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Old member, but been a while since I've posted.
Anyway, after a several years use of two UDS smokers, I'm looking for a commercial built product to replace both. One is a standard UDS for butts, brisket, ribs, etc. The other is just a drum, modified to be a gas fired open drum for smoking hanging sausages. Would like to do both operations in the same unit. BTW, gas burner is simply a small banjo burner off one of my fish cookers. Set it to low, under the drum and control it manually. It works....kinda......but temps fluctuate a lot.
What I'm looking for is a single unit with good heat control inside a range from around 150 for smoking sausage up to 250+ for butts etc, and set it and forget it simplicity. I had no idea pellet puffers had come so far so fast, but when you look at them, then seem to meet the temp control criteria. But most of them seem to be horizontal cookers. For hanging sausage, something more like a cabinet model seems to be the way to go.
The only one I've uncovered to date that resembles what I'm looking for is this one:
[URL="http://www.cookshack.com/store/Smokers_4/Fast-Eddys-by-Cookshack-Model-FEC100"]
Outside of the fact that it is twice as big as I need, that is out of my budget. For half that, I can get the smallest Spice Cabinet:
http://spicewineironworks.com/smoker-models/
But charcoal and stick burners don't have the fill-er-up set it and forget it simplicity of the pellet puffer. I also don't know how easy/difficult it would be to throttle one of those back to 160 for the several hours it takes to smoke sausage.
I happen to be local to the Spice guys (was there yesterday in fact to buy some steel) and asked them about pellet puffers. Response was, "they are simple and do maintain temps for a long time, but some say the flavor isn't there and they are mechanical, so they are prone to breakdowns". My guess is the latter might be true for the first generation smokers from Traeger, etc, but would not be an issue with Yoder. As for the smoke flavor, I think with supplemental smoke from an a-maze-n smoke generator, that can be whupped. One thing I've not seen discussed much is the cost of the wood pellets. If it takes 20 pounds to do an all day smoke, two of those is about the same cost as a full fill on a 20# propane tank......or maybe 40 pounds of charcoal.
Third question is with charcoal cabinet smokers, most seem to have a substantial water pan in them. Seems to serve two functions. First is to catch the drippings, and second is they add moisture, which I understand helps with getting a good smoke ring. Horizontals, and that includes all the pellet puffers, don't seem to have water pans at all. Why is that?
A lot of questions. Any suggestions? (shooting myself is not an option)
Anyway, after a several years use of two UDS smokers, I'm looking for a commercial built product to replace both. One is a standard UDS for butts, brisket, ribs, etc. The other is just a drum, modified to be a gas fired open drum for smoking hanging sausages. Would like to do both operations in the same unit. BTW, gas burner is simply a small banjo burner off one of my fish cookers. Set it to low, under the drum and control it manually. It works....kinda......but temps fluctuate a lot.
What I'm looking for is a single unit with good heat control inside a range from around 150 for smoking sausage up to 250+ for butts etc, and set it and forget it simplicity. I had no idea pellet puffers had come so far so fast, but when you look at them, then seem to meet the temp control criteria. But most of them seem to be horizontal cookers. For hanging sausage, something more like a cabinet model seems to be the way to go.
The only one I've uncovered to date that resembles what I'm looking for is this one:
[URL="http://www.cookshack.com/store/Smokers_4/Fast-Eddys-by-Cookshack-Model-FEC100"]
Outside of the fact that it is twice as big as I need, that is out of my budget. For half that, I can get the smallest Spice Cabinet:
http://spicewineironworks.com/smoker-models/
But charcoal and stick burners don't have the fill-er-up set it and forget it simplicity of the pellet puffer. I also don't know how easy/difficult it would be to throttle one of those back to 160 for the several hours it takes to smoke sausage.
I happen to be local to the Spice guys (was there yesterday in fact to buy some steel) and asked them about pellet puffers. Response was, "they are simple and do maintain temps for a long time, but some say the flavor isn't there and they are mechanical, so they are prone to breakdowns". My guess is the latter might be true for the first generation smokers from Traeger, etc, but would not be an issue with Yoder. As for the smoke flavor, I think with supplemental smoke from an a-maze-n smoke generator, that can be whupped. One thing I've not seen discussed much is the cost of the wood pellets. If it takes 20 pounds to do an all day smoke, two of those is about the same cost as a full fill on a 20# propane tank......or maybe 40 pounds of charcoal.
Third question is with charcoal cabinet smokers, most seem to have a substantial water pan in them. Seems to serve two functions. First is to catch the drippings, and second is they add moisture, which I understand helps with getting a good smoke ring. Horizontals, and that includes all the pellet puffers, don't seem to have water pans at all. Why is that?
A lot of questions. Any suggestions? (shooting myself is not an option)
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