I want to buy a Smoker

[garberz]

The Big Green Egg is what I'm looking at, Size large. Looks like several of you guys are using them. Am I on the right track? If so, what other accessories are a must have?

Mark

[tortuga]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

How do you want to use it? Do you need the max heat the BGE will produce, or are you looking for low-and-slow?

If BBQ is what you are after I'd build an "ugly drum smoker" before buying a BGE.

http://www.google.com/search?q=ugly+drum+smoker&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a

[garberz]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

I'd like to be able to use it as a grill also, but mainly low and slow. I realize if I built an ugly drum, I'd have money left over for 5 or 6 Weber kettle grills. I'll read up on the drum, thanks for the heads up.

Mark

[tortuga]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

If you can score a drum it won't cost much to try it out. Mine will burn for 12 hours + at 225 on one load of charcoal and cooks some good food.

If you have an old weber you are halfway there; you can use the lid on most 55 gallon drums, it doesn't have to seal well. The grill should fit with a few bolts in the side of the drum and the charcoal grate works in the bottomif you space it up a bit to get some air flow underneath.

[CityHick]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

I have a version of the big green egg which I used for a few years then left at my parents' house for use around the holidays, never went back for it.

In the mean time I was in the market for a new grill so I bought one of those "char griller" grills from Lowes and added their side fire box option onto it. Its a different method for sure but I can do most of what I want with it and its kind of nice to have three propane burners as backup to fine tune the temperature. It works pretty well, but I think building a big ugly drum sounds like fun too.

[garberz]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

Well I ended up buying a Traeger smoker. It's an electric ign. pellet fire. So you fill the hopper with pellets and set the thermostat. They had a deal on them at Costco.

http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/grills/BBQ07E

[Efibroncoman]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

Look into a Kamado Pot, they are pretty much what the Big green eggs were copied after. Been around a long time. I saw the 18.5" grill smoker at Costco last week for around $500. After a little checking online the same size Big green egg was almost $300 more. My parents have had a Kamado pot since they got married and it does an amazing job of smoking meat! Especially when you use mesquite chips.

[PhantomEB]

Re: I want to buy a Smoker

I gettin a Big green Egg....after I get my deck.... After I have a yard.... oh which means I need a house.... damn school first! Hahaha!