I will be making/smoking more Salmon and summer and regular sausages. Which model should I get? Would the 009 be big enough? If I hung summer sausages in the 009, would they be too close to the smoke box? It is either the 009 or the Amerique. I would rather not pay another 1000.00 though for my first smoker. (the boss would have to be notified, and the resulting chores and verbal juggling I would rather not do.) Jamey

Not sure, but my newly arrived Smokette is really dinky... maybe 1 cubic foot of available cooking area. They say 3 shelves, but then they say the you can't really use the bottom shelf.

I bought the 009 and I'm very sorry I did.

I'm trying right now to get my unit replaced, but I'm also not holdin my breath.

I'm pretty sure I'm just screwed.

quote:

Originally posted by greenebelly:
I will be making/smoking more Salmon and summer and regular sausages. Which model should I get? Would the 009 be big enough? If I hung summer sausages in the 009, would they be too close to the smoke box? It is either the 009 or the Amerique. I would rather not pay another 1000.00 though for my first smoker. (the boss would have to be notified, and the resulting chores and verbal juggling I would rather not do.) Jamey

You don't have to hang them. I lay mine down on the racks most of the time unless I am making 1 pounders....Just my 2 cents worth.

quote:

Originally posted by ARiSAR:
I'm pretty sure I'm just screwed.

Unlike most any smoker manufacturer out there, you're not. CS has a 30 day return policy so if you haven't CALL them today. If it's outside the 30 day win, I'd still call them, they work VERY hard to satisfy their customers.

The specs give the dimensions, so not sure why it was a surprise, but I understand when you see it in person.

About the third shelf, we don't say never use it. What we try to convey is use it last of the three for two reasons:

1. The bottom shelf will block the flow to the upper two if you really overfill it (say with a large brisket) you'll have problems.

2. It has more "direct" heat so depending on what's on the bottom shelf, it likely will cook faster.

Lots of people use all three shelves. If I put briskets or butts on the third shelf, do it fat side down, it helps with the direct heat. I do that in my FE too on the bottom shelf.

quote:

Originally posted by greenebelly:
Which model should I get? Would the 009 be big enough? If I hung summer sausages in the 009, would they be too close to the smoke box? Jamey

Think capacity, how MUCH will you do at one time? You need to figure out how much you'll be doing to help determine capacity.

For Sausage, check the Sausage forum, plenty of those guys do it with an 008.

I just wouldn't hang the sausage so it touches the box, but as you'll be doing lower temps, it won't be a problem.

Thanks. I guess I gotta go big. Jamey