What type of SMOKER do you prefer.........and why?

[skinsfan.06]

It's been a little while since I've been on these forums, but I have a question.

All things considered, which "type" of smoker is generally best to use, a vertical or horizontal?

I hope that this question has not already been asked (and answered to death ).

I just joined this site last year and I am still very much a "NEWBIE".

FYI: I currently have a Brinkmann El-Cheapo, and I recently started a catering business....so I need something a bit bigger and more efficient. After looking at some horizontal and vertical models, I'm not sure which way to turn. Can anyone help?

BTW, I just saw some cool looking smokers on the Backwoods-smoker site (all vertical). Does anyone know anything (good or bad) about the backwoods models. Thanks!

[DawgPhan]

Well if you are getting a rig for catering you will need to consider how many folks you plan on feeding each time.

I know those backwoods smokers make fine que and I believe one of them was used by the #1 team in new england.

I would suggest getting a mobile deal with some sort of warming center..

check out BBQMANs rig...

[Old Dave]

Backwoods cookers come in many sizes and are a very good cooker. They are insulated and do cook well in colder areas and do not require much attention. They are nice for overnight cooks as they will run about 5-8 hours without attention depending on the model and load so for catering, they do work well.

The cookers will cook from a low of 80 degrees for something like smoking cheese, to a high of 500 degrees for something like pizza, and all temps in between. Other than a couple of models, these cooker are air tight and very easy to operate. I have three and am very happy with them and do compete on them.

There are also several people on this forum that cook on them and maybe they will check in as well. I will include one picture of a Friday night pizza party we did last year at a contest. The pizza was done on the Backwoods Competitor two at a time.



If you have any questions, fire them this way and I will try to answer.
_________________
Old Dave
Ribs & Bibs BBQ Team
http://olddavespo-farm.blogspot.com/

[skinsfan.06]

[krazylegs]

your replies to that question are going to be mixed, because everyone has thier own point of veiw that is why you posted the question. I myself have come to think that it doesnt matter to much. I could be wrong but, rocky sells garbage cans, and I'm sure that they produce some excellent Que. and then you can use the good ole' Weber and turn out some good que. horizontal, vertical, bullets, green eggs, garbage cans, and 50,000 dollar catering rigs can turn out the same quality Que. More times then not its the cook, not the cooker. But I could be wrong

[Alien BBQ]

It really does make a difference on what you plan to use it for. I have quite a few ranging from an ECB to a Cabinet smoker that I will start working on this summer. Here is the rundown and only my opinion:

ECB..... Water smoker, cheap, easy to use, will cook about 20 lbs of food.

WSM..... Same as above but better quality and $200 more.

Vertical ..... Fire in the bottom, racks above, can hold a fare amount of meat.

Drum Smoker..... Same as vertical

Horizontals ..... Fire at one end, basically a BBQ pit. 40 lbs of food.

Horizontal Offset..... Separate firebox funnels smoke and heat into a cooking chamber. Used as BBQ and smoker. 70lbs + of food avg.

Combo Hoz & Vert...... Hoz used for BBQing and Vert is used for smoking. 100+ lbs. normally start in the $500 range.

Trailer Mounted..... Any combo of above smokers, normally bigger and with gas assist.

Cabinet..... Normally commercially used. 200 lbs to 1000 lbs depending on size. Usually has rotating racks for meat.

Brick Built..... Custom install only, large to small, not as much technology built into design due to cost.


Charcoal..... Uses charcoal for heat and wood chunks for smoke and flavor. Burns unattended for a fair amount of time.

Wood..... Uses wood of heat and flavor. Requires closer temp monitoring and restocking of wood. Best flavor if you know what you are doing.

Gas..... Good temp control, needs wood chunks for flavor.

Electric..... Easy to use, limited to smaller units, needs metal wood box and wood chips for flavor, Will not produce a med to large smoke ring due to how it cooks.
_________________
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloberry

[Old Dave]

Mr. skinsfan,

Both the Backwoods Patio and the standard Party are not airtight cookers but they still do cook well but not for overnight cooking. These two cookers are controlled by the amount of fuel used and I wouldn't recommend either one of them for your small catering operation.

Starting with the upgraded Party and above are the cookers that I think would do a good job for your application.

Be more than happy to share my recipes with you on any cooker you decide to purchase.

If you want to talk off line, my address is stam@ccrtc.com
_________________
Old Dave
Ribs & Bibs BBQ Team
http://olddavespo-farm.blogspot.com/

[skinsfan.06]

[Jeff Hughes]

If you are going to cater, you owe it to yourself to check out the FE series from Fast Eddie, made by Cookshack.

These are set and forget pellet cookers, that really turn out some good que.

Russ Garrett, Smokin' Okie from this forum, is sponsored by Cookshack and is an expert on their cookers.

I love my Klose, but Russ gets more sleep than I do...

Regards--Jeff
_________________
Klose 72" Mobile
Big Green Egg
Hasty Bake Legacy
Weber 22" Kettle

[skinsfan.06]

Thanks Jeff. We'll do.

[skinsfan.06]

OLD DAVE:

Check your personal email.

[Old Dave]

Skinsfan,

I didn't receive your note so send it again. stam@ccrtc.com
_________________
Old Dave
Ribs & Bibs BBQ Team
http://olddavespo-farm.blogspot.com/

[kickassbbq]

I have a Lang 84 with a warming box. That warming box really makes a differeence when catering.
I don't think the smoker makes the BBQ. It's the cook. You can smoke GREAT Q in a garbage can. Just buy the one that meats your needs and you will learn how to smoke with it!!!
I have a Brinkmann PitMaster that cost about 150.00 and the Lang was 3,100.00. I get just as good of BBQ with the Brinkmann, just not as much!!!
Smoke On!!!
ed
_________________
Smoke On!!!!!!
www.kickassbbq.com

[Thomas P.]

Skinsfan,

I noticed you're in DC. I just came from those parts. How do you like the crowds, I couldn't stand 'em!

Based on where you'll be cooking, what type of fuel do you see yourself using. Mostly charcoal with wood for smoke, or are you in an area where you could use straight wood?

Pellet smokers may be the answer for you, but only if you're going to have a constant source of electricity. I'm not sure about Cookshack, but Traegers are useless without juice.
_________________
Leading the quest to abolish propane from Que'dom...
Big Tom, Hillbilly Ambassador to flatlanders everywhere!

GO VOLS!

[zilla]

I like an oversized offset pit. Why? Because it sits in my yard.
_________________
Zilla

GIANT BBQ

[SmokinOkie]

Nice words Jeff, can't believe you didn't mention your eggs, and I love your Klose too, Dave puts out a good unit

Tough question. And thanks for the work Jeff, yes I do sleep during the night. Well I'm not sponsored exactly, by CS, I just run their forum. I like to keep it that way so my opinions are mine when I talk.

Alien covered them pretty well.

You mentioned catering. Everyone is right when they say, you need to consider the use of the smoker before you buy.

Jeff has a Klose Mobile and all of the mobiles mentioned here are great units. You need to figure out how big you might get as a caterer and it will influence your decision. That's a huge question to answer if you're serious about catering. If you're going to buy a unit, consider the cost of the unit as well as the quantity of food it cooks and the cost of fuel

Two additions:

Electric: They can certainly be big enough as you need and are not limited to size. Cookshack, Ole Hickory and Southern Pride are all larger "electrics" as electric cookers can use electricity. The all use electricity to run rotisseries and then some use propane for fuel or electric for fuel or are dual fuel. Allsmoke and I cooked on a FE750 in the cook for the Katrina refugees and over night we cooked 70 briskets in one FE.

There are several kinds of electrics.

Those that use electricity as a heat source, such as the Smokin Tex which is a chinese knockoff of the CS electric. Because you only burn oz's of wood, you don't burn enough nitrates to get a Smoke Ring UNLESS you also add a chunk or two of charcoal, then you get a SR. Both the ST and CS have a large and loyal following because you can produce easy and consistent results. Entry level electrics usually go for around $400.

Those that use electrics to provide movement. Some use electric to run rotisseries like Mike's Kingfisher. Bradley smokers use electric to run a puck feeder. The pucks are 100% wood and they also have a loyal following.

Another version are pellet cookers which use Augers to feed pellets into a burn pot. It feeds fuel based on temp of the cooker and holds temp very close. The current version of controls limits you to 180, 240, 275, 325, 375 and HOT. You don't need much electricity. I use a battery during contests to run an inverter to power the auger incase the event has bad electricity, which happens often. That's the cooker Jeff mentioned. And because of how they work, the larger pellet cookers actually produce a perfect and deep smoke ring (they use 2 or 3 burn pots)

And just announced yesterday, CS is going with a new electronic controller in the pellet cookers. The electronic control will allow you to select an EXACT temp and then place a probe in the meat and it will automatically drop the smoker temp to 140 and hold. Talk about getting more sleep. As a caterer, that option only would be worth it. Show that to your local health dept and even they will stop worrying. When they see this on the comp circuit this year, they'll ban me for sure. Right Mike, Jeff and OkieJay?

Backwoods are great smokers, do really well almost bought one, but got a better deal on FE's and I have two of those.

Tough question you have. Good luck in deciding.

Russ

[allsmokenofire]

[SmokinOkie]

Yeah, I know it sucks doesn't it, what will you do when I install them inside my trailer and don't even have to come out, I can sleep and cook inside regardless of the weather outside.

Nah, that's no fun. I enjoy walk the comps at 2 or 3 am and seeing everyone else working so hard.

[OkieJay]

[mding38926]