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Author Topic: Smoker Opinions  (Read 2742 times)

Offline MNWayne

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Re: Smoker Opinions
« Reply #15 on: May 03, 2020, 12:02:59 pm »
I've been very happy with my Traeger pellet smoker/grill.  Nice to be able to set temp and walk away.
Far better to dare mighty things....

narvin

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Re: Smoker Opinions
« Reply #16 on: May 03, 2020, 04:09:45 pm »
I'll also recommend the Akorn as the best all purpose grill you can get for the price.  Holds temp almost like a BGE, lighter, and as long as you don't leave it out in the rain it lasts. 

I will say that for smoking, you want a temperature controlled fan.  This is going to push the price up to $500+, so a dedicated bullet smoker might be cheaper if that's all you need.  The tolerances on this grill is also not quite as tight as the egg, but I haven't had a problem with it.  Some people have gone to extremes to insulate it from drafts but other than a little foil around the bottom damper I haven't done anything. Just keep the top damper almost entirely close to avoid natural air flow from the heat, and the fan will control it.  With lump charcoal and some wood chunks it can go all night and more holding 225 dead on.

Offline MDixon

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Re: Smoker Opinions
« Reply #17 on: May 04, 2020, 09:32:03 am »
No fan needed for an Akorn, but a TipTopTemp is a must if you want to skip fiddling with the vents.

https://tiptoptemp.com/
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

narvin

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Re: Smoker Opinions
« Reply #18 on: May 04, 2020, 10:49:51 am »
No fan needed for an Akorn, but a TipTopTemp is a must if you want to skip fiddling with the vents.

https://tiptoptemp.com/

I was looking at that it but decided to go with the cheapest fan pid controller (no wifi).  Glad to hear it works well.

Offline MDixon

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Re: Smoker Opinions
« Reply #19 on: May 05, 2020, 07:47:22 am »
I bring it up to temp and as I approach 30F less than the smoking temp I start adjusting the TTT. I keep an eye on it until I dial it in. Typically from cold that takes 1/2 hour to an hour since I bring it up slow. After that it typically doesn't require any adjustment unless it becomes windy and it wasn't windy when you started. On those days it might vary 10F due to the wind and need to dial down.
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!