Considering SM045 - Need Help

quote:

Originally posted by minatophase3:
I currently own a Traeger Lil Tex and would really like to get something that is bigger and can do a great job on ribs, pork butt and chicken. I am considering getting the Cookshack SM045 electric smoker and keeping the Traeger as well for burgers, steaks and hot dogs.

Coming from a pellet cooker, will I be happy with the way the SM045 smokes meat? What about chicken skin, can it get hot enough to get the skin crispy?

Anyone out there move from a pellet grill over to one of the electric smokers? If so I would love to hear our thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Tim

Tim,

I have both a Treager and a Cookshack SM040 which is the same size only not all Stainless Steel and doesn't have the meat probe. I love my SM040 and the ribs, pulled pork and briskets. You will also notice that the Cookshack's meat is a lot more moist than your cooks on the Treager as the cookshack doesn't dry out what it is cooking. Not to mention the ease of doing a long cook, just set it and forget it, until you reach the internal meat temp and begin testing for doneness.

I get great flavor with chicken and turkey (especially with the brine recepies) however you will find that the skin isn't crispy due to not having the high heat. One alternative is to cook the chicken in the cookshack and then 'crisp' up the skin over higher heat in your Traeger (or other grill/oven).

Yes you will be very happy with the smoke flavor you get and will be able to use different woods to generate the flavor you enjoy (mixing pecan/hickory or pecan/apple in the same smoke). What you will find with the SM045 is that you use a whole lot less wood since the wood only produces smoke and isn't used for heating. In fact if you aren't carefull you can oversmoke your meats. I typically use from 3 1/2 to 5 ounces of wood when smoking pork butts or briskets.

I love the Cookshack and in fact am in the process of trying to sell my Treager. (My wife bought me a Big Green Egg for our anniversary and I love it over the Treager.)

You can PM me if you have other questions you would like to ask or just ask here.

Jerry

Welcome to the forum Tim.

I own a Lil Tex and an Amerique. You'll love the 045. I agree with everything JerinVA said. When you place your Cookshack order, grab a couple of bags of the Cookshack/Fast Eddy Hickory pellets. They produce much better results vs the Traeger pellets.

Holler back with any questions.

I have a Traeger Lil Tex. When I needed more space I purchased an FEC-100... and kept the Traeger for the same reasons as you mentioned.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I believe I have made up my mind that a Cookshack smoker will be my next purchase! I am having a hard time justifying the cost difference between the 025 and 045. I have enough in my budget for the 045 and know that is what I should get but it seems to be a lot of money for a little more space.

Can someone tell me how many pork butts will fit ont he 045 or 025? Can I get 2 on each rack?

Tim

You should be able to place 2 PB's on each rack if they're 7 lbs or under. I'm smoking 2 8 pounders now on the Amerique. I believe the rack sizes are the same. Both could fit on one rack but it would be a tight squeeze.

I'd go for the bigger capacity the 045 provides. At some point you'll appreciate it.

MaxQue would be right on. Don't know if anything over 8lbs would fit between the racks, but you could get that size on the top rack. I've done 4 7lbers with no trouble on my 020, which is the same size as the 025.

There is 4" of space between the racks and 6" on the top rack, if that helps you.

Thanks MaxQue and cal, that helps quite a bit.

One other question, how hot does the outside of the smoker get? Reason I ask is that I saw somewhere on the internet that someone put their Cookshack smoker inside one of those rubbermaid type cabinets and added some vents. I have an uncovered deck and am trying to find ways to get the smoker out of the weather so I can use it more (it rains a lot here in Seattle)and that looked like a neat idea, provided the smoker doesn't get too warm.

quote:

Originally posted by minatophase3:
Thanks for the replies everyone! I believe I have made up my mind that a Cookshack smoker will be my next purchase! I am having a hard time justifying the cost difference between the 025 and 045. I have enough in my budget for the 045 and know that is what I should get but it seems to be a lot of money for a little more space.

Can someone tell me how many pork butts will fit ont he 045 or 025? Can I get 2 on each rack?

Tim

Tim,
One difference is the size of the shelves. Check the specs and you will see the 025 has 14"x14" shelves while the 045 has 14" x 18"shelves. While the shelves are only 4" wider they make a big difference when doing ribs and packer briskets. I have put two 10 pound pork picnics on a shelf. A full packer brisket will lay flat in the 045 while it may have to be folded to fit in the 025.

Also part of the cost difference is the meat probe in the 045 and the added functionality in the controller. I have an 040 and I love the flexibility I get from the shelf size.

Jer

quote:

Originally posted by minatophase3:
Thanks MaxQue and cal, that helps quite a bit.

One other question, how hot does the outside of the smoker get? Reason I ask is that I saw somewhere on the internet that someone put their Cookshack smoker inside one of those rubbermaid type cabinets and added some vents. I have an uncovered deck and am trying to find ways to get the smoker out of the weather so I can use it more (it rains a lot here in Seattle)and that looked like a neat idea, provided the smoker doesn't get too warm.

You cam hold your hand on the outside of the smoker when it is in operation. They are that well insulated.

Another thing that may be different between the 025 and 045 is the size of the heating element. I believe one is 500 watts and the other is 750 watts. Check to be sure.

Jer

Here ya go minatophase3, check out Rich H. and Brewbek setup! link to smoker setups.

I'm quite sure that Jer is confusing the 025 with the 09? The only difference in the 025 and 045 is one more shelf,I think.

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
Here ya go minatophase3, check out Rich H. and Brewbek setup! link to smoker setups.

RichH's setup is the one I saw on the Internet! Thanks for the link.

Tim

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
Here ya go minatophase3, check out Rich H. and Brewbek setup! link to smoker setups.

I'm quite sure that Jer is confusing the 025 with the 09? The only difference in the 025 and 045 is one more shelf,I think.

Yes Cal you are right. Confusion is often my middle name.

Jer

quote:

Tim,
One difference is the size of the shelves. Check the specs and you will see the 025 has 14"x14" shelves while the 045 has 14" x 18"shelves.

Correction on this. Both the 025 and the 045 have the same 14x18 shelves.

The 025 specs

quote:

Originally posted by Qnorth:

quote:

Tim,
One difference is the size of the shelves. Check the specs and you will see the 025 has 14"x14" shelves while the 045 has 14" x 18"shelves.

Correction on this. Both the 025 and the 045 have the same 14x18 shelves.

The 025 specs

Cal was correct when he said I was confusing the 025 with an 009. Sorry for the miss information.

I too was agonizing over paying the difference from the 025 to 045 (settled on a closeout 040 model) but in the end decided it was best to have the extra shelf though I have yet to use it, but do like having the option.

Jer

Sooooo Jer,

Since the 045 is 4" taller then the 025, would I be correct thinking that the other shelf has 4" of space between it?

I have seen a time or two that the extra 4" would have been nice, but hey, a fella learns to work with whatever he has,as long as it is a CS!!!

My guess is the total height is averaged between the 3 shelves vs adding a shelf with 4" clearance.

Thank you everyone for helping me with my decision. I just placed an order for the SM045 from The Charcoal Store!

Hopefully I will be smoking some great food in the next week or two on my new Cookshack!

Tim

Congratulations minatophase3. You'll enjoy your new SM045. I recently ordered an AmeriQue from the Charcoal Store, and received very fast, good service.