Electric Smoking Thoughts

Electric smoking is a whole lot different from my old Sportsman Wood Brinkmann. Electric is way easier but still is an art. The temperature in the electric smoker is very stable and moisture is easy to regulate because there is no need to have a supply of oxygen. There is no need to soak the wood pieces/chips.

I’ll never forget the wood smoke I did that had a gust of wind blow grass trimmings into the smoker. I had to rinse the roast off with beer to get rid of the burned grass taste before continuing the smoke. With electric you never have to worry about a lot of things that happen in a wood smoker. Why didn’t I buy electric years ago??? I Figure it cost about $3 for a 9 hour smoke in the electric. My gas would cost about $12 for the same smoke, but I could always taste the propane.  

I use Velvet Mesquite native to Arizona including the southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. They have some in far west Texas, but most of Texas has Honey Mesquites. Velvet Mesquite grows from sea level to 5,000 feet in elevation in Arizona. Be careful that you don’t mistake Catclaw Acacia for mesquite. Remember mesquite thorns are straight, never curved. Catclaw has a very strong smoke.

Hawaiian Kalua Pig is wrapped in Ti and Banana Leaves, and then it is cooked in a pit called Imu fueled with mesquite wood called Kiawe and hot rocks. I was told the mesquites that were on the dry side of Maui were planted in 1828.

I also like Sonoran Scrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella) for a lighter flavored smoke. Gambel Oak is good also but you have to be careful that you don’t get moldy wood. The mold adds a bitter flavor to the smoke. Blackjack Live Oak is great too.

Other Arizona – Verde Valley trees that are good for smoking are apple, pecan, almond, plum, cherry, peach and apricot.  

The Arizona plants not good for smoking are: Arizona Alder is very pungent and Oleander is poisonous. A list of more Arizona trees not to use for smoking: Pine, Mulberry, Sycamore, Ailanthus, Tamarisk, Cottonwood, Palo Verde and Willow.

I bought a cheap dolly drilled holes through the plate leaving 1” gap at smoker side, put feet bolts through the holes and a strap at the top door hinge. I had to remove the lower strap on the dolly with a grinder and welded it back on well above the wood chips tray.