I was researching budget smokers in the $150-$250 price range and came across the Smokenator 1000. I am interested in it because I do have a Weber Grill 22.5", use it alot, and love it. It enables me to turn my Weber into an inexpensive smoker for less than $100. It appears to me that a possible drawback to this is that it looks like smoking this way will take alot of checking, stirring coals, etc. I like the idea of getting more use out of the Weber with this add-on, but only if it does a good job. Anyone here have one, and do you think it is worth the money?
Smokenator 1000
- Thread starter chileaddict
- Start date
I've seen this device and you do not need it. You can smoke in a Weber with a cake pan filled with water and charcoal and chips on the side. If you want your coals to last longer use the Minion method. Webers can handle a decent smoke. When you are ready to spend money buy a smoker, not a Weber kit. Cheers.
I do have a couple of charcoal fuel holders for indirect cooking. I will have to read about the Minion method.
Minion will have you smoking for hours and hours at a steady temp without touching the coals.
Thank you for the good advice. I am going to do a test run with a brisket today. If successful, I hope to do a whole turkey in a few days. Right now the Weber has about 3 inches of snow on it, but I like a good challenge. I do have to get out on the icy roads right now to get all the stuff. Pics to come soon.
Cool, let us know. Post pics!
I use the minion method all the time SO easy :
More info:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html
The concept behind "The Minion Method" is simple:
Place a small number of hot coals on top of a full charcoal chamber of unlit briquettes.
Using the bottom vents, carefully control the amount of air entering the cooker to keep the fire burning low and steady.
The unlit fuel catches fire gradually throughout the cooking session, resulting in long burn times of up to 18 hours, depending on weather conditions.
One of the advantages this method has over the Standard Method is that there's less of a chance that the cooker will run hotter than you want. This is because it's easier to start with just a few hot coals and bring the cooker up to 225-250°F than it is to start with a red-hot cooker and fight to bring it down to 225-250°F.
More info:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html
The concept behind "The Minion Method" is simple:
Place a small number of hot coals on top of a full charcoal chamber of unlit briquettes.
Using the bottom vents, carefully control the amount of air entering the cooker to keep the fire burning low and steady.
The unlit fuel catches fire gradually throughout the cooking session, resulting in long burn times of up to 18 hours, depending on weather conditions.
One of the advantages this method has over the Standard Method is that there's less of a chance that the cooker will run hotter than you want. This is because it's easier to start with just a few hot coals and bring the cooker up to 225-250°F than it is to start with a red-hot cooker and fight to bring it down to 225-250°F.
Thanks Dan and LD. I have the charcoal starting now and the process has begun. We got 4" of snow and it's 17F outside. The brisket has been sitting in Claude's Brisket Marinade for almost a full day and it's time to get it on.
Where da pics?
Sorry for da hold up. This was a good learning experience for me. I did a good amount of reading up on how to smoke a brisket on a Weber Kettle and still found a way to botch it. I used Kingston coals and chunks of mesquite and hickory cause that's all HDepot had. I was humbled. Anyway, here's the deal. I got up at 7am to begin the setup. It was 15F outside with lots of fresh snow and no wind. I used a 9 pound brisket from Costco. First mistake: I cut too much fat off the bottom (go ahead...I suck). Second mistake: I cut it in half since this was and experiment in smoking. Third (and biggest) mistake: I used too many coals and smoked it too hot before I figured out how to properly read the thermometers and control the heat. End result was a brisket that was too dry. All was not lost though. I spent the day out in the snow, which I absolutely love, and brisket burritos are awesome.
Pics later. Technical difficulties...
Hey man you did good, brisket is a tough one to master. You can juicify that brisket with some apple juice. Heat the brisket, let it soak in apple juice for a few seconds, then finish reheating. The warm brisket will soak it up.
Questions: 1. Do you think the fact that the meat was sitting on a cast iron grill made any difference in heat distribution?
2. Do you agree that I should have left all the fat on the bottom and maybe had it on top most of the time it was smoking?
3. Should I have kept a temp probe in the meat the whole time to better monitor the heat?
4. Do you think I should have just used a rub instead of marinating it in brisket sauce and occasionally brushing it back on?
5. Do you agree that I should have done the whole brisket to help insure I didn't dry it out?
2. Do you agree that I should have left all the fat on the bottom and maybe had it on top most of the time it was smoking?
3. Should I have kept a temp probe in the meat the whole time to better monitor the heat?
4. Do you think I should have just used a rub instead of marinating it in brisket sauce and occasionally brushing it back on?
5. Do you agree that I should have done the whole brisket to help insure I didn't dry it out?
1. Cast iron grates are the best. I use them.
2. Fat on top let's in melt into the meat while cooking instead of dripping away.
3. Depends on the meter you have some you have to take out or they will be damaged.
4. I'd brine overnight, and before smoking rub. Let rub get wet, and re-rub. During smoke mop or mist.
5. Yes.
2. Fat on top let's in melt into the meat while cooking instead of dripping away.
3. Depends on the meter you have some you have to take out or they will be damaged.
4. I'd brine overnight, and before smoking rub. Let rub get wet, and re-rub. During smoke mop or mist.
5. Yes.
Thanks Dan for your help. I will get better. I think I will go have a Smoked Brisket Bhut Jalokia Green Chile Texas Creek Ghost Fire Burrito right now! Oh yeaaahh.
I never liked that method because the meat ends up tasting like fresh coals and not the smoke flavor you want or look forward to when smoking meats. The reason why most people light the coals all at once because it allows the outside layer of "coal" to burn off and not affect the taste of the meat. The whole point of smoking meat for me is the flavor that the "smoke" gives to the meat so for that reason most of my fuel is wood and a lot of smoking chips not coals. Smoking with coals will give you great cooked meat, but it will never has the same taste of meat smoked with nice mesquite, hickory, or apple wood.