Smoking Game Meat! Looking for a first smoker

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siegehammer63

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Calgary, AB
So! In the interest of starting more expensive shenanigans to keep from getting bored, I was thinking of taking up smoking. What units are you guys and gals using, what price ranges, and do you have any recommendations?
I'm hunting just about everything Wildlife will let me have a tag for; currently have white tail, some muley from a friend, two elk and various game birds in the freezer, and I'm hoping for whitetail, elk and black bear this fall depending on tags and luck.
Thoughts?
 
I used a Crappy tire electric "fridge" looking smoker for years, It was ok.

2 years ago I bought a Propane "Smoke Vault" from WSS, I think it was a little over $200 on sale. Love it!, I've used it for deer, turkey, chicken, rabbit, ham, salmon & jerky. Great results.
 
True that, I'm looking to cry once buy once and I'd like to do a fair bit of smoking if I can. I'll take a look around, appreciate what's been said so far! If anyone else has advice or a brand they like, I'd love to hear it.
Cheers,
Robert
 
I run a large Big Green Egg, pretty versatile. Will do low and slow ~220 F or can do pizza at 600 F. Does take a little bit of a learning curve to get used to and setting up takes longer than a pellet unit. Thing retains enough heat I can use it all winter here in Southern Ontario.

Had an old school cheapy offset when I first started smoking, PITA. Had to be with it all the time, if a breeze would come up or sun dropped behind the clouds you'd have to adjust cause it would drop temp. But you could get more smoke into food than the Egg or
a pellet grill. Still have a soft spot for them, would like to get a good heavy built one like a Yoder. They run much more stable temps.

If you want "Set it and forget it" go for a pellet fed.
 
I honestly might buy a cheap offset for doing hot temps where I'm not going to be going for hours on hours, and something similar to the pellet set up for low and slow just so I don't have to sit by it tbh. Starting to sound in depth, I like it! New hobbies are always fun.
 
The smoking hobby can become a little consuming too! Lots of good reading and research out their as well. Invest in a wifi thermometer with at least two probes. Nice if it trends as well, can help predict when your cooks will be done and alarm at set temps. I have an I grill, but it is blue tooth and has a limited range.
 
Mine is a Smokee Hollow(gander Mountain) propane. 16x16x48 tall My experience with electrics was dismal at best. I honestly use the smoker 4-5 times a week and our electric oven very rarely.
Did a 7lb pork loin in 1.5 hours day before yesterday. 300 for that time cooked to 145 internal and let stand for an hour after removing. I go low and slow on the tough cuts cooked to 195 internal and then stand for sometimes 3 hours. Prime rib and strip loin roasts, smoker 300 cook to 135-140internal and stand for a couple hours before serving. The last prime rib I did was 9.5lbs and it cooked in about 2hours 45 mins but stood for almost 2.5 hours. Ribs 20 mins in the pressure cooker and about 30-45mins in the smoker to glaze and you are eating or piss around for 10 hour low and slow
I have come to learn the stand on meat is critical to the finished product. Another new trick I have been using is instead of putting the meat in a pan, use the same pan9x11 cake tin, but put a rack on the top of the pan and set the meat on the rack. Cooking time is way less and you will not see more than half a dozen drops of juice in the pan. Air circulates around the meat and cooks and seals it to perfection.
Back to original question buy a propane smoker!!
 
+1 on the propane smoker. I use the smoke vault and even without a thermostat control it is very easy to keep a steady temp. The only drawback is when it comes to making jerky, the propane puts off water vapour and the meat will only get so dry. I put it in for 1.5 hrs to get the smoke and temp right then finish in the oven.
 
I use the Bradley Smoker. I works very well at the smoking aspect of the job but outside ambient temp or any wind at all will make the cooking temperature setting almost impossible to control. Most any smoking I do after Nov. 1 requires an oven or BBQ finish to the cooking. The puck wood disks are a bit more pricier than the bagged loose chips but you can load it up for 5 or 6 hrs of continuous smoking and walk away if you want.
 
Pit Barrel Cooker... No regrets. Don't have to be there at all times. Set it with a probe and forget it until the alarm goes off! Fits 8 racks of ribs and can do a turkey if you want.
 
Have the Bradley electric with the pellets, works good but as said if it's windy / cold it's hard to get temps up over 200F...still manage to make a smoked turkey for every American thanksgiving party though :)

Looking at an upgrade, the big green eggs look awesome...
 
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