Questions on Humphreys Smokers

W

winochef

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Location
Williams...
I'm contemplating buying a vertical smoker and was checking out the Humphrey's site and under their facts on their smokers they said their's wasn't built air tight. I'm used to my BGE, when smoke escapes there is a leak i.e. damaged gasket,daisy wheel not set correctly. My question is does this cause a quicker burn time on your fuel compared to others such as the Stumpster or the Backwoods? Are those also not air tight but fail to mention it
like Humphrey's website?
 
Do you have a backwoods? How ya like it,pros/cons? I guess they all are not. But does it affect burn time at all?
 
I bought a Humphrey's in March of 2013.... I have the Down East Beast.

I get about 10-12 hour cook from 8 pounds of charcoal before I have to add more if needed. I am just as happy with the cooker today, as I was the day I got it. It cooks like a dream...

my doors do not leak, the smoke only comes out of the chimney.
 
My Eggs and BWS Gater are fuel mizers, fuel consumption isn't an issue for me using either. I may get some smoke through a slide vent on the BWS when the Guru is blowing, but its nothing thats concerned me. I've got 3 LBGE's and one still has both gaskets, one has one left and the other has none, and they still get the job done.
Humphrey's would be my next pit.
 
the more I read and from the feed back I'm leaning to a humphrey. If you get the heat diverter plate can you omit the water pan? After reading a post here on water smoker basics it sounded like when you go to 275+ degrees there are some negatives such as soft bark, little smoke ring basically steaming the meat. Any thoughts
 
winochef said:
the more I read and from the feed back I'm leaning to a humphrey. If you get the heat diverter plate can you omit the water pan? After reading a post here on water smoker basics it sounded like when you go to 275+ degrees there are some negatives such as soft bark, little smoke ring basically steaming the meat. Any thoughts
Click to expand...

I have never had steam build-up in my Humprey's smoker. But then again, I like to cook at 245 - 250 with the use of a guru. Only one time did I bump it up to 300 and that was to finish a cook faster. I don't recall anything different about that cook.

Your best bet is to ask Kevin "Smokinit" maybe send him a message here.. He knows these things well..
 
once you start dealing with higher heats, understand that you dont have to use water. If its your intention on running 275+, fill the water pan with sand. Then youll really see them run efficiently. No energy is wasted boiling water.

FWIW, Ive heard they offer a heat diverter because its been engrained into everyones head that you need a heat diverter with that style of cooker. Actual tests showed it did very little.
 
I like using a water pan but there are times I like to run them a little hot mainly to crisp up chicken/duck skin. I wonder if you used the lower shelf to place 1/2" stone or ceramic like a BGE?
 
well the beauty of the top rack in reverse flow verticals is the ridiculous heat and reflection of the top of the chamber.

Im not one to talk tho... Ive never ran water in a wsm, nor did I ever run water in my BWS. Probably still wont run water when my Cube comes in.
 
Contacted Smokinit and got some insight. You can pull out water pan at end, bump temp. up to set glaze or crisp skin. Can put fire brick/ceramic in pan or like untraceable suggested- Fill w/sand for a entire dry smoke.
 
sand is pretty easy to clean up. any grease that gets past the foil clumps like kitty litter. Just make sure you check the sand ever couple cooks. I hear fat (oil)+ sand+high heat creates a natural asphalt type rock.:-o
 
My battle box does not leak. Only place you see smoke is from the exhaust pipe when I'm running it.

We've run ours up to 400 degrees with a litte water in the pan to cook a pie without issues.
 
When using sand in the water pan, make sure the pan isn't carbon steel. Backwoods recommends not using sand in carbon steel pans because the sand will eat into the steel.
 
I have a battle box and it leaks around the corners and some seams maybe i got the oddball. It still cooks great tho
 
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