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6 replies

newbie needs help!

FM Former Member
Posted May 02, 2007 08:24 PM
Sorry, I moved this from the other forum, though didn't quite know how. Bear with me.
Hi...This is Ken in Portland and I'm now to this sight as well as to the idea of a pellet smoker. I'd love as much advice as you can give me.
First, a little history: I've been a chef for about 30 years. the last 3 I've been smoking and selling some of the best bbq in the NW out of my restaurant one night per week. I've been using a custum made Texas-style offset smoker, using charcoal and seasoned oak split logs, smoking whole briskets, ribs, pork butts, salmon, chicken, lamb riblets etc.

About a year ago I started doing Pastrami out of Brisket flats - the result has been tremendous, to the point where I've built a NY Deli business out of it, and we're about to open a new restaurant built around it in downtown Portland in 5 months. All good.

We're considering switching to a pellet smoker, probably the 500 model considering the volume we'll be going through.

Okay - now to the questions: What differences will I encounter using pellets? I understand the process, but what about the change in flavor and texture? How can I find this out before I actually purchase one? It sounds like a good process, but is it as good as hardwoods?

Thanks
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T tomMember
I'd email Eddy at the plant.

He can give you specific numbers as to effeciency,cost ,etc.

Not that there aren't fine offsets and cooks that can produce fine product from them.

You will get to sleep,you can train minimum wage help to operate the equipment,your operating costs will drop drastically,cleanup will drop drastically.

You can focus on your overall business,rather than tending a pit all the time.

It will be UL and NSF,so you can have the pit where you want and minimal inspection problems.

As to taste and texture,you won't have to worry about oversmoking and your taste comes in good part from your cures.

Your consistancy will be excellent,without constant tending.

I don't know what texture you are looking for,but many of us compete on the comp circuit with them.

Eddy can probably hook you up with some operators in your area ,to do some cooking on.
FM Former Member
Ken:
Suggest you try to attend the Bales Thriftway Classic in Aloha June 9th & 10Th. The store is on Farmington rd. and about 185th, north side of the street. I don't think there will be an FEC500 there, but there should be a couple of teams that will be cooking on FEC100's, and I'm sure they will be willing to answer any questions you might have.
I use an FEC100 in conjunction with a stick burner (both mounted on a trailer) for catering gigs, and I'm very happy with the product comming off of the FEC100.

Regards, qball qballsbbq@yahoo.com
FM Former Member
I have another question, this one with pretty big implications. It seems that if I put a Fast Eddy smoker in my restaurant, I'm going to need a Class I hood, fire suppression system and going to have to fire wrap the exhaust shaft going up to th roof. Pricetag: about an additional $40K!

If I get an electric wood chip model, like the ones from Cookshack, then I won't have to do any of the above. I'd just have to put in a class II hood. Big savings!

But my question is this: I have pretty stong doubts that a wood chip smoker is going to smoke things to the level I want. It seems that mostly they're heating boxes with a bit of smoke, i.e. the heat is from the electric heater, and not from the smoke itself. I cn't imagine I can get a similar result to real wood smoking.

Any help here? Thanks!

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