Pro smoker 100

cogboy
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Pro smoker 100

Post by cogboy » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:51

Hi all, I am looking into buying a pro smoker 100, I know Sawhorseray has one and likes it. Does anyone else have any experience with this brand? They are currently out of stock at a few of the websites that are offering them, hopefully due to high demand and not lack of production due to declining sales .Thanks, Dave
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Post by sawhorseray » Fri Jul 25, 2014 17:03

Hi Cogboy! I know Redzed has one for about a year now, he'll likely chime in. I've had mine that I got from Cabelas for over two years now, lots of use, never a problem, I absolutely love the thing. The Pro 100 smokers are made for Cabelas by PS Seasonings, and I'm not seeing them listed on either website. I e-mailed PS Seasonings a couple of months back to ask if they had been discontinued and they informed they were still in production, but only came in all stainless steel now instead of the black exterior like mine. Turns out that really affects the price of the smoker, PS is asking $1799 for the Pro 100 these days. When I got mine from Cabelas I paid $1199 and got free shipping, quite a difference in a couple of years. If you are interested you may want to call Cabelas and see if they still have any in stock. I have a catalogue from 2012 that has them for $1399, the code number is JD-51-8583-605. If they ask which book you saw the smoker in the code is JCA102, Fall Edition, 2012. It's a toll free call so there's really nothing to lose trying to find out. Hope this helps, good luck! RAY
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Post by redzed » Fri Jul 25, 2014 21:20

I've had this smoker since November 2013. Like Ray, I purchased it from Cabela's when it was on sale for $1199. It is a heavy, well built, well insulated unit.

Pros
Quality construction
Heat control works from 60F
Air tight making it a fermentation chamber if necessary
You can smoke up to 25lbs sausage

Cons
Control only in Fahrenheit
Has an electric stove top element that serves as both a heater and wood burner, making it essentially impossible to control the type and level of smoke you want.
There is a considerable difference in temp between the bottom and top of the cabinet.

As I pointed out above, burning chips/sawdust on the same element that is used to heat/cook the product is a cheap, simple method but very inefficient. For a smoker sold for that price, it's a serious drawback. When hot smoking, the sawdust (yes, I dampened it) would burn very fast, giving off a lot of heavy smoke for 30 to 60 minutes. I had mixed results using it that way, and couple of times my sausage was blackened. I have now installed a smoke generator and it complements the Pro100 very well. The generator is not only cost effective, but I can now control the heat and the smoke volume separately. One has also take into account that each smoker, whatever the type, is different and it takes a number of smoking sessions to become familiar in using it. I think I have finally done that with the Pro100.
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Post by Bob K » Fri Jul 25, 2014 23:20

There is a considerable difference in temp between the bottom and top of the cabinet.
I still wonder why there is not a convection type oven set up in vertical smokers to even out the heat.
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Post by cogboy » Fri Jul 25, 2014 23:22

Thanks guys for the info, cabelas is backordered on this smoker as are few other companies. A few websites say the have them for 1399 or 1799. I'll probably wait on cabelas. This site and y'all are costing me some money on toys ! :mrgreen:
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Post by redzed » Sat Jul 26, 2014 03:59

Bob K wrote:
There is a considerable difference in temp between the bottom and top of the cabinet.
I still wonder why there is not a convection type oven set up in vertical smokers to even out the heat.
That and a few other things that it should have for that price. Just take a look what $1500 can get you as far as heating elements, several controls, sensors, fans, timers etc. when you buy an electric or gas stove!
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Post by Baconologist » Sun Jul 27, 2014 09:13

What are the inside dimensions of this smoker?
Godspeed!

Bob
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Post by sawhorseray » Sun Jul 27, 2014 15:26

Baconologist wrote:What are the inside dimensions of this smoker?
34"H x 18"W x 17 & 3/4" D. RAY
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Post by redzed » Sun Jul 27, 2014 18:15

My last post on the Pro100 might have come off as being overly critical, so I would like to add that after installing a Smokai brand smoke generator, I am, for the most part happy with it. BTW, while the Amazen pellet smoker tray, works great in my Bradley, it did not work in the Pro. The problem with the high temp in the top part of the chamber has been somewhat alieviated by hanging the sausage a bit lower and opening the top vent to about half. (The manufacturer recommends one third). Despite some of the shortcomings I listed earlier, it is leagues ahead of Landmann 40 inch electric smoker, Model 32902, that I returned to Costco. That was truly a useless and poorly conceived piece of junk.
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Post by cogboy » Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:22

I bought this smoker from cabelas last night , my wife is rolling her eyes at me now. :smile:
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Post by redzed » Sat Aug 02, 2014 15:38

Congrats! This smoker will last you a good many years and over time your wife will learn to love it as well! :lol: I know it's an expensive hobby, but still cheaper than golf!
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Post by ssorllih » Sat Aug 02, 2014 16:14

I have made every effort to keep my costs down while still having the ability to smoke meat when I wanted. I know that a purpose built system with quality temperature controls would be wonderful to have I simply can't bring myself to being able to justify it for the very small amount of use it would get. I looked at the very fine sausage that Red made and wondered how I could eat all of that this year. ;-)
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by sawhorseray » Sat Aug 02, 2014 16:59

Congratulations, I think you'll be happy with your decision. As you know I'm a huge fan of the Pro 100, I've had nothing but success and a lot of fun with mine. After you get it broke in smoking a couple of times flip the switch and roast some ribs or pulled pork. Save this site from PS Seasonings for recipes and information on how to use the smoker. A lot of times I'll cross-reference a recipe on cooking method between PS and CW and reach a happy medium if there's much difference, which usually there isn't. Always remember to grease the door gasket with food spray or mineral oil after every use, and keep the latches loose to keep the gasket from bonding to the frame. Good luck! RAY

http://www.psseasoning.com/index.cfm/act/recipes
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Post by redzed » Sun Aug 03, 2014 07:24

ssorllih wrote:I looked at the very fine sausage that Red made and wondered how I could eat all of that this year. ;-)
Thanks Ross. I also could not possibly eat all the sausage I make either. And my wife is a fitness nut who eats salad by the bushel an excercises 3 hours a day. While she loves sausage she is determined, has strong will power, and she restricts how much meat she eats. So, I give away at least half of what I make. For me, the pleasure is in the process, studying, experimenting, selecting meat and getting up at 5 AM to heat the smoker. Brings to mind an old American adage, "It ain't the song, it's the singin' "
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Post by cogboy » Sun Aug 03, 2014 16:16

sawhorseray wrote:Congratulations, I think you'll be happy with your decision. As you know I'm a huge fan of the Pro 100, I've had nothing but success and a lot of fun with mine. After you get it broke in smoking a couple of times flip the switch and roast some ribs or pulled pork. Save this site from PS Seasonings for recipes and information on how to use the smoker. A lot of times I'll cross-reference a recipe on cooking method between PS and CW and reach a happy medium if there's much difference, which usually there isn't. Always remember to grease the door gasket with food spray or mineral oil after every use, and keep the latches loose to keep the gasket from bonding to the frame. Good luck! RAY

http://www.psseasoning.com/index.cfm/act/recipes

Thank-you for the tips !!!
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