Offset smoker


 
D

Dan M.

TVWBB Member
I need some advice. I'm looking for an offset smoker. I have a wood stove in my house and I typically buy 1/2-1 cord of almond wood every year. I'm looking for the best offset smoker that stove-cut almond wood will fit in, and that is a good compromise between price and quality. Something that also can smoke at least the amount of food that a WSM can. Thanks!!

Anybody have the Charbroil Silver smoker??
 
The common wisdom is that small backyard offsets..especially the relatively inexpensive ones...do not do as well with wood as the larger smokers.

I have a Chargriller (one of the best small offsets for the money) and it is great for grilling and que of less than 12 hours. It will cook low and slow for as long as you want but not with the temperature control that you get with a WSM--I have one of those too. I like both of them about equally well for different reasons.

But back to the wood...even though Chargriller recommends using wood...and a few folks do...most Chargriller owners will tell you that charcoal with a piece or two of wood buried in the coal will give you as much smoke as you will ever want. there's just not enough room in either the offset firebox or the main chamber to handle the smoke from a wood fire.
 
I have a chargriller that works great and it only cost me 143.00 with tax. When I have the bullet full of butts, the Chargriller is used for ribs mostly but it works great for a grill too. You have to tend the fire hourly, but it holds temps perfectly as long as you dont mind watching it, adding a few coals every hour, dang near on the hour. There are all kinds of offsets to chose from it just depends how much do you want to spend.
 
I think if I were considering a mid-range offset, I might go with the New Braunfels Longhorn as seen here. Very heavy metal which is important for temp control. As said previously, there are tons of options out there.

Paul
 
Thanks for the input guys. I purchased my Chargriller Pro smoker today from Lowe's. Got the firebox and cover too. All the reviews I've read say that this is the best inexpensive smoker out there. I almost got the Char-Broil but this one looked better. The Braunfels seem to be identical. I mainly wanted a firebox that can handle stove cut wood, and this one handles 16" wood with ease. I'm primarily going to use charcoal to start it, and almond wood for fuel. If I modify this unit and make the box airtight, is there any reason why I can't get at least 3-4 hours of stable temps with wood?
 
I think 3-4 hours is well within reason. I wouldn't worry about making the unit air tight, however. In fact, I often wonder if the "smokestack mod" isn't counterproductive if you're gonna use wood. From what I have read, one of the big differences between the "professional" offsets and the backyard units is the way that the draft and the air path combine to keep the smoke from a wood fire moving along briskly and cleanly. If the smoke from a wood fire stays in the main chamber too long it will get stale.

I use charcoal in my Chargriller...preferring lump if I can get good quality. And pellets from BBQDelight for flavour. In theory, good lump ought to be just about as good as wood...if a bit more expensive.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">think 3-4 hours is well within reason. I wouldn't worry about making the unit air tight, however. In fact, I often wonder if the "smokestack mod" isn't counterproductive if you're gonna use wood. From what I have read, one of the big differences between the "professional" offsets and the backyard units is the way that the draft and the air path combine to keep the smoke from a wood fire moving along briskly and cleanly </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is what is a little confusing to me. I was always told to leave the top damper open on a WSM, and leave it open on an offset. However, on the BGE I hear alot about people closing it to retain heat. On the Chargriller, if the stack is always open and the firebox damper is open, you should get good airflow, even if you have to close the firebox damper to keep temps down right?

Whether I'm using charcoal, lump, or wood, for the most part coals are coals. Won't they burn at whatever rate the oxygen supply will allow?
 
I don't know about BGE's but the basic theory is that if you close the outlet vent, you're smoke will go stale.

As for wood in the Chargriller...there is a forum--http://tinyurl.com/oupfb--that has a lot of
Chargriller owners (just as this one is devoted to WSM's) and you can ask about using wood there. I did. I got different answers...some like it, some don't
 
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