TABS, I need a smoker recommendation ? Time for a new one.

[VINMAN]

Hey Tabs, what smoker do you have? My New Braunfells has seen better days. I know you rave about yours.

[tabs]

I bought a David Klose of Houston.

http://bbq.about.com/od/smokerreviews/gr/aapr042505e.htm

I know they are bank, but the old adage is you get what you pay for applys. The guy has worked out all the bugs and included little features in the desgn that make BBQing more effortless. They really are well thought out units, that pay attention to little details. I had him build mine with a 1/2" steel plate firebox to retain the heat even better. No problem using hardwood logs, Hardwood charcoal or regular charcoal. I think a good idea would be to include a Gas burner in the firebox to facilitate lighting and for those long 12 to 18 hour pulls for Brisket. At the time I bought mine he didn't have that feature as an option.

The New Braunfels are nice units but the gauge of metal is toooo thin, they require constant refueling to keep the temp constant, even with a water pan. The reason for the water pan is so that U can keep a constant temp.

Remember shipping one of his units is expensive because of the weight involved. These are not mamby pamby units.

The question is would I spend the bank and buy one of his units again. You bet I would, as a matter of fact I wish I had gone straight to one of his units and not have screwed around with the other units beforehand. This is essentially the LAST BBQ Smoker you will ever buy. It is a professional level unit, that will do just about anything you can think of BBQing.

[VINMAN]

Thank you Sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar!

I will definately look into that one. Is that only direct from the maker? The shipping is probaly as much as the unit cost.

[tabs]

I bought the Drum style with a 36" cooking chamber, 1/2 " steel Firebox, the brass cleanout valve on the bottom of the cooking chamber and the steel charcoal burning box. It burns charcoal in an "S" pattern so that 15 lbs will last 6 hours. In other words it regulates the burn of the charcoal.

[tabs]

Shipping cost $500.

Yep it is direct from the manufacturer. The guy is very very smart and just talking to him is a trip.

I had seen his web-site and requested a catalog. He called me up one night several weeks later and got to talking the result was that I bought a Q from him.

[WolfeMacleod]

Watch Good Eats on the Food Network.
Then use a cardboard box.

[Jim Richards]

[Nathans_Dad]

Vin, I would look seriously at the Weber Bullets. I have one and they are fantastic. You will find many competition BBQ guys who use them. It is a fire at the bottom water smoker so if you want a side box type it wouldn't work.

[Eric Coffey]

Don't know how Tabs feels about them, but you might look at the "pellet" grills/smokers out there like Traeger (www.traegergrills.com)

[tabs]

Take a gander at this: http://bbq.about.com/od/smokers/tp/aatp092904a.htm

[VINMAN]

This is the one I currently have, along with 2 brinkman verticles.
Got 8 yrs of good service out of it. Just lookin for something a little more heavy duty.
Looks like that Klose model is the ticket!