recommendations/warnings please.

Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, Pico Rico wrote:
>
>> recommendations/warnings please.
>>
>> Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.
>
> How much do you want to spend?
>
> For $65 you can get a Brinkman Charcoal Gourmet which is pretty easy
> to use and a good beginner setup withotu investing a lot of money in
> a hobby you may not follow through with.
>
> Good electric smokers start at around $350. Do not get the Brinkman
> Electric Gourmet. Most low end electric do not work reliably,
> consistently, or for very long. Many also require an "Almost
> dedicated" circuit. In my first apartment I had to unplug my fridge
> to use my electric smoker.
>
> -sw

a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???

On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, "Pico Rico"
> wrote:

>recommendations/warnings please.
>
>Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.
>


Unless he is in a hot climate and has restrictions on gas or charcoal,
electric is a poor choice. Not much power and no control.

"Pico Rico" > wrote:
> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, Pico Rico wrote:
>>
>>> recommendations/warnings please.
>>>
>>> Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.
>>
>> How much do you want to spend?
>>
>> For $65 you can get a Brinkman Charcoal Gourmet which is pretty easy
>> to use and a good beginner setup withotu investing a lot of money in
>> a hobby you may not follow through with.
>>
>> Good electric smokers start at around $350. Do not get the Brinkman
>> Electric Gourmet. Most low end electric do not work reliably,
>> consistently, or for very long. Many also require an "Almost
>> dedicated" circuit. In my first apartment I had to unplug my fridge
>> to use my electric smoker.
>>
>> -sw
>
> a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???

If I had a choice, I would want one of those insulated electrics, that
don't use a lot of electricity. Something less than 500 watts. Most thin
walled smokers will change temperature rapidly with ambient and sunlight
changes, and wind.

Greg

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, "Pico Rico"
> > wrote:
>
>>recommendations/warnings please.
>>
>>Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.
>>
>
>
> Unless he is in a hot climate and has restrictions on gas or charcoal,
> electric is a poor choice. Not much power and no control.
>
>

Both gas and charcoal are getting pretty expensive in California. Charcoal
is $.50/lb and propane is about $1/lb. Depending on your unit and the
outside temp. you can use a whole 20lb propane tank on one 15lb piece of
pork. To run my Weber Smokey Mtn I fill it with 10lb of charcoal and that
lasts 10 hours if I'm lucky, and less, with a large full water pan. I'd be
interested on thoughts about this. Do any use natural gas?

Kent

On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:26:51 -0700, "Kent" >
wrote:

>

>>
>
>Both gas and charcoal are getting pretty expensive in California. Charcoal
>is $.50/lb and propane is about $1/lb. Depending on your unit and the
>outside temp. you can use a whole 20lb propane tank on one 15lb piece of
>pork. To run my Weber Smokey Mtn I fill it with 10lb of charcoal and that
>lasts 10 hours if I'm lucky, and less, with a large full water pan. I'd be
>interested on thoughts about this. Do any use natural gas?
>
>Kent

A pound of propane is 22,000 Btu. A KW of electric produces 3412 Btu
It takes 6.4 KW to produce 22,0000 at our local rate of 17¢ that is
$1.08.

If you are using a full tank to do a big brisket or pork shoulder,
something is wrong or it is below freezing. I can do briskets at
least 2 to 3 times on a tank.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:26:51 -0700, "Kent" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>
>>>
>>
>>Both gas and charcoal are getting pretty expensive in California.
>>Charcoal
>>is $.50/lb and propane is about $1/lb. Depending on your unit and the
>>outside temp. you can use a whole 20lb propane tank on one 15lb piece of
>>pork. To run my Weber Smokey Mtn I fill it with 10lb of charcoal and that
>>lasts 10 hours if I'm lucky, and less, with a large full water pan. I'd be
>>interested on thoughts about this. Do any use natural gas?
>>
>>Kent
>
> A pound of propane is 22,000 Btu. A KW of electric produces 3412 Btu
> It takes 6.4 KW to produce 22,0000 at our local rate of 17¢ that is
> $1.08.
>
> If you are using a full tank to do a big brisket or pork shoulder,
> something is wrong or it is below freezing. I can do briskets at
> least 2 to 3 times on a tank.
>
>
In CA a 20lb tank of propane costs $20. You're spending 6 to 10 dollars per
brisket. That's 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost of the whole brisket to cook, a far
greater fraction of the total cost that should be just cooking energy. It's
more severe than gasoline in Italy at $8.5/gal. Have you looked at natural
gas? I think charcoal may be slightly cheaper, though in CA it's over
$.50/lb if you don't buy it on sale.

"gregz" > wrote in message
...
> "Pico Rico" > wrote:
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, Pico Rico wrote:
>>>
>>>> recommendations/warnings please.
>>>>
>>>> Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of
>>>> smoking.
>>>
>>> How much do you want to spend?
>>>
>>> For $65 you can get a Brinkman Charcoal Gourmet which is pretty easy
>>> to use and a good beginner setup withotu investing a lot of money in
>>> a hobby you may not follow through with.
>>>
>>> Good electric smokers start at around $350. Do not get the Brinkman
>>> Electric Gourmet. Most low end electric do not work reliably,
>>> consistently, or for very long. Many also require an "Almost
>>> dedicated" circuit. In my first apartment I had to unplug my fridge
>>> to use my electric smoker.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???
>
> If I had a choice, I would want one of those insulated electrics, that
> don't use a lot of electricity. Something less than 500 watts. Most thin
> walled smokers will change temperature rapidly with ambient and sunlight
> changes, and wind.
>
> Greg

do you have a brand name and/or model number?

On Thursday, March 22, 2012 9:44:06 AM UTC-7, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:19:52 -0700, Kent wrote:
>

> > In CA a 20lb tank of propane costs $20. You're spending 6 to 10 dollars per
> > brisket.
>
> But above you said it takes 20lbs of propane just to cook a pork butt
> (I wont ask where you get *15lb* pork butt because we all know you
> don't). So by extrapolation a brisket would take even MORE than 20lbs
> of propane.
>
> Lay off the math, dude. And the drugs. You suck at both of them.
>
> -sw

Not to mention, in CA currently, $6-10 gets you maybe 3 pounds of brisket, if it's on sale. Expect to spend $40-50 for a packer cut. Ugh.

Pico Rico wrote:

> a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???

I have nothing but good things to say about CookShack smokers.
http://www.cookshack.com/store/Smokers_2

They are a bit more spendy than the stuff out of the big box stores, but you
will get great results on a consistent basis, no matter the weather.

--
Dave
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,
butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance
accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders,
give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new
problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight
efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."......
Robert Heinlein

Sqwertz wrote:

> Lay off the math, dude. And the drugs. You suck at both of them.

<Snork>

--
Dave
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,
butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance
accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders,
give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new
problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight
efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."......
Robert Heinlein

"Pico Rico" > wrote:
> "gregz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Pico Rico" > wrote:
>>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, Pico Rico wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> recommendations/warnings please.
>>>>>
>>>>> Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of
>>>>> smoking.
>>>>
>>>> How much do you want to spend?
>>>>
>>>> For $65 you can get a Brinkman Charcoal Gourmet which is pretty easy
>>>> to use and a good beginner setup withotu investing a lot of money in
>>>> a hobby you may not follow through with.
>>>>
>>>> Good electric smokers start at around $350. Do not get the Brinkman
>>>> Electric Gourmet. Most low end electric do not work reliably,
>>>> consistently, or for very long. Many also require an "Almost
>>>> dedicated" circuit. In my first apartment I had to unplug my fridge
>>>> to use my electric smoker.
>>>>
>>>> -sw
>>>
>>> a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???
>>
>> If I had a choice, I would want one of those insulated electrics, that
>> don't use a lot of electricity. Something less than 500 watts. Most thin
>> walled smokers will change temperature rapidly with ambient and sunlight
>> changes, and wind.
>>
>> Greg
>
> do you have a brand name and/or model number?

Masterbuilt is cheaper and does not need the required smoke biskets. So
it's not automated.

Greg

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:19:52 -0700, "Kent" >
wrote:



>>
>> A pound of propane is 22,000 Btu. A KW of electric produces 3412 Btu
>> It takes 6.4 KW to produce 22,0000 at our local rate of 17¢ that is
>> $1.08.
>>
>> If you are using a full tank to do a big brisket or pork shoulder,
>> something is wrong or it is below freezing. I can do briskets at
>> least 2 to 3 times on a tank.
>>
>>
>In CA a 20lb tank of propane costs $20. You're spending 6 to 10 dollars per
>brisket. That's 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost of the whole brisket to cook, a far
>greater fraction of the total cost that should be just cooking energy. It's
>more severe than gasoline in Italy at $8.5/gal. Have you looked at natural
>gas? I think charcoal may be slightly cheaper, though in CA it's over
>$.50/lb if you don't buy it on sale.
>

I do two or three briskets at a time for the same fuel cost. Actually
less as I"m able to buy a tank at about $14.

It would cost me about $20,000 to have natural gas brought in so no,
I'm not considering it. Would be cheaper to run though.

Worse than the price of gas in Italy is the airfare to get thee. Up
about $400 from what I paid last October. Diesel was $7.40 then.

In article
<23982717.12.1332435131246.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@pbgn5>,
Jason Tinling > wrote:

> On Thursday, March 22, 2012 9:44:06 AM UTC-7, Sqwertz wrote:
> > On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:19:52 -0700, Kent wrote:
> >
>
> > > In CA a 20lb tank of propane costs $20. You're spending 6 to 10 dollars
> > > per
> > > brisket.
> >
> > But above you said it takes 20lbs of propane just to cook a pork butt
> > (I wont ask where you get *15lb* pork butt because we all know you
> > don't). So by extrapolation a brisket would take even MORE than 20lbs
> > of propane.
> >
> > Lay off the math, dude. And the drugs. You suck at both of them.
> >
> > -sw
>
> Not to mention, in CA currently, $6-10 gets you maybe 3 pounds of brisket, if
> it's on sale. Expect to spend $40-50 for a packer cut. Ugh.

Geez I thot 'it never rains in Cali'--sounds like you guys are gettin'
flat effing SOAKED!

monroe(considering a career in smuggling now)

On 3/22/2012 2:36 PM, Dave Bugg wrote:
> Pico Rico wrote:
>
>> a good electric smoker would be fitting here. $350 to ???
>
> I have nothing but good things to say about CookShack smokers.
> http://www.cookshack.com/store/Smokers_2
>
> They are a bit more spendy than the stuff out of the big box stores, but you
> will get great results on a consistent basis, no matter the weather.
>

Dave, I'm across the Cascades from you and agree on the great results. I
have a lot of respect for you log burners, done a few overnight cooks
but tonight I'm going to throw a 4-6 oz. chunk of apple wood in the wood
box, set the dial for 250* and get a good night's sleep while a pork
butt does it's thing. With 800* insulation in the walls the smoker
doesn't care how cold/rainy it gets. YMMV, I don't work for Cookshack.
They are hard to find used.

In article >,
says...
>
> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:49:46 -0700, "Pico Rico"
> > wrote:
>
> >recommendations/warnings please.
> >
> >Young man wants an electric smoker to get started with a bit of smoking.
> >
>
>
> Unless he is in a hot climate and has restrictions on gas or charcoal,
> electric is a poor choice. Not much power and no control.

I bought a Masterbuilt 5+ years ago, and am very happy with it.

One of the reasons is that it has excellent control, whereas charcoal
and gas smokers do not. You can set the temp you want on an electric
and forget about it.

--
R. Dale Shipp
spam_catcher3 (at) _delete_this_comcast (dot) net