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Smoking, Grilling and Wood Fired Ovens


Pete H

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Knowing that many of my fellow K members are also die hard outdoor chefs, I wanted to throw out a couple of questions regarding another grill (for lack of better terms) that I'm considering purchasing and at the same time get an understanding of the different methods, likes and dislikes and methods that are working for others.  Keep in mind that I already have the largest Weber they make so gas grilling and searing at 700 degrees isn't an issue, and I have a smoke box on it and a separate vertical smoker that's also set up for gas, but really looking to do more smoking and my results from my current equipment is really good, but it's time to get back to wood and lump coal for the smoking details.

 

1.  Really considering a Kamado style cooker to add to the collection but really considering a non traditional construction.  There are tons of ceramic based units all over the price spectrum but with the popularity increasing, there's cast iron, cast aluminum, insulated stainless and of course the Kamado Kamodo, if you are also looking at a piece of art for a ridiculous price.  What are you using, likes, dislikes?  

 

2.  Pellet Grills, everything is a trade off and again, there's a huge range in prices, but tons in the $700-$1,500 range that are pretty well constructed.  I do a lot of smoking, I'm just not sure I'm going to be as satisfied with the results, based on what I've read, with the ability to really get the amount of smoke infused that I'm accustom to.  I already know that none of these are truly multi purpose, they aren't grills and they aren't pizza ovens where as the Kamado's can do both.

 

3.  Custom built combination masonry oven, offset smoker, wood/gas grill.  Please just those of you that have done this or had someone build it for you and you've used this.  I have the room and technology to design up and build a big outdoor unit that a traditional oven with an offset firebox incorporated for long smokes and an open fire pit, grill area.   

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39 minutes ago, Pete H said:

with the ability to really get the amount of smoke infused that I'm accustom to.

Playing with the air supply on a pellet smoker, you can get it to where to smoke lays so heavy on the meat that it turns completely black and the smoke ring 3/8" or so. It will still taste great, but crazy heavy smoke. We prefer ours to not be so smokey. I put on a brisket, smoke it for 13 hours unattended with 100% hickory pellets. I take it off when internal temp is 200F. Awesome every time. Can't do that with a ceramic.  

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Me I would skip any kamado type cooker if you're looking toward smoking. I like your #3 choice but instead of masonry maby steel, but either could work well if designed well. I have built 2 so far with steel selling the larger one because it was way too big and made the second one much smaller. I use wood only and it can get from 150-500 degrees depending on the damper. 

 

Rember always adjust with the fresh air inlet and never the exhaust, when you dampen with the exhaust the smoke smothers the fire to slow it down which creates many chemicals you do not want on your food. (look it up) 

 

One site I always go to for info is thesmokering.com, many knowledgeable people and professional competition and catering people.   One thing that's very handy it the smoker calculator,  you put in dimensions and it tells you the size everything has to be after that, like firebox, exhaust and all dimensions needed to have correct airflow to operate well. The first one I built I didn't know this and had problems, once I found this adjusted it to what it said it worked great, it really does work.

 

Website  http://thesmokering.com/forum/

 

Design calculator;    put in your first dimensions and it will lead you through the rest.    http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

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16 hours ago, JL Sargent said:

Playing with the air supply on a pellet smoker, you can get it to where to smoke lays so heavy on the meat that it turns completely black and the smoke ring 3/8" or so. It will still taste great, but crazy heavy smoke. We prefer ours to not be so smokey. I put on a brisket, smoke it for 13 hours unattended with 100% hickory pellets. I take it off when internal temp is 200F. Awesome every time. Can't do that with a ceramic.  

Which one are you using?  

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Well, I'm old school and use lump charcoal and wood with a Weber Smokey Mountain and my own homebuilt UDS (ugly drum smoker).  I just enjoy the challenge and fooling around with them to get the temps and smoke dialed in.  

 

And yes, thesmokering.com is great.

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14 hours ago, dtel said:

Me I would skip any kamado type cooker if you're looking toward smoking. I like your #3 choice but instead of masonry maby steel, but either could work well if designed well. I have built 2 so far with steel selling the larger one because it was way too big and made the second one much smaller. I use wood only and it can get from 150-500 degrees depending on the damper. 

 

Rember always adjust with the fresh air inlet and never the exhaust, when you dampen with the exhaust the smoke smothers the fire to slow it down which creates many chemicals you do not want on your food. (look it up) 

 

One site I always go to for info is thesmokering.com, many knowledgeable people and professional competition and catering people.   One thing that's very handy it the smoker calculator,  you put in dimensions and it tells you the size everything has to be after that, like firebox, exhaust and all dimensions needed to have correct airflow to operate well. The first one I built I didn't know this and had problems, once I found this adjusted it to what it said it worked great, it really does work.

 

Website  http://thesmokering.com/forum/

 

Design calculator;    put in your first dimensions and it will lead you through the rest.    http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

I will check out that site for sure.  I'm assuming that you build an offset steel.  Do you have a picture of that one?  If I build, it will end up being a combination of steel and masonry, I really want a brick oven and a good way to smoke for a few people on a regular basis, but not give up the ability to load it up with 4 butts, brisket etc.. on those occasions when I'm cooking for 20.  I also don't want it to be the size of a shed.  LOL

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2 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

Well, I'm old school and use lump charcoal and wood with a Weber Smokey Mountain and my own homebuilt UDS (ugly drum smoker).  I just enjoy the challenge and fooling around with them to get the temps and smoke dialed in.  

 

And yes, thesmokering.com is great.

I've looked at the drums, and have smoked so many different ways over the years and got away from wood and lump charcoal for the ease of gas for the heat source that I'm just ready to get back to old school as well.  

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2 hours ago, JL Sargent said:

It's called "The Englander PG100".

That looks nice, I like how tall it is.

 

 

The first one I built was way too big, this was it before painting, I kept it about a year and sold it to build a smaller one. The firebox was 2' by 2' alone and the main cooking are was designed with what they call tuning plates which are just plates with smaller openings between them closer to the firebox and widening the further away it gets from the fire to keep the far end roughly the same temp. It held temperatures very well just used a good bit of wood.

 

 Then I almost went to small, but I have another tank to make a small to medium size one, just never did it yet.

 

The smaller one has a firebox behind and from the back with a plate to defuse the heat on the inside, works great. I originally put gas jets thinking if I wanted to cook something fast I could just use the gas but found I rarely do.

 

In one pic I was cooking some stir-fry, I got this idea from the smokering site, it's called it a Discada, it's a tractor disc with the center hole welded closed. This one is 22" and works great for things like this. I bought a new disc from a tractor store and customized and cleaned, seasoned it like you would cast iron. 

 

http://thesmokering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=54&sid=656f67bfca6afeb9f2bd821a8d098055

 

 

bbq,,..jpg

bbq s.jpg

bbq.jpg

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I could not be more happy with my BGE. If I had to do it over again I would probably get a primo. The oval shaped one my friend has with split grates and ceramic is better set up for high temp and indirect. I can do more than enough ribs and any combination of things my large BGE.

 

Its warming up right now for jerked chicken. 10+ year old gasser in the foreground rarely sees use now.

 

rps20190421_132939.jpg.0de809e5537509c81cbef01b38f59304.jpg

 

 

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9 minutes ago, rplace said:

I could not be more happy with my BGE.

From what I read they are great for cooking when it's really cold, I guess the design and how it's made helps, but read mixed reviews for real slow smoking ?  

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1 minute ago, dtel said:

From what I read they are great for cooking when it's really cold, I guess the design and how it's made helps, but read mixed reviews for real slow smoking ?  

 

I smoke for 15 hours plus with minimal lump used. It will go 24+ hours on one fill

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15 hours is about as long as I have ever had the patience for, and that was with pork butts, if it takes longer I finish them in the oven, 12 seems to be an average for me with those.

 

Can a few chunks of wood be added to the coals to add more smoke? When I tried lump charcoal  I liked it better than regular but it did not have as much smoke flavor as I used to. I know many people who use a UDS, ugly drum smoker with lump but also add chunks of wood around the coals to give it more smoke.

 

I looked at them a good while back they sure are proud of them looking at prices. I was just curious and wanted to see how they were built, they look to be over an inch thick and really need a good stand counter as you have. 

 

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8 minutes ago, dtel said:

I was just curious and wanted to see how they were built, they look to be over an inch thick

They're double walled like a thermos bottle. I love mine also. Don't smoke on it very often though. I smoked a turkey overnight once and it was delicious, so I know it is possible to keep it smoking a good long time like @rplace said.

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Not double walled, at least not BGE, just thick ceramic and guaranteed for life against breakage.

 

Big chunk of peach in the background. I like fruit wood on chicken. Don't have the correct wood for jerk.😞

 

rps20190421_140932.thumb.jpg.730b38a0008322baa53641aad7e8d9ee.jpg

 

 

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48 minutes ago, dtel said:

15 hours is about as long as I have ever had the patience for, and that was with pork butts, if it takes longer I finish them in the oven, 12 seems to be an average for me with those.

 

Can a few chunks of wood be added to the coals to add more smoke?

 

Yes lump charcoal for heat. Hardwood of choice for flavor. About fist sized.

 

rps20190421_144621.thumb.jpg.d0c5c88921a7fdcdbb4b3a0e865dcf08.jpg

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Made two pizzas from scratch and cooked them on a pizza stone on the BGE.  First time I have cooked pizza.  Got to get the stone hot (600 degrees).  Ground lamb, feta, onion, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, sun dried tomato pesto, and a yogurt/mint sauce.

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