Propane Smoker v. Charcoal Smoker

[kathrynn]

Try it both ways and smoke the way YOU like. If you like it then it is good. However, in most competitions, propane is not allowed. Charcoal or wood only.

   Mike

KCBS 2013 Rules for Comps now allow Pellets too. http://www.kcbs.us/pdf/2013_rules.pdf

Kat

 

[fwismoker]

 

[tjohnson]

Different Strokes For Different Folks!

Personally, I don't like the taste of charcoal, and neither do my wife or kids.  Since they are who I mainly cook for, I gotta side with them.

I've been at comps, where the same team cooked briskets and ribs side x side on charcoal smokers and pellet grills/smokers.  The food that came from the pellet grill/smoker went to the judges.  It was a wood flavor vs. a charcoal flavor.  Very distinct difference in flavor.

Charcoal selection will play a part in flavor of the finished product.  Charcoal can be made from a variety of woods, including hickory and mesquite.  Not sure what trees they use for the imported charcoal.

2 of my neighbors have BGE's.  They prefer the food off their BGE's and We prefer the food off my pellet grill/smoker.  At the neighborhood party, nobody complained about any of the meet, cuz it was "FREE"!!!

So, if you dig your charcoal smoker.....Use It

If you dig your gas smoker....Use It

If you dig electric smoker....Use It

If you dig your pellet smoker.....Use It

It's All Good My Friend!

TJ

 

[smokinhusker]

I saw the title and thought it might be a good one to post to the Forum FB or Twitter, until I read the 2 comments from FWIsmoke. 

LOL Sqwib!

I'm not touching this one.

Kudos Todd! Great response

Different Strokes For Different Folks!

Personally, I don't like the taste of charcoal, and neither do my wife or kids.  Since they are who I mainly cook for, I gotta side with them.

I've been at comps, where the same team cooked briskets and ribs side x side on charcoal smokers and pellet grills/smokers.  The food that came from the pellet grill/smoker went to the judges.  It was a wood flavor vs. a charcoal flavor.  Very distinct difference in flavor.

Charcoal selection will play a part in flavor of the finished product.  Charcoal can be made from a variety of woods, including hickory and mesquite.  Not sure what trees they use for the imported charcoal.

2 of my neighbors have BGE's.  They prefer the food off their BGE's and We prefer the food off my pellet grill/smoker.  At the neighborhood party, nobody complained about any of the meet, cuz it was "FREE"!!!

So, if you dig your charcoal smoker.....Use It

If you dig your gas smoker....Use It

If you dig electric smoker....Use It

If you dig your pellet smoker.....Use It

It's All Good My Friend!

TJ

 

[s2k9k]

Very well said Todd!!!

Thanks Alesia!!! If comments like that keep up I will just start editing/deleting them. We don't need that here at SMF!

 

[smokinhusker]

Very well said Todd!!!

Thanks Alesia!!! If comments like that keep up I will just start editing/deleting them. We don't need that here at SMF!

Oh you are quite welcome Dave. If I had posted it to FB or Twitter, I can only imagine the firestorm I would have to deal with and I'm not going to because someone is over opinionated and bordering on offensive. 

Hey Kat, Thanks for the KCBS rules

 

[daveomak]

There are many charcoal challenged people around...truly sad because they don't know what they're missing.  I would never trade taste for convenience. 

Personally, each person has to decide what best fits her/his needs and time constraints....

FWI, I think your above statement is rude and condescending...   

Dave

 

[chef jimmyj]

Having had and used ALL the different fuels mentioned except a pellet pooper, I have no problem making Great Q on any of them. The only reason being....IT'S THE PIT MASTER NOT THE PIT!!!...I have made a career of coaxing big flavor, often out of very few ingredients. I would put my ability and my MES40 up against any Charcoal or Gasser as they are different not any better...JJ

 

[s2k9k]

Having had and used ALL the different fuels mentioned except a pellet pooper, I have no problem making Great Q on any of them. The only reason being....IT'S THE PIT MASTER NOT THE PIT!!!...I have made a career of coaxing big flavor, often out of very few ingredients. I would put my ability and my MES40 up against any Charcoal or Gasser as they are different not any better...JJ

I wouldn't want to go up against you with any smoker!:77:

 

[smokinhusker]

Having had and used ALL the different fuels mentioned except a pellet pooper, I have no problem making Great Q on any of them. The only reason being....IT'S THE PIT MASTER NOT THE PIT!!!...I have made a career of coaxing big flavor, often out of very few ingredients. I would put my ability and my MES40 up against any Charcoal or Gasser as they are different not any better...JJ

I wouldn't want to go up against you with any smoker!

Great answer JJ and I'm with Dave...lol 

I have a gas/charcoal grill, an MES 40 and a newly built gas smoker with a side fire box for charcoal or wood. Living here in the mountains of Colorado, weather dictates a lot on which smoker I use as well as how much time I have and most importantly how often I want to smoke...we have ongoing burn restrictions (continuous most years during the summer and fall)meaning NO Charcoal or Wood and if I had only a charcoal or wood smoker, then I wouldn't be smoking anything at all for a very long time. 

 

[fwismoker]

So you all in Colorado get burn bans from using grills??  Wow,  I have never heard of such a thing...that stinks!

..and I wouldn't want to go up against JJ and his seasoning magic against anything i would cook on!   LOL

 

[smokinhusker]

Oh yes we have burn bans that include not only open burning, but campfires, cigarette smoking, charcoal and wood fired grills, smokers, and if you cut firewood, atvs, motorcycles etc that don't have spark arrestors on them, then you can't use or ride those either. Lots of wildfires last year with it being so dry (Waldo Canyon which burned between where I live and Colorado Springs and destroyed 347 homes and took 2 lives). We've been having burn restrictions already this year since Mid January.