Smoker Decision

Welcome to the forum Razorback. I'll try to help with some of your questions, but please remember CS has a policy of if your not 100% satisfied in 30 days , return for your money. This should help ease your mind on the purchase.

While the smoker specs say 20-25lbs, many of use have had ours well beyond that point with EXCELLENT results.

It will cook 4 Pork Butts, or 2 packer briskets, or 4 brisket flats around 7-8lbs, or 6 slabs of Loin back ribs/ST louis cut spares, or 4 full slab spares, or a whole turkey. Many other stuff I've left out beef jerky,chickens,almonds,etc.

most of us was in your shoes and had a hard time justifying the extra cost, but we'll tell ya it was one of our best products for the money we have ever spent.

Shoot away with the other questions, I'm sure you have some and we'll help where we can. Don't forget CS customer service will answer any and all questions. They all smoke on CS smokers too!

First off, WELCOME! I have a CS020, same size as the Elite, just not all SS. 90% of the time, it's more than enough room. Only problem I've had was when I had really big parties, but then you just have to get a little creative with your timing on what dish goes in when.

Like cal said, it'll hold a lot of product, if you need more space for ribs, you can order a rib rack. I've done 9 slabs of ribs using one, not sure if two racks would fit or not, never measured, but if they do, you could possibly do 14 racks at once.

Any more questions, ask away.

From Cal's numbers, sounds like it would hold plenty of pork butt or brisket. Still not sure about ribs.

From Andy's post, does anyone know if it will hold two rib racks? Any other methods for getting more ribs in the space?

It will hold two racks, the question is how tall are the ribs. Went out and measured, you have about 5 inches of room between racks and about 6 inches between the top rack and the top of the smoker. So you should be able to get baby backs in the lower rack without a problem. St. Louis, might be a tight fit, but should still fit as the ribs will actually sit at a slight angle.

Also remember you'll have to buy the rib racks separately. Also, if the Amerique is too expensive and you need more room than the Elite, you have the Super Smoker.

Elite = 2 racks
Super Smoker = 3 racks
Amerique = 4 racks

Welcome to the CS forum. If it helps any, I have the Amerique and always tell people to buy as big as you can afford. With that said, I hardly ever come close to maxing out the Amerique and probably would do just fine with the Elite when smoking for just my family. I usually just smoke a couple of butts when having a party as its cheap and easy. Good luck with your decision. CookShack makes a great product that will outlast the rest.

RazorbackSlacker,

I had the same delima as you a couple years ago and I opted to go with the Super Smoker (I have model 040 which doesn't have all stainless steel or the meat probe) and love the added size that the 3rd rack gives me. The biggest smoke I did in it was two full packers with 2 9 lb pork butts. The smoker handled the load with no problem.

As said before, you cannot go wrong with their money back guarentee.

I put my smoker on a cart so that I don't have to bend over to load/unload/clean it. Love the hight advantage. Also mine isn't under a covered roof so I have the cookshack cover and after almost 2 winters, the cover still looks/fits as good as new.

I'll have to take a pic and show the stand I have this weekend when I smoke a PB.

Jer

I have the Elite and have no regrets. I had no idea I would love smoking as much as I do. The Elite is absolutely fine for my family of 4 and even does well to feed 8-10. I have had 35 pds of Pork butt that fed a party of 25+. I sent leftovers home.

The problem I have with the cookshack product is I want to upgrade. And I would never sell my elite. I want a FEC100. Convincing the wife that this is needed over a second car is my delema. Maybe when the kids are out of college.

Good luck with your decision. Whatever you decide, the great forum members will help you maximize your purchase and help you take your smoking experience to levels you had no idea were possible.

Sonnds like the Elite could feed a large party using pork butt or brisket......just not ribs.

A couple more questions if you don't mind.

Why would a person choose the Amerique over 2 Elite smokers? Roughly the same price and most of the time you could use one small smoker and only fire up two smokers if necessary. The Amerique has the "Hold" temp and the option to switch to hold when internal meat temp reaches the setpoint temp. These seem to be the only advantage of the Amerique over two Elite smokers. Seems there should be considerable cost savings in material and build time in one large unit over two smaller units.......but that isn't reflected in the Amerique price (odd).

Finally, I've never eaten meat smoked in an electric smoker. I've read that you can't re-produce the "bark" (not smoke ring) on the outside of the meat nor crisp the exterior skin of poultry like happens with wood burning smokers. I realize electric smokers have their own benefits........but what are your thoughts about this? Is there a lot of difference? If you check out AmazingRibs website, he has very little good to say about electric smokers (doesn't recommend them)........but he does state the CS smokers are the best of the electric catagory. Would the meat from an electric smoker taste as good as smoking in a standard charcoal grill (Weber) for an hour or two and finishing in a conventional oven on low temp for the duration of the cook? teying to get my head around this so I apologize for all the questions. If is was $100 or so I wouldn't be so tentative.

I can't answer your questions about the first paragraph but I can offer you my opinion about the second.

The bark on my butts and briskets are there. Perhaps the long smoke and sustained temperature (225ish) is what gets it there. I use a dry rub on my ribs and sauce them at the end and finish them in the smoker to set the sauce. The results are fantastic. The chicken skin will not get crispy in the elite. But there are tricks to getting the skin crispy. You can finish in an oven, or you can put them on a hot grill. I have tried both and both work. When doing chicken I look at it as a two stage process, the smoker adds the flavor and the grill/oven finishes the cook. Some say you can use a cheese cloth and butter, but that method didn't work the one time I tried it.

The best chicken I ever ate came off my offset smoker using direct heat from the coals and wood. If I was only to eat chicken for the rest of my life I may not own a cookshack. The beef, pork, jerky, almonds, fish, cheese and more is what sells me on the unit and keeps me recomending the product to friends and family.

quote:

Originally posted by Razorback
If you check out AmazingRibs website, he has very little good to say about electric smokers (doesn't recommend them)........but he does state the CS smokers are the best of the electric catagory. Would the meat from an electric smoker taste as good as smoking in a standard charcoal grill (Weber) for an hour or two and finishing in a conventional oven on low temp for the duration of the cook? teying to get my head around this so I apologize for all the questions.

This is the same fella that states the reason for the brisket plateau is because of it sweating, but then doesn't have an answer to why the Wagyu brisket doesn't sweat/plateau. Don't know if I've figured that one out, oh well....Your right, you won't get crispy skin on chicken in an electric smoker, so if you are a skin eater you will need to finish some other way.

These smokers were designed 50 years ago as a brisket cooker, so I doubt you'll be unsatisfied at cooking briskets in them. Some of us have learned to dump some of the moisture as we cook and they will produce a decent rib. Want more bark or drier bark, just cook at a little higher temp.

Lastly, you don't need to apologize for the questions, just keep asking what's on your mind...that's the only way I know you will learn without cooking on one.

It won't taste like charcoals, but instead like wood. Isn't that what smoke BBQ is suppose to taste like?

Good question, that's why we have this particular sub-forum.

In all the years, I'll say that for some people, they just haven't liked their CS. Great, I'm fine with that. And so is CS, that's why they have the 100% moneyback guarantee.

Hopefully we'll give you some info a little more in response to questions than generalizations. Other website, maybe I won't mention them by name. Didn't know much when they first started, stopped by this forum, picked up some info, now they're an expert? Funny.

Take what you read in ANY forum, including this one with a grain of salt. Everybody with a website wants to be the expert and for you to come there. There's a lot of bad info about BBQ out there. Well, except for me, I've a proven track record of 12+ years in this and other forums helping everyone so of course listen to me. FYI, check out this thread, read about 1/2 way down the 10 Commandments of Smokers, Rule #10

http://forum.cookshack.com/eve...1028883/m/3351032983

Will we be biased? A little. Some of the owners are VERY passionate about their purchase. Same on any forum. But I'm not a CS employee nor do I want you to have a smoker that you don't want. Want you to be happy. So I'll try to give you enough info to make your own choice.

There's nothing perfect. Especially for newbies. Every smoker has limitations and good points. Key is to understand these and make your decision.

I can make bark in any smoker. Bark is not a function of just smoke, it's as much technique and rub as anything else. Have a look through some of the food sub-forums, look for the threads with PIC in the title and see if that looks like Q.

Smoke Ring. Ah, fun subject. And the shear fact someone is using that as a defintion of BBQ excellence tells me they don't know what a SR is or that it can be artifically created. Too long people say WOW look at that SR, it must be good BBQ. Great smoke ring has zero to do with how it tastes (okay, MAYBE 5% because the nitrates in the smoke create a SR. It would be a very long thread to "define" good BBQ.

For me? It's what YOU think it is and we here try to help you get to that definition.

quote:

Originally posted by RazorbackSlacker:
... Would the meat from an electric smoker taste as good as smoking in a standard charcoal grill (Weber) for an hour or two and finishing in a conventional oven on low temp for the duration of the cook?

I know of zero reason (change that, I know of one) to take something out of a smoker to finish inside unless you don't want to manage the temps in the charcoal grill. If that's the case, I say spend some time on fire management and you'll enjoy it a lot more. Bark won't get any better in an oven (it's electric or gas)

The above is a "Smokin'" post (that's when I get a little long winded.

I'll stop for now and let some of the current owners help you with answers.

ANY questions? Ask. The only bad question is the one you don't ask us.

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
....Your right, you won't get crispy skin on chicken in an electric smoker, so if you are a skin eater you will need to finish some other way.

Let me respond. The reason is you need higher temps in the smoker to get the fat UNDER the skin to render. You won't get crispy skin in any smoker running at 225. Can't happen.

You need high heat, so if your smoker/grill can get to 275/300/325+ then you can get crispy skin. But I think 90% of the people pull off the skin. Me, a lot of time, I take it off so I can season the meat directly. What happenes to all the rub you put on the skin then pulled it and tossed it?

Just saying...

Finish it on a grill if you must eat the skin or run you smoker at 300 max (depending on model) and dump some moisture and it will firm up.

It's very nice to see the responses. I was afraid my comments might be misconstrued but you guys took them the way I intended so thank you! Just trying to learn about electric smokers (which I have zero experience with).

SmokinO, I read an old post of yours where you artificially created a smoke ring that looked very nice......so that helped me understand what creates a smoke ring......and thanks for that research/explanation.

Personally, my favorite part of smoked/BBQd meats is the outside where the carmalizing and spices (and maybe even fat) create a lot of flavor. Thus my question about the "bark" on meats smoked on an electric grill. I hope I am using the term "bark" correctly. Anyhow, the exterior has a lot of flavor that I like regardless what it is called.

Finishing chicken in a hot oven or grill isn't a big deal to me. I assume one would do likewise for a turkey. I like the flavorful skin......the rest of my family doesn't eat it. The high heat explanation makes sense.

If anyone has anything to add about the "bark" on the exterior of ribs/butt/brisket, I'm all ears. I'll do some reading on the forum as suggested and see what I can glean.

Oh, I didn't mean to reference another site as the epotomy of smoking knowledge.....just wanted to note that not everyone is into electric smokers and I'm trying to find out the differences. The source I listed cam up in an internet search and I read the reviews on electric smokers. As you said, taking everything off the internet with a grain of salt is good advice.

I hope electric smokers turn out to be great. It's so easy to use that I would use it much, much more than fire wood smokers that take up a lot of time so would only be used on special occasions.

quote:

Originally posted by RazorbackSlacker:
Personally, my favorite part of smoked/BBQd meats is the outside where the carmalizing and spices (and maybe even fat) create a lot of flavor. Thus my question about the "bark" on meats smoked on an electric grill. I hope I am using the term "bark" correctly. Anyhow, the exterior has a lot of flavor that I like regardless what it is called.

Like Smokin' said, check out some of the threads that have PICS in the title. To give you a couple examples of mine. These are Beef Cheeks smoked to make Barbacoa:




And some beef short ribs.




How's that for bark. Neither one hit the grill, straight out of an electric smoker. And yes, they were as good as they look.

quote:

Originally posted by RazorbackSlacker:

I hope electric smokers turn out to be great. It's so easy to use that I would use it much, much more than fire wood smokers that take up a lot of time so would only be used on special occasions.

Razorback,

I own both a cookshack and Big Green Eggs and when it comes to low and slow smoking there just isnt anything as easy as the 'set it and forget it' nature of the cookshack during an overnight smoke. I have yet to loose a good nights sleep or to worry about my meat in the cookshack. I grill and do all my hogh heat cooking on the Eggs, but all my smoking isdone in my cookshack and I have never had anyone not love theflavor that comes out of my cookshack. Jer

^^^^^^ What he said.

Plus good job Andy. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Turkey done in my SM020 at 275* with the moisture dumped a couple times.

Nice looking. Cheesecloth Cal?

Razor
Spend the extra $ on a cookshack. It's a quality product and you won't be sorry. I have a black finish 020 that's had a LOT of use (Nearly every weekend) for 3 years and it's still good as new. I keep it on the patio in the open year-round with the cookshack cover on it. Also, buy the base storage unit/cart and save your back. You and your friends/family will never taste better baby backs than ones you'll pull out of your CS smoker!

Yep Pags,

All but the last 45 minutes or so and then I hit it with some butter flavored Pam, that seems to help some. By looking at the bird, you can tell which side sat toward the front of the smoker, a little darker. Thanks!

RazorbackSlacker, I am fairly new to the CS smokers, I bought an Amerique about a year ago, and have been trying to wear it out ever since, and can't do it. My 2 cents worth on your concerns are that I have figured out that Charcoal cooking "seems" to taste better because you are so dang tired from tending a fire for 14 hours, that it you are hoping all your effort has made better BBQ. When in reality since my purchase I have invited many people to participate in a taste test everything done exactly the same but one product cooked on a charcoal grill and the other in the Amerique. Without fail, my friends say the Amerique meat is better, and I am coherent enough to understand, because I was not up all night watching the fire.

You will not regret a CookShack purchase. Go for the bigger unit, I had rather have two pounds left than to want one more bite. Happy cooking

I'm a recent newbie here. I got a used Cookshack SM008 (now the SM009-2). I think was the original Cookshack smoker released. I got a Cookshack cover for mine, jerky rods and new all stainless steel shelves all from Cookshack. I also got a Maverick 73 thermometer set and really love being able to truly track the actual temp of the smoker itself. I've made jerky a couple times, pork ribs, beef ribs and a brisket.

What I like about the Cookshack is it is tough and really simple - reminds me of an Army Jeep, simple but does what it's supposed to do. You practice with it and as your craft improves so will the end product. BUT your first smokes should be really doggone terrific.

As for what size to buy, sounds like you will have some pretty big crowds there, so at least the SM025 would be smart - those 18 inch wide shelves mean you can slap whole briskets and whole racks of ribs across them. If you can't cook up enough food on and SM025 then you need your guests to bring more side dishes.

You can't go wrong with the Cookshack line. I hear too many of my smoker friends complain how they spent too much time outside freezing while tending fires and complaints about the charred gunk they got from the charcoal used to get the fire hot. No thanks, give me 3-4 oz of good hickory or apple wood in my wood box and the slow steady cooking every time. I love being able to while away an afternoon smoking a good cuban cigar and sipping a Jack Daniels on the deck while the aromas coming from my SM008 have the neighbors looking over my way to find out what I got cooking. LOL

Good luck from another newbie.

A good cigar, a Gentleman Jack, and smell from the Cookshack. It doesn't get any better or more difficult than that.

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
A good cigar, a Gentleman Jack, and smell from the Cookshack. It doesn't get any better or more difficult than that.

Oh yeah... And don't let on to the wife or your friends how easy this is, the wife will have you doing more honey do's than any decent man can endure.

I think it's time for a CoRo...

Andy and Cal......those look nice! Never thought of cheek meat but it sure looks good.

I just joined the forum this day and I have a question regarding capacity. What are the useable dimensions in the Elite, the 45 and the Amerique? I guess I am looking for the dimensions from the lowest shelf up to the interior cabinet top. I have been smoking for years on a Brinkman Smoke n Pit Pro with an offset fire box and have no regrets. But age (mine) has set in and fussing to maintain temp has become a chore rather than a pleasure. So interior dimensions rather than price will dictate my purchase. Thanks in advance.

Well, I've got an 020. And there is about 10.5 inches of space. The space between the two shelves is about 4 inches. The 045 has 3 shelves and the 066 has 4 shelves, and if you look at the dimensions on the website, there are about 4 inches difference in height between the models.

So:
025 - 10.5" - 2 shelves
045 - 14.5" - 3 shelves
066 - 18.5" - 4 shelves

AndyJ, Thanks. This is good to know.

Depends on how much capacity you need. I can do 4 pork butts or 2 packer briskets or 9 racks of ribs (using a rib rack) or a combination of the above.

Most of the time the 020 is big enough for my needs, but there are times when I wish I had an extra shelf or two.

quote:

Reply

I have both an old SM-009, and an SM-045. I discovered that the side racks in these 2 smokers are the same size. This let me use the optional side racks I bought for the SM-009 that has 5 slots for grills in my SM-045. I would bet that they are the same size as the side racks for the SM-020. I just used these side racks in the SM-045 to do 3 racks of smoked cheese, and still have room for the Cold smoke shelf, and a pan of ice.

Again thanks. I would rather invest in the extra space now and not need it immediately than to need it and not have it. Not to start a brouhaha but I am also looking at the SmokinTex 1500. They are in the same price range and I believe have roughly the same capacity. But the configuration of controls and heating elements is about as different as one can get. I am kind of serious about my outdoor cooking and want this to be my last smoker, actually my outdoor anything related to cooking. The patio is getting crowded. Again, Thanks.

quote:

Reply

Old Geezer:

I just copied this from a review of electric smokers on another forum. This is a direct quote from the page and was located under the review for the Smokin Tex smokers. "SmokinTex Smokers

Users of these units love them. They are essentially clones of the Cookshack Smokette. How do the SmokinTex 1300 and 1400 compare with the Cookshack Smokette SM008 and SM009? The SmokeinTex units have a slightly larger capacity, slightly more wattage, four wheels instead of two, five racks instead of three, it comes with rib hooks and a storage cover, and it is a bit cheaper. Why? Cookshacks are made in Oklahoma from heavy duty materials while the SmoinTex units are made in China from cheaper materials. The Cookshack uses heavier steel, better welds, better thermostat, better insulation, and a better latch." I used this site that is not affilated with Cookshack so you can see someone elses review of this smoker.

Hello Idaho Mike,

Thanks. It was or is the size of the racks that pretty much has me hung on the wire so to speak. It is reassuring to see so many "betters" in the review. And it helps. My current outdoor kitchen is an ancient 28 inch Weber kettle, a large Brinkman Smoke n Pit Pro with the offset box, a Ducane Meridian 42 inch gas grill with rot is and 2 side burners, and a Lodge hibachi like grill (for when I need personal time with the dog). I use them all but the smoker is a real time consumer. Thus my quest. I expect to make my choice and order next week. CS is looking mighty good and made in the USofA. Thanks again.

I live where it gets cold and smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving, Prime Rib for Christmas, and Ham for New Years. I have an SM-009 that is 9 or 10 years old, and works as good if not better now than it did when it was new. Even in the cold this thing is pretty much set it, and forget it. I knew after the first year or 2 that I needed a bigger smoker. I how have a new SM-045. These are great products, and they work. The nice thing about the times when they aren't working quite right, when you call Customer Service, You are talking to a person that knows the product, and speaks understandable English usually with a lovely Southern accent. To top it all off, there is this forum.

Before you buy, go to the Charcoal Store website and get the phone number. Call them (they sell both) and ask if they still have the article they did comparing the Cookshack and the Smokin Tex. They really ripped the Smokin Tex and showed pictures of the differences in quality.

It will make you a CS owner. And BTW, their prices are very good too.

Will do. Thanks.

Qnorth - I contacted Dave at the Charcoal Store and those articles are long gone. We bounced emails back and forth and I got some great info. Thanks.

Glad you made the call.... too bad about those articles.... but maybe ST has upgraded their product (doubt it) or else Dave felt they were a liability. They really showed the difference between the products.

But it sounds like he put you on the right track.

sometime archives of old web pages are aavailable. I did find an old copy of the ST s. CS from the Charcoal Store. I'll put that archive link here and see if it works:
Charcoal Store archive for ST v CS

when the link comes up, if it doesn't take you directly to the archived page try hitting the 'impatient?' button text.