I really like this smoker! This is my third smoker. My first was a small charcoal water smoker. Wonderful for poultry. However, the Buffalo Grove Fire Dept. banned them from my complex's wood porches because three of mu neighbors set their porches on fire. Or, so they say. I also had to get rid of my heirloom charcoal Weber,. But, that's another story. I had a choice at that time of going electric or gas. I made the wrong choice. After years of frustration with an electric vertical smoker, it rusted away and I had to replace it. If you don't know, the problem with electrical smokers is getting them hot enough to ignite wood. I searched the internet for a solution and finally bought a metal tube and pellets to ignite with a heat guns and stick in the electric smoker like using a fireworks punk. Being a previous wood & coal purist, pellets to me have a papery taste. Could be me.
By the way,, keeping the smoker under a cover may have contributed to the rusting of the unit. Trapped moisture.
I know that I didn't want electric again so it came down to gas, My budget was, well, a budget unit. A few vertical smokers are similar but the Pit Boss is available on sale for about $100.00 less than online (who says brick and mortar stores are dead?) at the big box stores. Took me a couple hours to put it together but, boy, is it worth it. The second, raised small burner unit (hard to describe) is dedicated to the wood tray. So, I can smoke the wood at even the lowest setting. Great for mozzarella cheese to serve as a lower calorie appetizer. Maybe all gas smokers have this but Pit Boss is smart enough to advertise it as a feature. Good luck getting it up to 350 but I smoke low and slow, anyway. I've gone from no smoke electric to having to make sure it doesn't get too smoky. And, the water tray has gone from electric kinda warm to my Pit Boss gas boils it pretty fast so I got to keep adding water. The key to moist turkey.
I believe that 90% of smoking is learning your smoker and how to use it. Now, having experience, I hardily recommend the Pit Boss vertical unit Series 3.It gives you the tool that you need.
By the way,, keeping the smoker under a cover may have contributed to the rusting of the unit. Trapped moisture.
I know that I didn't want electric again so it came down to gas, My budget was, well, a budget unit. A few vertical smokers are similar but the Pit Boss is available on sale for about $100.00 less than online (who says brick and mortar stores are dead?) at the big box stores. Took me a couple hours to put it together but, boy, is it worth it. The second, raised small burner unit (hard to describe) is dedicated to the wood tray. So, I can smoke the wood at even the lowest setting. Great for mozzarella cheese to serve as a lower calorie appetizer. Maybe all gas smokers have this but Pit Boss is smart enough to advertise it as a feature. Good luck getting it up to 350 but I smoke low and slow, anyway. I've gone from no smoke electric to having to make sure it doesn't get too smoky. And, the water tray has gone from electric kinda warm to my Pit Boss gas boils it pretty fast so I got to keep adding water. The key to moist turkey.
I believe that 90% of smoking is learning your smoker and how to use it. Now, having experience, I hardily recommend the Pit Boss vertical unit Series 3.It gives you the tool that you need.
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