Need some advice

[HackerDave]

Hoping you guys can help me out. New to smokers....and by new I mean I have never owned one. I have always owned propane grills but looking to learn new things. My issue is I need a smoker that I can set and go. For instance I want to put on some pork shoulder and then go out for a round or golf or hang on the lake with the family. I don't want to have to monitor it every hour because sometimes that just isn't possible.

My first thought was a pellet smoker such as a Grilla or Traeger, but as I read more, there seems to be other options. I don't really have a budget in mind, but it would be nice to spend less as I just purchased a new grill. I am looking for a dedicated smoker. Thanks for any recommendations or guidance you can send my way!

[PaulstheRibList]

Great question! There are other smokers that you can just set and go...sort of. But the only one that is truly that hands off is the pellet smoker. I've cooked on Weber Smokey Mountains hundreds of times, but even then it was almost never a true "set it and go" where I could put food on and leave for a round of golf time and again. If you get a vault cooker with a fan controller you can get close to the set-n-go status of a pellet cooker, but it's still more work.

If I were going to put meat on and then go out on the boat for hours at a time, I would get a pellet cooker.

[RonB]

Welcome to The Pit Dave. How long do you think your cooks will be unattended? I can run my Weber kettle with an SnS overnight unattended although I prefer to at least check at around 6 hours - I have gone 8 without checking.

[Hammo]

Would that be in a 22” or 26” ?

[RonB]

Hammo - 22"

[MBMorgan]

Welcome from Colorado...

First, you can’t go wrong with a Grilla Grills product. That said there are plenty of options out there ... although Grilla remains a personal favorite.

Second, in my personal opinion, there are NO totally set and forget cookers ... only set, keep an eye on it, and remember to keep a good fire extinguisher close by. That said, pellet poopers come pretty darn close.

[barelfly]

Welcome!

I’ll offer up the style I use. A Smokin-it electric. It’s pretty much lazy-q at its best. Set it and forget it. No tending needed. Just monitor the temp here and there, which with wireless temp controls now, you can do while on the links.

https://www.smokin-it.com

i have a regular style 3D. They make these with wireless PID controls now, which I don’t have so can’t comment on that. But if you have questions let me know. Happy to help if I can.

[treesmacker]

Those are smokin! Check out the Mother's day special if you are ready to buy now... get some extras for free! Their prices seem reasonable.

[Strat50]

If I could only have 1 rig, that I can do pretty hands off low and slow, plus searing, baking and pizza, then I would get an Akorn kamado. I have gone fishing when I had something cooking in the Akorn, and had zero problems. This has happened in many extreme Alaskan weather conditions from -15 to 60 and blowing a gale. All this time the cook happened normally.One can adjust one's technique to suit the situation.

Having said that, most of the above mentioned methods and machines will work fine too; It just depends on what you're doing and how. I like the Akorn because you get a true wood flavor. The Akorn is not too expensive(so if you decide to go another direction, you don't have too much into it..), so one can get started cooking with good results.

In other words, try a cheaper version of what your personal sensibilities steer you to. When you find the method and work flow that works for you, THEN upgrade to the cooker that best fits what you do and how you do it. That's the name of the game. There is no real "best." There is only what works for you and yours. Most of the rest is all hype and B.S., in my chef's opinion.

It's been my experience in my 40+ years of of being a cook, chef, etc., that it's the person, NOT the machine, in most cases. As a cook/chef, it is your job to do the best with what you have. Whether one has an electric, propane, or natural wood fired heat source, it's your job to think the cook through. And, if you are going mobile for awhile, the make provisions for temps and timing of your cook. Got it?lol

If you are going away, figure your temps, and acceptable cook times. Then, just go. Deal with what you have when you return. Not a big deal. Prep the sides before, so you can just deal with the meat when you return. If your return is fluid, do your cook at a much lower temp, then heat everything up when you return. I have used this technique many times with good to killer results.

[MBMorgan]

+1

[au4stree]

Great advice

[Sweaty Paul]

Outstanding advice

[LA Pork Butt]

Based on your need to set it and go you need a cooker that has a controller that you can monitor grill temperature by WiFi. I cook on a Big Green Egg with a Smobot controller. I will put my ribs on in a few minutes set it at 225 and two hours later on my way to church I will bump the temp up to 275 so they will be done for noon. You can add controllers to some cookers. I believe some pellet smokers have built in WiFi controllers. I usually cook my pork shoulders overnight while I sleep and let them rest wrapped in foil in an ice chest with old towels until I am ready to serve at noon.

[scottranda]

Yes, outside of a pellet smoker, you can get a thermostatic controller which will regulate the temps with a fan or adjusting the vents automatically (like Smobot). I have an Auber which works wonders! So, yeah, there’s a lot to consider outside of a pellet smoker.

[Oak Smoke]

I agree with LA Pork Butt a kamado with a smobot is as close as I've seen to what you want. The smobot monitors both the meat temp and cooker temp. With the wifi app you can know how your cook is going and adjust the temp from almost anywhere. The farthest I've gone from home with a cook in progress is 30 miles, it worked fine. I'm going to resist the temptation to recommend a kamado brand. There are several very good ones on the market.

[EdF]

Kamado is my goto for low intervention cooks as well. Smobot only makes it better at that.

[Oakgrovebacon]

Welcome to the pit from Southern Illinois!

[Skip]

Welcome from Minnesota HackerDave ! I agree with the posts above. Thinking back how I got started in this fun hobby I would probably advise you to to go with a Pellet Grill, Weber Kettle with SnS, or a Kamado in that order. Have fun with your decision and fun with your New Cooker.

[Mosca]

Based on your need to set it and go you need a cooker that has a controller that you can monitor grill temperature by WiFi. I cook on a Big Green Egg with a Smobot controller. I will put my ribs on in a few minutes set it at 225 and two hours later on my way to church I will bump the temp up to 275 so they will be done for noon. You can add controllers to some cookers. I believe some pellet smokers have built in WiFi controllers. I usually cook my pork shoulders overnight while I sleep and let them rest wrapped in foil in an ice chest with old towels until I am ready to serve at noon.

And I’m sure LA Pork Butt will agree, the thermostatic controller on a kamado is just an extra layer of security. Set the kamado correctly, sans controller, and it will hold 225* (or whatever you choose) until the fuel runs out. (I use a controller, too.)

[LA Pork Butt]

Agreed! After I moved to Dallas I found the winds to be unusually gusty, so the controller evens temperatures out.

[Mudkat]

Welcome to the Pit!

[Old Glory]

Hi here are a few different styles to consider:

Kamado Style - Most versitile can grill, bake, smoke. Big Green Egg, Acorn, Weber Summit. I have BGE but would love the Weber.

Cabinet Style - Uses water pan and has lots of space. Humprey's, Back Woods, Assassin, Lone Star. Can be used with a controller to modulate temps. https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/gril...abinet-smokers. My Humprey's holds temp for hours.

Pellet - Ultimate set and forget but I have no experience with them

Hasty Bake

[klflowers]

I 2nd or 3rd or 4th everything said here. I run a wsm and a kettle/sns, but they both have learning curves IMO. I can run the wsm at 225 for hours with little or no messing with it; the kettle is only limited by the size of the sns charcoal basket. That said, for truly set and forget, I think I would go with a quality pellet grill.

[klflowers]

Oh yeah, and welcome to the pit from TN

[jgreen]

Welcome from Winnipeg. I agree with the pellet grill suggestion for ease of use and flexibility. There is also a Masterbilt smoker in the ads on the right that Max Good thinks is pretty good if you want propane.

[Troutman]

From the good advice on cookers and the great advice on the how and why we cook, I'd say stick with the recommendations above. All I'll add is welcome to the Pit from the Republic of Texas !!!