charcoal or gas smoker.........

[mldollins]

I currently have an upright charcoal smoker. However, I have lately thought of fitting it with propane.

Is there a difference in taste? I would still use wood chips to create smoke.

It is a pain to have to continually check the charcoal.

[wally]

I took a old metal fridge and put a burner from a coleman stove in the bottom, then i placed a offshore cast iron pan on burner and place my wood for smoking in it and it makes excellant smoked meats..wally

[Bearfootfarm]

There wont be any difference in taste since any smoke flavor comes from the wood chips you use, or fat dripping on the heat source.
Gas would make it far easier to control your temperatures also.

[Shrek]

Propane fired soaked hickory or mesquite is my favorite way to smoke meat since I converted my Brinkman in 1994.

[Drew Cutter]

Charcoal if you don't cook anything that take a long time to cook. Propane if you cook anything that has to cook for long time. Purist would use charcoal only or wood.

[Old John]

Then I just feed 'er slow with sticks of wood or chips soaked well in a 5 gallon bucket of water.
I like to have the radio out there for some good Country music.
And, of course, I have to make a trip or two to the fridge, for a homebrew.

I don't smoke but 4 or 5 times a year.....and Smokin' Meat gives me a good excuse to laze around for a few hours, "doin' next ta nothin'".
I just sit there, watchin' that thermometer, listening to the music & the birds singin', and thinkin' up solutions for all the problems in the World and being happy.
Sometimes, one of the boys will come over to help me awhile.
What a great way to spend a long-ong Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

[ronbre]

i wouldn't want the chemicals of charcoal on my food..we always just used a wood fire..smokey from soaking fruity woods..might be more trouble to check them but you avoid chemicals

[NCLee]

The ideal situation is to setup for both. Initially a little more expensive, but well worth it in the long run. Then, you can choose which method to use under the circumstances at that time. Or, you can use both, at the same time. For example, got a deal on meat at a loss leader sale? Fire up everything you've got to speed up the process of converting it into heat and eat for the freezer.

Re: Charcoal - chemicals - lump charcoal is available that doesn't have the things associated with pressed charcoal briquettes. This is good for those who don't have access to seasoned fruit wood or other hardwoods for smoking. Just toss in a soaked handfull of those bags of wood chips.

Personally, I prefer the flavor of meats cooked low and slow over charcoal. Sure, it's more work. But, I can't think of any more pleasant work, than tending a charcoal fire. Use two probe thermometers, one for the meat, the other for the air temp. Set the alarms, if you must.

The time doesn't have to be boring, if you're restless. Just work on a project that needs to be done while you're baby sitting the cooker. Tune up the lawn mower. Make those planter boxes for your herb garden. Sharpen all the knives on the homestead. (Yes, you can bring your supplies/equipment to the smoker area. :-) )

Or, simply enjoy the time as some well earned R&R while you're waiting for some good eats.

Lee

[Ed Norman]

We have a charcoal grill with an offset fire box. We used it to smoke bacons from several hogs last week. I put 5 charcoals in the firebox, 4 around a hunk of soaked hickory, one right on top of it. Nice and slow. Kept feeding it more hickory and charcoal as needed.

I have an old fridge for a bigger smoker. It doesn't work well with charcoal because it seals tight, so I put a single electric burner in it. Heat control is a problem with it so I think next time I will try a propane burner. I'll hav e to make some vent holes first.

[NCLee]

Take a look at the vents on a commercial vertical smoker. Then, using lids from #10 cans, make your own vents. It's relatively easy to do to copy the pattern so you have an attachment point for the screw for the lid. Cut the opening in the can lid with a pair of tin snips or with a metal cutting blade in a jig saw.

Then, try your charcoal again.

Lee

[Beeman]

Charcoal is too expensive. I have an upright smoker that I use propane in. I took the whole smoker body and mounted it on top of a propane turkey/fish cooker burner. I can lift it right off and still use my burner for what I want. I placed an old flywheel on top of the burner to deflect the flame and then place a pan on that filled with water soaked wood chips. Uses very little propane as you have to keep the flame low to get the right temp. Much easier to control temp.

[Backfourty,MI.]

We bought an electric smoker awhile back & we really like it. We don't use it very often so I don't know how much it actually makes the electric bill go up but the food comes out Great & it still takes the wood chips but there's no lighting of anything & it has a thermometer & dial where you can better regulate the heat.