Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

wrote:
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.


You looking for a smoker (low and slow temp cooking) or a grill (high
heat quicker cooking)?

--
Steve
Ever notice that putting the and IRS together makes "theirs"?

On 25 Aug 2005 10:19:23 -0700, wrote:

Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

Providing Folks in Ottawa have discovered how to make a fire Grin,
I'd recommend a Weber Smoky Mountain.

Harry
posting from Calgary

On 25 Aug 2005 10:19:23 -0700, wrote:

Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

If you mean under $50 (more in Canadian) then the Brinkmann (affectionately
known as "El Cheapo Brinkmann" or ECB) is right in there. With a few
modifications, you can get some decent smoking done. You can also grill on
it.

Smoker:
http://store.barbecue-smoker-grill.c...24/smgrch.html

Mods: http://www.randyq.addr.com/ecb/ecbmods.html

Pork Butts I cooked with ECB:
http://www.geocities.com/bradhouser/porkbutt2.jpg

When you fell like you want more control, etc. you can upgrade to the Weber
Smokey Mountain or above.

Brad H

I am presently looking to get another charcoal grill/smoker companion
for my Kamado #7. It would for big gatherings where I need to cook
multiple items while the K's locked down with a low and slow.

The Weber Smokey Mountain was a natural choice until I did a
benchmark...

Weber Smokey Mountain (2x18.5" Grills) $180
Big Green Egg Mini (9.5" Grill) $180
Big Green Egg Small (13" Grill) $270
Kamado #1 Textured (13" Grill) $199 (Sale Price)
Kamado #3 Textured (15" Grill) $199 (Sale Price)

For reference...
Weber Performer (22.5" Grill) $300
Weber Kettle (18.5-22.5" Grill) $85-$150

So if you really don't need the additional space in the WSM, you may
want to reconsider.

That said... Having started myself with an el-cheapo Brinkmann, I can
absolutely recommend it. Or look for a dirt cheap kettle style grill
at a garage sale and set it up indirect smoking.

There is another smoker only option. The Alton Brown Terra Cotta pot
somker. Do a google newsgroup search and you'll find information on
this. Essentially a terra cotta flower pot with a $10 electric hot
plate on the bottom, pie pan with smoke wood in it on top of th
hotplate, a grill near the top of the pot and a terra cotta pot lid
with a thermometer in the hole. Basically a poor man's ceramic cooker.
If you have an IKEA nearby their patio/garden section has very
inexpensive large terra cotta pots that'd be perfect for this.
Electric is a lot better than gas (and in some ways charcoal) since it
does NOT need oxygen to create heat since it's not burning. No airflow
through the cooking vessel... less chance for the meat to dry out.
I've been wanting to build one of these for some time but haven't had
the time. This may be the best option for colder climates... although
wind is really the enemy of these metal water smokers.

In any case...one does not need expensive gear to cook good Que.
Expensive gear just allows one to be lazy Be creative and have fun.
Yes fun! Check this out... (Trash can smoker):

http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html

Brad Houser wrote:
On 25 Aug 2005 10:19:23 -0700, wrote:

Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

If you mean under $50 (more in Canadian) then the Brinkmann (affectionately
known as "El Cheapo Brinkmann" or ECB) is right in there. With a few
modifications, you can get some decent smoking done. You can also grill on
it.

Smoker:
http://store.barbecue-smoker-grill.c...24/smgrch.html

Mods: http://www.randyq.addr.com/ecb/ecbmods.html

Pork Butts I cooked with ECB:
http://www.geocities.com/bradhouser/porkbutt2.jpg

When you fell like you want more control, etc. you can upgrade to the Weber
Smokey Mountain or above.

Brad H

wrote:
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

Hey, Bert,

Welcome! I don't know much about Canada, but we do have some Canucks on the
group, who should be able to help you. ;-) You've come to the right place.
Read the BBQ FAQ at http://www.bbq-porch.org/faq/default.asp Also, check
out alt.binaries.food for some pics of equipment and food (& beer). The
good thing about smoking and Qing is that you get to eat your mistakes.
Looking forward to hearing what you end up getting and seeing some of your
pics!

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families:
http://saluteheroes.org/ & http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !

wrote in message
oups.com...
" Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker."

I made a lot of decent smoke on the Brinkman with both charcoal and
electric. The electric element wears out pretty quick under heavy use and
the wind adds plenty to cook times. I moved on to a Chargriller with a side
fire box, but I find the wind here makes it difficult to deal with quite a
bit. I find my latest Weber Smoky Mountain is much better able to deal with
the wind here. Chargriller and Brinkman you can get at crappy tire. On an
aside, you can also get the Bradley smoker for about three hundred when
they're on sale at crappy tire. The Home Depot has the WSM online and at
some stores. They will all special order it for you. Except the Brinkman
all these smokers will run you about $250-$300. You got better weather with
less wind in Ottawa than me in St. John's, NL so the Brinkman is good
beginner's bang for the buck.

On 25 Aug 2005 10:19:23 -0700, reported to us:

Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

Rona and Home Depot both have the "cheap" vertical water smokers. I
started with one of those. They are around $80. Rona also carries
Maple Leaf brand charcoal which is quite nice to use.

Posting from London, Ontario...


Wally

"No one has ever had an idea in a dress suit."
Sir Frederick G. Banting

In article .com,
had this to say about that...
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

Me too, I've been lurking on this group for a while, these people
drove me into a frenzy as well.
I just picked up a cheap offset smoker at Canadian Tire at Hunt Club
and Merivale. [They still had some left last week]
It was pretty cheap, [$140?] but I figured it would be OK to fool
around on.
It was easy to assemble and the instructions must have been written by
an American, I could actually understand them!
Pick up some Royal Oak Lump while you're there, I enquired and they
stock it year-round.

#317

In article .com,
had this to say about that...
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.


http://tinyurl.com/9dn67

#317

wrote:
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

I've been smokin about 5 months now. I highly recommend the
El Cheapo Brinkman. At my local Academy Sports it cost me
a grand total of 30 bucks.

I wont surprise myself if I 'graduate' to a Weber somethin-er-other
one day, but I think learnin how to do it with just the barebones
stuff will only let me appreciate that better.

only once (1 time!) have I made somethin that I didn't think
was better than most resturaunt barbecue I've had (and I like
Texas BBQ), and then I just drank too much and wasn't payin
attention and over cooked a brisket.

All that said, it is work. every 30-45 minutes you gotta add
water and check on the fire. 3.5-4.5 hours for ribs.
1-1.5 hours per pound for brisket.

But don't go by the numbers, use the force. For me if I just
take a deep breath and let my inner carnivore out, you can pick
it up with tongs and when its got the right floppinness too it,
I know its done.


--
I used to think government was a necessary evil.
I'm not so sure about the necessary part anymore.

wrote:
wrote:

I've been smokin about 5 months now. I highly recommend the
El Cheapo Brinkman. At my local Academy Sports it cost me
a grand total of 30 bucks.

2nd the ECB... $30!!! I've never seen it that low!

only once (1 time!) have I made somethin that I didn't think
was better than most resturaunt barbecue I've had (and I like
Texas BBQ), and then I just drank too much and wasn't payin
attention and over cooked a brisket.

Wow! I find it hard to overcook a brisket since the window to pull the
meat off is so large (190~200*C? gives me at least an hour or so...).

All that said, it is work. every 30-45 minutes you gotta add
water and check on the fire. 3.5-4.5 hours for ribs.
1-1.5 hours per pound for brisket.

Fill the water pan with sand and cover it with foil so you won't have
to deal with that... Use the "Minion Method" with gaaak! Kingsford
Briquettes (Briquettes will burn longer than lump).

Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

I built one with a 30 gal. barrel down in the ground next to it for a
firepit., with a tunnel connecting the smoker chamber to the firepit. I used
2x4 ribs and batt insulation between the double 1/2" plywood walls and
cieling so it is very well insulated. At 3' x 4'x 8' high it is big enough
to do a lot of stuff. the floor is dirt covered with 3" of lava rock all
around the grate that lets the smoke in. There is also a hot plate buried
into the lava rock. It is connected to a digital thermostat control ($59).
The whole deal cost around $300 and a couple of weekends.
It has 2 modes of operation: For slow cooked ribs, I run it around 200-225,
only have to add a chunk of wood to the firepit once an hour or so after
getting a good bed of coals. I cook ribs in tin-foil for 5 hours or so, and
unwrap them and do it another 2 hours, puching the temp up to 300 at the end
to get a little crunch on the exterior. It goes to 300 with no trouble at
all, and so far fire has not been a problem, although that is about as hot
as I would let it get (It is capable of self immolation, if you allow it).
For slow cold smoke, i just use the hot plate and digital thermostat with a
dutch oven (with tight cover) with chips in it. For dried beef, I set the
thermo to kick in at 105, and run up to 130. This gives it enough time to
ignite the wood and you get some smoke, then it shuts off until the temp
drops to 105 again. By experimenting with drilling holes in the dutch oven
and cover, it now burns about a half a gallon of chips in 24 hrs, so I only
need to open the door and refill it once a day. After a week of this
regimine you have the very best dried beef I ever tasted. This thing only
takes a little space, cost only $300 or so, and I wouldn't trade it for any
commercial smoker on the market! (The only drawback is neighbors wonder
why you have an outhouse in your back yard)

wrote in message

only once (1 time!) have I made somethin that I didn't think
was better than most resturaunt barbecue I've had (and I like
Texas BBQ), and then I just drank too much and wasn't payin
attention and over cooked a brisket.

You must have passed out for half the day if you let it overcook on that
machine. You sure it was not undercooked?

In article ,
wrote:

wrote:
Hi there.I'm a complete newbie,and I MUST have a smoker.lol.I'm tired
of the propane grill I have.What I was wondering is...does anyone know
of a inexpensive smoker for the inexperienced? I'm in Ottawa,Ontario.
Thanks.

I've been smokin about 5 months now. I highly recommend the
El Cheapo Brinkman. At my local Academy Sports it cost me
a grand total of 30 bucks.

Wal Mart sells 'em for about $30, too...IF you can find 'em!

I wont surprise myself if I 'graduate' to a Weber somethin-er-other
one day, but I think learnin how to do it with just the barebones
stuff will only let me appreciate that better.

only once (1 time!) have I made somethin that I didn't think
was better than most resturaunt barbecue I've had (and I like
Texas BBQ), and then I just drank too much and wasn't payin
attention and over cooked a brisket.

All that said, it is work. every 30-45 minutes you gotta add
water and check on the fire. 3.5-4.5 hours for ribs.
1-1.5 hours per pound for brisket.

30-45 minutes?! I never have to add water that often with my ECB! With
an almost-full water pan, I'm usually good for several hours. And I
rarely ever have to "check on the fire". I use the Minion method with
lump charcoal and get 5-6 hours of steady 250-degree heat. I do usually
stir the coals every couple of hours, but fire control is not a problem
with the proper modifications.

--
Stan Marks

A waist is a terrible thing to mind.