Looking to change to propane smoker from charcoal

[gitaryzt1985]

I've only been smoking for about 6 months now, but I'm falling in love with the hobby. I've had pretty good luck with my Charbroil offset charcoal horizontal smoker, but it is incredibly difficult to maintain a steady temperature and makes for a very trying and full day of babysitting the smoker. No complaints with taste, just the amount of work involved regulating temps.

I'm looking at a propane smoker for smaller smokes where I don't want to put as much time into babysitting, and am not sure about what size or brand to get. There are lots of narrow vertical smokers out there for around $100, but is it even possible to put a full rack of ribs on these? I would imagine you'd have to halve the slabs. I like the thoughts of some of the wider vertical smokers, but they do get expensive rather quickly.

The plan would be to use the charcoal smoker for get togethers where a lot of meat would be cooked, but the vertical gas smoker might be great for quick smokes for just my wife and I for some chicken or the occasional rack of ribs.


I could see propane smokers as easier to get up and running...true???

How expensive should I get for a gas smoker?

What width is considered a decent size to get the job done?

Thanks!!!

 

[lamar]

You might want to consider modifying your offset.  Gas burners are available at big box stores and are very easy to install.   I did this a few years ago and it only took  drilling one hole and modifying the door to let the burner fit.  I used this for years with great success.

Good luck.

 

[jirodriguez]

Make yourself happy and go with a 22.5" WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain). I started with the Char-griller, spent $$ mod'ing it, still had problems trusting it. Sold it on Craigslist for $80, bought my 22.5" WSM and almost felt guilty by how easy it was to use. It is the set-it-and-forget-it of charcoal smokers. Big enough to lay 3 flat racks of ribs on each grate, with rib racks you can do 12 racks of ribs at one time!

The WSM works right out of the box no mods, no fuss, just assemble and cook! Weber also has awesome customer service if there are any issues as well..... and no I don't work for Weber, just a very satisfied customer.... lol.

Do some poking around on the forum for WSM's and you will find a lot of us that are very happy with these smokers. The only lament is from folks that bought the 18.5" and wish they had bought the 22.5" instead.