# Propane smoker



## baseballdad (May 28, 2017)

My wife's friend just upgraded and offered me her propane smoker.

I was going to get a electric one last year but bought a 4-1 BBQ, propane/charcoal/smoker/searer.

So I got my feet wet using the small smoker that is on there and love it.

So with the propane smoker I'm reading that u will get a even better smoke then this small charcoal one on my BBQ.

Anyone have good results with a propane smoker? Any little tips/upgrades?

I'm going to be a serious smoker and toker lol


----------



## june bugger (Oct 28, 2015)

personally prefer charcoal,wood or electric over propane.Don't like my food steamed, smoking is also drying not just cooking or steaming. But in all fairness it gets the job done and is close to set it and forget it and the price was right. Congrats on your new find.


----------



## PERCHGILL (Feb 19, 2012)

After all the electronics died on my previous smoker, a friend of mine who is an engineer and excellent cook, suggested a propane smoker.....minimal technology, not much that can go wrong with it. I bought the large Smoke Vault propane smoker two years ago, & I'm very satisfied with it. Very easy to maintain the cooking temperature, quickly heats back up to cooking temperature after the door is opened then closed, large capacity, (can smoke a lot of meat at one time), has tall legs, making it easy to access everything in the smoking compartment, (meat, water tray, wood tray), light weight, dependable. I'm sure each type of smoker has it's own advantages & disadvantages, but I'm very satisfied with mine.


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

I use a Smoke Hollow propane smoker. Works great. Not much to go wrong.


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Imo and it's my opinion
Stick burner> 
charcoal>kamado>propane>electric

I've smoked on about everything. It's about combustion. It's really hard to beat a stick burner. I do most of mine on a kamado now, but much prefer the taste of something off a stick burner running clear or light blue, kamado is easy thus why I use it. Stick burner I run apple to get a good depth of smoke on kamado I run pecan as stronger wood helps.

Like I said my imo and great BBQ can be made on anything. I know smoke ring is a badge of glory, but you eat with eyes first and a good ring adds and you can't beat burning sticks. You can add celery salt or tenderquick to your rub to help with ring on others.


----------



## mark.n.chip (Jun 16, 2007)

DEDGOOSE
Why don't you use wood in your kamado? I have in my egg


----------



## baseballdad (May 28, 2017)

What is a stick burner?


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

mark.n.chip said:


> DEDGOOSE
> Why don't you use wood in your kamado? I have in my egg


I use chips or 3-4 chunks with lump, as you know they're so efficient, to hold smoking temps you only have a handful worth of fire


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

baseballdad said:


> What is a stick burner?


Offset


----------



## fels340 (Nov 9, 2011)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Imo and it's my opinion
> Stick burner>
> charcoal>kamado>propane>electric


I agree with your assessment. The only thing I would change would be to add a pellet smoker right after "charcoal".


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

fels340 said:


> I agree with your assessment. The only thing I would change would be to add a pellet smoker right after "charcoal".


I left it out as I've never used a pellet pooper. I know alot like them. Never thought of buying one as like a pellet pooper a kamado is kinda set and forget as well


----------



## baseballdad (May 28, 2017)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Offset


SO On a offset smoker, do you still put charcoal in the main cooking area and then wood in teh smoke box? Or just wood and charcoal in the smoke box?


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I fire a tower of lump, dump in throw a small split or two in, wait til it gets to temp and running thin blue or clear and feed splits after that.

I have a cheap stick burner. I modded I'm gonna upgrade a lil this summer to a vertical offset. Last year I didn't BBQ as much as normal most of 10 years three times a week, I got the blackstoness and cooked on them everyday. BBQ is fun, but it is time consuming whereas I can whip up a feast on the stones in 10 minutes.

I'm getting reinspired however


----------



## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

june bugger said:


> personally prefer charcoal,wood or electric over propane.Don't like my food steamed, smoking is also drying not just cooking or steaming. But in all fairness it gets the job done and is close to set it and forget it and the price was right. Congrats on your new find.


Sounds like you are using to much heat and your vents are not sit right. I went from elec to propane about 15 years ago and have never had the meat steamed. The one I have hods the heat right on what it is set at. I have smoked a lot of different meats and a lot of fish. My favorite fish is bluegills


----------



## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

I've been using propane smokers for years, have 2 right now. One is dedicated to fish, the other for everything else. 

The biggest issue with propane is temperature control as the burner controls were pretty much on or off on the 2 units I have. My solution was adding turkey fryer style regulators with needle valves. With those I can tune temp to within a couple degrees.


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Great thread. I've always been a lump guy. Is there anything I'm missing not using propane? FWIW, right now I use a modded ECB that has served me well for over a decade. Probably the best $40 I've spent lol.


----------



## Retrobird (Jan 9, 2019)

Own and use propane, kamado and pellet grill.

Kamado and pellet grill are stupid easy, really just about flavor as kamado can impart more flavor IMO at grilling temps as well as the ability to sear well above 600 degrees. Pellet grill IMO is better, more consistent for smoking and smoke roasting below 300- 325 degrees. For example, even with reverse searing, a pellet grill steak while good, does not have the same taste as a high sear, rest and finish over lump on a kamado.

Propane is great for high volume smoking like jerky, 3-4 chickens etc. Get a couple of meat hooks and try hanging your smoked protein of choice in the vertical propane unit.

Enjoy, it's a lot of fun over the Summer


----------



## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

Retrobird said:


> Pellet grill IMO is better, more consistent for smoking and smoke roasting below 300- 325 degrees.


The way I have my smokers set up, I have no problem generating good smoke at temps under 160F. There were some modifications needed to get them to this point. Already mentioned the gas control, which is critical to getting a gas smoker to maintain and fine tune lower temps.

To get the amount of smoke I do, I tossed the stock cast iron and ceramic coated stamped steel pans. I picked up a couple cheap stainless steel pots (3-4qt) with tight fitting lids at a resale shop and swiss cheesed the lids with a step drill. I also had to lower the chip 'pots' closer to the burner.

For cold smoking, I use my grill and an "A maze-n" smoke generator.


----------



## tdejong302 (Nov 28, 2004)

Not sure what you smoke. But I put tinfoil on my racks and punch small holes in it to smoke fish. I cooks it while it smokes it. Takes about 1 1/2 hour compared to 6-7 hours with wood smoker. I put 2-3 decent size apple wood planks directly above the burner and keep and eye on it. Keep propane heat low, wood does the rest..


----------



## flint (Sep 6, 2010)

I have 3 grills I run depending on what I am cooking/smoking. A Weber kettle , holind grill ( companion) propane, and a grilldome komodo.






























Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


----------

