Smoker at Lowes

The BoardSMITH

The BoardSMITH

New member
The Perfect Flame 36" LP smoker, SKU # 274668, at Lowes has now been reduced in price to $119 from an original high of $179 in the spring. I have been watching it this year and decided to get one before they were gone. I am not an experienced smoker, but I believe that I may get a good start learning with this one.
 
Yes David that is though a different maker the same as mine which I've had 5 years and love. I do soak my wood chips to slow down the burning speed as well as making them smoke more. I also avoid big chunks of wood as I've found they tend to ignite from time to time. As I told you before that I cook with mine between 190 to 230 degrees depending on what I'm doing but they will get hotter. Also be aware it needes to be seasoned once before cooking which is easy. Simply start it up with a load of wood chips and fill the water bowl. Let it go till the water is gone or the chips are. That will give the interior a nice layer. I recommend you take the racks out for this unless you want to clean them again. I know you have a pretty good supply of hardwoods from maple to cherry wood. Hickory and Alder wood would probably be the only ones I could think to add to your existing woods. Alder is great for fish and hickory goes without saying.
 
great deal, thanks boardie. i think i'll ask for this for my b'day gift this year. i've wanted to get into smoking, but i wanted to avoid using electric or charcoal models.
 
These type of smokers are easy to use with very dependable, consistent results. The only thing is they won't do cold smoking but then those tend to cost 10x more to start. I've done turkey, pork butt, brisket, ribs, salmon and peppers in mine over the years with no failures at all. If you like turkey then stick to 12 lb or less for smoking with pork butt and ribs being about the easiest to do especially when first leaning how to use it. Now none of it is hard for me and I also recommend using an oven thermometer on big cuts like pork butt, brisket and whole turkeys. Ribs, fish etc are easy to figure when done and hard to use a thermometer other than instant read types. The thermometer on the door on mine is adjustable using and external thermometer so it can be zeroed in as well as easily replaced over time.
 
Isn't there a way to fish the wires out on a probe thermometer, Joe? I love my probe thermometer because it gives you both the food temp and the smoker temp without opening the door.
 
Sure it can be done but I just use a simple oven thermometer in the meat as the smoke will be gone and done long before the meat is finished cooking in most cases. You will also need to add water to the water bowl so it is easy to read when you open the door for that. I have seen probe type wire up to even the green egg type smokers, Warren comes to mind with it all connected to his computer. I'm a little more basic than that and only used the one on the door for the first 3 years I used it. I've never gotten a bad result yet.
 
Oh. OK. I thought that when you recommended an oven thermometer that maybe the doors sealed in suck a way as to hamper wires running out.
Us charcoal users are not only concerned with the smoke, but also holding the temp long after the smoke has done its thing. The less you open her up, the better. I imagine with a steady propane flame you wouldn't be as concerned with opening doors. And I've also added sand to my water pan, so no worries about keeping that filled up with water either. My lid thermometer works well as a way to double check the smoker temp, but nothing beats being able to monitor the food and the smoker temps from either my kitchen or at a glance as I'm walking by the smoker.
 
Well if you think about it meats will only adsorb so much smoke till they hit a certain internal temp. Once that is reached adding more chips is a waste of time with a given piece of meat. These particular smokers if done right will smoke pretty heavily for about 2 to 3 hours so after that the smoker basically becomes an oven to finish the cooking process. Once there opening the door after than initial smoking will only add a few minutes to the whole cooking process as the box comes back to heat. Oh and on mine probe wire could easily be run if not through the door through the vents which will probably never be closed completely. I switched from charcoal to gas years ago and have never looked back. It simply makes for better clean up and I find the food tastes just as good regardless of how it is smoked but that might just be me. I also don't miss the taste of charcoal in my food as I was never a fan of it.

As for the water bowl it will need to be filled on longer cooking cuts of meats like a brisket, pork butt or turkey as after 4 hours at temp it will pretty well evaporate needing more liquid. I also have found that if not refilled the meat will tend not to be as juicy.
 
I have a very similar smoker but it is a charcaol burner. You will like the size of the smoker. I have done six 8 lb boston butts at the same time. I use digital temperature probes on mine. Stick one through a potato and set it on the top rack by the exhaust vent. Don't trust the temperature gauge that came with the unit. My was off 50 degrees. There is a short learning curve with a vertical smoker but once you get a feel for the unit you can make some great Q.


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I'll have to remember that potato trick, BM. My probe thermometer came with a little bracket to hold the pit probe... and I just know that one day it will come up missing.
 
Blues Man said:
I have a very similar smoker but it is a charcaol burner. You will like the size of the smoker. I have done six 8 lb boston butts at the same time. I use digital temperature probes on mine. Stick one through a potato and set it on the top rack by the exhaust vent. Don't trust the temperature gauge that came with the unit. My was off 50 degrees. There is a short learning curve with a vertical smoker but once you get a feel for the unit you can make some great Q.
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The door thermometer in mine can be adjusted simply using a weather thermometer. In my case it was off about 10 degrees but is now dead on. I simply takes a turn of a screw driver on the back of the thermometer. I would guess it is with in -+ 2 degrees. I have the same setup on my Charbroil grill as well. The thermometers are available at Lowe's if the unit doesn't come with one already. Both of mine came with adjustable setups.
 
wow, plus or minus 2 degrees in a working scale around 200 to 250 degrees is a damn good error rate. that's less than 1%.

yes, i know that percentage is measured on full scale metering, before all of you technical weiners get on my case about that. but if you're within a percent or three in a time delta of several hours, you're doing ok.



will i become this anal if i get a smoker???? :mellow:
 
ok i didn't read all the replies i was to excited!! now if i get this smoker i will need to transfer to a regular grill to finish cooking right or wrong? and if so will my cheapo charcoal no lid $20 grill be ok? and can i also alternately bring smoked meat inside and finish the cooking under the broiler if i don't feel like finishing outside? because i don't think i can get both a smoker AND a grill at the moment.
 
My idea of smoking food is start to finish on the smoker, Peeps. In pinches though, when time matters, large hunks of meat are often moved to an oven or grill to finish. Is this what you're thinking of? Otherwise start to finish is accomplished right on the smoker.

BT, can I get on your case about the way you spelled "weiner"? You wiener ;^)
 
chowhound said:
My idea of smoking food is start to finish on the smoker, Peeps. In pinches though, when time matters, large hunks of meat are often moved to an oven or grill to finish. Is this what you're thinking of? Otherwise start to finish is accomplished right on the smoker.

BT, can I get on your case about the way you spelled "weiner"? You wiener ;^)
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how can you get a nice flame licked crust on a vertical smoker? aren't there tiers of racks with the heat way at the bottom?
 
Well, first off, heat rises. The top rack is typically the hotter rack.
But anyway, you don't get flame licked, but you do get a nice color and caramelization if sauce is applied.
Let me go find a picture of my butt and show you what I mean ;^)
 
chowhound said:
My idea of smoking food is start to finish on the smoker, Peeps. In pinches though, when time matters, large hunks of meat are often moved to an oven or grill to finish. Is this what you're thinking of? Otherwise start to finish is accomplished right on the smoker.

BT, can I get on your case about the way you spelled "weiner"? You wiener ;^)
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i've seen it spelled both ways. same with burgundy and burgany. i had an eye doc whose name was dr. weiner pronounced like the cocktail wiener. :whistle: yes there were many a bad pun involved!!
 
I have finished everything in the smoker. With a gas or electric smoker, you won't have any trouble. It will be easy compared to charcoal. The best part of using charcoal is that you have to tend it.

No honey, I can't do the dishes, I have to watch the smoker! :yum:


lilbopeep said:
ok i didn't read all the replies i was to excited!! now if i get this smoker i will need to transfer to a regular grill to finish cooking right or wrong? and if so will my cheapo charcoal no lid $20 grill be ok? and can i also alternately bring smoked meat inside and finish the cooking under the broiler if i don't feel like finishing outside? because i don't think i can get both a smoker AND a grill at the moment.
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I usually do all the cooking in the smoker with some cuts of meats (think a full brisket) taking up to 20 hours. Ribs will take 4 to 6 hours but can be shortened if you smoke them to the limit and finish in your house oven for example. My grill I use for non smoked meats such as grilling steaks, shrimp, vegetables etc. I don't remember ever finishing anything on the grill after the smoker.
 
chowhound said:
Well, first off, heat rises. The top rack is typically the hotter rack.
But anyway, you don't get flame licked, but you do get a nice color and caramelization if sauce is applied.
Let me go find a picture of my butt and show you what I mean ;^)
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ummmmmmmmm THANK YOU!! i have always appreciated a nice butt in tight blue jeans!! wait you are speaking of pork? neva mind.
 
to be technical about it, chow's co... chow's corr....

chow's corre..

chow's got it.:huh:

in german, the second letter in an "ei" or "ie" combination is the one pronounced. so a "wee-ner" would be wiener.

a "why-ner" would be weiner.
 
See, all dark and charcoal looking outside. Moist inside. Looks like I had it over flames, but it was low and slow.
 

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lol, yes, a dubya is pronounced more like a v in most dialects.

i'm gonna have to break out my old college manual "erste stufe".


a joke: ich habe gerrade fam chicago ausfliegen, und mensche, meine arme sind mude.
 
buckytom said:
to be technical about it, chow's co... chow's corr....

chow's corre..

chow's got it.:huh:

in german, the second letter in an "ei" or "ie" combination is the one pronounced. so a "wee-ner" would be wiener.

a "why-ner" would be weiner.
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is a weenie still a weenie or is it a veenie?
 
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