salvage the useable parts off of it and used them for my Electric Ugly Drum Smoker build.

Cheers!

 

[bigtrain74]

Well Dutch, the whole story is a beautiful one... But Im sure by taking the parts of his old smoker to your new build, he would be just as happy if not more that your still carrying it on.

Good luck on the build.

 

[Dutch]

Thanks 'Train, I was also "green" about the whole process. The rusted out drum got put in the recycle container so that part gets to come back as something else.

 

[robin28]

Would you be willing/able to email me a copy of the Redi-Smok manual......please? Just got my first Old Smokey and the three page instruction booklet and what they have online now are horrible. I really need help.......I have no idea what I'm doing.
Thank you
Robin

 

[Dutch]

Robin, the only manual I have is the one that I downloaded from the Redi-Smoke site.

 

[robin28]

Thank you for getting back to me. That manual is no longer available on line--that's why I asked if you could email it to me. Thy changed the name to Old Smokey and it's the same electric smoker. There's no manual just a crappy pamphlet with instructions on how to assemble.

I've been searching for the Redi-Smok manual on the advice of another forum member.
RF

 

[Dutch]

Just looked at my download and it's a manual for the old Smokey electric smoker.