Ok folks, now, you know I am just window shopping here, but at some point this summer, I am going to add a "budget" smoker to my kit, as I have FINALLY cleared 3 cookers out of the backyard and off to the various kids houses as they got married and/or got houses all this year. I'm on tap to do pulled pork and pulled chicken for 200 folks on September 12th, for what will not be my youngest daughter's wedding so much as a big party for all our friends and family, to celebrate the wedding that was just for immediate family on May 16th.
I've seen a lot of love for the Smoke Vault from texastweeter and his description to me of the copious capacity - he says it will hold a LOT of your typical 8# butts - has me thinking I need this smoker, maybe with 2 extra racks, so that I can get 4 levels of butts going in it. I've also seen pictures at bbqguys.com showing how it holds full steam table trays, so it could be really handy for keeping stuff warm in foil pans.
I also have a natural gas hookup at the end of the house, so while I might keep it propane based for portability until I get past the September 12th event, I think longer term I would just get the kit from Camp Chef, hook it up, and be tethered to the hookup outside my fireplace at the end of the house, for the convenience of unlimited fuel.
Soo.... where I need convincing is in flavor/results of smokes on this. I smoke all the time on my Performer with the SNS, and I've been smoking for over 30 years on an offset. I've gone round and round over smokers like the Grilla or a WSM 22", but it seems the Smoke Vault 24 beats both of those on capacity, and with the ability to handle 4 full size steam table trays, its got a lot of heating/warming/smoking capacity. It just seems like the best bang for my buck.
I just have never ever smoked with propane or natural gas, so I don't know that it will give me the bark or smoke flavor I am used to with charcoal and wood chunks. I know I will still be using wood chunks, but I won't have the "charcoal" flavor I am used to.
So how about it - those of you with a Smoke Vault, how does it compare to your other cookers on flavor, bark and results?
I've seen a lot of love for the Smoke Vault from texastweeter and his description to me of the copious capacity - he says it will hold a LOT of your typical 8# butts - has me thinking I need this smoker, maybe with 2 extra racks, so that I can get 4 levels of butts going in it. I've also seen pictures at bbqguys.com showing how it holds full steam table trays, so it could be really handy for keeping stuff warm in foil pans.
I also have a natural gas hookup at the end of the house, so while I might keep it propane based for portability until I get past the September 12th event, I think longer term I would just get the kit from Camp Chef, hook it up, and be tethered to the hookup outside my fireplace at the end of the house, for the convenience of unlimited fuel.
Soo.... where I need convincing is in flavor/results of smokes on this. I smoke all the time on my Performer with the SNS, and I've been smoking for over 30 years on an offset. I've gone round and round over smokers like the Grilla or a WSM 22", but it seems the Smoke Vault 24 beats both of those on capacity, and with the ability to handle 4 full size steam table trays, its got a lot of heating/warming/smoking capacity. It just seems like the best bang for my buck.
I just have never ever smoked with propane or natural gas, so I don't know that it will give me the bark or smoke flavor I am used to with charcoal and wood chunks. I know I will still be using wood chunks, but I won't have the "charcoal" flavor I am used to.
So how about it - those of you with a Smoke Vault, how does it compare to your other cookers on flavor, bark and results?
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