Will Amerique not work as good as sm009 for small load?

I have only had my Amerique for a week but love it. I have cooked as little as one butt in it and as many as 5 chickens at once and 9 racks of ribs at one time.

Either way everything turns out great. I can't remember where I read it but the cost to operate is negligable. I highly recommend the Amerique. The probe and hold features are awesome.

I think you will appreciate the room when you have larger groups. I also think you will be surprised how often you have friends who want you to smoke something for them after they try the results. I already have someone wanting me to cook a bunch of briskets for a wedding party.

Most of the folks will suggest that if you can afford the AQ,and find that your new fine cooking will draw increased crowds,you will be happy to have the extra space/flexiblity.

The products/procedure will be comparable.

I am one that went with the smokette vs. the Amerique. If I had it to do over I would probably get the amerique. Not necessarily for the extra racks and overall space as the smokette has cooked everything that I have thrown at it including several small gatherings where I was smoking a butt, ribs, and a brisket all at the same time. It just takes some thinking on arrangement.

The reason I would go with the amerique is for the wider racks and the hold feature of the probe. It is a pain in the booty sometimes to hae to cut ribs in half and fold brisket over to get them to fit. The extra 4" (i think) of width would be fabulous from a simplicity standpoint.

Also, the hold feature would be great as many weekends I am running kids here to there and back and when smoking you never know exactly when you food will be done so having the hold would be great for those times that my brisket is at 187 and I have to leave right now to get a kid to practice or ??

If this gives any perspective; I have a 250 I use for catering/fundraising. I know it's crazy, but I have often done as little as one butt or brisket for myself and family. It doesn't take advantage of all the size, but it still turns out great!

Jack

I have both.. well, an 008 and an AQ.. I like them both and, while I use the 008 more than the AQ.. I'm starting to use the AQ more because I'm not always home when the product is supposed to be finished.. so, the hold feature is great. In reality, the 008 is sufficient for 95+% of my Q'in. As for ribs.. I only do spares, I usually cut them in half and put them in a rib rack.. works for me.

thank you for the responses.
Smokenque, do you notice any difference in the taste/quality of the final product between the 008 and the AQ?

Also does anyone know why they mention the need to use a can as a heat sink when breaking in the AQ? I am leading toward the AQ, but my main concern is the best product possible with an electric smoker.

I'll throw my opinion in the mix.


As far as I'm concerned if money isn't a problem the the AQ is hands down the winner here.

1. The ability to hit 300 gives a bit more flex when cooking different foods especially those that fly.

2. the larger racks sure are nice when it's rib time.

3. Being that these cookers hold moisture so well, the extra room makes for slightly less moisture per part when cooking the same amount of food as a 009. This helps with bark and crispy skin. It's not DRY by any stretch of the word.....just less moist.

Reference the water pan breakin.

None of us have figured out why,other than maybe the engineering folks figure the steam will help carry seasoning to every nook and cranny?

This conversation was had at length last month.

Why not in the 009?

It was developed by Donna's family a half century ago,and there had been no need to rewrite the instruction sheet.

It was never broke,so why start fixing it now.

As to moisture,most of the cooks will tell you they open the door ,to let out moisture,especially with a full load.

It doesn't flow great quanities of air,as an offset stickburner might,so it cooks overly moist.

It is a new product ,so folks, in- house, have recently written the new instruction sheets.

I have a SM 160-comparable size,cooking characteristics and had a 008 for several years,together.

My boys still haul it around in trucks to their beef cattle operations,to cook.

I'd bet $100, against a donut,if I cooked a butt,or brisket in each,you couldn't tell the difference.

If you cooked them yourself,and let me serve them to you,blind,same bet.

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks Tom...I will do a search on the water pan break-in and read what was written. I am glad that there is not some flaw with the amerique.

I am not that far from you in the Daytona Area...there is absolutely no good BBQ anywhere near here! I think once I start doing it my neighbors are going to be begging for leftovers!

Yep,although the folks here at Cape Canaveral started FatBoy's,which spun off Woody's and Sonny's,Fl has a great quanity of bbq joints,but the quality remains sadly lacking.

Yours will surely stand out,and hopefully help raise the bar for the neighborhood.

Not to get off topic...but the best one I have found here is Porkies, and even it is mediocre at best. What passes for BBQ here is hot thin sliced roast beef with bbq sauce on it. I would drive to Canaveral for real BBQ...that is the reason I am getting a smoker - my blood is low on hickory smoke!

Think of it this way. The smoker doesn't know how much meat you have or don't have in there, it just tries to maintain whatever temp you've selected.

The only difference will be when your friends all ask you to cook more and you REALLY load it up. Takes a little longer to get up to temp when there is more Meat Mass, but once it's there, it works like a champ.

Smokin'

Was going to order the Amerique at end of year, but they were out of stock waiting for a part. Then the new line came out and I was very tempted to go with the 025 to see if it really worked as well as everyone said. But I really love the hold feature of the Amerique so just ordered an Amerique from Charcoal store last week along with a bunch of accessories and some extra wood and some jerky rods and seasoning. Got a call from the truck company they are ready to deliver tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will be enjoying some good food by this weekend!!

thanks for all the help and advice of everyone on the forum. I have set a goal to make BBQ as good as Sonny Bryan's in Dallas....I am a smoked brisket fanatic!

Have eaten many a brisket at the original Sonny's,setting in the schoolhouse seats,or leaning on my bumper outside.

I even like the warm sauce in the soda bottles.

They never made a brisket,as good as you can make in a CS.

But first,read Smokin's Brisket 101 and the brisket forums.

Cow is a different beast.

Tom
I have been reading everything I can including several books. I am trying to come up with my own BBQ that is similar to Sonny's. I am excited to hear that you think it is possible to make better brisket then the original Sonny's. It is interesting but the other Sonny Bryan's locations use a different smoker as the original one is now illegal by EPA regulations. I am off to do even more reading!!

Way to go on the new AQ. I love mine and know you will really like yours, good luck.

Good Luck, Texas Floridian, brisket is a tough dog to tame. My advice? Start with good meat! CAB preferred!

More pics.

Finally:

Looks great Drummer...just got back from the butcher. Bought a really nice looking 12 pound packer cut choice brisket! Have a rub on it and letting it sit in the fridge for a while...will smoke it in a bit at 225 to an internal temperature of 190 on my AQ. I will insert the probe into the flat. Am still deciding on weather to use 6 oz of hickory or 4 oz of hickory and 2 of pecan. Will let you know how it turns out! Here is a before picture.

As you probably know, amigo, it aint done til it's done! I go by the feel and toothpick test and have wrapped the lower flat at 170, so it doesn't dry out. Course, I no got a cook box. Use a black drum direct. Really thinking about getting one of these small CookBoxs. Would be interested to know your taste evaluation Vs. your previous pit cooker. Good Luck.

I'm no expert,but

unless you're cooking a Kobe,ot a master Prime,I'd be careful about pulling the packer at 190º.

Just my $0.02

Really Tom...I had gotten that number from Smokin Oakie as the right temp for slicing brisket. What number are you using? Still in the smoker now...be in for 14.5 hours so far at 225...up to 185 internal!

Oakie...did I mess up?