New Smoker choices
 

Ok, our 2009 season is over, and i mentioned to Susan (wife) that I wanted to sell the FE100 and get a different smoker for the 2010 season.
She says, why cant you keep the FE and have 2 smokers? Hmmm (DING)
ok, twisting my arm, "I guess I could have 2 smokers" lol
Now the decision making process.... I been looking at Stumps, Superior Smokers, Spicewine, Backwoods, Ole Hickory CTO, hell even knockdown Calderea.

I like the ole hickory ctos, even tho a bit pricey, Superiors seem to be a tad heavy, Backwoods short burntimes.

Im open to any Brethren suggestions at this time :smile:

Heck, I may just take a plasma cutter and put a firebox on the FE100

Doc

I cook on a FE and a FEC.... that is my recommendation

What categories are you looking to cook in the other cooker?

Backwoods short cook times what you talkin bout Willis. Lets see 24 lbs in my Professional at 7 am it's now 1:45 only half burned. 6hrs on 12lbs I will get 10 easy from this load.

I have a CTO, I absolutely love it. It is a GREAT smoker!! I wish I had 2 of them.

Why are you wanting to switch cookers?

There's one for sale near Omaha - saw it on cg yesterday.
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bfs/1463657803.html

I would like to cook my ribs, pork and brisket in something other than the FE. Tho I feel i did fairly well this season with the FE. i just dont have faith in it anymore (another story)

I was reading somewhere, (i think was your post hehe) that the first load gets about 4 hours burn time, and reloading at comps about 1:30-2:00am.
Was on a forum somewhere lol

Long story, and have to watch what I say, will have all the FE fans up in arms, my wife loves the FE (even tho she sits up with it all night at comps) I personally dont like the flavor profile, I know i know, (some of us might actually like creosote) lol People I cook for can tell a difference, and ask, why no smoke flavor? etc. At comps I start my meats in a 22.5 wsm for a few hours, then move them to the fe to finish. So figure I might as well save a step and lose the pellets

The way I ran my backwoods was to fire it up without water, get it up to about 300*, load meat, add the water. Then push the lit coals all the way to the back, add as much charcoal as I could fit. The cold meat and water would usually settle the cooker to 235. This startup takes about an hour.

From that point I'd get 8-10 hour burns easily. If you have an auto-water setup and/or a deflector plate, you'll get even longer burns .

I'd recommend a Backwoods, although those newer Stumps look pretty nice.

I think that my have been partially my post - I said I get up about 3 am and fill the coals. I get up about 3 am at comps to check the meat. While I'm up, I add water and add coals as it's usually down to about 1/4 load at that point when I start it up at 7-8 pm.

I add water often so I don't shock the system by adding 5 gallons of cold water at one time. (5 gallons of water can take a while to warm with a little fire under it)

We just picked up an FEC to go with our Backwoods at comps.

In my Backwoods Piglet usually about 7-8 hours before adding coals and I can go about an hour longer than that on the Backwoods Competitor. You wont have to worry about lack of smoke or moisture with the Backwoods.

Sweet, congrats!

Since your wife is going to be up any way.... I recommend a nice Stick Burnner like a Lang....



OK, ducking for cover now, but remember this.....


















STICK BURNNERS RULE!!!!!!!!