DUM DUM DUM . . . . . . Electric Smokers....

bigmark · Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Seattle, Washington

I'm looking into buying a, uh.... ummmmm, gulp, electric smoker. Don't get me wrong, I love my offset and I'm sure nothing will beat it, but we really need something that requires less maintenance and time.

I've been thinking about going to gas, but I can't bring myself to convert my little baby into something so utterly ridiculous. I was thinking that a good solution would be to simply get an electric model that I would use when I needed to set it and forget it. Wow, that was totally a Ron Popiel move there, but hopefully you guys get where I'm going.

I've looked into the Little Chief, but am not sure. Any suggestions floating around there?

Thanks in advance!

Big Mark

Bedlam BBQ · Posted: Dec 27 2006 Post subject:

If you are just wanting a little electric pit to thow a small amount of food on for just a couple of people, the electric ECB (Brinkman water smoker) is pretty good. I've got two of them and use them all the time. The main disadvantage is with the thin metal, if it's cold or windy, it's hard to keep the smoker up to temp. There is no adjustment on it to increase the temp. There are things you can do to help the smoker with the temp like building a wall of patio pavers around the pit or get a 55 gal drum, cut the bottom off and then set that down over the smoker.

For $55, it's a great little addition to have when you just got to have some BBQ but don't want to get the stick burner going.
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Steve

Stumper clone with Stoker
Bedlam BBQ
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mding38926 · Posted: Dec 27 2006 Post subject:

What about a WSM? I am actually picking one up shortly for those long overnight cooks. I know that a bunch of the guys here have been able to get 10-12 hours from one load of charcoal.
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Dinger

mds2 · Posted: Dec 27 2006 Post subject:

I love my electric brinkman. I use it when i want to try out a new recipe and am only cooking a small quantity of something. But if there is a cold wind blowing on it I have to put it in the garage or it wont hold temp. On a nice day it will sit right at 225.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Dec 31 2006 Post subject:

Since you already own the offset, I would go with an afterburner or something similar. I have a log lighter in my own offset, and it works great. Not quite set-and-forget, but dang close! As with any other gas appliance, some care needs to be taken that the fire doesnt go out, smoulder, and then have the gas build up in the bottom of your cooker. I used a lighter in my old New Braunfels offset, and it made the difference of whether I kept it, or turned it into a boat anchor! Laughing

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BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

twgreen3 · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 18

Here is the one I am looking at. It is a little expensive, but with the insulation I hope to not have to worry about it not holding heat. I also like the thermostat and the sealed door to keep it from drying out. I don't have it yet but hope to get it soon.

http://www.ahappycamper.com/products/smokers/hi-mountain/jerky-smoker.html

Bedlam BBQ · Posted: Jan 04 2007 Post subject:

SmokeyBear · BBQ Fan Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 122

Do the electric smokers with the wood chips impart a good wood flavor.

Alien BBQ · Posted: Jan 04 2007 Post subject:

They will do the job, but will not be as flavorful as their wood counterparts. The electric Brinkman or the Cookin Cajun would be my choice if I had to go electric.
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twgreen3 · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 18

Well I didn't know that 250 wasn't hot enough. When can I check out prices and such on these stumps smokers. I found their web site but was unable to get any prices or tech info. Thank you for the info SStory.

Hoochie-Que · Posted: Jan 04 2007 Post subject:

Don't know just how much $$ you want to spend here, but you also might want to look at a small electric Cookshack... I have a friend who has one and really enjoys it... You can find them for around $465-485 new...
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Dr. Mike
Hoochie-Que BBQ Team / KCBS CBJ

"Jesus Loved Barbeque, Too" - Kinky Friedman

Bedlam BBQ · Posted: Jan 05 2007 Post subject:

The Stumps web site is being rebuilt so they have very little actual information about pricing. But call Joby (you can get his number from that site) and he can get you pricing and maybe more pics of the various models. If you want to stay relatively inexspensive, you can go with the type that uses a charcoal basket instead of the new gravit feed systems that cost a little more.

I'm actually gathering materials to start building a clone for myself.
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Steve

Stumper clone with Stoker
Bedlam BBQ
Competition Team

bbqfarmer · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 4

That Brinkman electric smoker works great except for the smoke and the insulation. I have been using one for several years and this is what I did. First I got a SMokepistol (www.smokepistol.com) and hooked it up and on cold or windy days I got some foam filled aluminum insulation and put it around the unit. The insulation I got at home depot for about $15. It is like a quilted aluminum foil with foam in between the two sheets of foil. The smokepistol makes smoke for about 3-4 hours on a cartridge. I was loosing a lot of heat when I would add wood chips on a regular basis and it was a pain in the butt. Now I just start the smokepistol and let the brinkman do the rest. I don't always need the insulation - just on windy or cold days. I had a side box BBQ smoker and gave it away after I got the smokepistol and the brinkman.

BBQfarmer

abingdonrowes · Newbie Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 81

abingdonrowes · Newbie Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 81

Bedlam BBQ · Posted: Jan 12 2007 Post subject:

Have you tried flavored pellets? I put about 1/3 cup of flavored pellets in a HD foil pouch with a toothpick hole in the top and it will smoke for about an hour. For Christmas, my wife bought me a sample pack of flavored pellets and it came with one of the cast iron pots for the pellets. I haven't tried that yet, but I'm not sure the electric Brinkman Gourmet will have enough heat to get the pellets smoking in the cast iron pot (I may use the pot for my gas grill).

I make up several pouches at one time. When one is done smoking, I have long tongs that I can reach in through the side access door and pull it out. Then I just use the tongs to put another one in on top of the heating element.

I've only tried the apple and Jack Daniels pellets. I'm looking forward to using the sample packs and combining flavors.
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Steve

Stumper clone with Stoker
Bedlam BBQ
Competition Team

abingdonrowes · Newbie Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 81

Cactus1 · Posted: Jan 18 2007 Post subject:

I'm a big fan of Luhr-Jensen electric smokers for cold smoking - making jerky and smoking fish. I've tried to do some larger cuts but found it's not good for those - get some nice smoke flavor into my meat but end up finishing on the grill - should have been there all along.
If/and/or when I replace my Big Chief think I'm going to get a Bradley - they're insulated and will go up to barbecue temperature. Load with their hardwood "pucks" - set and forget until it's time to eat.
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abingdonrowes · Newbie Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 81

Bedlam BBQ · Posted: Jan 18 2007 Post subject:

My brother bought me some of the Maple flavored hockey pucks for a Bradley. I don't have a Bradley so I wasn't sure how or if I could use the pucks. I finally gave in one day and tossed a couple onto the heating element in the Brinkman Gourmet. I was impressed with the smoke they gave off, but they burned up pretty fast (that could have been because I held off using these for over a year and they may be have gotten too dried out).
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Steve

Stumper clone with Stoker
Bedlam BBQ
Competition Team