Ok, one more question ('till the next one). I'm reading, and the 'experts' say that a gas or charcoal grill are better than electric smokers because the flavor is better "it's better to cook with wood". But, an electric smoker is still smoking wood, so why is gas or charcoal better? Well, I know charcoal lends a flavor as well, but gas over electric?
The heat cooks, the smoke flavors. If you're adding both, the rest doesn't really matter. A wood fire adds more smoke. A gas fire adds a little soot, but it also adds a small amount of water vapor from the combustion.
For me, I just don't care. If I smoked three identical briskets; one on gas, one on fire, and one on electric, the difference would be minimal. Personal taste, but its hard to tell the difference. The only one of the three that is really any different is the wood or charcoal fired smoker. There are just more complex flavors as a byproduct of the heat. For me, its not worth the work. Plug in an electric and carry on with your day.
I have used everything from honest wood smokers to electric. I bought the electric because I could set it up in the morning and go work on cars rather than babysitting a smoker.
There is a flavor difference, but none of them are bad flavors, just slightly different.
curtis73 wrote: The heat cooks, the smoke flavors. If you're adding both, the rest doesn't really matter. A wood fire adds more smoke. A gas fire adds a little soot, but it also adds a small amount of water vapor from the combustion. For me, I just don't care. If I smoked three identical briskets; one on gas, one on fire, and one on electric, the difference would be minimal. Personal taste, but its hard to tell the difference. The only one of the three that is really any different is the wood or charcoal fired smoker. There are just more complex flavors as a byproduct of the heat. For me, its not worth the work. Plug in an electric and carry on with your day.
Ok, that's kinda what I thought. If someone came here looking for the best sports car, the simple answer wouldn't be miata. it would be "well, the NA is lighter, but has less power while the NB has a bit more torque when you get into the 1.8L. Then there's the E30 or E36. Or you could do a manual conversion on a P71 and put some thicker sway bars on it, or an AE86 or AW11...or...or..." The dude just wants to have a fun car to drive to work haha.
I'm going electric. I don't want to tend a fire or worry about running out of propane.
One thing to keep in mind. Some of the cheaper electric smokers aren't insulated. They are a thin steel box or barrel. While they will work fine in the summer, they won't maintain heat in the winter. You will end up wrapping blankets around it to keep the heat in.
A couple of other thoughts.
If you are doing pork bbq, while 170 is done for pork, 190 is much more tender. That works for turkey as well, but watch that the legs don't dry out. Sometimes a little foil wrap during the last hour or two will keep the smaller parts from getting over done.
The last 5-10 degrees seems to take forever. There is also a flat spot at 160 degrees, that everything I cook, seems to get stuck at. Don't try to time things perfectly for dinner, everyone will be standing there looking at you. It doesn't hurt smoked meat to sit for a while. Wrap it in foil, it'll keep.
Good luck and prepare you taste buds for some awesome food.
Toyman01 wrote: If you are doing pork bbq, while 170 is done for pork, 190 is much more tender. That works for turkey as well, but watch that the legs don't dry out. Sometimes a little foil wrap during the last hour or two will keep the smaller parts from getting over done.
totally depends on what you plan to do with the meat. for slicing by all means pull it off at 165. for pulling run it up to 190
patgizz wrote:Toyman01 wrote: If you are doing pork bbq, while 170 is done for pork, 190 is much more tender. That works for turkey as well, but watch that the legs don't dry out. Sometimes a little foil wrap during the last hour or two will keep the smaller parts from getting over done.totally depends on what you plan to do with the meat. for slicing by all means pull it off at 165. for pulling run it up to 190
Good bbq is pulled pork, anything else is just cooked or something. 
Toyman01 wrote: One thing to keep in mind. Some of the cheaper electric smokers aren't insulated. They are a thin steel box or barrel. While they will work fine in the summer, they won't maintain heat in the winter. You will end up wrapping blankets around it to keep the heat in.
Mine is just a steel shell. That's why I started moving meat to the crock pot once it's done smoking in the winter. It gets it up to temp nice and slow and you can pull it right I the pot, mix in your sauce and keep it warm to serve from.
I have an Akorn grill/smoker that is a green egg knockoff. Pork butts are wonderful. Beer can chicken is also tasty and easy to do on there. The best thing though, is brisket. I still dream about the last one I made.
From what I can tell any of the forums that are specific to bbqing are a little over the top. Turns out everyone thinks they have the best way to do it, the best rub, the best whatever.
Funny story, a few months back I bough a couple chickens and cooked one. The other one was in the fridge for a few days sorta forgotten. We realized that it had been in there a while and it needed to be cooked. We had things to do in the afternoon so I got up early and fired up the smoker around 6am so I could get it done before we had to be somewhere else. One of my neighbors was walking her dog and thought our house was on fire. Started ringing the doorbell. I was out back so I didn't hear it. Woke the wife up. She was not too happy. I thought it was funny. Who doesn't have a chicken on the grill at 6:30am?
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