Newbie looking to start out

[roojam]

Hi all,

I have been interested in the slow cooking/smoking of meats for a while and I'm now looking to take the plunge.

I'm looking for some help on which smoker to buy. I'm useless at DIY so a UDS is out of the question for me, and I don't really have the desire to build my own.

I know a lot of people swear by a weber smokey mountain but they are very expensive. Are the cheaper alternatives really poor or are they good for a budding smoker for a few years?

Before I found this forum and heard about the Weber I was leaning towards this: [url]http://www.gardengiftshop.co.uk/acatalog/Brinkmann_Smoker.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=feedmanager&gclid=CMqzwY-Un7wCFQQGwwodLSsA3w/url]

Are they really rubbish? Is getting a cheaper one a false economy, even short term?

I'm looking for something to do ribs, pork shoulders and briskets for now. Not looking to smoke a turkey or anything that big.

Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Richard

[robgunby]

Hi Richard, welcome to the forum!

I have a Brinkmann smoke n grill, aka the ECB (El Cheapo Brinkmann). It will smoke your food, but so would a trash can - what I'm getting at is, it's pants. To get it even usable you have to modify it, which takes about as much DIY as it takes to buid......

a UDS.

When I say I'm useless at DIY, I really, really mean it. However, building a UDS is so simple, a child could do it. It's mostly a case of drilling some holes. I wasn't even that accurate about where they went to be frank.

You can easily build a UDS for under £50, and it blows the ECB out of the water, there is simply no comparing the two. There are guides on here (stretchie has an excellent one in his signature) and Toby runs Drum n Baste weekends where you get to build a smoker and learn to cook on it.

Seriously, don't waste your money on an ECB. You will end up replacing it, and before you do you will spend many a night fighting with it to get temps correct, keep the fire topped up etc. If you really, really don't want to do the slightest bit of DIY, you are going to have to buy a very expensive smoker that requires no modification at all, like a Weber smoky mountain. I cannot stress enough how simple a UDS is to make. If I can do it, anyone can, believe me!

PS Don't try brisket until you've done quite a few smokes. It is unforgiving. Chicken, ribs, pork shoulder are all pretty easy.

[Swindon_Ed]

ProQ's are ok and i would look either the Frontier or the Excel.

[slatts]

Hi and Welcome

I have a Pro Q Frontier and I only started smoking in April/May last year.
My Pro Q has been great, I am looking to upgrade but i'll still keep it, so far ive only had a couple of cooks that was a bit of a nightmare, temps dropping etc during the night but other nights its gone through the night with no problems.

Relatively cheap but worth every penny I think.
Ive only done 2 briskets, one was nearly thrown in the bin, a mate really enjoyed it and the other I did for new years day and was very pleased with it. I did get some good advice off here but it took me 8 months to try one.
Pork shoulders are probably your best bet.

Slatts

[Tiny]

Welcome chum,
Do not buy a cheap smoker unless you feel it will be aesthetically pleasing as an garden ornament or with flowers planted in it. If you are certain smoking is for you spend the money once on an WSM, the Pro Q are well respected and will do a very decent job as well. If money is tight buy an Weber 57cm Kettle, I was very anti Weber but have been delighted with mine. No you cant do a 20lb turkey or 4 pork shoulders in a one-er but for most normal bbq arrangements it is all rather splendid.

The UDS is the truly excellent valuer option but whatever folk say there will be some DIY involved and the U makes it a difficult sell to the significant other as an garden fashion statement.

Whatever you do don't buy cheap or you ill be buying again very soon
Cheers
Tiny

[robgunby]

My missus ddisagrees with the U, but then she appreciates good barbecue

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[keith157]

Welcome chum,
Do not buy a cheap smoker unless you feel it will be aesthetically pleasing as an garden ornament or with flowers planted in it. If you are certain smoking is for you spend the money once on an WSM, the Pro Q are well respected and will do a very decent job as well. If money is tight buy an Weber 57cm Kettle, I was very anti Weber but have been delighted with mine. No you cant do a 20lb turkey or 4 pork shoulders in a one-er but for most normal bbq arrangements it is all rather splendid.

The UDS is the truly excellent valuer option but whatever folk say there will be some DIY involved and the U makes it a difficult sell to the significant other as an garden fashion statement.

Whatever you do don't buy cheap or you ill be buying again very soon
Cheers
Tiny

Nicely put as always sir