Wood and Smoker

FLAQUE · 02-17-2013, 11:53 PM

Has anyone ever used a smoker(propane style) with the fire inside the actual smoker and not in a firebox? Curious to see what your thoughts were, burns hotter? uneven? more efficient? etc...

Thanks.

BigBellyBBQ · 02-18-2013, 03:17 AM

all the gas box smokers are set up like this,
burns hotter? 225 equals 225...
hotter on the the top rack and put your meat fat side down..even your ribs

dwfisk · 02-18-2013, 06:41 AM

I have a SS chest from Sams Club, I think about $400 circa 2002; about 5 ft tall and 2 ft square. From top to bottom there is the cook chamber with 4 cooking grates, a drip/water pan, 2 drawers for wood chips or pellets and a pretty large U-shaped burner. It cooked what I thought was some pretty good Q for 10 years after some minor mods. The drawers for wood chips sat right on top or the burners and were way to prone to ignite so I put a 1/4 steel plate "top" on them with a few 1/4" holes to turn them into smoke boxes. I also had better luck with sand in the drip/water pan, usually saturated with apple juice. The sand really helped hold consistent temps. I finally got it dialed in but had to watch it like a hawk. On the effeciency side I could usually get 4-5 cooks out of a regular grill sized propane tank. I was pretty happy with the Q until I built my 120 gallon stickburner. Nothing like real wood; much better flavor & bark. The old SS Sams smoker has been retired to a warming oven for sides & baking cobblers, etc.

oifmarine2003 · 02-18-2013, 12:51 PM

That is the way I do mine with the fire inside the box and it works great.

02-17-2013, 11:53 PM	#1
FLAQUE On the road to being a farker Join Date: 06-09-12 Location: dallas, texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Wood and Smoker Has anyone ever used a smoker(propane style) with the fire inside the actual smoker and not in a firebox? Curious to see what your thoughts were, burns hotter? uneven? more efficient? etc... Thanks. __________________ 18.5" WSM, 22.5" Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe

02-18-2013, 03:17 AM	#2
BigBellyBBQ is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 11-15-08 Location: Lake View, New York Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	all the gas box smokers are set up like this, burns hotter? 225 equals 225... hotter on the the top rack and put your meat fat side down..even your ribs __________________ TwinTech Pro Double, Backwoods Fat Boy, TwinTech Hawg Kooker, FE 400, SP SPK 700, Empty check book and understanding wife...sometimes..

02-18-2013, 12:51 PM	#4
oifmarine2003 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 11-26-12 Location: Grayslake, IL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That is the way I do mine with the fire inside the box and it works great. __________________ Homemade Wood Vertical Smoker (Yes I said wood and Yes it is safe)

02-18-2013, 06:41 AM	#3
dwfisk is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 08-01-12 Location: Fairfield, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I have a SS chest from Sams Club, I think about $400 circa 2002; about 5 ft tall and 2 ft square. From top to bottom there is the cook chamber with 4 cooking grates, a drip/water pan, 2 drawers for wood chips or pellets and a pretty large U-shaped burner. It cooked what I thought was some pretty good Q for 10 years after some minor mods. The drawers for wood chips sat right on top or the burners and were way to prone to ignite so I put a 1/4 steel plate "top" on them with a few 1/4" holes to turn them into smoke boxes. I also had better luck with sand in the drip/water pan, usually saturated with apple juice. The sand really helped hold consistent temps. I finally got it dialed in but had to watch it like a hawk. On the effeciency side I could usually get 4-5 cooks out of a regular grill sized propane tank. I was pretty happy with the Q until I built my 120 gallon stickburner. Nothing like real wood; much better flavor & bark. The old SS Sams smoker has been retired to a warming oven for sides & baking cobblers, etc.