Switching smokers, mid-smoke

[vtkess02]

So I've got a KBQ which is my primary smoker, and I've got a Camp Chef woodwind that sits on the deck and gets neglected. Sometimes I hear it crying quietly, which makes me feel bad and got me thinking. For longer smokes - brisket, pork shoulder, etc - it seems like it would make sense to start off the cook in the KBQ. Maybe open the poppets a little more than usual and get some good smoke for a while. But at some point, maybe move the meat to the Camp Chef and finish it there in order to save on wood and not have to tend the fire for hours on end (although that's more of my wife's complaint, not mine). I've always heard that the meat gets a majority of its smoke flavor in the first part of the cook.

I'm just curious if anyone else does this and, were there any noticeable changes in your results compared to doing the whole thing in the KBQ?

[TheQuietOne]

It's no different from what I sometimes do for a long cook. I start it off in the smoker and finish it off in the oven. So give your Camp Chef a treat.

[FireMan]

Cool idea, a mid-smoke switcheroo. I think you might be the first in the world to do anything like this, a groundbreaking event in human history! Probably not! In my very limited experience, less than yours, it’ll work. Peeps have started off a smoke & then finish in the oven a few times on this site. So, I don’t know why a smoker exchange would be any different. Take pics & let us know how it works out. 🕶

[vtkess02]

Haha I know, novel idea right? I was probably overthinking things...

[ComfortablyNumb]

Not me, the KBQ is my only smoker. But I have heard of people putting meat on a grill or smoker to get some flavour then finishing it off in an oven for convenience, so I can't see where switching smokers would be a problem. A good test would be to put two identical pieces of meat in the KBQ and move one over to the Camp Chef to finish and leave the other in the KBQ. Then you'd know exactly how they differ.

[HawkerXP]

Not all of us has an apple orchard in the backyard.

or a herd of pigs and a flock of chickens and a mule next door.

[ComfortablyNumb]

HawkerXP The apple orchard is in the front yard. The backyard is a hayfield. You forgot to mention that I'm well grounded and don't spend my time with my head in the clouds! ;-)

[Old Glory]

Harry Soo finishes his long cooks in an oven once the meat has taken on all the smoke it can. He claims BTUs are BTUs so using a different smoker should not matter at all.

Added: Just be sure that the second smoker is burning clean before adding the meat.

[FireMan]

Yup, if’n ya seen one BTU, ya seen em all!

[Mr. Bones]

Heat is Heat, Good Gosh, Let's Eat!

[ssandy_561]

I can’t remember the last time I’ve finished a pork butt or Chuck roast on my Weber Kettle set up as a smoker. Once the fuel is spent into the oven it goes.

[Mr. Bones]

Hi!
I'm Mr. Bones, an I Endorse This Message!

[JGrana]

I own a KBQ and recently a BGE for grilling. I actually did the switcharoo earlier this month.

I was smoking a Creekstone full packer. Figured with a 12-16 hour cook, feeding the KBQ beast every 20-30 mins in December weather was a bit too much for the whole time.

So, started the brisket on the KBQ to get it's great smoke. Let it run around 8 hours, wrapped and put on the BGE until done. The BGE held a pretty constant 230F the whole time. Total cook time around 15 hours.

Came out great. It was 14lbs pre-trim. When I checked at around 200F, the brisket was like a bowl of jello.
Put in cambro for an hour and half. Wow, it came out perfect.

Motto - the switch did no harm ;-)



An hour before wrap/pull:

[EdF]

Great arrow to have in the quiver.

[Dr. Pepper]

I've gone to this method (oven, not BGE) for brisket, pork shoulders. Smoke for 4 hours, then into the oven at 220 wrapped in butcher paper.

[hogdog6]

I don't think I've ever fully completed a long cook in my KBQ once the bark is where I want it goes in the oven or the KJ.
I'm way to lazy to do a 12+ hour KBQ cook, never had a complaint.
As stated above BTU is BTU no matter the heat source.

[Dr. Pepper]

Yes. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had a pellet smoker, but with the KBQ being fed every 25 minutes, 3-4 hours is enough for me. (Hope they don't tell us next year that the smoke works for the last 6 hours, not the first 4! Like Woody Allen's 'Sleeper', where he wakes up in the future, to discover that while he was 'sleeping', science had learned that cigarettes are actually good for you! Although the Orgasmatron seemed like a good invention.)

[Stuey1515]

Yep, ovens are a great device to complete the cook once smoke is applied. Also saves money on fuel and much easier to maintain temps haha

[bep35]

I have an electric Cookshack Smokette that I started my smoking journey with. It no longer gets used with the exception of a pan of baked beans now and then if I want to add some smokey goodness to them. I have taken briskets and pork shoulders when my charcoal runs out on my other smokers and finished them in the Smokette because it is set it and forget it. Once your meat reaches a certain level of doneness it doesn't pick up a lot of smoke from the cooker. You should be good to go.

[JGrana]

One more thing about switching from a KBQ to oven/BGE/whatever.
I tried a few full smokes on the BGE. Not bad, but I am definitely spoiled by the smoke profile of the KBQ.

For a short cook like chicken - KBQ all the way, plus the benefit of the searing hot wood holder. For ribs, I lean towards KBQ all the way as well. For long cooks - brisket and beef ribs, it's KBQ to get the smoke flavor and BGE to finish the long "rendering" phase.