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Started By
Message
Working out the kinks in my electric smoker.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:40 pm
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:40 pm
I got an electric smoker for Christmas a couple of years ago. If you're only advice is to chunk it and pay for a non-electric kind, please stop reading and enjoy the rest of your day.
I'm still working out the kinks in my process. The problems I seem to be having are:
It did not come with a grate to seperate the wood chips from the heating element. And the wood chips are burning up very quickly even after soaking them. I go through an entire wood chip bag in a few hours.
It came with two grills, so when I used the smoker this past Christmas, I placed one grill above the heating element at the seperation of the base and the "tank". The wood chips were about 2 inches away from the element and didn't heat up enough to smoke.
So either I'm burning through wood chips too fast or they aren't smoking at all.
Success story: The Turkey and Brisket I smoked at Christmas were awesome.
I think what I will try next will be to cover the element in rocks and maybe that will provide enough heat dispersal and my chips won't make direct contact with the element.
If anyone had any electric smoker advice, please share.
I'm still working out the kinks in my process. The problems I seem to be having are:
It did not come with a grate to seperate the wood chips from the heating element. And the wood chips are burning up very quickly even after soaking them. I go through an entire wood chip bag in a few hours.
It came with two grills, so when I used the smoker this past Christmas, I placed one grill above the heating element at the seperation of the base and the "tank". The wood chips were about 2 inches away from the element and didn't heat up enough to smoke.
So either I'm burning through wood chips too fast or they aren't smoking at all.
Success story: The Turkey and Brisket I smoked at Christmas were awesome.
I think what I will try next will be to cover the element in rocks and maybe that will provide enough heat dispersal and my chips won't make direct contact with the element.
If anyone had any electric smoker advice, please share.
5
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:44 pm to alajones
I had a brinkman electric smoker before I got my WSM. I would recommend the smoker box that they sell at Home Depot. Its a cast iron box you put you chips in and you set on the element. I cooked many nice pork shoulders on it. I would say I love my WSM 100x more but you cannot always have a charcoal smoker. I wanted one back then but my APT complex did not allow it.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:46 pm to alajones
This is what I had and it worked fine...
Oh BTW if you ever get to have a WSM save your water bowl.. The Brinkman has a really nice water bowl that alot of WSM owners use..
Oh BTW if you ever get to have a WSM save your water bowl.. The Brinkman has a really nice water bowl that alot of WSM owners use..
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:48 pm to Catman88
Cool, I've never seen that before. 
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:51 pm to alajones
quote:
If anyone had any electric smoker advice, please share.
I have had the same Cookshack Smoker now for prolly 25 years and love it.
1) I never use chips. Use larger chunks or even small limbs cut to fit. You may have to harvest your own wood. Pecan and Hickory are easy to find.
2) In addition to the small water reservoir provided in the Smoker, put an additional one in before cooking. A can or something you can throw away is all that is needed. Running out of water is a no-no when smoking.
3) Use a thermometer and try to keep it at 175 degrees.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:52 pm to Catman88
I have one just like that, but a little rustier 
I have caught the chips on fire in that thing before though
I have caught the chips on fire in that thing before though
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:54 pm to TreeDawg
quote:You mean like down with the wood chips?
In addition to the small water reservoir provided in the Smoker, put an additional one in before cooking. A can or something you can throw away is all that is needed.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 12:57 pm to alajones
Adjacent to or beneath the heat source............a shallow foil pie pan or something like that would work. The water vapors keep the smoke from being too dry, thus keeping the meat moist...........
Posted on 3/10/09 at 1:10 pm to TreeDawg
I wouldn't try to smoke anything at 175 degrees. I think anything between 225-250 is ideal. Also, I don't know how much moisture the water adds to a smoke. I think the waterpan is used more as a heat sink that way the temp in the chamber doesn't get out of control. I had an Electric Brinkman Smoker and hated that thing.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 1:15 pm to RedHawk
BBQ should always be smoked at 225-250 I would never go lower than that. The wood should be dry optimally too. Moisture in the wood promotes creasote. You really only need a small amount of smoke to do the job too you should never constantly add more chips.. Meat can only take so much smoke up to a certain temp and you certainly dont want too much.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 1:45 pm to RedHawk
quote:
I wouldn't try to smoke anything at 175 degrees. I think anything between 225-250 is ideal.
Well smack my arse and call me Sally.............
quote:
I don't know how much moisture the water adds to a smoke. I think the waterpan is used more as a heat sink that way the temp in the chamber doesn't get out of control.
The moisture is certainly is absorbed by the smoke /air in the smoker. I experimented a lot with this and the temperature many years ago and found this method to work perfectly. The product comes out moist every time............even Turkey, which tends to dry our easily.
Maybe we need to have a cook-off............
Posted on 3/10/09 at 1:48 pm to RedHawk
quote:
I had an Electric Brinkman Smoker and hated that thing.
Ya know, to each his own. I love my electric smoker and can do anything just as good on it as a non-electric cooker. Its what you are used to and comfortable with.
I will never own a Gas Grill, but some people would cook on nothing else...........
Posted on 3/10/09 at 3:20 pm to TreeDawg
What is a WSM?
Posted on 3/10/09 at 3:28 pm to Trentster
WSM=Weber Smokey Mountain.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 3:30 pm to Trentster
Posted on 3/10/09 at 3:34 pm to alajones
You can prevent the wood chips from burning so fast by wrapping them in aluminum foil and poking holes in the foil with a fork. The foil wrapped wood chips can be placed in direct contact with the heating element to allow full thermal transfer, and the holes will restrict the airflow allowing the wood chips to smoulder rather than burn.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 4:03 pm to Poodlebrain
I tried that and the aliminum foil had disintegrated within an hour.
Posted on 3/10/09 at 6:35 pm to TreeDawg
quote:
Well smack my arse and call me Sally.............
That is a kick arse hot sauce.
Posted on 3/11/09 at 9:24 am to TreeDawg
Stays at a fairly constant temperature and doesn't surge real hot and then come down. I soak my wood sticks, limbs, etc. in the sink for several hours to keep them from burning up too fast..
This post was edited on 3/11/09 at 9:26 am
Posted on 3/11/09 at 10:11 am to alajones
Just like others have said. To much air moving over the wood chips. Put them in some foil or a box and that will help.
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