This video here shows how a pellet cooker burns and burns extremely clean.
[ame]http://youtu.be/MS2sJmgxOdg[/ame]
I think the part about burning anything for bbq that you are not understanding is the SIZE of the fire to accomplish the temps necessary to create good bbq.(with wood) A small clean burning fire is much better than a larger fire controlled by cutting the air massively and creating dirty smoke. When you talk of the presence of a flame causing temps to be to high and needing to be stifled then this is where you're missing it. The large area to heat vs small fire equals a fire that needs to burn clean in order to achieve the temp desired for the larger chamber. The much larger amount of potential energy in a large fire needs to be kept in check thus a dirty smoke.
Now burning charcoal changes things in that a large amount of the contributors to dirty smoke have been burned off in the creation of the charcoal. Sooooo it is possible to drastically choke the air flow on a small amount of lit coals sitting on a large pile to control the rate of burn without vast amounts of the dreaded white smoke.
My opinion on what smoker you need?
Well, I think the fec120 is about perfect for you. I know its out of your price range but I think the removal of the firepot from the cook chamber was a fantastic idea for them and it adds yet another advantage of less chance of grease fires thus making it more set it and forget it for you.
Now in your price range I'd definitely go with the gravity feed charcoal smokers. With a guru or equivalent device attached they are dang near as set it and forget it as you can get and if you're in weather that can affect the temps in one of those then you shouldn't be worried about bbq you should worry about surviving! I like Superior smokers, Assassin smokers, Rebel smokers and Stumps smokers when it comes to these kind.
[ame]http://youtu.be/MS2sJmgxOdg[/ame]
I think the part about burning anything for bbq that you are not understanding is the SIZE of the fire to accomplish the temps necessary to create good bbq.(with wood) A small clean burning fire is much better than a larger fire controlled by cutting the air massively and creating dirty smoke. When you talk of the presence of a flame causing temps to be to high and needing to be stifled then this is where you're missing it. The large area to heat vs small fire equals a fire that needs to burn clean in order to achieve the temp desired for the larger chamber. The much larger amount of potential energy in a large fire needs to be kept in check thus a dirty smoke.
Now burning charcoal changes things in that a large amount of the contributors to dirty smoke have been burned off in the creation of the charcoal. Sooooo it is possible to drastically choke the air flow on a small amount of lit coals sitting on a large pile to control the rate of burn without vast amounts of the dreaded white smoke.
My opinion on what smoker you need?
Well, I think the fec120 is about perfect for you. I know its out of your price range but I think the removal of the firepot from the cook chamber was a fantastic idea for them and it adds yet another advantage of less chance of grease fires thus making it more set it and forget it for you.
Now in your price range I'd definitely go with the gravity feed charcoal smokers. With a guru or equivalent device attached they are dang near as set it and forget it as you can get and if you're in weather that can affect the temps in one of those then you shouldn't be worried about bbq you should worry about surviving! I like Superior smokers, Assassin smokers, Rebel smokers and Stumps smokers when it comes to these kind.
