# Electric smokers



## beets (Aug 20, 2011)

I am new to smoking. 225 seems to be the best temp, but how often do I add wood chips. Also the chips seem pretty big. Are there different chips avaliable?


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## Snip 13 (Aug 20, 2011)

Hi and welcome to DC! I have no idea about the smoker but someone will come and help shortly as always. Loads of people that know there stuff when it comes to smoking here


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## Josie1945 (Aug 20, 2011)

Welcome to DC.

Josie


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## Timothy (Aug 20, 2011)

beets said:


> I am new to smoking. 225 seems to be the best temp, but how often do I add wood chips. Also the chips seem pretty big. Are there different chips available?


 
All foods do not smoke the same. Some require much less smoking time and some are better with certain types of wood.

If you smoke cheese exactly the same as you smoke a pork shoulder, you'll end up with cheese that tastes like burnt firewood.

If you smoke a fish fillet the same as you smoke a whole chicken, again, you'll end up eating something nasty.

Learning to smoke various foods correctly is an art. With today's Internet information, it should be easy to find "recipes" for smoking almost anything. 

You're in the right group for that!

Here's my favorite; I use cherry wood chips for smoking mild flavored white fish meat. I use only a handful of dry chips that burn out in the first 5 minutes. It adds a tiny bit of sweet smoke flavor to the fish without overwhelming the fish itself.

There are as many smoking recipes as there are items to be smoked. Perhaps others will share their personal favorites here in this thread!


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## Dawgluver (Aug 20, 2011)

I just got a stove top smoker.  You cook on medium with it.  1 or 2 T. of almost sawdust-like wood chips gives stuff a great flavor from it.  I think the other types of smokers use bigger chips.  I read you can grind some bigger chips in a coffee/spice grinder to make the sawdust for the stove top smoker, haven't tried it yet.

BTW, welcome to DC!


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## CWS4322 (Aug 22, 2011)

Up at The Lake, my cousin has a Brinkman smoker. It was a charcoal one, but he converted it to electric because he can't regulate it when he's out fishing. It looked interesting. Pros and cons of that brand (I can convert it to electric)? I haven't spent my allowance re: what I can bring back...thinking a smoker or a meat grinder...

FWIW, I've brought back all kinds of things--including kitchen sink!


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## hamm4 (Aug 29, 2011)

I have both a stovetop and an electric outdoor smoker. I love them both. I usually use the stovetop for everyday cooking. I cook fish, chicken, ribs, mac and cheese etc. You can find many recipes online. I usually buy chips online from amazon because you can get an assortment cheap. 2-3 Tbsp in the stovetop is enough to cook most meats. The electric one I add more wood if the smoke seems to die down. It is definitely trail and error, but the results are well worth it. Yummy


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## Roll_Bones (Oct 28, 2013)

I have been using a Brinkman tunnel smoker for several years now, with so so results. Its a wood or charcoal fired unit.
It is very hard to regulate temperature. It is also very inefficient.  It is my opinion that electric or gas would serve me much better.

One of the biggest mistakes I have seen was to much smoke.  I have seen beautiful chickens and roasts ruined by over smoking. Not over cooking, over smoking.

I have found that just a wiff of light smoke is the very best visual guide as to how much smoke flavor you want to impart.
I can say with confidence, the less smoke, the better the result.

So my next smoker will be electric or gas. I will use wood chunks or chips in a very limited manner.
But the most important thing is regulating temperature and that is almost impossible with wood or charcoal unless you are baby sitting the smoker.


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## CraigC (Oct 28, 2013)

Roll_Bones said:


> I have been using a Brinkman tunnel smoker for several years now, with so so results. Its a wood or charcoal fired unit.
> It is very hard to regulate temperature. It is also very inefficient. It is my opinion that electric or gas would serve me much better.
> 
> One of the biggest mistakes I have seen was to much smoke. I have seen beautiful chickens and roasts ruined by over smoking. Not over cooking, over smoking.
> ...


 
That is simply not true with the right equipment. I can set the vents on my BGE to maintain 225 F for a whole packer brisket cook. Don't need any fancy gadgets either.


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## roadfix (Oct 28, 2013)

Roll_Bones said:


> But the most important thing is regulating temperature and that is almost impossible with wood or charcoal unless you are baby sitting the smoker.



The problem is your particular model of Brinkman smoker.  I converted my el cheapo Brinkman electric smoker for charcoal use only, plus did a few minor modifications on the vents and to seal the unit.  Now I can run it with no water in the pan for several hours and hold temps between 250 to 300, for instance, without having to babysit the smoker.  My el cheapo Brinkman now runs as efficiently as a $300 Weber Smokey Mountain.


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## roadfix (Oct 28, 2013)

Just to add to my post above.  This is the problem with using these "cheap" smokers, whether they be charcoal or electric.... they tend to frustrate and turn users off due to their bad design and inefficiencies.


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## Roll_Bones (Nov 20, 2013)

CraigC said:


> That is simply not true with the right equipment. I can set the vents on my BGE to maintain 225 F for a whole packer brisket cook. Don't need any fancy gadgets either.





roadfix said:


> The problem is your particular model of Brinkman smoker.  I converted my el cheapo Brinkman electric smoker for charcoal use only, plus did a few minor modifications on the vents and to seal the unit.  Now I can run it with no water in the pan for several hours and hold temps between 250 to 300, for instance, without having to babysit the smoker.  My el cheapo Brinkman now runs as efficiently as a $300 Weber Smokey Mountain.





roadfix said:


> Just to add to my post above.  This is the problem with using these "cheap" smokers, whether they be charcoal or electric.... they tend to frustrate and turn users off due to their bad design and inefficiencies.



Thanks guys.  Glad I checked back on this thread.  I have included a picture of the smoker I have.  Its not a water smoker. (when I had a water smoker, I ended up tossing the water pan altogether).
This unit is quite heavy. At least 100lbs or more.  Fairly thick walled construction.

I have had some people tell me this type of smoker, stock off the shelf needs help.  Mechanical help. Modifications?
I have been told that as the heat travels from the fire box through the tunnel and then out the chimney is not good the way it is.  That the heat travels over the food and not into the food.
They mentioned a similar smoker that directs the heat down, (via some kind of capillary system) under the food, so its forced upwards instead of running horizontally and out the chimney.
Any suggestions to modify this one is appreciated.

At this point, I have stopped using the fire box completely.  I now put the fire on one side and the food on the other inside the tunnel itself.  (indirect cooking) Otherwise, I go through way to much charcoal or wood and temperature control is an issue.  The biggest issue.
Using this new method, I only have to use only a small amount of wood or charcoal to get to temp.  But to hold temp for long periods, I have to have hot coals ready. It is tiring to say the least.  The smoker is downstairs and I am upstairs.

My Brinkman has wooden handles and a temp dial/display on the far right top of the tunnel lid. They are not identical, but very close.
TIA......John


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## TamiWLassiter (Jul 1, 2015)

Hi, I understand the problems you are having
You can find answers in website: Electric Smoker Guides


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