Ok, so things aren't great for a lot o' folks (job loss, 401k value
drop,etc)
Sparing my friends on AFB the gory details on my $$$
situation....(Summary: baby + lower salary= need to cut expenses.)
**IF** we do decide to "downgrade" to an apartment complex that
forbids charcoal or propane....Is my only other option to prepare
'Q...electric?

If electric is the case and smaller (than my NBBD)is the requirement,
what low cost options are there?

I guess I could always outfit a WSM or Great Outdoors smoker outfitted
with a hotplate (kinda like Alton Brown did once).

Rob
Q' 4 all so long as u can afford it

Charbroil electric bullet and some foil packs of wood chips.Cheap about $59
new
you'll get the heat in the 240 range easy ...just add smoke wood chips .
my son on a budget does this ......comes out good and you can sleep while
its Qing.



"Rob" > wrote in message
om...
> Ok, so things aren't great for a lot o' folks (job loss, 401k value
> drop,etc)
> Sparing my friends on AFB the gory details on my $$$
> situation....(Summary: baby + lower salary= need to cut expenses.)
> **IF** we do decide to "downgrade" to an apartment complex that
> forbids charcoal or propane....Is my only other option to prepare
> 'Q...electric?
>
> If electric is the case and smaller (than my NBBD)is the requirement,
> what low cost options are there?
>
> I guess I could always outfit a WSM or Great Outdoors smoker outfitted
> with a hotplate (kinda like Alton Brown did once).
>
> Rob
> Q' 4 all so long as u can afford it

Rob wrote:

> Ok, so things aren't great for a lot o' folks (job loss, 401k value
> drop,etc)
> Sparing my friends on AFB the gory details on my $$$
> situation....(Summary: baby + lower salary= need to cut expenses.)
> **IF** we do decide to "downgrade" to an apartment complex that
> forbids charcoal or propane....Is my only other option to prepare
> 'Q...electric?
>
> If electric is the case and smaller (than my NBBD)is the requirement,
> what low cost options are there?
>
> I guess I could always outfit a WSM or Great Outdoors smoker outfitted
> with a hotplate (kinda like Alton Brown did once).

You can do some decent Q with some of the insulated oven type
smokers. They can live just about anywhere outdoors, including
on apartment balconies, etc. Neighbors won't notice them.

The prices start around $379. Names to look for are cookshack, smokintex,
bradley smoker, and probably some others.

I don't know if that's in your price range but it's the "Q anywhere"
solution.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Steve Wertz wrote:

> By Texas law, at least, these are still illegal. The way the laws
> were written, even smoking on the balcony was prohibited even though
> that was not the intention of the legislation. Anything that
> smouldered was illegal. That included electric elements with wood in
> them.

I take your word on the legalities, Steve. As I remember the Texas
situation the statute was a local Austin ordinance? In any case I wouldn't
be surprised if there are locales where even these are illegal on a
deck or balcony. Not to mention the fact that homeowners and condo
associations are famous for bitching about this kind of thing.

What makes the smoker/oven effective as a "Stealth Q" alternative
are several notable factors

- They're a self contained, insulated box. The cookshack, for
instance, has 850 F insulation which means it can be used with zero
clearance around walls. When you cook the outside of the oven is no
hotter than ambient temperature. Feel free to stick it in a corner
and even put stuff around it to lower it's visibility.

- They're small and they don't look anything like a grill/bbq.
Very low profile.

- They use wood only as a smoke source so they make a tiny amount
of smoke. You can cook a big roast with only a few ounces of wood,
so the smoke stream they create is tiny and dissipates within inches
of the unit.

> My ECB was an electric unit and although the elemnet had been removed
> and converted to wood burning, I could always quickly put it back in
> and claim that I never used wood in it. Just electricity.

A new take on the "Stealth Q" approach! You're on the cutting edge
as usual

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Thanks everyone.

I also googled this up:

http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html

I thought I remember a discussion on not using aluminum...could this
guy be doing himself in?

Rob
Q' 4 all

Rob wrote:
> Thanks everyone.
>
> I also googled this up:
>
> http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html
>
> I thought I remember a discussion on not using aluminum...could this
> guy be doing himself in?
>
> Rob
> Q' 4 all

Looks like he's using a galvanized trash can - not a good idea at all, as
zinc is toxic and heating zinc will release zinc vapors into food.
Jack Curry