Suggestions for new smoker as a gift - supplies etc?

[kniquy]

I am brand new here but love smoked meat!!  For my husbands 40th i want to get him a smoker.  After researching a bit i am leaning towards the weber smokey mt. 18".  It will be mainly cooking for our family of 5, possibly a few more if family comes over.  The price and the size fits our budget.  He is an avid griller (just propane) but he is a real foody and does not mind putting in the time and effort to create a master piece of meat.  I did look at the propane and electric, but flavor is going to be one of his top priorities and it doesn't seem as though you get the same results as you do with charcoal.    

So now that i am settled on what type of smoker -- I am curios what i need to include for his gift to make sure he has everything he needs to get started.  I don't know what to get for charcoal, wood chips, good books with recipes/techniques, special mitts-- please help with any info to make sure i am getting him started on the right foot.  And if you know where to get the stuff - even better!!

We are in western Massachusetts - any good stores for supplies you might recommend or even places online to get different types of woods? 

Thanks for the input!!

 

[jimmyinsd]

I cant help with the locally sourced stuff like wood chips and charcoal. ( most of which can be found at the home depots/lowes etc.) I know some prefer better quality lump charcoal,  but good old fashioned Kingsford ( not the matchlight stuff) is a good readily available product with pretty consistent burns.   They will also likely have different wood chips/chunks.  I prefer chunks over chips typically,  but I do keep chips on hand for certain short cooks that I want to add a little smoke flavor to.  Common woods available are Hickory, Appple, Cherry, and Maple.  I have found Pecan and Mesquite,  but my goto woods are the first 3 metioned.   Even Walmart is a good enough place for wood and charcoal.

other tools I have and use often

good set of SS tongs

I have 2 pairs of gloves,  1 is an insulated pair of leather gloves for moving hot racks and stuff.  the other is an insulate pair of silicon gloves for handling hot meat.

a thermapen is something I use in about every cook.  http://www.thermoworks.com/Classic-Thermapen

I also use a remote thermostat like the maverick et 732,         kind of nice when you are having concerns over temp control.

there are lots of other things to numerous to mention,  but one piece of advice is to start will pulled pork,  pork butt is a very forgiving piece of meat that will still turn out very good, even if he struggles a little with temp control as he learns his new cooker. 

as far as books... just hit this site up,  or there are a couple others that are great for recipes and techniques.  I prefer a good forum for the Q&A aspect though.

 

[cornman]

Only a year into smoking, but JimmyinSD seems to have everything covered. I have a WSM 14.5 and my only regret is I didn't go for the 18 inch. Great buy, I know he'll love it!

 

[gmc2003]

Aside from charcoal, with the WSM all you really need is a charcoal starter, starter cubes(easier) and an account here. The starter and cubes can be bought almost anywhere - Home Depot, Lowes etc... With the WSM I would suggest chunks as chips burn way to fast. Hickory is a good starter for meats, apple for fish, and poultry. Also can be bought almost anywhere.

Have fun.

Chris

 

[jimmyinsd]

great point on the chimney starter... dont know why I always forget that part.  of course I dont use the starter cubes,  i just wad up some newspaper under it and lite that.

 

[vennismokin]

Definitely a chimney, I love watchin mine go, "Hot Hands" silicone mitts for sure! ebay for around $15, best cookin gift my wife ever bought me. More expensive side is thermometers also a must. ThermoPro T20 is a great bargain for about $60. Recipes, well you found them right here! Wood can be hard I offer to cut wood and haul for free if I spot a tree I like and know is dying, other than that....store bought I'd guess, dunno

welcome and have fun!

 

[kniquy]

All great input!!  thank you.  The smoker is arriving today!  I did buy a couple small bags of some wood just to get us started, chimney (which i watched a you tube on -- super easy way to start), silicone gloves.  I can't wait to give it to him.  It sounds like we will need to season it a couple times and it sounds like a pork shoulder or butt is a good starter piece.

I will certainly be back for more input and guidance -- so glad i found you guys!

 

[gmc2003]

No real need to season the WSM, just wash off the cooking grates. Butts and shoulders are very forgiving, but are considered long cooks. Chicken is usually a good first cook. You get to know your smoker and it doesn't take all day. Even if you make a mistake the cost is kept minimal. Good luck and enjoy. Also don't fret to much if it leaks - the more use it gets the better sealed it will become.  Let us know how you and your husband like it.

Keep on smoking in the free world

Chris 

 

[sauced]

That is one lucky dude!!! For a first cook, chicken is probably the best choice, cooks in a couple of hours, very forgiving and tastes great!!

 

[ncwolf]

I know everyone will say pork butt or chicken so I will provide a different option. I just started smoking and picked a chuck steak and pork loin for my fist smoke. I know pork butt is hard to mess up but that is a long smoke for some who has only had his smoker going for a 2 hour seasoning fire. I was able to start in the daylight knowing this would take 3-4 hours. This worked for me because I had a 5 hour window between weather and other commitments. Find a cheap meat and go for it there are recipes on the site for almost everything. 

 

[jimmyinsd]

absolutely,  another good seasoning run... chicken thighs...  after the wiping down all the interior surfaces with cooking oil,  after the intense high temp burn,  i like to cool them down into the  250-275 range and throw on about 15 chicken thighs over some hickory or apple chunks in the coals.   There is plenty of moisture there so they are pretty forgiving and the chicken puts a lot of grease into the smoke to help seal up all those little air leaks.

 
That is one lucky dude!!! For a first cook, chicken is probably the best choice, cooks in a couple of hours, very forgiving and tastes great!!

 

[browneyesvictim]

Lucky guy for sure! Sounds like you have a nice and enviable package already put together. All suggestions above are appropriate. You could go crazy with a list of nice-nice bbq gadgets. Injector syringe, brine bucket, rotisserie, vortex, Slow n' Sear, grill cover, BBQ Guru, Basting brushes, tongs, forks, squirt bottles, rib racks, hooks and hangers.... ah... then there's vacuum sealers, sausage stuffers, meat grinders, mixers, and.. and... and...

Ok. Sorry... guess I got a little excited there.

 

[jimmyinsd]

 
Lucky guy for sure! Sounds like you have a nice and enviable package already put together. All suggestions above are appropriate. You could go crazy with a list of nice-nice bbq gadgets. Injector syringe, brine bucket, rotisserie, vortex, Slow n' Sear, grill cover, BBQ Guru, Basting brushes, tongs, forks, squirt bottles, rib racks, hooks and hangers.... ah... then there's vacuum sealers, sausage stuffers, meat grinders, mixers, and.. and... and...

Ok. Sorry... guess I got a little excited there.

geez... save something for Christmas.

 

[smoketrailsteve]

Maybe throw some fresh spices in with the smoker for rubs, marinades, brines, sauces etc.? No better time to replace that three year old bag of paprika!