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re: New to smoking meat, need suggestions/advice
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:25 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:25 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
If all you wanted to do was smoke meat at a low price, you should have gone with a Pit Barrel Cooker.
The smoker in your pic has very thin metal. This means you will have a tough time maintaining proper temperatures over time. I had one similar to your pic and the lesson it taught me is to not buy one again. It lasted about 2 years before I assessed it was no longer salvageable due to separation of the metal and rust. The quality of my smoking did not improve until I bought a pit barrel cooker. The quality of my meat is now far better and it smokes far more efficiently.
The smoker in your pic has very thin metal. This means you will have a tough time maintaining proper temperatures over time. I had one similar to your pic and the lesson it taught me is to not buy one again. It lasted about 2 years before I assessed it was no longer salvageable due to separation of the metal and rust. The quality of my smoking did not improve until I bought a pit barrel cooker. The quality of my meat is now far better and it smokes far more efficiently.
2
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:29 pm to Willie Stroker
quote:
Pit Barrel Cooker.
Doubt he has the room to store a PBC in a Dallas Apartment.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:31 pm to Willie Stroker
I haven't purchased yet! I'm still looking.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:37 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
have you looked at propane smokers? I have one similar to this and have had really good success with it
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:48 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
Buy a weber smokey mountain 18.5". Only costs a couple hundred buck and it's much better than that POS in your OP. The thing with those cheap offsets is that they use thin metal and that means leaking smoke and temperature which will make it a constant task to maintain temperature which is crucial in smoking.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 12:49 pm to LoneStarTiger
The great thing about smokin' or Quein' is you can spend as much or as little as ya want and learning the hobby is tasty. There are very few ways to go wrong. Dont over cook over smoke or over season and it can be fixed. Sure all those expensive regulated thermo controled etc fancy things can make it easier and are nice, but ya can turn out amazing food by smoking it in an ole fridge ya found on the road. It's lots of fun looking at other folks stuff but ultimately ya gotta decide for ya self. Friend of mine smokes thousands of pounds of meat a year in a wooden smoker that has been confused as a out house. He has no probe no sensors and folks come from all over to get him to make sausage for them
Get what ya can afford and enjoy it.
Get what ya can afford and enjoy it.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 1:11 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
As everyone has stated, buy something with a little better quality than a cheap offset. I understand not wanting to spend $1000 on something you may not enjoy, but I promise if you spend $70 on a cheap big box store offset with extremely thin metal you will hate smoking meat. You don't have to buy something expensive. A Weber or Pit Barrel Cooker would be affordable and a great entry level unit. Or like others have said, craigslist often has quality smokers at a discounted price. Good luck.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 1:12 pm to Captain Ray
My point is that if you're new to it and you end up having to do much more work than expected by using a shitty product, you likely won't enjoy the process as much and won't continue with it. Obviously it takes a little bit of work, but the real joy of smoking is sitting around drinking and relaxing while your meat turns into magic.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 1:21 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
quote:
I am more concerned with paying $400 for a smoker before I even know if I enjoy it.
People interested in bicycling will say they are buying a cheap bicycle to "see if they like it" before they invest in a decent bike. I can tell them in advance that they will not like it if they buy a Huffy at WalMart. Heavy and clunky. They still don't know if they like cycling. It's like trying out running while wearing cheap cowboy boots.
A cheaper-than-WSM but quality smoker option is a Weber kettle. They range from about $99 to $199 depending on features. They can be used to grill or smoke, but smoking takes a little know how. The Virtual Weber site and board have good info. They can hold a pork butt or couple slabs of ribs, but no big quantities.
A cheap offset was the first thing I tried years back. Borrowed it from a neighbor and hated it. Required a shitload of charcoal and constant attention to keep it at temp. Some folks love them. Not me.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 1:21 pm to PapaPogey
OP, heres a Weber Smokey Mountain located right outside of Dallas.
LINK
Here's another WSM in Plano
LINK
Here's another WSM in Plano
This post was edited on 5/24/17 at 1:23 pm
Posted on 5/24/17 at 2:04 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
quote:
I'm really not looking or able to spend a fortune on this new adventure.
How much are you willing to spend? How much space will you have? Can you use a smoker in your apartment complex? My last apartment you couldn't use a grill or smoker within 15' of the building which put you in the middle of the sidewalk or in the parking lot.
Here's a few listings from Dallas Craigslist:
Pretty sure this is a 22 1/2" WSM
Weber Smokey Mountain - $225 (Mesquite) - Top rated smoker for BBQ - https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/spo/6144043155.html
Oklahoma Joe's Smoker - $200 (Sachse) - Manufactured before the cheap Ok Joe's were introduced.
https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/6138003041.html
ELITE MASTERBUILT GAS GRILL - SMOKER SYSTEM - $100 (Denton) - Still in box Cash and carry
https://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/for/6141447295.html
Old Country Smoker (1/2 inch steel) Amazing BBQ - $350 (Plano) - Paid 500 for it from Academy year ago and loved it, just too big to move with!
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/for/6143694558.html
Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker 30 Inch - $125 (Mckinney) - Electric smoker makes it really easy to smoke.
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/for/6140100411.html
Compact Charcoal Bullet Smoker in High Gloss Black - $60 - https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/hsh/6144348624.html
2 Pieces - Bbq pit and smoker - $60 (Mckinney) - Moving so im selling my pit and smoker. https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/6095461973.html
If you are or know someone who is handy these can be easily converted.
Food Grade Barrels - $20 (Joshua) https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/grd/6087845161.html
Brinkman Gourmet Electric Smoker - $50 (Azle) - In new condition. Never been used. Ready to go. https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/for/6145191254.html
Old Smokey Extra Large Grill Smoker with Legs Used 1 Time - $35 (Burleson) - https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/for/6137853182.html
Smoke Master BBQ Offset Smoker - $300 or best offer(Allen) - This is very heavy duty, high-end smoker that was originally manufactured in Austin, TX by Smoke Master. https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/hsh/6145302317.html
================================================================
1 - 120 / 2500 - This is a listing with 2,500 items in the "smoker" category. If you go to the older ones the people will probably be more acceptable to making a deal.
https://dallas.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=smoker&sort=rel
Posted on 5/24/17 at 2:15 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
slow and low
cooking tools I use
Maverick ET - 732
temp meat probe
cooking tools I use
Maverick ET - 732
temp meat probe
Posted on 5/24/17 at 3:44 pm to Tiger Ree
Damn. Thanks dude! 
Posted on 5/24/17 at 3:55 pm to LoneStarTiger
quote:
you'll also want a dual probe thermometer.
Abso-effing-lutely. Best money you'll spend. Way more accurate and you'll save yourself so much time because you're not constantly running out to check smoker and food temps. And the one you buy will almost always be more accurate than the built in thermometer.
and to confirm what others have said, start with pork butts, or if you don't want to put that much time in, whole chicken. Smoked chicken takes about 3 hours and tastes unreal (be sure to brine both).
This post was edited on 5/24/17 at 3:56 pm
Posted on 5/24/17 at 5:27 pm to Chucktown_Badger
The slow ad low cooking tool I use is the palm of my hand place my hand on da smoler if I can hold it there for a sec fore i snatch it off its around 200 if I can ahrdly tough it too hot if its just warm to the touch too cool. Das how me and ya grandpa do it
Posted on 5/24/17 at 5:39 pm to J Murdah
quote:
I suggest getting an electric smoker first.
Probably the worst advice ever. Electric smokers are shite compared to the real deal.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 5:42 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
quote:
MaHittaMaHitta
I started on a Webber Kettle before I could afford more specialized pieces. Look up the "Snake Method." It works great and you can do it in a $100 grill. If you don't like smoking meat, then you can still just use it as a grill. Every house needs one.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 6:19 pm to TigernMS12
One of the ones mentioned above is ole smokey for ya $ its a great pit more a BBQ than smoker but ya can smoke on it. Beauty of ole smokey is its kinda like igloo in that ya can easily buy replacement parts if needed also its tall enough to stand a chicken up on a beer can a big plus in my book 
Posted on 5/24/17 at 7:03 pm to Got Blaze
I have the maverick 732 and love it. Great starter dial probe thermometer. Just be sure to not submerge the probes under water.
Posted on 5/24/17 at 8:33 pm to MaHittaMaHitta
honestly I would start with this and this
]
A lot of other good suggestions but this will get the ball rolling (I do love my dual probe maverick) along with your smoker of choice.
I would also suggest avoiding cheap thin walled stick burners, they go through far too much fuel and are very difficult to keep temps regulated due to poor sealing, you are going to hate what should be fun due to difficulty and workload.
] A lot of other good suggestions but this will get the ball rolling (I do love my dual probe maverick) along with your smoker of choice.
I would also suggest avoiding cheap thin walled stick burners, they go through far too much fuel and are very difficult to keep temps regulated due to poor sealing, you are going to hate what should be fun due to difficulty and workload.
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