Propane Smokers

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tjack

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I know, I know that the jabs will come that there is no such thing as a good propane smoker..............I understand. I have a Bandera that I am doing the upgrades in the great document that is posted here so I have a charcoal/wood burner to use for smoking...............But.......... I have a small propane smoker that really comes in handy when I can't hover like a mother hen over my charcoal smoker and to be honest, I like it. Alas, its old and starting to rust out and I want to replace it with another one. I have looked online at the masterbuilt, the camp chefs, and all the others and it looks like they are pretty much the same in that they are cheaply built, with thin walls, and leaky doors.

Is there such a thing as a decent propane smoker that is a grade above the 150-300 buck smokers that are out there that are just so-so like the ones I listed above? or should I just chuck the whole platform and go with a pellet burner?

Thanks
 
I like my Masterbuilt, it is a dual door setup so i can add wood chips to the pan without losing much heat by the meat.
 
IMO, I've tried propane and electric, and nothing replaces a wood/charcoal smoker. Actually the electric smoker I had worked better than the 2 propane smokers I have used. Temp control, flame burnout, no smoke flavor are all problems I experienced and will not go back to them again.

I still grill and rotisserie on gas occasionally, but smoking is duty of the WSM or OTG in my backyard.
 
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old hickory, Southern Pride, pricey but well built my personal recommendation Build a UDS and problem solved.
 
I have a Stainless Steele (GOSM), Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain cooker and although it is not my go to smoker it does a fine job.
 
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I also still have my GOSM. Still use it as a chamber for cold smoking.
 
Backwoods offers a propane option to their large cookers (competitor, and Pro) you can use propane to start the charcoal, or you can use it to cook with. Very pricey option.

You would be better off with and insulated vertical charcoal smoker, or if they are out of your price range,build a UDS.....
 
I have the Landmann slim body unit. Thin walls and all that but it works just fine. Two drawers beneath so not much door opening. Only real draw back is the regulator is not for s..t. Installed an in-line needle valve which solved all of that yo-yo temp business. Gonna move on to a pellet unit when this one bits the dust.
 
Propane and electric both do a good job. Charcoal can be a step up, but be sure your charcoal is evenly grey before you put the meat on or you will taste the fillers they put in some brands. NOTHING beats 100% wood as long as you know how to manage a fire over time.
 
As an experiment, I made ribs on my gas grill a couple times. I turned off all the burners except one, and turned that one way down. Added an aluminum pan sitting on top of the vaporizer bars as a heat deflector. I put a chunk of wood on top for a little smoke.

The grill ran around 280-300 degrees, so they cooked pretty fast. Not as good as on the UDS, but they were still pretty darn good.

My friend has a nice gas smoker, though I don't know the brand - he gets about the same results. I'd say if you really want nice results, the pellet burner would be better for you.
 
BBQ_MAFIA said:
I have a Stainless Steele (GOSM), Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain cooker and although it is not my go to smoker it does a fine job.
Click to expand...

deguerre said:
I also still have my GOSM. Still use it as a chamber for cold smoking.
Click to expand...

I started with the same one. I would still have it but the friend I "borrowed" it from asked for it back. :rolleyes: I liked it, however it is still in the thin walled $150-$300 range.
 
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