There's another thread going in the Water Cooler forum about charcoal, which led me to research and attempt making my own. Had a great success, and used it to produce a delicious meal (pork shoulder, brats, and salmon) yesterday on my Weber Smokey Mountain.
I love the Smokey Mountain, but it's an effort to use because of the cleaning chores related to the water bowl. Heavy, awkward to clean, gets rancid real fast if I'm not diligent about cleanup. My primary grill is a Weber Spirit (propane). Also a great grill, but missing that charcoal potential.
Now that I'm making my own charcoal, I want a more traditional charcoal grill/smoker. Something like an Oklahoma Joe barrel style. Interested to hear what you smoking aficionados recommend. What features to look for. What separates the good from the bad (build quality, materials, etc.). Is a "combo" grill/smoker a compromise in some way? Can I direct grill on a typical charcoal-fired smoker, or am I giving something up?
I know a lot of folks swear by pellet grills, but not interested in those. This is about using charcoal made here on the homestead.
I love the Smokey Mountain, but it's an effort to use because of the cleaning chores related to the water bowl. Heavy, awkward to clean, gets rancid real fast if I'm not diligent about cleanup. My primary grill is a Weber Spirit (propane). Also a great grill, but missing that charcoal potential.
Now that I'm making my own charcoal, I want a more traditional charcoal grill/smoker. Something like an Oklahoma Joe barrel style. Interested to hear what you smoking aficionados recommend. What features to look for. What separates the good from the bad (build quality, materials, etc.). Is a "combo" grill/smoker a compromise in some way? Can I direct grill on a typical charcoal-fired smoker, or am I giving something up?
I know a lot of folks swear by pellet grills, but not interested in those. This is about using charcoal made here on the homestead.