[StevenZ]

So, a quick backstory. I love grilling, in fact i consider myself pretty good at it. However, when it comes to smoking BBQ I've done it once.... However, the one time I did, I used my brother's Weber Smokey Mountain and came up with some pretty awesome pork ribs using the 3-2-1 method. So I'm finally able to afford my own smoker with a budget of $450 or less but I'm having a real hard time figuring out where to go from here.

You see, a lot has changed since I used my brother's smoker, such as moving into a smaller how (but a bigger back yard) and also my wife gave birth to our wonderfully perfect son. So devoting the amount of attention needed to babysit a typical charcoal or wood smoker is going to be really difficult here. That said, the Smokey Mountain wasn't HARD, just a little intimidating for a first time user as it has 3 vents down below and 1 on top. I kinda cheated and used the pre-adjusted settings from my brother's last cook. Anyway, with being a father and always on duty I'm considering the possibility of trying my hand at electric or maybe gas. But I've read a few negatives about both.

So obviously electric would be the easiest route, albeit netting the "least" results. I've scoured the internet for information and photos of food done in an electric and while it does look good, and the smoke is present, it lacks the infamous smoke ring and apparently the ability of the smoke to really penetrate the meats. People have tried using a combination of charcoal and wood in the smoke box but they still can't seem to find out the magic combination to get anywhere close to the results you can get with charcoal. Amazingribs.com has an interesting graph that shows the reasons for this as it breaks each type of smoker down by what gasses, liquids, etc. are being released by each fuel source. So perhaps it's just impossible to get good smoked BBQ from an electric smoker?

Gas is another option as it seems to be fairly simple though the settings to adjust heat on most reviews seem to be the crux and take very fine adjustments. For the most part gas smokers seem to get 2/3rds of the way in terms of actual authentic smoked BBQ. While this is an option, another thing to consider is that typically unless you have a dual fuel NG / LPG smoker you'll likely end up with a bunch of half-empty bottles of gas. This adds cost to owning the smoker and even might annoy you that none of your bottles have enough to start/finish the job. I've read countless stories of people putting a fresh tank on and trying to smoke a brisket all to find out their "full" tank was under-filled from the store and had completely gone out during the cook time. This isn't something I want to experience if I'm cooking a brisket overnight. However the house i'm in DOES have natural gas, though hooking it up and having a dedicated line run is yet another expense and puts a real kink in my small budget.

So what do we do here, folks? Do I just get an electric and deal with never achieving perfect results? Do I get a gas smoker and deal with the inevitable running out of fuel when cooking briskets? Or do I just suck it up and go head first into the charcoal game? I'd like to hear from anyone who has used at least a few different kinds of smokers who can compare and contrast the differences in results with each. Brisket, sausage and pork/beef ribs are the only items I plan on doing, so the choice must be able to accommodate these.

Here are a few of the smokers that have interested me from various review sites.

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-St...qid=1486063422&sr=8-1&keywords=smoke+vault+24

https://www.amazon.com/Smokin-It-Mo...d=1486063652&sr=8-2&keywords=smokin+it+smoker

https://www.amazon.com/Smokintex-11...TF8&qid=1486063611&sr=8-1&keywords=smokin+tex

And the dark horse... The smoker that gets so many incredible reviews, is under budget and seems to hold temp for up to 14hrs... The Pit Barrel Smoker. The downside of this, is that if you're forced to cook hot and fast as the minimum temp is 250, though at 250 you're supposed to get up to 14hrs of heat. The greatest downfall of this smoker is that IF IF IF you have to add more fuel or smoke you have to take the meat out and pretty much disassemble the entire thing to get to the bottom fire tray. This is a real PITA. But it might be worth it???

http://www.pitbarrelcooker.com/shop/

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[schw06]

So what do we do here, folks? Do I just get an electric and deal with never achieving perfect results? If you aren't seeking nirvana with your BBQ it's not worth the time. Why take all that time for an inferior product?
 Do I get a gas smoker and deal with the inevitable running out of fuel when cooking briskets? Charcoal can run out too.
 Or do I just suck it up and go head first into the charcoal game? Having made the mistake of electric (never gas) and finally sucked it up and got a Big Green Egg it is on a different level. When I bought the electric smoker I was super happy on the day I bought it because it was a great deal but regretted it every day since. When I got the Big Green Egg I hated writing the check on the day I got it and have loved it every day since. I think of BBQ as a long term purchase that will return great yield with a great charcoal smoker.

[StevenZ]

Oh how I'd love  BGE, or even a Broil King Keg 5000.  However, the money just simply isn't there to spend that much on one, even though they're a lot more versatile than a one trick pony smoker.

I also realize charcoal or wood smokers can/do run out of fuel too, but the means to add more are typically a lot easier than say, the Pit Barrel Cooker. 

[MarkR7]

BGE AND Kamado user here! I would never ever change to something else. My Kamado is going on 15 or so years, and boy did I get me money's worth out of it! Nothing better for searing steaks at 700+ degrees, cooking a wood oven style pizza, or smoking briskets for 18 hours at 225!

They are an investment, but this is where your local Craigslist comes into play! That's how I got my medium BGE for under $300!

[TomS]

I've had a Kamado Joe for a couple years now and will never go back. I'm not a particularly good cook, but on the KJ, low and slow @225 or searing steaks at 700+ is no problem. Love it.

[mcgsxr]

Good advice so far for sure.

For grilling I use a Napoleon natural gas.  Love it. 

For charcoal grilling or hot smoking I use a Weber 22 inch kettle.

For my cold smoking needs (long cooks of pork butt or ribs) I use my gas grill and a smoking tube.  It lasts a long time (8 hours apparently though I have not yet done a cook that long as it is winter up in Canada). 

A decent compromise for my needs.  I may use it with my Weber this summer but it sure is easy to set my gas grill and leave it for 8 hours.

[goskers]

I started out a few years ago with the purchase of a Kamado Joe.  The hope was for an amazing all in one capable of great high heat sears as well as very well controlled low and slow smoking.  While it does most things quite well I was never entirely happy with the smoking results.  My first try smoking a pork butt led me to purchase a pit controller.  This helped a lot in being able to walk away without worry but the flavor just wasn't the world class that I wanted.

A year or so ago I broke down and bought a Karubecue C-60.  I decided that I was willing to put in the time if the results matched what my high expectations are.  Well, this pit is the real deal.  It eats real wood, is very well engineered and puts out consistently amazing meat.  If someone wants a game over smoker than I can't recommend this enough.

[Bob2]

I have a Masterbuilt electric that produces better than excellent ribs, brisket and the Prime rib has people fighting over it. The pork butt is just too good for words and so easy.
No babysitting. Just add wood chips for the first 2 or 3 hours and enjoy the product.
So easy, why make it more work than necessary?

[smata67]

In your case, for smoking, the Weber Smokey Mountain is pretty much the only choice.  Weber knows grilling and smoking.  I think what you are wanting is smoking--a different animal than grilling, so shouldn't even be mentioned concurrently.  Though the WSM is pricey, you get what you pay for.  The unit is heavy duty.  It holds 200F for low temperature smoking in a fashion that can only be referred to as "uncanny."  You set the vents per directions and are done.  Temperature drops to 200F and stays there for hours.  I don't know how they do it.   I do have remote temperature monitoring (both grill and meat) to keep track of when the temperature drops below 180F and feed a few more lumps or briquettes.  The results are always good.  If you hit the serious bbq sites, you will see that many use the WSM exclusively (even for competition) and there is a great deal of advice and recipes on its use.  It is a highly respected product.  And for good reason.  Electric?  Don't waste your time or money.  I put mine out curbside when I got the WSM.

For grilling, a gas grill can't be beat.  I like my Weber Q.  Others make good gas grills.  Very convenient, use it 3 or 4 times a week.

[drummermitchell]

Use to use gas grills for years and then I discovered wood pellet BBQ's ...end of story,well not quite.
WP BBQ's go to 6-700 degrees,beautiful colour,superb flavor compared to gas.
and that's just the start.
You can smoke low n slow,set temp and will stay steady no matter outside temp (Albert Canada).
We BBQ yr round,haven't even looked at gas BBQ ever since.
Difference between gas and wood,
Gas, basically you get fire now,wood pellets...wait 15 minuets...it's worth the wait.
gas is one flavor,wood you have lots of flavors,Cherry,Apple,Alder,Mesquite,Maple and more,
End of story..I have used a Louisiana Tailgater for the last five yrs,their built to last and now I upgrade to the Louisiana LG 900(DIGITAL)
  ,guess I's some happy and Ma BBQTY is happy.

[hibuckhobby]

BBQ is seldom a "I'm done now pursuit"...it's kind of like audio in that sense.  There's always something out
there you wonder about.  I have several cookers...including the types already mentioned.  Two different pellet
grills, a pit barrel cooker and a gas powered Camp chef.   Each one turns out good Q...but each one also
has things it does better than the others.   For ribs and pulled pork, it's hard to beat the PBC...although
contrary to a prior post, it will not go 14 hours without modifications.  Usually 8...maybe 9 is the limit.  With
that said, it does run at a bit higher heat, so you can usually get anything up to about 15lbs done in that time
frame.

The pellet cookers are "mostly" set it and forget it.  The smoke taste is lighter and smoother (once again, unless
you modify)  Great chicken and turkey...and will do long low and slow for brisket.   The propane smoker, will put plenty
of smoke flavor on the meat...in fact until you learn how to run it (each has a learning curve for maximum results) you
can over do the smoke.  The pellet and the propane are cookers/smokers and aren't best for searing steak, but there
again, you have to accept some compromises if you want one cooker to do it all and want it to be a low maintenance cooker.
YMMV,
Hibuck...

[StevenZ]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

[Syrah]

Funny.  I have the BGE but I've toyed with the idea of getting a higher end electric smoker.

The BGE is not entirely set it and forget it, and the good electrics seem much easier to dial down on low heat but high smoke.

Is this worth a go, or should I just become more maniacal with my BGE.

Am I smoking something?  Ba dum... tss.

[Bob in St. Louis]

BBQ is seldom a "I'm done now pursuit"...it's kind of like audio in that sense.

Ohh... my new favorite topic! 
This comment says it all. You'll never be happy with what you've got forever.
AND.....
There is no perfect smoker. Period. They all have drawbacks. You just have to find the one that "fits your bill".
I've had a 22.5 WSM for several years now. It makes great food, but I've outgrown it. Can't wait to "move on".

For the requirements you mention, I'm thinking the Traeger might be your best bet. They've got a few models in your price range, and have the ability to "set and forget". You can add enough pellets to not worry about running out of fuel. You get the "pros" of a thermostat and constant temps like you do with electric and gas. You also get the benefit of the "smoke", unlike the electric and gas. You don't have to stoke the fire and/or flavor wood every so often.

There's also a DIY unit you could build that would be in your budget, depending on how handy you are. It's a hybrid model that uses multiple fuel sources (at least my 'tweaks' would allow for that) so you get as close to "best of all worlds" .

(sorry for choppy sentences, I'm typing at work between working and playing).   

[SoCalWJS]

Funny.  I have the BGE but I've toyed with the idea of getting a higher end electric smoker.

The BGE is not entirely set it and forget it, and the good electrics seem much easier to dial down on low heat but high smoke.

Is this worth a go, or should I just become more maniacal with my BGE.

Am I smoking something?  Ba dum... tss.

I'm a bit biased. Long time owner of BGE - 2 of them if fact. I've found that with proper set up and experience, the BGE is set & forget for about 12-14 hours at 225 or so. After that, it gets a bit tricky. I have gotten good at removing most everything from the Egg quickly, giving the coals a quick stir to get the ash down the bottom, throwing in a bunch more lump, then putting everything back in. Takes a minute or so. I can go well over 18 hours this way, and that's long enough for everything I've ever tried (Shoulder/Butt or Brisket). The Egg doesn't lose much/any temp being open for a minute or so in my experience.

The secret is the setup. Clean the Egg completely before you start and only used medium to largish pieces of lump. Avoid the tiny stuff and dust that clogs the vent openings. Look into getting a different grate.
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/high-que/highq.htm

And if you are really paranoid, an airflow regulator like the BBQ Guru or similar. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/digiq2/digiq1.htm

[bummrush]

We used to use gas i.e . propane. But with weather being what is ,we got sick of the grills just plain getting nasty,corodded,etc. Even keeping it covered,or put back in shed,they didnt last.Sowe went back to charcoal. I mean a steaming hot pile of coals,hard to beat that.
 Oops thouhht it was about grills.

[vinyl_guy]

For most of my adult life I used a cast iron charcoal BBQ grill/smoker with a rotisserie and extra cast iron rings to raise or lower the meat with respect to the coals. Did a great job, but labor intensive. Then I discovered A Traeger pellet grill. Best decision I ever made for smoking. Load the hopper, put a brisket or pork shoulder on the night before, set it on smoke and go to bed. Get a radio frequency meat probe and grill temp probe and monitor from your favorite chair as the internal temp approaches 195-200 F. You might have to refill the hopper once. Great results. Also great for ribs and just about anything else you want to cook. It is more expensive than your budget, but worth the extra.

Laura

[Bob in St. Louis]

Laura, I like your "tag line".
In the spirit of this thread, my signature line on the BBQ forum relates to Exodus 12:9. 
Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire 

[vinyl_guy]

Laura, I like your "tag line".
In the spirit of this thread, my signature line on the BBQ forum relates to Exodus 12:9. 
Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire 

Bob, that is a great tag line.

Best,

[marvda1]

all you need
https://mgrills.com/