Smokenator question...

[ramsfan]

Does anyone own a smokenator? I was curious as to how well they actually work and thought someone might be able to give me their firsthand opinion on how well they perform? What I really want to know is if these things are just a novelty gimmick type of item or if there is actually some real benefit from using one of these? Do they work better than a charcoal rail or basket? Any input would be great. Thanks.

[Hogsy]

I have one, I only use it for L&S cooks and usually only for ribs say 6hrs cooking time
They hold temp great between 225f-250f
I like the fact that it keeps temp, sort of set and forget and all the cooking area you get to lay out racks of ribs and it's all indirect
For longer cooks like pulled pork & brisket I prefer to use the snake method
The only PITA is filling the water tray every hour or so
But a lot of the time I don't bother with the water and it still holds temp

[MrHoss]

Got a Kettle that is warped all to shit thanks to one of those things. Get some fire bricks and make your pile leaning inwards is what I say. I also will use baskets.

[ramsfan]

Got a Kettle that is warped all to shit thanks to one of those things. Get some fire bricks and make your pile leaning inwards is what I say. I also will use baskets.

Did the warping cause the kettle to be out of round or did it just warp the side wall of the bottom bowl?

[OoPEZoO]

I have one......it works "ok". In the end, there was just too much fiddling with things to keep it going. I used it maybe 3-4 times, but decided it was more trouble than it was worth. If I'm smoking in a kettle, I prefer using the snake method

[MrHoss]

Did the warping cause the kettle to be out of round or did it just warp the side wall of the bottom bowl?

The bowl is out of round now. No amount of squeezing gonna make it right either....I tried. I think it was all those cooks I did with lump piled right against the back wall. Never use that contraption again.

[muidaq]

It was the first thing I got when getting into smoking and the least used.  If you're just getting started, look into the snake method.  I have lots of success with it.

[LightningBoldtz]

I don't mind the smokenator, I have not experienced what Hoss has with warping, that said I am on the hunt for a cheap beater kettle for this purpose.

[Jammato]

here is my basket minion mod

works great, can adjust the amt of coals in it, does not need water, and does not warp the sides of the kettle

the cost is a set of baskets (15 bucks) some miscellaneous nuts bolts and washers. That and a few tools from the garage and bingo, a basket for long cooks.  http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/new-weber-charcoal-baskets-minion-style/

[CharliefromLI]

I've seen a post about one of these being used as a smokenator alternative:
http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/10730246?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228009324071&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=47976630272&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=95956242992&veh=sem

[Qreps]

I have a smokenator and have used it maybe a dozen times it worked ok I have no big complaints about it, but you have to baby it to much. I recently got a Cajun bandit stacker I've used it four times and it works amazing. Save you money use the snake method and build a hover grate or get a Cajun bandit you'll love it.

[Troy]

I had one. Came with a kettle i rescued.

I used it a couple times just to see how it worked.
It worked OK. The water pan is a freaking joke, don't even bother with it. Too small to be a heatsink. Moist cooking environment? Pshaw. I don't think anyone can tell the difference between water vs no water.

It held temps ok. But really no better than fire bricks or even baskets or banking.
The advantage is how high you can stack the charcoal up the kettle wall

For the price, its not worth it unless you really plan to cook on the lower deck (beer can turkey, etc)

The cajun bandit stacker is a million times better.
(and I can make money by selling the smokenator, i don't make shit by recommending the cajun bandit. Unlike other that only recommend things that pay the bills)

[1buckie]

Lance ( @mirkwood ) knows how to run these things....he wailed on ribs with the thing at the Napa meetup.....

It's just like anything else....figure out the particulars & the fine-tuning & you can get it to sing !!!!

But like Hoss is saying, probably wouldn't be good for constant high heat deals....that's pretty stark if the bell is permanently skewed....

[Johnpv]

I bought one used last year.  Tried it for a couple of cooks and pretty much hate the thing.  Specially if your fuel runs out, you're stuck only adding a little bit of fuel at a time to keep it going.  A snake is just so much easier IMHO.  Sure it takes more prep work than a smokenator, but it just works so much better.  Plus if I need to refill a snake I can basically rebuild the whole thing going the other direction if I want, not do a little by little refuel. 

[mirkwood]

Like Hogsy,  I don't use the stock water pan either, instead I use a disposable 1 pound aluminum loaf pan and put
it over one of the smaller round holes and the temp will usually lock in at 225 ~ 245 for about 5 hours at a time and the
water is good for that amount of time too, just use hot tap water and you are good to go. I'll use it mostly for ribs
but have done longer (12 + hour) cooks like brisket and large butts, I also used it when I cook prime rib roasts.