Difference between Smokenator and a baffle.

[low]

I happened upon this site and have been reading some very good information. I do have a question. I have don't as of yet have a Smokenator, but I do have a baffle setup that I made that is very similar. The difference is that instead of a cut out for a water tray and 2 holes for coals, mine is open at the top. Can you tell me what the advantages would be for the Smokenator over my setup. I notice many people don't use the built in water tray, instead they put it on top of the cook grate to save coal space. Also, it is a lot easier to dump coals into an open area as opposed to the holes. I'm sure there are many good reasons for the Smokenator setup, I would like to hear them. Thank you.

[ncsmoker]

The top of the SN has two tabs that lock it into the two grill holders on the Weber grills, making it very sturdy. It also reduces the air flow through the coals somewhat although the main air flow is controlled by the vents. As far as adding coals you only do it roughly every 4 hours and then you reload through both the round and rectangular holes. I often do 12-18 hour smokes for butts and briskets. You can do a 6hr. St. Louis rib smoke with adding just a few more coals.

Hope this helps answer your question.

NC

[pilfjd]

Agreed with NC here. The SN is sturdily attached to the weber using the grill tabs and it also has cutouts for the coal grate adding more stability. I considered using firebricks as a barrier/baffle system but I didn't want to battle with having them topple over in the middle of a smoke or something like that. I wanted a solution that required little effort. HTH

[low]

Thank you for your quick replies. It sounds like a nice setup. I lay 2 fire briempcks flat on the coal grate up against the baffle and it holds things very well. I put my water pan on the coal grate.

I guess I was just curious as to if it controls temp any better. It sounds like a nice addition to the Weber. I'll be checking the site often. There seems to be a lot of good info here. BTW...Please don't think I'm not trying to sway anyone away from the Smokenator, just curious. Again, thank you.

[ncsmoker]

Hi Low NC again. If you are getting a 4-6 hr. smoke with out adjusting the vents very often there is no need to buy the SN. For me it was a step up from the Weber baskets which I had used to smoke with since the late 70's. I just placed a loaf pan in front of the basket and lit 8 coals and brought the temp up to 225 and could smoke anything I wanted, from ribs to brisket, with the baskets but I had to replace coals every 2-3 hours and adjust the vents frequently. The SN solved this problem for me.

So as long as you can maintain your temp your good with your system.

Keep on smoking!

NC