Tips for using propane smoker if experienced with charcoal

[jdefran]

I'm visiting family for memorial day weekend. My dad and i each like to grill and smoke but have different ways of doing so. He likes following recipes and stay in some boundary whereas I like to experiment and make things my own in some way.

Well we're planning a large gathering and I want to show him how I do brisket as one of the meats. Problem is I won't have room to bring my WSM or kettle and he has a gas smoker.

Any tips I need to be aware when using it? Perhaps the meat doesn't care what the heat source as long there's some type of smoke passing though the cooking area..

 

[Demosthenes9]

I'm visiting family for memorial day weekend. My dad and i each like to grill and smoke but have different ways of doing so. He likes following recipes and stay in some boundary whereas I like to experiment and make things my own in some way.

Well we're planning a large gathering and I want to show him how I do brisket as one of the meats. Problem is I won't have room to bring my WSM or kettle and he has a gas smoker.

Any tips I need to be aware when using it? Perhaps the meat doesn't care what the heat source as long there's some type of smoke passing though the cooking area..

Does your dad really know how to use his smoker and it works correctly for him ? If so, no real difference functionally speaking.

That said, just like other smokers, gas smokers and their construction design can vary. That's why people mod them.

Does that make sense ? Example, the chip/wood box on your dad's smoker might be really thin causing the wood to flare up. Solution to this is to get a thicker smoke box or use a cast iron skillet. He might also have too much air flow, which could be fixed by covering the chunks/chips with tin foil and poking holes in it.

Does the smoker have a water pan that will act as a heat shield for indirect heat ? Does he fill it with water, sand, rock, etc ? What kind of thermal variation does he get in his chamber? I.e. is the bottom rack +/- 25-50 degrees from the top rack ?

 

[jdefran]

He has a dual burner smoke hollow, which I think you have from some recent research.

I plan to cook at 325ish.. Do you cook on yours at that temp?

 

[Demosthenes9]

He has a dual burner smoke hollow, which I think you have from some recent research.

I plan to cook at 325ish.. Do you cook on yours at that temp?

Oh, nice, that shouldn't give you any trouble. Do you know if his has the full door for the lower wood box chamber ? Or does his have the 2 pull out drawers in the front ?



Won't be a problem cooking at 325. Does get a bit tricky if you want to go low/slow down at 225ish.

 

[jdefran]

I was told 2 chip boxes, one for each burner apparently.

 

[Demosthenes9]

I was told 2 chip boxes, one for each burner apparently.

That could be either one as mine has 2 chip boxes behind the door.

They should both cook the same way, difference really is that it's easier to use wood chunks in the model I have. The slide out drawers makes it more difficult due to size.


I lined the water pan with foil and filled it 1/2 way with playground sand. I then covered that with foil. Depending on what I cook, I might fill the pan the rest of the way with water, or might just run it dry.


It really shouldn't give you any problems. Chamber temp will tend to rise a bit during the cook as the meat gets hotter.

 

[Goatmilk]

I'd like to be the first to say get there a couple days early and build a UDS!

 

[Rockinar]

Put the Kettle or WSM on the roof of the car. Doing beef on a gasser is a deadly sin.

 

[cfrazier77]

I have the same smoker too, the older model with the wood boxes behind the door. Mine has trouble getting above 275 degrees at the grate even with no water. I add wood every 45 minutes to an hour.

 

[DownHomeQue]

I think an early fathers day gift for your dad is in order here.. at least get him a kettle so you can smoke your brisket there Propane Free! lol

 

[Demosthenes9]

I think an early fathers day gift for your dad is in order here.. at least get him a kettle so you can smoke your brisket there Propane Free! lol

I find comments like this to be pretty funny. I use a hell of a lot more wood in my propane smoker than most people use in a WSM. Seriously, check out some of the WSM threads where they talk about filling up their charcoal baskets and mixing 4 - 6 chunks of wood in. And that's for a slow cooked butt. I'll use 4 chunks of wood in the first hour, followed by 4 or so more every additional hour for the entire cook. (adding 2 new chunks every 20 - 30 mins or so.)

 

[cfrazier77]

I find comments like this to be pretty funny. I use a hell of a lot more wood in my propane smoker than most people use in a WSM. Seriously, check out some of the WSM threads where they talk about filling up their charcoal baskets and mixing 4 - 6 chunks of wood in. And that's for a slow cooked butt. I'll use 4 chunks of wood in the first hour, followed by 4 or so more every additional hour for the entire cook. (adding 2 new chunks every 20 - 30 mins or so.)

Same with me. But when I put new wood on after the smoke stops I save the old in a metal can with a lid. It is lump charcoal for my kettle.

 

[Demosthenes9]

Same with me. But when I put new wood on after the smoke stops I save the old in a metal can with a lid. It is lump charcoal for my kettle.

Hmm, it's sounding to me like something might be wrong with your Smoke Hollow as the wood chunks in mine burn all the way down to ash. Are you getting 1 to 1 1/2 inch flames out of both burner tubes when on High?

 

[jdefran]

Is cooking on propane that bad? If i really wanted to deal with the hassle, I could bring my WSM..along with all the baby's stuff. I need my toys too

 

[jermoQ]

Is cooking on propane that bad? If i really wanted to deal with the hassle, I could bring my WSM..along with all the baby's stuff. I need my toys too

No it isn't bad. My mom is the brisket cooker for my dad-in the oven, with liquid smoke; probably will never change even though dad does the grilling. Don't hassle if he already has a setup to make Q. After you teach him to make brisket on his cooker, that might get him into Q even more. Then he can decide or not to upgrade later and then you can help him learn on charcoal maybe? Have fun and help him have fun too!

 

[jdefran]

No it isn't bad. My mom is the brisket cooker for my dad-in the oven, with liquid smoke; probably will never change even though dad does the grilling. Don't hassle if he already has a setup to make Q. After you teach him to make brisket on his cooker, that might get him into Q even more. Then he can decide or not to upgrade later and then you can help him learn on charcoal maybe? Have fun and help him have fun too!

Great point and well taken, thank you. That's a good idea to teach him on his equipment and hopefully inspire :thumb:

 

[Demosthenes9]

No it isn't bad. My mom is the brisket cooker for my dad-in the oven, with liquid smoke; probably will never change even though dad does the grilling. Don't hassle if he already has a setup to make Q. After you teach him to make brisket on his cooker, that might get him into Q even more. Then he can decide or not to upgrade later and then you can help him learn on charcoal maybe? Have fun and help him have fun too!

heh, I'd distance myself from this comment just a bit. I think it's funny that people object to propane, but I definitely will draw the line at oven roasted brisket with some liquid smoke.



Here's the thing JD, what your won't get from the propane smoker is the flavor that charcoal provides. BUT, if you keep up with the adding of the wood, you'll actually get more smoke flavor presuming you set up your WSM like most people, and don't use that much wood.

In other words, things will be just fine and you might be surprised at what you can put out on the Smoke Hollow.

 

[cfrazier77]

Hmm, it's sounding to me like something might be wrong with your Smoke Hollow as the wood chunks in mine burn all the way down to ash. Are you getting 1 to 1 1/2 inch flames out of both burner tubes when on High?

I get that size flame, but I change the wood out as soon as I don't see smoke anymore. If I leave it longer it goes to ash. I would rather change sooner, 45 minutes instead of an hour, and get more smoke, and lump charcoal to boot.

 

[Tom Sellecks Mustache]

I have a gas smoker and the only differences from when I use my kettle is that the only flavor added is from the smoke, so once the wood burns out, it's basically just an oven. So it's nice to not have to worry about over smoking it because of the charcoal flavor. The only other difference is that it holds temps so much easier, so a lot less monitoring.

Otherwise, not a whole lot of difference.