smoker

[shadrapla]

i wonder which is best smoker electic, propane or charcaol with woods i planningto buy it soon let me know thank s

[mudslinger64]

i have the luhr jensen big chief and it has worked great for me on fish and jerky

[bigdog]

The best smokers will allow you to control the temperature and be built so a breeze doesn't blow through them and/or be insulated. I have used the Luhr Big Chief before, worked okay except it was tough to retain heat in the winter. I now have a home made one out of a drying oven so I can control temp. If I was to buy new I would look at the domed, weber grill type models instead of the Luhr and would go electric.

[shadrapla]

i dont care which brand i jsut want to know which is best propane or elctirc(spelling) or charcoal

[CrappieMagnet]

In my opinion...There are no perfect smokers.However,it is mainly up to you.Which one are you going to use most often is the answer.

There are two basic smoking methods.Cold smoking or hot smoking.Cold smoking,done mainly by commercial processors,preserves the fish so it can be kept as long as 3 months.Cold-smoked fish are not cooked,they're cured.The internal temperature never exceeds 100 degrees farenheit during the smoking process which may take a week or more.

Hot smoking,also called smoke cooking,is easily done at home.Hot smoked fish are heated at least 180 degrees.And they are most likely to perish sooner.Although they can be kept 2 weeks if loosely wrapped and refrigerated.
Hot smoking can be done in practically any kind of enclosure.
The heat sourse may be electric,a pile of charcoal briquets,or a gas burner.A pan of hardwood chips or sawdust is placed on the heat sourse and air vents used to regulate the temperature.Most smoking is done with dry heat,but water smokers are getting popular.Water smokers cook the fish in about half as much time as dry smokers.But water smoking does not preserve the fish.So refrigerating the fish is a must.

Which one would i buy?

One that is simple.Charcoal would be my choice...but that is my opinion....Now,you have to decide which one is best siuted for your own particular needs....

Good Luck!

CM

[animalal]

I have a question about the smoker I just bought. It's a masterbuilt electric water smoker. Do I add wood to it or do I have to put charcoal in first then add wood. I would only like to put wood in it. The reason I ask is in the recipe book it says something about charcoal. I think it is a generic book for either unit, but not sure.

[Mike89]

The electric smoker calls for chips only, yes it's a cover all book. As for the unit that I like best is propane. I have had all 3 three types and enjoy propane the best, total control. I've been using it for almost 20 years now and use both an old fridg and a new unit from the store that ran $200.00. It all comes down to your hopes. The biggest things to control are your air temp and getting the product to temp. BY THE SLOWEST BUT SAFEST TEMPS POSSIBLE!!!!!! There are good web sites out there and books too!! Hope you enjoy the smoker as much as I do!! Mike

[animalal]

Thanks glad to here this. If you have any more tips I am all ears. I have a brine but not sure how long and what temp to smoke. I guessing at 165 for 2 to 4 hours then up it to 190 for at least 1/2 hour. The lake trout are small 2 to 5 lbs. And I will cut them into 4 inch squares. About 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick depending on size.

[1tofish]

Just finished smoking my first batch of whitefish. Wow, turned out great. Not to brag, but it's better than any that I have bought in any store. I've been smoking meat for about 3 years now, and this was my first attempt at fish. I used "Hi Mountain" Fish Brine. Soaked the fish for about 24 hours. Used alder chips for the smoke. Wish I had kept more whitefish this winter.

[This message has been edited by 1tofish (edited 04-10-2004).]

[black max]

I've got a brinkman propane smoker and I love it. Had it for a few yrs now and use it all the time. You can control the temp easily with the flame size. It was around $95 I believe, good investment for me.

[backlash 1]

Myself, I prefer the propane smoker. I used to use a luhr jensen little chief electric, but it was just to long of a process. I junked it and bought a 5 in 1, I think its a masterbuilt. Its a gas smoker, a charcoal smoker, a gas grill, a charcoal grill, and a turkey fryer.
It is the cats meow!!!

[Surface Tension]

Tip for the Little Chief guys. Save the cardboard box it came in and put your smoker inside the box for smoking in the winter.

I've used them all and made quite a few smokers. Right now I have an electric I made. You can use any box with a vent. The crucial parts are the heating element, thermostat and relay. I have a range from 90- 200 degrees. If your into making jerky and smoking sausage temp control is of the utmost importance. To hot and your sausage will drip and dry out and your jerky will cook instead of dry. What ever you choose remember temp control. Fish isn't as touchy, just give them lots of smoke and try to keep the temp below 200.