You only need to take a quick stroll around the American Royal World Championship of Barbecue website to see that several teams are now competing with all sorts of drum smokers. One type in particular stood out and was in front of the top teams, the Hunsaker .
There are several reasons to adopt a drum smoker. They apply to competition, but they apply to all smoked meat lovers who like to achieve the best possible cooking results.
One of these reasons is to cook "hot'n'fast". In the old days of BBQ competitions, everyone used log smokers. To deliver their meats to the judges, usually in the early afternoon, the "pitmasters" had to stay up all night watching their fire, replenishing wood once or twice an hour, playing with the air inlets and outlets to have the most stable low-temperature cooking possible.
Hunsakers allow you to cook quickly at 325, 350, even 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For one, cooking is much faster, and for another, all you need is a charcoal basket and a few pieces of wood to keep the temperature stable for up to 10 hours.
The problem with quick cooking is that it tends to dry out the meat. The drums are so airtight, all the moisture that escapes from the meat stays in the BBQ. So there are two effects that come from this airtightness. The moisture accumulates in the BBQ and the meat remains much juicier during cooking. This same moisture creates pressure and the BBQ has a pressure cooking effect. Accelerating the cooking of the piece of meat even more. All this moisture has only one negative point. Do not open it if you wear glasses. There is so much steam that escapes from the lid when you open it that you will be instantly blinded.
A “drum smoker”, anyone can make one!
The barrel smoker trend comes from the "Do-It-Yourselfers" or, in French, those who do things themselves. One reason is that it's supposedly very simple. All you need is a steel barrel, screws, an air inlet, an air outlet, a thermometer and a grill. Granted, it's simple. However, a company like Hunsaker has one thing you don't have. The time and resources to develop a product that is at the top of its game.
It all starts with a Vortex
With the Hunsaker, you first have a Vortex. This very thick steel, propeller-like device sits on top of the charcoal basket. As the heat rises, the Vortex spins the rising heat towards your food. The effect that is created is similar to the effect of a convection oven. Plus, it reduces hot spots in BBQs. So your heat is even no matter where the meat is placed on the grill.
You don't need to move or turn your meat so that it cooks evenly. So you have less need to open the BBQ. Because everyone knows: "When you looking, you ain't cooking!"
5 levels of grills for “Next Level!” smoking
The rack support is wonderfully well thought out. Just grab the handles and turn a quarter turn to release it. You simply raise or lower the rack to get closer or further away from the heat source and turn it again a quarter turn to lock it in place.
It's quick, easy, and eliminates the risk of tipping your meat over mid-cooker by placing the rack on an unstable spot or having nowhere to place the meat while you adjust the rack.
The stand also allows you to add multiple grills. You will never run out of space to accommodate several people at your famous Sunday evening BBQ.
A hinge and wheels worthy of mention!
The hinge makes it easy to open the smoker lid and hold it in place. You don't have to find a specific spot to put it down. You can quickly take the temperature, spray your meat with juices, beer or your secret mixture, and even put a new cut of meat on top. You'll lose less heat and moisture, and you'll reduce the risk of sending too much oxygen to your charcoal, which could then light and disrupt the stability of your cooking.
This hinge is also a nice handle that allows you to tilt the smoker and roll it easily. It's like it has a built-in hand truck. In the normal position, there is a third small swivel wheel that can be locked. So you can easily place it wherever you want.
At almost 110 pounds, it's nice to be able to move the smoker with one hand and get it wherever you want.
BBQing is fun, but…
As nice as it is to BBQ, it's also nice to get up at a decent hour in the morning and be able to do something other than watch the temperature of your BBQ when you're doing a long cooking session.
Have you ever imagined finishing work, coming home and making ribs in the same time it takes to make shepherd's pie?