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Old 05-30-2012, 08:07 AM   #1
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Grills and Smokers, which do you use?

At home I have the big gas grill and an electric Brinkman Smoker. I have a small tabletop propane grill I take camping with me. Now I have added wood chips to it to get a little hickory flavor but it just doesn't do it like the Brinkman. Also it has hot spots and not so hot spots when cooking. If cooking on low in strong winds it will sometimes go out. I guess it's advantages were, it was in the local hardware store, it was cheap and small. I'd like something that would have more uniform heat, not blow out, do a better job of smoking and still be small. I like gas because it's quick and charcoal is messy although great flavor. Is it posible to find a small gas grill that I can smoke with also? What are all of you using. I'd like to hear your pros and cons.
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Old 05-30-2012, 08:37 AM   #2
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I'm a big griller and smoker at home .. with a vertical propane smoker. Our deck also holds a Weber Genius, and a Weber one touch gold .. for those days that I like a charcoal flavor to my dishes.
When we camp we use a Weber Q 200. I have seared steaks, cooked chickenwings, even made grilled cheese sandwiches on the darn thing, heat control is awesome, and quality is just the same.
To smoke ribs, i line the top grill section with heavy alum. foil, leaving enough space for heat and smoke to transfer up to above the grill and put the ribs above the foil on a small rack. This is how to indirect cook on these little bad-boys. Smoking wood is added below the grate, in a foil pouch, just next to the burner.

I dinked around with cheaper grills for about 10 years previous in our camping life, and ended throwing each and everyone out after a couple of seasons .. due to rust and poor construction. The only thing I have had to do with the Q is replace the battery in the start button, and clean it everyso often ...

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Old 05-30-2012, 07:54 PM   #3
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I have 22" weber smokey and Genesis C gas with cast iron smoker boxes.

For camping and charcoal grilling/smoking smaller meals I use the PK Grill (Portable Kitchen) all aluminum will never rust.

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Old 07-17-2012, 08:47 PM   #4
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I just traded in my Roadtrip for a weber Q 200. It's a fantastic grill. They both have their advantages but I think the roadtrip was far too big and had a hard time keeping the griddle warm in high winds. The Q can hold up in any wind, gets VERY hot and is easy to clean. The only thing I don't like is the griddle is a little small.
On some trips I carry a Masterbuilt electric smoker. I'm not a huge fan of electric smokers but when I'm camping it's too much of a chore to keep up a wood/charcoal smoker. Always had good results.
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Old 08-20-2012, 03:07 PM   #5
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I have several weber grills 22",18" and a couple smokey joes. I also have two charbroil commercial grills I keep one at the campground and one at home on my patio. I also have a 100# smoker I made from scratch that runs off of propane. The smokey Joes are close to 20 years old from when we started tent camping and I still use them on occasion for tailgating or when I take the son on tent camping fishing trips. Some things just aren't meant to be cooked on propane, I refuse to grill a good steak on propane it doesn't get close to hot enough to put a good char on it without overcooking them. I also make home made polish sausage and smoke some of it. Also come deer season I like to make different venison sausages and jerky(I have some guys who bring me their whole deer to make into jerky). We are seasonal campers and live in the campground all summer during this time I rarely if ever cook inside of the camper. Also I grill all winter long in Michigan. My last travel trailer I don't believe I ever used the stove top. I made biscuits in the oven when it was cool out to warm up the trailer.
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Old 08-20-2012, 10:58 PM   #6
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I recently switched to a 22 inch Weber charcoal grille while camping. I wanted to smoke meat while camping and discovered some accessories by Weber that turn this grille into a very good smoker. Weber sells a grate with flip up sides which allow coals/wood chunks to be added without removing the grate. I also purchased these moon shaped baskets which I place on opposite sides of the grille and fill them with approximately 5 to 6 briquets each and 1 to 2 mesquite wood chunks. I place a drain pan between the baskets and fill the pan with water to about mid level. The water in the pan helps to keep your meat moist and catches the drippings. I then place my rubbed down brisket, ribs or pork butt in the center of the grille directly above the drip pan. I shut off the lower air vents and open the top vents until the temp hovers around 250. The Weber is very efficient and only requires that I add coals/mesquite 1-2 additional times throughout the 5 hours that I smoke my meat. After 5 hours I wrap the meat up in foil and kick the temp up to 350 by opening the bottom vents, adding some coals and cook for an additional 2 hours. Wrapping in foil ensures the meat cooks fully and makes it tender. I also added a $15 thermometer from Walmart to help monitor the temp.The Weber is cheap, lightweight, travels well, and is also great for grilling steaks or chicken.





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Old 08-20-2012, 11:22 PM   #7
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We usually carry a Weber Kettle Grill or sometimes an 18" Weber Smokey Mountain when camping. At home I have a Weber Genesis gas grill that gets used very little, a homemade gravity feed charcoal smoker which is our main competition rig, and a Lang 84D reverse flow offset stickburner which we use at contests when we take the camper since its a trailer mounted pit. That WSM is great for smoking while camping due to it's small size and efficiency. Once running I generally don't touch it for hours.
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Old 10-01-2012, 09:14 AM   #8
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We now use the LP Gas fired Smoke Vault. It can maintain a low and steady temp for a long period of time. (Until u run out of gas). I smoke a lot of briskets so I like to keep it at ~ 200F. btw I only use mesquite. I think that must be a Texas thing which is where this Jersey boy first learned about real BBQ. (Lived there for 15 yrs)
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Old 10-01-2012, 10:01 AM   #9
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Weber

I enjoy reading these posts which, by the way, has cost me a lot of money (oxygenetics shower nozzle, TST tire pressure monitoring system, Weber Q120, etc.). Now to maybe cost y'all some. I have the Weber 22.5" Gold at the house and bought one of these: KettlePizza - Turn Your Kettle Grill into an Outdoor Pizza Oven. Pizza Oven for Weber
I use it for wood fired pizza. I really enjoy the pizzas and I am getting better with the recipes. It's pretty easy to get it to 700 degrees which is what you need for the pizzas and no smoke. It also beats the $2600-$4,000 for a wood fired concrete/stone oven.
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Old 10-01-2012, 10:12 AM   #10
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depends on what we are cooking and where we are goin.....

home i have a built in lynx pro sear with rotissere and infrared sear....awesome grill, but its nat gas, so you have to use a little smoker box with chips if you want smoke....best for restaraunt quality steaks with nice seared crust...it can hit 600-700 degrees on sear side..a must for truly high end steaks

for REAL smoking at home i use a texas barbecues barrel style smoker....heavy gauge all steel with big fire box...usually mesquite, but i also like hickory and cherry...slow n low cooking requires thicker steel to keep the temps consistent. this one is my go to bbq cookoff machine...its ugly, but kicks out the tx style briskit, ribs, n sausage like a champ! LOL

for camping, i use either the grill on the side of my lacrosse camper (if i want to keep it simple and im just burning burgers or dogs), but if i want to put some effort and quality into it i use a webber smokey mountain cooker....it wont hold 4 briskits, but it holds temp nice and is fairly compact to travel with....

and for tailgaiting we have a custom made 1/4 thick all steel trailer mounted pit with a 5ft+ long main cooking chamber..takes forever to heat, but can cook an easy 8 briskits at a time! LOL.....now that grill only comes out when cooking for 30+ people and where SMOKING is the priority of the day....lots of wood, lots of beer, and lots of bickering on the best rib rub or briskit marinade...good stuff!
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Old 10-01-2012, 10:53 AM   #11
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[QUOTE=btw I only use mesquite. I think that must be a Texas thing which is where this Jersey boy first learned about real BBQ. (Lived there for 15 yrs)[/QUOTE]

Who can argue with such logic! Couldn't agree more....
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Old 10-01-2012, 11:09 AM   #12
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We take a Weber Q220 with us in the RV. I bought a bottle-retainer ring from CW and got a 10-pound low-profile propane bottle that has the same base footprint as the bigger ones.

The only problem I've found with the Q220 is that it won't go in any of the cargo bays without taking the lid off. It's about 3/4" too tall. Taking the lid off isn't a big deal, though.

It's a very good grill. It gets hotter than the big 4-burner one I have at home.
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Old 10-01-2012, 07:50 PM   #13
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I use a number of cookers depending on what's on the menu. I have a Weber 22" One Touch Gold, Weber 18" Smokey Mountain Cooker, and a Primo Junior ceramic cooker that I use at home. When camping, I use a Weber Q 120 w/griddle. I miss the charcoal flavor when camping so I may try to integrate one of the home cookers to the camp equipment list.
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Old 10-01-2012, 08:08 PM   #14
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I gave up on charcoal and gas a long time ago...Charcoal was a hassle and gas does nothing to add flavor and in fact it dries out whatever you cook. Plus, try cooking bacon on a charcoal or gas grill. It just is not going to happen. I switched over to a wood pellet/ smoker. The pellets come in different flavors, mesquite, hickory, maple, etc..It cooks using convection heating just like an oven. There is no direct flame to scorch whatever you are cooking. I even cook pizza's and many other things on mine. The one I use for camping is a smaller version of the one I use at home. Just turn the knob to the smoke position and in 4 to 5 minutes the firepot will ignite then set to the desired temp and walk away...These things are great! The flavor they add to your cook is fantastic!. Warning: Do not eat from one, it will cost you some money..
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Old 05-01-2013, 08:34 AM   #15
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I use the BIG Smoker/BBQ when smoking for myself and friends. When camping I take along the propane Smoker just because I can't get the BIG smoker in the toy hauler.
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Old 05-01-2013, 10:02 AM   #16
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Just bought a Weber Q220 last week. Got it to replace my Cuisinart Gratelifter Charcoal Grill for camping, the charcoal is just too much of a clean-up hassle. We'll be taking it and the rig to Talladega this weekend for the race and I'm anxious to see if it lives up to the hype. Will post my thoughts after we get back. Planning steaks one night, chicken the next and conecah sausage the third. (Note to self: bring Rolaids)
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Old 05-01-2013, 01:18 PM   #17
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I was at COSTCO a few months ago and a guy was pushing these Traeger Pellet smokers. Even though the price was a little high I decided to give it a shot. I have produced some of the best food ever on that thing. I use it at least 4 times a week. They are electric but burn natural wood pellets. You can maintain temps from 180 - 450 and it honestly doesn't get much easier.

I recently bought the new Traeger PTG for the camper and plan to give it a shot this weekend on a trip.

If you haven't seen them, check them out.

Barbecue (BBQ) Grills & Smokers | Traeger Wood Pellet Grills

The PTG (goes on sale for $250 on a regular basis:
Traeger Grills - PTG (BBQ020 )
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Old 05-01-2013, 04:52 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkyJunk View Post
I was at COSTCO a few months ago and a guy was pushing these Traeger Pellet smokers. Even though the price was a little high I decided to give it a shot. I have produced some of the best food ever on that thing. I use it at least 4 times a week. They are electric but burn natural wood pellets. You can maintain temps from 180 - 450 and it honestly doesn't get much easier.

I recently bought the new Traeger PTG for the camper and plan to give it a shot this weekend on a trip.

If you haven't seen them, check them out.

Barbecue (BBQ) Grills & Smokers | Traeger Wood Pellet Grills

The PTG (goes on sale for $250 on a regular basis:
Traeger Grills - PTG (BBQ020 )
There we go another convert....That is what I was talking about, once you eat anything off of one of these pellet grills you will never enjoy anything grilled or smoked with charcoal or gas. I thought the grill space on the PTG's was a little small so I opted to go with a Traeger Jr with the tailgater kit installed. It works great for me. I bet I have helped sell about 5 or 6 pellet grills since I started taking the Jr camping with us. All I have to do is turn in on and let the smoke roll out of it and someone strolls over to see what it is about. Fire it up in the morning with some bacon on it and you will be amazed how many new camping friends you will make...
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