Considering a Smokette but have a few questions

A) I can smell the BBQ in my front yard while it smokes in my backyard. It does not churn out the smoke like a stick burning smoker, but it definately lets you know there's Q cooking.

B) You never need to add wood and you darn sure DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! Does anyone else here support that sentiment?

C) The 008 & 009 can easily cook enough pork butt or brisket for 20 folks.

D) I am certainly not a rib expert, but I already prefer mine over local bbq stands. Contact CS about trade shows in your area. You may be able to sample the food. CS was recently at a grill shop in my area.

A) ditto to justadude!

B) ditto agian!

C) there is plenty of room for that kind of crowd!

D) the ribs, what ever cut, are the best I have had!

Prep meat, add wood 2-6 oz. your choice, insert probe, close door. Thats it, set and forget!!!

Buy a CookShack smoker.

Get new neighbors.

Amen to the above! If you buy a CS your neighbors will love you for the fantastic aroma you send their way. Trouble is that they may start wandering over about dinner-time!

Ya just can't go wrong with a Cookshack!

I have two FE100s which can at times put out a lot of smoke. Last winter I had a few complaints. I asked what the hell are you doing with your fireplace going and the windows open in the first place. I think the smell was driving them crazy.

Thanks guys. This is a great forum and I appreciate the feedback.

Roger

A) The amount of smoke given off is much less then a weber or drum.

B) Only have to add wood before you turn it on.
It's as easy to use as a crock pot.

C) Cooking for a group of 20, pork butt or brisket not a problem

D) The ribs you will make will beter then any you can buy.

You will be a bbq guru to all your friends.
Just dont tell them how easy it is ; )

Yep, the folks here at work know I am Native American and so they think I am like a jerky god! It ain't me, it's the Smokette!

quote:

Originally posted by ezgoin:
I have two FE100s which can at times put out a lot of smoke. Last winter I had a few complaints. I asked what the hell are you doing with your fireplace going and the windows open in the first place. I think the smell was driving them crazy.

I'm interested in knowing how far away the people were and the layout of where you keep the smokers.

I have a hard time getting my mind around that there are people that would complain of a BBQ smell. Strange peeps in this world.

Lantern,

Houses are about 20' apart max, and I smoke on my driveway just outside my garage.

Part of the problem might be that when I first got my smokers, I would offer samples to neighbors and request feed back.

When I was satified with what I was producing, I cut down on the freebies. That might have had something to do with it.

Cookshacks will put out the smoke smell but by about 1/10 of that of a barrel smoker. I have a offset smoker and when I fire it up, a steady amount of smoke comes out and stays constant as long as there is wood in the fire box. It also makes a smoke screen around my house and down the street a bit. I say a cookshack will produce the least amount of smoke compared to a offset.
I would get a 009 if you are on a budget. I put four 7-lb butt in my 009 and it makes 15-lbs of finished pulled pork. Thats a good amount of meat. Now ribs will have to be cut in 1/2 to fit but that is never a problem with my family. The model 50 is just taller and ribs would be able to be hung,but I don't see the $300 difference. Now if money is no object, get the amerique. You can do 7 full slabs of ribs layed horizontally and then a couple of pork butts under the ribs.

So here are my picks

1. A 009 if you plan on doing butts most of the time for 30 or less people, then doing 3 slabs of ribs after the butts are finished.

2. AN Amerique if you plan on doing ribs and butts most of the time. The Amerique will hold 7 slabs of ribs and 4 pork butts at the same time!

I hit the last empty post by mistake. I just did a cook for 25 in my 55. I had planned on doing pork butt and brisket. When asked if I could cook the food on short noticed (2 days) I called the butcher first to make sure he had brisket. They said they had it so I said Ok and the emails when out for the lunch. Yesterday when I went to pick up the briskets they said they didn't have any. So I had to come up with a quick plan B. I ended up smoking 17 lbs of pork butt on the top shelf that I started 1PM yesterday and added 25 lbs of untrimmed spares at 5 this morning. Because of the butts cooking on the top rack when I hung the ribs they were touching the wood box. Being half asleep I put in the bottom shelf and rested the ends of ribs on it. I pulled everthing out at 11:30 this morning, only running 1 hour late. Everything turned out great and there was plenty of food. I was glad I had the 55, I wished I had larger as I couldn't fit the 6th rack of spares. I might have been able to if I was awake and it was light out. I would sugest buying the biggest box you can afford.

West 22:
If you can afford it go with the AmeriQue, I have one and love it. I have used every kind of small and large smoker, the AmeriQue is by far the best and easiest to use, no cutting the ribs in half!

Thanks again for the advice. I wish I could afford the Amerique but I just shelled out $1800 for the Weber a couple of months ago so I can't really justify the additional cost. I'm going to get the Smokette in December so I hopefully will be able to contribute to this great forum then.

Roger