Electric or Charcoal Smoker?

HeavyMetal BankFisherman · 01-26-2003, 01:51 PM

I have a cheap charcoal smoker that I have no problem using to turn out the best mesquite smoked briskit outside of Texas. But it doesn't do a good job with fish so I bought a Big Chief electric smoker. It seemed to work OK but it seemed like something was missing. I am a firm believer that you need a wood/charcoal heat source to get the REAL smoked food flavor.

Any suggestions on a good charcoal smoker that has good heat control? I was looking at the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker but it seems pretty small. Any suggestions on a good charcoal unit under $300? I would like to get a unit with a seperate fire box.

Silver Hilton · 01-26-2003, 08:25 PM

Heavy metal

I get good results out of my Lil chief, by adding two or three charcoal briquets to the pan of chips. I think fish wants just a bit more heat than the lil chief provides.

fishonksm · 01-26-2003, 08:53 PM

HMBF, just a couple of pennys to throw in here. How many pans of chips are you using. I mormaly use 3 or more and how much time are you giving to smoking vs. drying. I give it about 3-4 hrs smoking and about 6hrs drying. I must say i've never tried charcole. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

HeavyMetal BankFisherman · 01-27-2003, 04:09 PM

Fishonksm,

I used three pans of chips in five hours. After another five hours of drying the fish was not nearly done. I had to let it go another eight hours. It turned out OK.

Silver Hilton,

Thanks! You probably just saved me some money. I didn't think to put a couple of briquets in the pan. I know that it will work before I even try it. :smile:

I had the smoker setup outside where there was a little wind. I don't think it got warm enough inside. After the smoking part was done I moved it inside the garage and the inside temp did go up. Do they make jackets for these?

JPSFISHY · 01-28-2003, 10:03 PM

Wrap that rascel.ha Even though I have a shop and build BBQ's, cookers, and smokers, I use my little electric smoker all the time for fish. I use small chunk wood along with the fine stuff, and I got some real heavy corrigated box material, cut it to fit, and made a complete cover for it. This really retains the heat. I couldn't get my hot enough outside either. Light sheet metal stuff just doesn't hold heat real good anyway.
The Gas Connection might have a blanket for it.??

HeavyMetal BankFisherman · 03-15-2003, 08:36 PM

The results are in. Adding a briquet or two brings the temperature up right where it needs to be. I have made several batches of excellent smoked salmon. I am now enjoying some of the finest beef pepperoni I have ever had. Ground the meat, stuffed the celluloid casing, hung the pepperoni sticks from the top rack in a Big Chief smoker. Added one piece of mesquite charcoal, a few chunks of mesquite wood, and a few hours later I had perfect pepperoni.

[ 03-15-2003, 09:38 PM: Message edited by: HeavyMetal BankFisherman ]