This is the coolest Smokey Joe mod I've seen!! Saw a pic of this at a recent competition...and after hounding the boys at C&C Grillin' Co (makers of the Cajun Bandit) I've got a few pics...









Here's a link to an album:
http://s900.photobucket.com/al...mini%20smoker%20mod/

The hinged door, water pan, charcoal basket!! Awesome!! This looks very much like a scaled down version of the Cajun Bandit mod for 22.5" kettles!!

It seems that these are not quite in full production. They're not even sure what to call it. It was suggested to me that they will have a bit of a naming contest: the person with the best name will receive a Smokey Joe and the mini smoker mod. I'd visit their site and send name suggestion through their contact page.

Had been planning another tamale steamer mod...thinking now I'll wait for this bad boy!!

sweet ! but i'll stick with my cheap steamer unit. what has me worried is that all this has got to be putting a strain on the legs. anything on that ??

quote:

Originally posted by george curtis:
sweet ! but i'll stick with my cheap steamer unit. what has me worried is that all this has got to be putting a strain on the legs. anything on that ??

I wonder if the Cajun Bandit version will have a door on it. IMO that's not needed and would add unnecessarily to cost, weight and complexity. I'd be happy with a cylinder that fits the base and lid well with rack supports, handles and maybe a grommet for a thermometer.

-walt

George-

I've got a couple of smokey joes that have been converted into planters...they're filled with soil, plants and get rain saturated (as they're outside in the elements). The legs have held up well under the strain.

Walt-

I like the door idea. Lifting entire middle section to add more fuel/wood chunks isn't hard...I just never know where to put it!! We often cook little 5-7lb butts in ours...I'd really appreciate a door in the side to add some more charcoal and/or smoking wood.

quote:

Originally posted by chris schnautz:
Walt-

I like the door idea. Lifting entire middle section to add more fuel/wood chunks isn't hard...I just never know where to put it!! We often cook little 5-7lb butts in ours...I'd really appreciate a door in the side to add some more charcoal and/or smoking wood.

It's good to have choices. Unfortunately Cajun Bandit is unlikely to make both models so we may face only one choice for a ready built model. I suppose the better thing for them to do would be make one with a door and those of us who don't need it can stick with the home made tamale pot.

-walt

Since C & C is a small operation, I have found them to be generally amenable to minor changes. I suspect they would agree to leave the door off, but I would prefer just to add smoke wood. I emailed Chris with C & C and learned that the height of the barrel on the beta version is 15", 2.5" taller than the Tamale Steamer conversion, which would be ideal for two grill levels. I also learned that the water pan is 10 3/4", measured at the flanged lip. I prefer to cook without a water pan, and I am sure one could simply set a 10" foiled ceramic planter inside the water pan as a heat sink/grease catcher. I do not anticipate that the leg strength would be an issue, one could brace the legs,if that is concern.

Only issue for me is the price, which is not set.

We love our tamale steamer mod. Our "smoker joe" has become our go to smoker for family meals. In fact, we've used it so much I'm concerned about the pot...it's picked up some dents and dings.

That's another thing that has be excited about the cajun bandit mod...the strength of the barrel.

We've also used ours in competitions (my 8 year old daughter and I are Daddy and Me BBQ). I'm always aware of how I transport the aluminum pot...some of these dings may have occured during trasnport. Something a little stronger would ease my mind a bit.

Our goal is to have this mini smoker and at least one (or two) of our kettles outfitted with cajun bandit(s) before next season.

quote:

Originally posted by chris schnautz:
George-

I've got a couple of smokey joes that have been converted into planters...

Really, You might get some flack for admitting it out loud.
http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...=981106492#981106492

Curious ... why doesn't C&C use a taller charcoal ring?

The WSM's use a 4.75" ring and the ring I made for my Min-WSM is 5" and doesn't touch the steamer tray.

the way i have my setup, the door would be useless. i'm kinda lookin at all this thinking that its ok to go to a certain point but we need to remember that simple is best and cheaper $$$$. i see no need for heat sinks and water in these at all.

quote:

Originally posted by george curtis:
... but we need to remember that simple is best and cheaper $$$$. i see no need for heat sinks and water in these at all.

I'll agree 100% with the KISS principle, but I will question removing water.

FWIW, I almost always use a water pan in my smokers for two reasons. First, it will help to moderate temp because once it hits 212° F and starts to boil, that absorbs a lot of heat. Secondarily, the steam may reduce oxygen reaching the coals and further moderate temps (but that is pure speculation on my part.) Second, if I open the smoker during the smoke, I look for light boiling of the water in the pan. Lack of boiling means the fire is too cold and a rolling boil means I'm wasting heat. Third, if I have some water left at the end of the smoke, I know I've done well to control temperature. (Three reasons.)

Because the Smokey MoleHill(tm) is smaller than the my WSM, I think it can be more difficult to maintain the desired temperature, making a heat sink or water even more important. I really believe that my success with the little smoker results substantially from what I learned with a larger smoker. I'm not sure that I could even manage desired temp in the smaller smoker without a water pan.

My $0.02

-walt

quote:

Originally posted by WalterWhite:
Because the Smokey MoleHill(tm)

LOL, I lke it!

not saying you shouldn't use what works for you. i just use the baffle plate that came with it, a trivet and a pan"foiled" on the trivet as a grease catcher. i have no problems keeping the temp i want. i do use higher temps though. 275 and up.

quote:

Originally posted by george curtis:
i see no need for heat sinks and water in these at all.

I'm with you George. Nice looking SJ though.

They could omit the door and instead, make some replacement legs using 1" aluminium to bolster the legs, but I haven't noticed any strain on the legs with my tamale steamer model.

One thing I have noticed on my CB and again in the picture of the SJ model is the handles. I really like the guys at C&C Grillin and have visited with Chris Peres at a couple of contests, but I do think they could beef up the handles - say perhaps to garage door sized. Shouldn't add any cost and would be easier to grip, IMHO.

Pat

If I wanted to cook at 275 and above, I would use the kettle, but I want the low and slow so the mini is preferred. I found the temps fluctuated with the wind if I didn't use a water pan. I started with an enameled pie pan and wrapped it and filled with water. I could tell when I boiled off the water because the temps would start rising rapidly. As soon as I refilled the pan, the temps would return to the 215-225 range. I finally found a 12" terra cotta plate and now I don't run out of water as it doesn't boil off as rapidly. I had to use the restaurant pot as the steamer from target was the wrong one, but I'm glad I did. I have four racks available to use with two resting on 'L' brackets bolted in, and two with legs that can be set on top of these. That's four slabs of ribs per smoke! More if I use the rib racks from the kettle and only two racks. I have not had to refuel yet, and I cut back on the smoke wood, and have had charcoal left over every time. I use the can in the middle of whatever the 4" X 10" charcoal ring will hold with 12 lit that usually burn down to about 6 full size when I dump them in. 8 hours several times, and if I had the patience, 10 would be no problem based on the fuel left over. This pot has the bigger handles, and at 6mm thick should withstand major abuse. I worry more about the flimsy Smokey Joe (compared to the big kettle) than I do about the pot. The legs have held up with 15 plus pounds of meat, but I am looking at a mod to match the look of the standard kettle legs.

Hey PJ sound great, any pics?

I'll see if I can get some uploaded. I'll have to take them first.

PJ, I have both a Silver and Gold and with either one I'm having a hard time getting and keeping temps up. The Silver runs a little hotter. But most of the time about 220-230 is about as hot as it gets. I prefer smoking about 275 and for chicken even hotter. Time wise I get maybe 3 hrs on the coals and then the temps drop below 200 and I have to add new coals to get it back up again.

I use an 11 inch foiled aluminum pan at the bottom for a heat sink and vents wide open of course.

water in the pan ? also, is the pan sitting right on the difuser plate ? what is yer set up ? i get much higher temps than that and you should also.