I have a wood burning offset smoker that doesn't get used much since I got the electric Masterbilt. It's just so much easier.
I have a good friend who's wife runs a food truck (actually a large trailer). They smoke w/ pellets. Honestly, I'm not a fan. They don't get a good smoke ring or that genuine flavor. TO me, it's worth the time invested.
Same here. I got the big one, whatever they call it. make all my own sausage, ham, bacon you name it. The 1 thing I have done is to make my own stand alone smoke generator as I wasnt happy with the tray over the coils.
Here's an ider. My dad smokes stuff outta an old fridge/freezer combo where the freezer is on the bottom. Old camper, propane stove top in the freezer area. Exhaust out the side of the refrigerator part. You should be able to imagine the rest. Anyway, back to the ider. He used wetted down or damp sawdust to do his smoking. He'd take a hickory limb to the miter saw and collect the sawdust. Now since we all collect firewood, i don't really understand why people buy the stuff from the stores. A small hickory limb would last a couple years.
Back in the 70's and 80's when I was in the meat biz at my small town locker I had 2 smokers. 1 would hold 1000 lbs. the other 700 lbs. Used only maple sawdust from a dedicated supplier. Never used any other type of sawdust. Won many blue ribbons at the yearly Iowa locker convention back then. If you have ever had your stove loaded with maple weather it be soft or hard maple and you open the door to reload you, or at least I can, smell the sugary smell. Some woods have a tendancy to be over powering at least to me. A lot of what makes a good smoked product has to do with the prep and recipie. Liquid smoke is something I use in almost everything but you have to be careful as to much can give it a burnt kinda bitter taste. Well, no point to this responce but just thinking about things when I was young. Chooch on. And by the way, I have seen some pretty nice smokers made from old fridges and even old tool boxes of of step deck semi trailors.
Couldn’t disagree more… PitBoss, first brisket- ever, last June: Same PitBoss, Chuck Pot Roast as a brisket stand in, last July… As good a smoke ring as my charcoal offset.
Can’t argue w/ that!! I’ve never seen a smoke ring on my friends que. They go through a lot. It’s not that it’s bad, just not exceptional. Make sense? Here’s one of his pics.
After seeing this thread I just texted my wife to put a pork shoulder on the grocery list. I haven't had pulled pork probably since last Sept/Oct mouth for it now.....!
I have had a craving for it myself. I need the weather to be a little nicer before I go for it. 12-14 hours on a stick burner is a lot of time to spend outside , right now a little too cold for a day out. If we get a warm-up soon it is on the list.
Agreed! We've been getting some warm spells mixed in with some cold spells. Soon as I see an opening I am going to go for it, that bark it just to dam good! I also fully admit I cheat and put in the oven. After I wrap (About 4hrs or till the fat gets sticky) I don't think much smoke is getting in, no sense using all that wood and freezing your giblets off.
