Two Brothers New to Smoking

[snead13]

I started with a small propane gas smoker and quickly learned some things (in no particular order):

1. Don't start with a gasser. If you want an entry-level cabinet smoker, go with an electric unit (see #4 below).
2. Regardless of what you buy, don't trust the built-in thermometer (or test it to ensure it is accurate). I have 2 WSMs and one of the thermometers is off by a lot (as in broken) and the other varies considerably from grate level where the meat is actually cooking to the mounting point on the lid.
3. Get a good instant-read thermometer. People have their own opinions... I like the ThermaPen from ThermoWorks.
4. Learning fire management is important in smoking so a wood or charcoal smoker is my recommendation. I am biased, but I'd go with a WSM first. The 18.5" unit, to me, is a lot more forgiving than the 22" WSM because it seals up so much better without having to buy aftermarket products like a door or gaskets. Also, if you watch any of the BBQ competition shows that are now showing as reruns, you'll still see WSMs as a secondary cooker for competition teams. I have yet to see anyone with a consumer-grade (within $200-400) stick burner, though. Even after you "outgrow" a WSM when you eventually upgrade to a nicer stick burner, you'll still find use for the WSM.
5. Cook what tastes good to you and your family. A lot of people seem to worry about cooking competition-quality food...for instance, most people like "fall off the bone ribs" that would not score well in a competition. Do your thing.
6. Attention to detail is important. If you don't have the attention span to pay attention to the smoker (at least in the beginning), then you will end up frustrated. There are also a lot of factors that can impact a smoke. Wind, ambient temperature, moisture, differences in meat, etc. I, personally, LOVE this part of smoking...
7. A few degrees (225 - 275) will not change the end product much so don't chase the temperature on your smoker. You're looking more for consistency so if it's running a little hotter than the recipe calls for, don't sweat it.
8. There are 100 different ways to do most things--this applies to smoking, too. You'll see conflicting advice a lot on the forums. My suggestion is to pick an opinion you like (or one that most agree with) and then try that. Then, learn from the experience and adjust as needed. If you ask every time, you'll get a bunch of opinions...and you'll have people tell you that "you're doing it wrong" a lot. :)

Good luck and I look forward to seeing some pics of your cooks on this forum!

 

[Terry Turner]

I started with a small propane gas smoker and quickly learned some things (in no particular order):

1. Don't start with a gasser. If you want an entry-level cabinet smoker, go with an electric unit (see #4 below).
2. Regardless of what you buy, don't trust the built-in thermometer (or test it to ensure it is accurate). I have 2 WSMs and one of the thermometers is off by a lot (as in broken) and the other varies considerably from grate level where the meat is actually cooking to the mounting point on the lid.
3. Get a good instant-read thermometer. People have their own opinions... I like the ThermaPen from ThermoWorks.
4. Learning fire management is important in smoking so a wood or charcoal smoker is my recommendation. I am biased, but I'd go with a WSM first. The 18.5" unit, to me, is a lot more forgiving than the 22" WSM because it seals up so much better without having to buy aftermarket products like a door or gaskets. Also, if you watch any of the BBQ competition shows that are now showing as reruns, you'll still see WSMs as a secondary cooker for competition teams. I have yet to see anyone with a consumer-grade (within $200-400) stick burner, though. Even after you "outgrow" a WSM when you eventually upgrade to a nicer stick burner, you'll still find use for the WSM.
5. Cook what tastes good to you and your family. A lot of people seem to worry about cooking competition-quality food...for instance, most people like "fall off the bone ribs" that would not score well in a competition. Do your thing.
6. Attention to detail is important. If you don't have the attention span to pay attention to the smoker (at least in the beginning), then you will end up frustrated. There are also a lot of factors that can impact a smoke. Wind, ambient temperature, moisture, differences in meat, etc. I, personally, LOVE this part of smoking...
7. A few degrees (225 - 275) will not change the end product much so don't chase the temperature on your smoker. You're looking more for consistency so if it's running a little hotter than the recipe calls for, don't sweat it.
8. There are 100 different ways to do most things--this applies to smoking, too. You'll see conflicting advice a lot on the forums. My suggestion is to pick an opinion you like (or one that most agree with) and then try that. Then, learn from the experience and adjust as needed. If you ask every time, you'll get a bunch of opinions...and you'll have people tell you that "you're doing it wrong" a lot. :)

Good luck and I look forward to seeing some pics of your cooks on this forum!

Those are some awesome pointers. Thank you! Points number seven and eight are great ones.

 

[SmokinAl]

SmokinAl
I've been checking out some of the links in your footer, and oh my goodness, they look sooooo good. So far I've seen your Hot Sauce Ribs and Smoked Beans and I'm going to bookmark 'em in my Smoking Spreadsheet, Lol.

Thanks for providing those!

Your very welcome!!
Al

 

[pineywoods]

I just saw something interesting I'm sure quality isn't great but price is right.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/outdoor-gourmet-alamo-offset-smoker#repChildCatid=5145493

 

[Hawging It]

YOUTUBE has hundreds of videos about smoking the HAWG. Bet you find it helpful. Smoking meat is an art form and us old farts take it serious. It's fun, relaxing and you can enjoy the smiling faces of family and friends after they taste your art!! Hang in there!

 

[LanceR]

Welcome from Stokes County, North Carolina.

Are you more interested in the result or the experience? By that I mean if the goal is to produce great BBQ with a minimum of fuss it's impossible to beat an electric such as the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker (MES). They are likely the best selling smoker on the market for a reason.

If your more in an immersive experience then a stick burner might be best as it need more attention during the cook. But that's sometimes a drawback. If you have chores, errands and other things going on you are somewhat tied to the smoker.

Don't stress too much over which smoker to buy when you start out, though. I suspect that the significant majority of us either left or wanted to leave our first smoker behind in short order. Or, like me and many others, wound up with a small herd of them along the way. We sold our farm a while back and retired to a place with a house half the size and I no longer have the 5,800 square foot shop I once had a corner of littered with smokers. Even after thinning the herd we have four smokers of three different styles....and some propane tanks sitting in the edge of the woods to make a few wood burning patio and trailer mounted smokers.

And I don't believe for a second that using a propane or electric smoker makes you any less of a pitmaster than burning wood. It's the end result and how happy you are with it that matters. After all, meat+spice+smoke+time=BBQ no matter how you get there.

I will say this though. If you do any camping or similar stuff away from home it's hard to beat the versatility of the Weber Smokey Mountain "WSM). It doesn't need electricity or propane, has a small footprint and can be used for a smoker or grill. That's a tough combination to beat, especially as they can produce world class BBQ. Just be sure that if you plan to use it as a grill that you get one big enough to grill for the whole family.

Truth be told, as for me, I'm more interested in the end result than the fussing and hovering that some folks really value so I use and MES 40 (an MES that's 40" tall) most of the time, sometimes combined with an oven or grill.

One last thing: get a notebook and make notes. Having notes to refer back to will save you from every cook being started from scratch or trying to remember what you did three months ago, especially with spices and such.

 

[Terry Turner]

One last thing: get a notebook and make notes. Having notes to refer back to will save you from every cook being started from scratch or trying to remember what you did three months ago, especially with spices and such.

Excellent idea. I'll definitely have to implement that!
By the way, is this the smoker you have? Or is it similar?

That one is the Masterbuilt XL 40".

 

[Terry Turner]

I just saw something interesting I'm sure quality isn't great but price is right.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/outdoor-gourmet-alamo-offset-smoker#repChildCatid=5145493

Wow! That's a price that's real hard to beat. Thanks for the link!

 

[SonnyE]

I can see where this is going, Uncle is going to set you up young man.
He is bound to have a smoker he doesn't use that he'll hand down to you to get you going.
You better snuggle up to him and butter him up with interest.

This is like watching a Rose Bloom...

 

[oldsmokerdude]

I think I'm going to disagree with most. For starting out I would go electric or pellet. Since they are easier to use, you can focus your attention on preparation and cooking without having to worry about keeping a fire going. I've always contended that low budget offset smokers are the leading cause of newbies trying and abandoning smoking meats as a hobby.

 

[Terry Turner]

I can see where this is going, Uncle is going to set you up young man.
He is bound to have a smoker he doesn't use that he'll hand down to you to get you going.
You better snuggle up to him and butter him up with interest.

This is like watching a Rose Bloom...

Lol . . . wink, wink.

 

[Terry Turner]

I think I'm going to disagree with most. For starting out I would go electric or pellet. Since they are easier to use, you can focus your attention on preparation and cooking without having to worry about keeping a fire going. I've always contended that low budget offset smokers are the leading cause of newbies trying and abandoning smoking meats as a hobby.

Yep, reminds me of a book I read! When starting a new hobby or interest, you've got to make sure you enjoy it and it provides value to you, and if it does you've just got to stick with it even if the going gets tough/frustrating.

In the end, you'll be glad you did! I definitely see how an electric/pellet smoker would lower that initial frustration.

 

[Terry Turner]

Woo-hoo! I've started my smoking career! Sort of . . .

Mom let me start school an hour late today and craft up a DELICIOUS BBQ Sauce. Used it on my breakfast and it was awesome (steak and two eggs). Dad used it on his steak as well, and my brother (and fellow meat enthusiast) said he was tempted to just eat it right out of the jar. That's both weird and awesome.

Lol, anyways. As for when I'll start my real smokin' career . . . not 100% sure but hopefully soon. I've just got to pin Dad down so he can drive me around to visit some butchers and pick out a smoker. This past weekend he's been running around like a chicken-with-his-head-cut-off.

I'll update Y'all when I do, and which smoker I pick out!

Thanks so much to everyone who's posted their pointers and tips! It's a gold mine.

P.S. I think I'm going to use the leftover BBQ sauce, marinate a steak, and then check the difference compared to a regular non-marinated steak. I bet it'll taste great, and serve as practice for when I start smoking meat.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Well I'm real late on this but WELCOME to you 2 young gentlemen . Never to early to learn to cook as in smoking meat or just plain kitchen cooking. There have been so many ideas thrown at you that I hope you don't get confused. If you can find someone such as your uncle or neighbor to show some things it may help in making your decisions. You will find that a lot of suggestions are ones that are personal preference and not one that will work for you. Many have the WSM and others the off set and I as many have a Propane 40" as well as those with the MES. There are many listings of the different smokers on this forum so read and search. If you want to try something adventured build yourselves a UDS can be used with wood or charcoal.

Here's too your many year's of your wonderful new hobby. Good Luck.

Warren

 

[Terry Turner]

Well I'm real late on this but WELCOME to you 2 young gentlemen . Never to early to learn to cook as in smoking meat or just plain kitchen cooking. There have been so many ideas thrown at you that I hope you don't get confused. If you can find someone such as your uncle or neighbor to show some things it may help in making your decisions. You will find that a lot of suggestions are ones that are personal preference and not one that will work for you. Many have the WSM and others the off set and I as many have a Propane 40" as well as those with the MES. There are many listings of the different smokers on this forum so read and search. If you want to try something adventured build yourselves a UDS can be used with wood or charcoal.

Here's too your many year's of your wonderful new hobby. Good Luck.

Warren

Thank you for the welcome Warren! I'm amazed by how amazing everyone's been - this is the 55th message in this thread. I'm excited to be able to join you all!

 

[JC in GB]

That's super helpful! Thank you very much! I've seen a video about an offset smoker and it looked really cool (and simple!). I'll see what my Dad is up for.

I'll definitely have to call up some of my local butchers for advice. I think my plan-of-attack meat wise will be:
1. Calling my local butchers for info and advice
2. Reaching out to my local stores for manager clearances
3. Signing up for local grocery newsletters to keep an eye on the deals
4. Re-searching Costco's prices and see if the Amish have any meat available

And the last step . . .
5. Rinse, repeat, and buy meat!

I use a dyna-glo vertical offset charcoal smoker. It is not the best in the world and needs some modifications to work well. Despite it's limitations, it is a great bang for the buck unit to get started if you feel that the WSM won't have enough capacity. I have turned out some fantastic Q out of my smoker. What makes it most attractive to me is that because it is a value priced, entry level smoker, I can drill cut and experiment all I wish and not worry that I may be destroying a $3000 unit. I insulated the fire and smoke box, installed heat baffle, and am currently engineering my own BBQ temperature controller. I am a real technician when to comes to cooking so I need a fixer-upper kind of set-up so I can learn as much as possible before I go drop $3000 on that perfect unit. Happy smoking, hope to see some of the food you cook in the near future!

 

[DustyJoe84]

I've always contended that low budget offset smokers are the leading cause of newbies trying and abandoning smoking meats as a hobby.

That's probably true if that newbie goes into it without much research. I'm using a Chargriller and I knew going into it that I was going to have to babysit the thing so it was no surprise for me. But I can see how someone could get easily frustrated if they didn't do their homework.

 

[Terry Turner]

I use a dyna-glo vertical offset charcoal smoker. It is not the best in the world and needs some modifications to work well. Despite it's limitations, it is a great bang for the buck unit to get started if you feel that the WSM won't have enough capacity. I have turned out some fantastic Q out of my smoker. What makes it most attractive to me is that because it is a value priced, entry level smoker, I can drill cut and experiment all I wish and not worry that I may be destroying a $3000 unit. I insulated the fire and smoke box, installed heat baffle, and am currently engineering my own BBQ temperature controller. I am a real technician when to comes to cooking so I need a fixer-upper kind of set-up so I can learn as much as possible before I go drop $3000 on that perfect unit. Happy smoking, hope to see some of the food you cook in the near future!

Wowzers, talk about mods! That's great. I wish I was technical enough to get a cheap fixer-upper, but alas, I'm lacking in that area. Nice strategy though!

 

[JC in GB]

That's probably true if that newbie goes into it without much research. I'm using a Chargriller and I knew going into it that I was going to have to babysit the thing so it was no surprise for me. But I can see how someone could get easily frustrated if they didn't do their homework.

I can agree with that. I bet I would have had much better initial results had I used a temp controlled electric unit. I don't think it would have lit the passion for good BBQ like coming up in a more modest fashion. My very first smoker was a puny and underpowered Luher Jensen Big Chief. I started out making beef jerky and worked my way up to brisket. I actually won a BBQ brisket competition using my Big Chief. Once I realized that I liked smoking meats and sitting and tending the fire, I was ready for a more serious unit. I was interested in a lot of bang for the buck and wanted a unit I wouldn't feel bad destroying if one of my modifications were to go awry. Once I have learned all I can on this unit, I will likely have enough $ saved up for the Pitmaker Vault I have my eye on......

 

[bbqbrett]

Tough choice for a new person. I like to fiddle with things so I would go for a stick burner or the WSM. Really though think about what you might enjoy or are comfortable with. With some practice you can learn to smoke on anything.

In the mean time while you are deciding you can even smoke on the grill. Get some wood chips and a smoker box or use foil to make some smoke packets with the chips to experiment a little bit.