# Electric Vs. Wood



## hondamandan

I am getting some great advice! Because I am new to the Hobby, some people think I should go electric. For some reason this does not appeal to me. (I'm not sure why). After all my research I think I have it narrowed down to a lang patio model, or a horizon. From what I can figure the Lang reverse flow is the better way to go over the conventional off-set. My big question is this-Is there a better taste using the wood over the electric? Am I right in going with the reverse flow? I not in a big rush, I live in Pittsburgh and it's cold! Thanks for all your help!!!! Dan


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## tasunkawitko

honda - my opinion is that if you're going to learn, you mght was well elarn right ~ get yourself a charcoal/wood smoker such as an ECB or SnP and learn to tend a fire. the rewards are worth it!


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## mballi3011

When you are talking a lang you are talking a good amount of money. Now they are a great smoker and I would give one of my troubled kids for one JK but it's quite the undertaking for a hobby. You might want to start smaller and work your way up to a lang. Maybe a good smoking charcoal unit so you could get used to tendering a fire. Unless you of course move next to me then you should go ahead and buy the lang smoker.


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## chisoxjim

Go with wood or charcoal to learn the craft. 

I personally find a big difference in taste and texture between items smoked with wood or charcoal, vs an electric or even a gas smoker. The items smoked using wood or charcoal taste better to me, its not even close.   Just my opinion.

good luck with your purchase, I learned on a leaky old offset which taught me alot about fire control, etc. , I have also own a gas smoker(trying to sell it now, dont need it anymore), and now use a WSM exclusively(thinking of buying another in March this time the 22"). Every smoker taught me something.


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## rickw

I agree with the above statement. I used to have a gasser and now have a wood burner and a charcoal burner. The Horizon does a good job even in the cold as long as ya don't mind going out tending the fire. IMO nothing beats a BBQ on a wood fire. The charcoal is my second favorite and gives some really good flavor also, real close to wood.


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## pignit

I have an electric... a gas... and a woodburner. I turn out some really good Q on all of them. I don't use the gas like I use to. It's boiled down to the electric which I use most of the time and the wood burner I use when I have the time and the weather to use it. I wouldn't want to give up either one of them. Each one presents it's own challenge and for me it's more a matter of time and lifestyle. The electric is awesome for how I smoke.


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## alblancher

I started with a couple of $ 40.00 Brinkman vertical smokers.  They do a decent job of smoking and you can use them as grills.  The next step is an off-set smoker.  Between $ 300 and $ 500 for a decent one.  My advice is (unless money is no object) start with the smaller smokers and move up.  I still have the little Brinkmans around but use my Oklahoma  Joe offset all the time.  I also built a small smokehouse for doing cold smoke.

Al


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## Dutch

I have four smokers; an charcoal ECB, a GOSM propane retro fitted with a side fire box, a homebuilt electric drum smoker and a Lang 60. Like PignIt said, I learned something from each of them. I love my Lang and it's something that I worked up to. One thing to keep in mind though if you buy a new Lang-be prepared to fork out the bucks for delivery. My FOB charge from Georgia to SLC, Utah was close to $700.  You might want to check your local want ads and Craigs List-some good deals can be found if you just look for them.


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## m1tanker78

+1 on wood/charcoal.... Simply the best Q IME and the best way to learn. Good luck!


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## meandmytwodogs

Ditto!


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## mulepackin

I'd give one of mine for a Lang too. Maybe we can get a group rate!


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## deltadude

I think PignIt summed it up pretty well, it is a lifestyle and time choice.


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## smoke_chef

I agree with everything said below. There is something to learn no matter how you get started. But... you don't have to learn all the lessons yourself. Learn from my mistake. DO NOT BUY AN ECB!! Sure.. they can put out some good Q but wow what a pain in the arse!!! Not worth it. For just a few more bucks you can get the vertical Brinkman. It's made all the difference in the world to me. Home Depot has a great two door model that I use. Love it. If I could afford to have an electric too, I would but that's not in the picture right now. Good luck. Have fun. Post plenty of q-view.


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## the dude abides

Wood/charcoal for me.  I have a Weber Smokey Mountain and love it.  Someday, I'll move up to something with more capacity.  I even gave up my gas grill in favor of a Weber Kettle for grilling.  I just think the flavor is better.  

But I'm just one guy with an opinion.


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## rickw

I agree, I just bought a Weber Performer and got rid of the old gas grill. Charcoal grilling tastes so much better imo.


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## garyt

All I can say is I love my Lang, yeah for me it was an extra $600 for delivery. I also have a Gas smoker and a new braunfels offset. Hindsight is 20-20, I should have bought the Lang right away, but who knows if they are really going to like the hobby and that is a sizable investment if in 6 months you decide it is too much work. I guess If you had no real experience. start with a Chargriller.  See if this is something you really want to do.


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## porkaholic

I started with electric and am now using lump charcoal on my Brinkman Smokin Pit.  The Pit is the best but the electric still has its place when I want to go the easy way.  I also use it for cheese because I can get really low temps in the electric unit, a Bradley.


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## butch321

I have a ele smoker and I add charcold and wood to smoke with.
I have use a gas and a wood smoker, and fine that my elec does as good of a job.


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## scarbelly

I agree with PignIt - I started with a an ECB till it died then bought the SmokinTex Electric - I am real happy with it but once I retire I may look for some kind of offset to play with too


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## taterdavid

buy the lang patio 48 and if you don't like sell it to me for a huge discount


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## ammjr

charcoal & electric.  The MES can make some great Q, trust me, but it definitely has a different taste than charcoal/wood.  My personal preference is charcoal.


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## chisoxjim

+1 dude,

I am trying to sell my gasser right now to put that $$ towards a new 22" WSM to add to my 18.5" WSM, and 22" kettle. 

Ive decided its only gonna be lump, wood, and Weber for the foreseeable future..


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## smokeguy

I've got an ECB and a MES and there is certainly a difference in flavor.

And work tending them. 

I don't think you can beat wood/charcoal for the best flavors because there is just "something" that gets added that way. But that being said, the MES is the one I usually use. We prefer to have the smoke flavors "just enough" and the MES allows that easily, vs. the ECB sometimes I get too much smoke and end up burping smoke-rings for 2 days. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			





I can control that, but it's more user involved.

I've got a Weber charcoal grill and I use that probably 8 times out of 10 to my gas grill. Better flavor I think, and don't have to worry about over-smoked. Gas grill is quicker/easier though and still has a pretty good flavor.


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## triplebq

Just remember the charcoal is your heat source and the wood is thE flavoring . With an electric the " watt burner " is thE heat source but you still must use wood for flavoring . Just considerr our founder Tulsa Jeff has u-tube video on how to smoke ribs using a Brinkman Electric Smoker along with his stick burner..... HAVE FUN


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## webesmokin

I used to use a gas Brinkman that took a lot of tending at least every hour. I had some great results with it for many years.  The igniter quit and I was ready for an update. Two years ago i bought a Cookshack Amerique.  It makes excellent Q with very little tending.  For the first time making bbq I tried a pork butt.  I put it in at 10pm and it was done at noon the next day. I did not have to tend it once. I slept and it smoked. The pulled pork was excellent!


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## oldschoolbbq

Hondamandan. I have an Article you may want to read... if you go wood (which I hope) ,  this will help you in your Journey  ;http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/stickburning101

If you have any questions on Wood , PM me...(put pointer on my name and select PM).

Here's what my ribs look like:













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__ oldschoolbbq
__ Nov 1, 2012


















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__ oldschoolbbq
__ Sep 6, 2014






Have fun and . . .


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## red dog

Like others have said there are advantages and disadvantages to each. No doubt that a smoker like a lang will probably give the best tasting Q once you learn how to use it, bu t if you don't have a lot of experience there are others that will give you good results and won't seem so painful when you suffer the inevitable fails that we all go through. Smoking is fun but it aint easy! Unless your rolling in dough I would buy a used offset or electric on craigslist. Start small with small less expensive more forgiving meats. Trust me. It's a lot less painful to screw up a six dollar  chicken on a 50.00 smoker than a 75.00 brisket on a 700.00 smoker. By the way, I use a 40" MES electric.


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