Smokers...BBQ...NOT grilling...

[Bob in St. Louis]

Added and updated:

Yoder Smokers
Weber
Jambo
Lang
Gator Pits
Klose
Horizon
Shirley Fabrication
Primo
MAK
Memphis
Blazin' Grill Works
Stumps
The Good One
Superior Smokers
Big Poppa
Humphreys Competition Smokers
Greasy Hill
Tiernan SOB (son of brisket)
Pit Barrel Cooker Company
Original New Braunfels cookers (out of business?)
Pitmaker
One man Pits
Pits by JJ
Lone Star Grillz
Spicewine - Columbia MO
Kingfisher Kookers
Grant Hastings (Hasty Bakes)
Gateway Drums
Backyard bombes
Clover Ridge
Bubba Grills
Backwoods
Rebel Smokers
Assassin Smokers
Abe's Smokers
Jack's Old South - Georgia (if you've seen the tv show "BBQ Pitmasters", this is Myron's company)
American Barbecue Systems
Mack Daddy Smokers in Middleburg - Jacksonville, FL
Lyfe Tyme - Uvalde, TX
Pitt's & Spitt's - Houston, TX
Bell Fabrications - Tulsa Oklahoma
PoleCat Smokers - KY
Rebel Smokers - Lake St. Louis MO
Heartland Cookers - Sikeston MO
Fast Eddie's Cookshack
Southern pride
Zac's Smokers - Lake Whitney TX
Johnson Smokers - Ennis TX
Peoria Cookers
Meadow Creek
Ole Hickory Pits

[andrewb70]

Thanks for all the help with this guys. I see that a lot of the companies listed above area geared towards pretty hardcore customers. Many are pitts that are for competition, etc...

I think for what I want to do, I am leaning towards a pellet smoker. I like the idea of the precise heat control and "set it and forget it" operation. Figures, since I own a Ronco...LOL..

With that said the list of companies gets smaller.

Andrew

[Bonehead]

You're too far south, sir, for good BBQ. Get yourself up to Kansas City and find out what the real stuff is all about. #bestBBQintheWORLD!

[seekins]

Im a newbe at smoking meat and i have a tregger, I dont think you can go wrong with one or something like it to get your feet wet. I got one for the shop and house. for almost 2 years we used it at the shop 2-3 times a week cooking for 20+ people. I dont know how many bags of pellets have gone thru it, but its on its last leg. I can make better prime rib on it than i can find within 100 miles (im in idaho) and pizza is unreal. Im not a cook, but when i say were going to toss some meat on the tregger if you want to come over for supper... i dont get any complaints

[andrewb70]

You're too far south, sir, for good BBQ. Get yourself up to Kansas City and find out what the real stuff is all about. #bestBBQintheWORLD!

Wrong thread dude...LOL

Andrew

[Bonehead]

Wrong thread dude...LOL

Not when you're starting with a flawed premise. ;)

[Nicks67GTO]

There's a bunch of US companies making smokers, actually.
It's just that you won't see them on the shelves of Home Depot or Sears because they're smaller companies and couldn't keep up with the demand.

My point was about the Treager. During my grill search I found that Treager used to be USA made before they got mainstream. Now they just charge USA made prices and build them in China. Thanks for the nice list of USA made grills. Ive had foreign made grills and it seems they are junk after 2 years.

[Damn True]

KC is but one style amongst many. All have their merits. To say one style is the best is like saying one type of gal is the best looking. Tastes vary.

[Nicks67GTO]

KC is but one style amongst many. All have their merits. To say one style is the best is like saying one type of gal is the best looking. Tastes vary.

Very true. Variety is the spice of life.

[nicks67camaro]

I started with a vertical charcoal smoker. It was cheap, hard to control, needed constant babysitting but it worked. No matter what you decide make sure the BTU range can grow for what you want to cook. I have a 24" Smoke Vault propane smoker now. It has the "leak" issues and some but has a high enough BTU output to smoke on cold Connecticut days (late fall / early spring). I choose the propane (over pellet or electric) because it has he set and forget heat dial but can hit temps of +400°F. I wanted the ability to put a pizza stone in and cook pizza's in the smoker. Some people hate propane but it suits my needs. I have done ribs, wings, whole chicken, and pizza in my Smoke Vault and love it.

Now for a good dipping sauce cut off the top of a red bell pepper hollow it out but keep the shell in tact so you can fill it without leaking. Fill with your beer of choice, rub, mustard, and bbq sauce, smoke it hard for 2 hours at 230°F. Put it in your blender and puree it till is all the same consistency then serve with your meat of choice.

[Bob in St. Louis]

While the hardcore BBQ guys will laugh at propane and electric smokers, there are product to help with the lack of smoke generated issue. There are a few brands of products like >> THIS << that are highly regarded. I haven't used one, so I can't speak from personal experience.

Hope that helps,
Bob

[nicks67camaro]

I saw that pellet tube before i think i'm going to pick one up. One complaint i do have is the propane smoker burns the chips up pretty quick.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I got one of my coworkers to buy one from ebay.
He hasn't used it yet, but said it was a pretty solid unit, so it should last a while

[nicks67camaro]

I just bought the 12" tube and 4 different pellet flavors....I'll report back this weekend if they arrive by friday!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Cool, yea man, let us know how they work.
I've thought about fabricating a "micro-smoker" using a toaster oven as the main heat source.
One of these tubes would be my source of smoke flavor.

[Damn True]

I've not used one because I run a wood-fired smoker but these exist as well: http://www.bbqgalore.com/copper-smoker-box.html

[andrewb70]

So....I am thinking either this one:

http://www.blazngrillworks.com/produ...ord=1&sort=Mfg

Or this one...

http://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html

Thoughts?

Andrew

[andrewb70]

I just bought the 12" tube and 4 different pellet flavors....I'll report back this weekend if they arrive by friday!

Blaz'n also make a neat box..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzZNnF54vv4

Andrew

[Cdog]

Andrew, I have a Traeger. The Lil Texas Elite. It works really well and is great for ease of use and clean up. However it doesn’t deliver the smokiness I prefer from a more traditional smoker. I have plans to buy a XL Big Green Egg or a Primo in the near future. The best part about a BGE type smoker is it’s efficiency and the range of heat you can make with it. 200 low and slow for ribs and brisket or 900 for an Rome style pizza. After traveling to Italy two years ago I’m hooked on italian pizza. Anyhow you can’t go wrong with traeger. Check your local Costco. They have had them here in Scottsdale and Yorba Linda as a sale deal. Best price I’ve seen on them.

Good Luck!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Andrew, they both look pretty sexy. I have zero experience with either one, but have heard the Yoder name more than the Blazn name on the BBQ site. One thing I would take into consideration is the cost of igniters. That looks like the only 'expendable' piece on a pellet smoker. Like CDog mentioned, give the Traeger a look, but I've heard grumblings about the body being a thinner gauge than what most of the BBQ guys think is acceptable on a smoker.