After a cook the other day using my old smoker (i bought it from eBay for £50 brand new) i decide it was probably time that i invest in a decent smoker! Don't get me wrong the cheapy eBay smoker has served its time but its heat retention isn't great thus i find myself using a lot of charcoal during a cook plus its a little on the small side!
So my question to us guys/gals is what would you recommend as my next smoker? what do you use? what are the pluses and minus's or your smoker? and most importantly what did you pay?
I know most of you will say Weber Smokey Mountain and in an ideal world thats what i would choose but i just cant justify that price as the cooks i do are for friends and family...most ive ever cooked for it 15-20 but most of the time it will be for 5-6 people.
Also i have owned a landmann offset smoker and really didnt like it! so a barrel smoker would be more appreciated
I was hoping for something even cheaper in all honesty!! like I say I only cook for the love of it, im not like some of the posters on here who cater for 50+. As long as I can smoke ribs, pork butt and brisket.
AAaah well, I started with a portable gas bbq for picnics years ago, bought a large 57cm Outdoorchef Ascona gas kettle bbq. My boss bought me a smoker box (which would't work due to the design of the Ascona) but got me interested in American style Low & Slow and Smoked then I found this forum, bought a Weber 57cm OTP, then a rotisserie and was extremely lucky in getting a ProQ Excel, oh and then a Son of Hibachi clone for small cooks as there iss only two of us, myself and The Food Taster. In all honesty most of the work is done by the Weber except for the half dozen or so larger (then only 8-10) gatherings or when I have a yearning for good ribs or Pulled Pork then the ProQ comes out.
I don't know where you are based but I dare say there are people willing to help with advice on an own build UDS OR if you could collect it possibly even build one for you. You woiuld have to check which of the members would be willing by PM rather than an open invite to buy.
keith157 wrote:AAaah well, I started with a portable gas bbq for picnics years ago, bought a large 57cm Outdoorchef Ascona gas kettle bbq. My boss bought me a smoker box (which would't work due to the design of the Ascona) but got me interested in American style Low & Slow and Smoked then I found this forum, bought a Weber 57cm OTP, then a rotisserie and was extremely lucky in getting a ProQ Excel, oh and then a Son of Hibachi clone for small cooks as there iss only two of us, myself and The Food Taster. In all honesty most of the work is done by the Weber except for the half dozen or so larger (then only 8-10) gatherings or when I have a yearning for good ribs or Pulled Pork then the ProQ comes out.
I don't know where you are based but I dare say there are people willing to help with advice on an own build UDS OR if you could collect it possibly even build one for you. You would have to check which of the members would be willing by PM rather than an open invite to buy.
Wow! Thanks for the detailed response!!! the one I originally purchased from eBay I think may have just been a own build...like I say I only paid £50 for it, its not great at keeping heat and was just wondering what mixes of smoker people use. Other than the WSM or the Brinkmann gourmet I don't really know of any "named" smoke barrels available in the uk!
I hail from Sunny Sunderland in case anyone is reading this and think they can help me out
Hi Mate
Build an UDS, I think it was Sretchie who put up a fantastic post on how he built his?
Check the forum at the moment there seem to be a lot of posts re Ugly Drums.
The net is full of info.
Hi Dobba,
This is an eternal question, and whilst debate rages and opinions ebb and flow these discussions always end at the same place -
If you can afford it WSM or Pro Q
If you can Weber 57cm kettle.
if you check out my sig block you will see how I got there, like you I don't do enough big cooks to justify one of the big boys......that said I will prob buy one at some point!
Tiny wrote:Hi Dobba,
This is an eternal question, and whilst debate rages and opinions ebb and flow these discussions always end at the same place -
If you can afford it WSM or Pro Q
If you can Weber 57cm kettle.
if you check out my sig block you will see how I got there, like you I don't do enough big cooks to justify one of the big boys......that said I will prob buy one at some point!
Cheers
Tiny
haha same...i have a holiday etc to pay for this year so money is tight atm! id be nervous i think to smoke on a kettle bbq but the price of it looks with my price range! how do you find it? im assuming i would have to buy charcoal dividers etc? any info you could provide on how you smoke, cook times etc would be ace! cheers tiny!
