BBQ/Smoker

[David G]

I have a question for the smoker experts.

I used to have a cheap smoker that I never used all that much (cause it was so ungainly to use), and that finally died.

I've read that one can use one's bbq (I have a decent gas unit) as a smoker. I even saw a book by Weber advertised the other day with recipes & how-to.

My question is - is this legit? If I bought the book, in pursuit of more smoking of a variety of meats (from salmon to pork to shad to beef)... would I be as happy as I would be with a dedicated smoker? Being pretty broke lately (lost work time from the cancer treatment/recovery)... I doubt that I could buy or cobble together much of a smoker. So using the bbq is attractive - if it actually works decently.

Thoughts?

[George Jung]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

I'll be curious the responses. My suspicion - a 'dedicated' smoker will be far superior. Maybe catch a sale at Cabelas (cuz they're pricey, otherwise).

[Paul Pless]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

A gas grill as a smoker? Definitely not legit.

[David G]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

sigh

I was afeared of that. Knew I might be grasping at straws. Guess I'll have to start putting a few pennies aside for the eventual purchase.

sigh

[Steve McMahon]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

I use my gas grill as a smoker quite often. I use a stainless steel bowl (from the cheap "dollar store") placed directly over the burner on one side of the bbq. (mine has 3 burners). I put that burner on it's lowest setting and fill the bowl with the wood chips of choice, moistened with a bit of beer, spirits, or water. The meat is placed on the other side of the grill. If the temperature rises too high I control it by cracking open the lid. As the wood chips turn to ash, simply add more and another splash of whatever you are using to moisten them.

[George Jung]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

Which smoker?

[Steve McMahon]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

Don't listen to Pless. He's a smoker snob.... He probably can't fathom that there are many way's to skin a cat.

[David G]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

I use my gas grill as a smoker quite often. I use a stainless steel bowl (from the cheap "dollar store") placed directly over the burner on one side of the bbq. (mine has 3 burners). I put that burner on it's lowest setting and fill the bowl with the wood chips of choice, moistened with a bit of beer, spirits, or water. The meat is placed on the other side of the grill. If the temperature rises too high I control it by cracking open the lid. As the wood chips turn to ash, simply add more and another splash of whatever you are using to moisten them.

Steve - sounds hopeful. Do you happen to have direct experience with a dedicated smoker that you can compare to your present setup?

[fishrswim]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

Depends on how big your BBQ is. If you have a 3 or 4 burner unit it works pretty well. I smoke turkey breast and pork shoulder, ribs etc. by placing the meat on one end of the grill with the fire on low on the extreme other end. I use a wood box with very small air inlets. But for fish or other more delicate things where you want more smoke and very low heat I just use a Little Chief smoker. It's pretty primitive, but it works. Just be sure to keep the box it comes in because it insulates the unit for smoking when its cold outside. They're about $130. But Cabelas has a store brand electric smoker for $159.99 that looks like a step up and free shipping this weekend..

[Steve McMahon]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

Steve - sounds hopeful. Do you happen to have direct experience with a dedicated smoker that you can compare to your present setup?

Nope! Well. sort of: I spend a fair bit of time in Houston Tx with friends / business associates. They are all smoker snobs. I get what I consider as good as results from my methods. That being said, I intend to build the ultimate smoker when we move to our oceanside property. That is a genuine smoke house. A 4' x 4' wooden structure with a fire pit in the center and a steel roof with vents. Stainless steel racks to smoke fish, ham, bacon, beef jerky, etc.

[tigerregis]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

I have a charcoal one and an electric one. The key for me was the 'amazn smoker' it is a generator separate from the heat source. It means you can control heat and smoke separately. Bacon, ham, and salmon have turned out perfectly. For real info go to Smokin meats and read what the experts and hoi polloi do to get real old time food.

[David G]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

tiger - go to... where?

[Mrleft8]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

A gas smoker?..... LOL! Sure...... And you can smoke meat in your electric oven too!... ....
No.... Even though it pains me to say it.... Pless is right......
What you get there is cooked meat with some smoke flavor.
But to truly smoke meat, especially pork or beef, you need the super slow, moist heat of a proper smoker..... Not saying food cooked in a gas grill isn't perfectly good..... It's just not smoked.
You can make a proper smoker out of just about anything, including cinder blocks, rusty tin roofing, banana leaves, oil drums, abandoned cars..... (OK... Maybe not abandoned cars....)

[BrianW]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

(OK... Maybe not abandoned cars....)

Un-abandoned cars?

Nissans?

[Mrleft8]

Re: BBQ/Smoker

Un-abandoned cars?

Nissans?

Garret tried to ventilate Noey's car a couple of years ago at the EBS..... Maybe that's what it was all about!