From Charcoal to Electricity.Am I Crazy????

fumo,

All I can say is I'm on my third CS, not for lack of performance but size, and have NEVER looked back !! You can use it for ALL that you mentioned and cold smoke too !! Think of all the SLEEP you'll get NOT having to watch the temp.. .. Your best bet is to read Smokins 101's and ask questions. Be aware that your wood usage will be less as it does not take a bunch to get good results. I'm sure more experienced folks will chime in.

God Luck
Mark

I'm not among the 'most experienced' but I tell you you're gonna love not having to fuss with the fire, add more wood...oops, too much wood... the wind is blowing my temperature dropped too low...darned it, it's raining I'm losing all my heat...now that it's the evening and the sun's gone down it's a lot colder so gotta stoke up the wood...tired of waiting, I'll just bring the heat up to about 375 and see what happens...aw the heck with it, I'll pull it off now and stick it in the oven!

Now, admittedly, I DO miss 'playing with the fire', but I DON'T miss having to second guess all the interferences that will screw up good barbecue. It just turns out good meat, juicy, no strange ashes on it, no particularly burnt spots, no smell or taste from the resins in the wood from having to burn so much of it (2-4 ounces of wood is all you need...do you know how LITTLE wood that is??).

You'll like your cooker, real much! And like most everybody else, I still keep a grill around so that I can torch a steak, or some chops, when I get the urge to see the 'flames.'

You might occasionally use your charcoal/chip burner to do some chicken-depending on your cooker.

Chances are you will just carry it to the road.

If you can cook it on your charcoal/chip burner the 008 will do it better with LESS wood and LESS hassle! I love being able to put on a brisket in the morning before I leave for work and when I come home dinner is ready. The best thing you can do is buy a remote thermometer and stick the probe through the vent hole and then sit on the couch and watch basketball until the food is done. It doesn't matter what the outside temp is the 008 will just keep on cooking kind of like the energizer bunny!

Thanks for all your advices,Im glad to be on the forum and i look forword to posting in the future.Thanks
Fumo

One of my favorite meals is 18 hole ribs:

Rub down some spareribs or backribs with your favorite rub, prepare cooker with foil and put a measured amount of wood in the wood house (say two or three ounces of chunk hickory).

Put in ribs at 0730 (seven thirty AM for you non-military types). Go golfing.

By the time you get home at 1230 or 1300, your ribs are ready. Want to leave them in a bit more because you're not ready? Go ahead, no harm, no foul.

Still, those are the 18 hole ribs, and that is how much effort you have to put into them.