Iammadman. How do you like the humphreys? I have a half pint ordered and cannot wait for it to be built
Lennitt,
After over 1-1/2 years of owning the DownEast Beast I am still just as thrilled to use the smoker as I was the first time I used it.
I did have to learn to control the temperature differently from the operation of my previous smokers but that would be standard procedure with any new smoker.
Owning the Down East Beast is still like having a new child. I have had it for over a year and I am still more than happy with all aspects of the cooker. It is still a joy to use and the simplicity of operating it keeps me smiling.
In fact, I often feel like it is a custom built smoker that was made just to suit my individual needs, I know it wasn't built just for me but it sure seems that way. Hanging sausage in the unit for cold smoking couldn't be easier. When I am ready to bring to a finishing temperature, I just add a chimney of glowing charcoal and some more wood. Easy - Peasy
It is constructed with superior quality and construction. It is also built with high temperature, 1200 degree, food safe insulation for maximum fuel efficiency. When cooking at 240°, I can get about a 12 hour burn out of an 8 pound bag of lump charcoal.
The unit came with 4 shelves, but I purchased mine with 8, I am glad I did. I can do a multitude of ribs if needed. The shelving is adjustable "slide-in" / "slide-out" for individual spacing requirements. I store the extra shelves in the top shelf brackets when I am not using them during my cooks.
The water pan is actually a heavy duty full size hotel pan and holds about 3 gallons of water. The large water pan allows extreme uniformity of heat inside the smoker and eliminates the need for me to foil meats to keep them from drying out. Every cook has provided a full flavored smoked meat with a perfect bark with luscious, moist, tender meat.
The water pan is located just below the exhaust vent in the cooking chamber. There is no water or moisture build up inside the cooking chamber and the evaporated water exits with the airflow and smoke through the lower vent.
Although the water pan also catches the drippings it is easy to clean while it is still warm. But I have started using a full size foil pan just above the water pan to catch all the drippings. This way there is no clean up of the water pan except to dump the remaining water out.
The only thing that has changed is that I now have both freezers full because I am cooking so much.
The new smoker still brings a smile to my face every time I use it. I enjoy a good nights sleep and feeling well rested while I enjoy myself being surrounded with family and friends.
Thanks Kevin, Chad, and Nicole for all of of your assistance in purchasing and building this great smoker... My dream cooker you made a reality...
I had a collection of 6 different smokers, and because the Beast is so versatile I gave them all to friends and family who would properly use and care for them. I only kept a Camp Chef propane unit as a warming oven for full and half sized hotel pans.
Link to
why I chose my Humphrey's Smoker.
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