Upgrade to GOSM Type Smoker?

[backcountry]

Ok, I'm a smoking noob. I got my Broil Mate cabinet smoker as a gift from my dad and just love smoking meat and anything else I can think of putting in there. My Broil Mate is almost identical to the GOSM smokers.

I don't know if I'm going to regret asking this or not, but here goes...

What is the best kind of smoker out there?

Is charcoal the end all be all? Flavor wise I mean. I don't mind tending to the smoker. It seems as though I'm always looking for more things to do when I'm using my pretty worry free propane cabinet. Temps are pretty easy to control...

I wouldn't want to spend a big pile of cake, but I'm interested in hearing and learning more about my options for an upgrade, or simply a "buddy" for my cabinet.

On this weekend's smoke, my guests were chuckling and saying I needed another smoker because I was running out of room in what they all thought was a giant smoker - they were right - I do need another one.

Should I build a UDS? Brinkmann charcoal? Offset? Hmmm... Help me out here people...

 

[Dutch]

bc-It's all a matter of your comfort level, you cash outlay and how many folks you need to feed.

If you don't have a lot of cash to spend, an ECB charcoal unit is the cheapest way to go- or you can step up to an electric ECB for around a $150.00. Or you can build a UDS or several

For a "set and kind of forget" a porpane unit or and MES is the way to go.

If you want to play with fire then an off-set unit is the way to go-charcoal is your fire source and wood chunks gives your food the smokey flavor.

If you're looking to feed large groups or do catering, then a large off-set stick burner would be the way to, but then your looking to spend $2,000 and up for your unit. But then you said that you didn't want to spend a pile, So look at what you have to spend and then go from there.

 

[backcountry]

Thanks Dutch.

Is there such thing as a smaller off-set out there for a few hundred bucks? Or is that just crazy talk?

I had a look at the Brinkmann site and those little red charcoal units look pretty cool. Will a charcoal unit impart more flavor on the foods than a propane cabinet?

 

[bigsteve]

I'll bet just about everyone of us has a different idea of what is, and what makes the best smoker, so I won't even try to answer that one. Your broil mate is a propane? If so, Charcoal would make a nice compliment to the repetoir (SP??) When I was switching from my broken gas grill, to a charcoal smoker, I was torn between a Brinkman Gourmet (ECB) or the 22 1/2 inch Weber kettle with a smokenator assesorie. My cheap gene kicked in and I got the Brinkman. After a while, I bought the Weber Kettle and smokenator anyway. And I don't use the Brinkman. (I just got a propane adaptor for the brinkman, but that's another story.) Don't know what you want to spend, but a Weber grill is much more versatile than a Brinkman smoker. And between the smokenator, or learning how to do low temp burns yourself with it, it beats the brinkman hands-down, at least IMHO. BTW, you wouldn't believe how Chicken tastes on the Rotissorie for the Kettle.

A new Weber kettle can be had for less than 80 bucks. I got a one year old kettle off Craigslist for $20.00.

 

[backcountry]

Is this the Webber Kettle you're talking about BigSteve?

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...k=P_PartNumber

 

[backcountry]

This also caught my eye and it's pretty cheap.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...&showreviews=1

 

[mballi3011]

like big steve said everyone has their favorites mine is the Gosm I have the small one and thats why I'm looking for a bigger unit maybe the big block by Gosm but really looking hard at the smoke vault by browning. The only thing I can tell you is maybe try someone elses or just jump into another unit and learn on that one. I think I saw a small smoker with a side burner at Home Depot so go to their website and see for yourself.

 

[bigsteve]

Yes, but this price is much sweeter:

http://www.amazon.com/Weber-741001-2...9420093&sr=8-2

Here is the smokenator, just for good measure:

http://www.smokenator.com/default.htm

 

[backcountry]

Decisions, decisions....

 

[hoser]

I'm with Mballi...love my GOSM ...doesn't get any better. minimal maintenance, and with the addition of a smokedaddy mod...there's nothing I won't try with it.

It's all down to personal preference I guess.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Aaah, I hope you never feel regrets here my friend...I like to think we're all family, as most of us here do as well.

Here's my thoughts on the different styles, and why I'm so happy with the assortment of rigs in my kitchen:

My little GOSM blessed me with many good smokes for 4-1/2 years. Then my wife called me on the cellular @ work one day last August or September (yes, after finding SMF

), and said wally-world had a manager's special (season closeout) on the SNP for $100.00...GRAB IT...BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I did one all day charcoal burn in it...brisket, spares, fatties, etc...broke her in right off the bat. Then, I converted it to propane. The size of this rig was a great compliment to the GOSM for being better suited to full slabs of ribs, brisket (maybe a half hog...someday...), being a 38-1/2 inch wide cooking grate.

The GOSM handled a 14 lb turkey 4 years ago without blinking her eyes, but ribs had to be cut down to fit. Pork Butts, Picnics, large cuts of beef roasts and the like are a great cook for my little GOSM.

Father's day was a big change for my outdoor cooking experience. My 2 oldest kid's and my wife threw-down for the Smoke Vault 24. Now, I can do full slabs of ribs, brisket...almost anything I want to do (except a half hog).

I described the above to illustrate to you that your smoker will have limitations based on it's type/configuration. Each of my smokers has certain smokes that it will do very well...and others that it won't perform quite the way I'd like it to, so I'll use the one that does the best job for the overall results I'm looking for.

And, yes charcoal fired is much better flavor than gas/electric. The fuel source imparts a very distinct flavor. Since I got a charcoal kettle, I almost never use my stainless gas grill anymore.

I've been a die-hard gasser for years...I swore by 'em, because of convenience. Now that I've had a chance to go back to a coal burner, I've realized what I've been missing for nearly 18 years...sad to say, but it's just one of those lessons we have to learn sometimes.

I suggest that you choose a rig that will do every size and type of meat you think you will cook in the next few years. Next, consider if it will be a complimentary rig to sit along side your current one, or will it be your solo rig. Lastly, decide if convenience or flavor are what you really want out of the smoker. That will tell your heart what to do.

I'm not recommending a horizontal off-set, or a vertical wide body, as I have one of each. But for an addition to a smaller vertical gasser, the Brinkman SNP (in-expensive) or a similar Charbroil etc (more cash), would be my choice, knowing what I know now. The very wide cooking grate is a major benefit. Horizontals have a downfall of not being very efficient users of fuel....I can live with that.

OK, long-winded, but, that's how I came to where I am now...and I'm happy with it...all my bases are covered and I have a back-up for really big smokes.

Hope this helps you decide...not trying to bombard you with info, just inform you of how I would go about choosing my next smoker, finances included.

Good luck, great smokes!

Eric

 

[backcountry]

Great response and thanks very much for the info! That's exactly what I was wanting to get out of this.