Is this smoker any good?


 
J

John Boehm

TVWBB Fan
I need to tap into this forum's extensive knowledge. My wife recently bought me an offset smoker (awesome) for my 40th. But, I have never heard of this company nor can I find any reviews. Does anyone know anything about the Menard Manufacturing indirect smoker? It seems well made except the door is flimsy and the smokestack is short. Here is the link:
http://www.menardproducts.com/rec-indirect-smokers.html

Thanks
 
I duno, but I do know any of the Weber WSM's are fantastic smokers (but I lean and wish for a 22)
 
It not bad. It would depend entirely on price. You definitely should burn wood in it. The stack is short. You'll just have to see how it draws. It's probably a nice middle of the road offset.
 
It's a nice looking smoker & The only thing that really matter's is that your wife bought it for you out of love, So use it and let her see how much you like her gift.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
It not bad. It would depend entirely on price. You definitely should burn wood in it. The stack is short. You'll just have to see how it draws. It's probably a nice middle of the road offset.
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There lies the problem. It was not cheap. With tax and delivery we are looking at $1000. For that kind of money I need to make sure it works properly!
 
I'm sure I could modify the stack if need be, but the door concerns me. While the rest of the smoker is thick and solid the door is thin and light weight, it also closes a bit unevenly which will let out smoke/heat. Is this a small problem or a disaster?
 
John Boehm said:
I'm sure I could modify the stack if need be, but the door concerns me. While the rest of the smoker is thick and solid the door is thin and light weight, it also closes a bit unevenly which will let out smoke/heat. Is this a small problem or a disaster?
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If the door doesn't seal fully you can always add cheap nomex gaskets to it to solve that issue, does it have a diffuser/deflector plate under the cooking area? besides needing to be made of thick steel and sealing issues one of the main things when i was researching horizontal smokers is that they tend to not cook evenly unless they have one of these to help balance the temperature across the entire width of the cooking area.
 
It was a gift but if it requires any mods, it would seem to me to not be such a wise purchase. You might be better off to get refund (hopefully it's still unused) and as RP says, get three WSM's (actually one will do as a starter but who knows what may happen) ;)

With no one knowing your personal relationship, it's just not easy for someone else to say what you should do (ie: personal response=use it and love it OR practical response=get a refund and get a less expensive but better unit).

Only you know which is the way to go.

Re: above suggested mods. Some people have experienced issues with their WSM's and wanted them to be perfect. Some realize that they can live with some (minor) issues and do nothing.

The only mod I did was to cut a notch in the side (middle part) so my thermometer cords can exit without being crimped. And even then, I only did it after having to replace one of the probes because the (inner) wire cracked/broke/stopped working.

Some mods can be classified as improvements (my notch). Other mods are fixes (smoke leakage, perceived or real not for me to say). Fixes shouldn't be required. Improvements are in the eye of the beholder ;)
 
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I tend to agree with Len on most of what he says. If you need modify "right out of the box" you will be tinkering for a long time which would be better spent cooking and enjoying feasts. We're it me, for a grand, I'd get a 22 WSM and a Weber Performer. And wth the balance of the money, as much charcoal as you can. Maybe some ribs,a nice pork butt to learn the first stages of using the WSM and, while that rolls along, a few nice steaks to grill on the performer. Just one mans opinion.

Oh, and kiss your wife!
 
I have a performer and a 18'' WSM and have enjoyed them both for years. I want to see what live fire smoking is all about. But from what Ive seen you have to shell out thousands or build your own to get a great stick burner. I think this one will be fine, I just can't believe no one has used it/given a review!
 
John, since you will keep this stick burner, a lot of us would probably enjoy your review after you have used it and learn how it works.
You now have more smokers to choose from. Let us know how you like the new one. Enjoy!
 
I think you'll be fine. I've got an old country pecos (the kind they sell at academy) It's probably about 10 gauge steel. The stack is probably about the same distance from the the top of the firebox. The firebox is not as well constructed as yours which is 3/16 inch steel according to the site. 1/4 inch steel is the gold standard but for that you'll pay a lot more. I think you'll drive yourself crazy if you try to cook with just charcoal on that thing like I have (although you can). However, burning sticks you'll probably find that the door won't be a concern and you'll be trying to keep temps down. The bonus with a stick burner is you can open the door to the cooking chamber to bleed off excess heat. If you do that with a WSM you'll just make your fire hotter. You'll probably wanna run in the 275 range burning sticks just to keep the fire going and the air flowing. Damn this makes me wanna do a cook on my stick burner. I may do that this weekend.
 
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Thanks Dustin, and everyone, for the input. Yeah I'll keep it, really looking forward to it! Now I need to find some hickory/oak logs. I have a stack for the firepit but it has a lot of pine mixed in, and I can't tell the difference. Finding a local guy who knows his species hopefully will not be too difficult. There is a bbq joint down the street, I'll ask where they get theirs.
 
That is a nice looking smoker. Like the rest of the guys Im curious to know how it works too. That is pretty bad azz that your wife bought you that.
 
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