Water Smokers, your experience & help would be appreciated

RollingHome

Well-known member
I have started another interest, smoking our food. I read a book on it... bought a Brinkman vertical water smoker and went to town... 20 pounds of chicken, 5 pounds of pork chops and lots of vegetables and fruit. I tried to get the most out of the charcoal... The first try was a hoot:angel:. I lit the charcoal, Threw in the wet Meskite (sp) chips and things seemed right, lot's of smoke and my food was in it ... While waiting like a kid at Christmas, Only then did I re-read the smoker directions, I put the thing together wrong or so I thought... Then it got even more interesting... The workers who built my little jem at the Brinkmann factory made it backwards ! Yikes, up was down and down was up. After speaking with the Brinkmann folks and emailing them a pic, we concluded that Pedro or Yakasan had a very bad Monday :) When it finally cools down it goes back to Home Depot. This is where you guys come in. Any suggestions for me to "acquire" a quality water smoker ? I don't want to get half simple in cost (the Brinkmann junk cost $69.00) but I don't want to be bass ackwards again either. If you guys (or gals) have experience in smoking and know a brand or model you would recommend let me know please. Otherwise, I'm looking at the Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5. By the way guys, I intend to take it with me and the Horn on our next RV'ing adventure. In advance thanks. Tom

PS, the chicken legs were good, moist and lightly smoke flavored, the pork was dry and the breast seemed to be a little dry too, I think I let them "smoke" too long. The veggies will be consumed tomorrow. I'm still learning ya know. I think I got a little carried away with trying to be chef Tom... It really was a lot of fun though ! In reality Patti came home and bailed me out. I think she felt sorry for "poor me".
 

boatdoc

Well-known member
I use the Brinkman, only the electric style, can't stand buying charcoal. I've had it for years and never had a problem with it. Turkeys are the best in it.
 

DennisZ

Well-known member
Tom
I kind of gave up on the water smokers. I saw an Orion cooker at Home Depot a couple of years ago and tried one out. It is a really nice unit, and smokes meat in a fraction of the time a conventional smoker does.
The website is www.orioncooker.com Bass Pro Shops and Ace Hardware both carry the, they are $140 to $150.

Dennis
 

olcoon

Well-known member
I've also got the Brinkman the charcoal one, it's my 2nd one, the first one finally got too rusted up to use it anymore. Haven't had any problems with either one. I usually smoke my meat at the warm setting for about 8 hrs, then kick up the heat for a while to finish cooking it. Everything comes out great as far as I'm concerned! Just keep an eye on the water, or whatever liquid you put in it. When it starts to sizzle, it'll need more liquid, I just slowly pour it in from the top. Also, while I'm smoking the meat, I'll keep putting the wood chips/chunks in to keep the smoke rolling out. A friend has an electric Bradley smoker and loves it. I've ate the stuff he smokes & it's as good as mine.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Dennis & Gary, thanks for the reply. Dennis, does the Orion 'really' give you lots of smoke flavor in your food ? I quickly looked at Orions web site thanks to your hot link. The Orion really sounds like the way to go or at least try. I am really impressed by their low cooking times, have you found their unit turns out food faster ? Gary, I hear ya on the charcoal turnoff... I have considered going electric, especially for the road. Maybe I'll end up with 2 units. Tom
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
By the way, on my first attempt at water smoking, I used a cheap store brand veggie drink (their verison of V8) instead of water, cost me $2.50 for a little pizazz... seems to have worked fine...
 

netters1

Active Member
We have a Bradley 6 rack Electric Smoker and we love it! It has the digital controls and can be set to do whatever you want it to...The food tastes wonderful too...We have done Ribs, Brisket, Turkey, Chicken, Roast, and even Summer Sausage.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
I use a Brinkman also. It is a stainless model that I bought from Cabella's 10-12 years ago. I have replaced the grates and rib racks more times than I can remember, Bass Pro Shops carries them. I have to add both water and charcoal about half way thru the ribs (I smoke them for about 6 hours), they are moist and fall off the bone. I have used the Brinkman smokers since about 1980, and everyone raves about the meat, esp. the ribs.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Dennis, From my web search I have found only about 3 % negative coments about the Orion... I never heard of it but I really thank you for turning me on to it. Tomorrow I am going to Bass Pros to get mine. Even if it doesn't give me smokey food THAT MANY PEOPLE CAN'T BE WRONG ! In reality, I have never heard of so many POSITIVE comments on any product ! I am going to get one and I believe I will be one happy camper. THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge, I'm looking forword to some fun cooking ! Just hope I don't waste the waist line, THANKS AGAIN :) . Tom
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Clark and others, I may end up with 2 cookers/smokers... Patti and I just nuked the stuff I smoked yesterday and OMG it was so..o..o..o good... It was so good it had to be evil... The best part is I cooked it and I'm not too swift in the culninary department... But this stuff was good, even reheated ! It was a real ego booster... I'm turning into a "SMOKENSTEIN"... I can't wait to do it out on the road in a CG... On a different note, Clark, what did ya think of Roamers CG on RT. 30 ? Would ya recommend it ? Another VA. camper asked me for suggestions in this area and before I give them a yeah, I'd like your opinion. T&P
 

Rockerga

Full-time WANNABE
My son turned me on to "smoking" and now that is the camping thing to do when we get together. We just have a plain ole horizontal charcoal smoker. (Read: Inexpensive) However we do use the LUMP charcoal which with a smoker we found is the only way to go and it does last. Our new "only way to go" is using only cherry wood to flavor. Cook it all real slow (180 degrees approx) and mist occasionally with apple juice. (Whatever the meat!!!)

The taste is nothing less than AMAZING AND MOIST!

I am a good cook and baker that now has expanded my horizon's: next is the green egg! My son cooks all his meal at home in advance on either the green egg or his home smoker.

If any fellow "smokers" are passing through north Georgia area stop by Trackrock, I have a lifetime supply of Cherry so I could give some to my fellow Heartlanders if interested.
 

silverhawk

Member
Check out a forum called Smoked meat Forum. It's a great group of Helpful people. They have good advise on what type charcoal to use. What method to light and set up your coals, wood, propane and Modifications to make it operate better. They have helped me allot. I will be Smoking a 14lbs Brisket starting Very Early in the morning. Good Luck.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
I have the Brinkman electric and used it for years. Our problem is we got tired of smoked meat. Seems we burp up smoke taste for hours after eating it. Wonder if I use the smoker with out wood and try it? Maybe put a rub or something on the meat.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Bill (Chopper) I just drove 1 - 1/2 hours to Bass Pro in Harrisburg and purchased a ORION cooker - not smoker - cooker. A forum poster (Thanks again Dennis) here turned me on to it. I now have a choice, smoked (put in the chips) or no smoke ( don't put in the chips). Either way the meat is supposed to be fabulous according to ALL reviewers. I found reviewers after reviewers had nothing but praise for this cooker - that many people can't be wrong ! It had the highest rating of ANY product I recall. It has so many positive reasons for buying that a book could be written on it. You can do racks of ribs on Monday (everyone stated the ribs were the best they've had), pork chops on Tuesday, 20 pound turkeys (2 hours 15 minutes !) on Wednesday, Prime rib on Thursday, Salmon on Friday and clams with shrimp on Saturday. If you're still hungry on Sunday you have a eating disorder. You owe it to yourself to at least check out the ORION cooker. I am tickled pink to have found out about the ORION cooker. This cooker will stop the "repeating" problem you mentioned too. Check it out on line or at Bass Pro. Tom
 

ct0218

Well-known member
The Orion concept is interesting. I guess I have just never noticed it at BPS before. Tom, let us know how it turned out for you, also if you use wood chips how it turned out. The drawback to my Brinkman is that it is a warm weather cooker (if the ambient temp is too cool, the meat won't cook), and the hours required to cook the meat. I'll PM you on Roamers.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Clark, verbatum out of the ORION manual page 23 #16

DOES COLD EFFECT THE COOK TIMES ?

"Not to our knowledge, Orion cookers has cooked in temperatures ranging from 35 - 40 F degrees and there was no change in the cook time."

It does state that windy conditions will consume more charcoal... Oh well...

The biggest concern I have is smoke flavor, Patti and I both enjoy this. According to ORION, if you put the chips against the side wall (with hot coals a sheet metal away) they will smoulder and smoke... we'll see. I really do have high hopes for this thing, I'll report back "honestly". Tom
 

DennisZ

Well-known member
Tom

Make sure you read the manual... For doing ribs and other pork, I like to use apple wood chips. The instructions call for I think 1 cup of chips, that is just about right. Some types of wood give stronger smoke than others. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine, folks just cant get enough of the meat I cook in the Orion.

Dennis
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Dennis, this weekend I will morf into "SMOKENSTEIN" once again. On a suggestion on this thread I bought a bag of cherry chips... and the poster was cincern (sp.) so he wins over your apple chips (sorry dude, actually apples next :) ). I'm gonna place the chips next to the metal which gets real hot which should smoulder them and smoke em. This is a hoot to me because I can do other stuff while the ORION does it thing without me. The ORION company sounds like a small company without a big budget for ads and which makes a really good product... I intend to promote ORION every chance I get, because they deserve it ! I also thank you so very much for letting me and others know about the ORION Cooker. Best part, it fits just fine in the TV for my next RV'ing trip so I can get my igo stroked while proving to others " I am "SMOKENSTEIN" the best of Ribs in the CG... Thanks Dennis :)
 
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