 |
12-21-2013, 10:55 AM
|
#1
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
Volcano grill question
I just ordered a Volcano grill. I've been thinking about the different options and think ( hope ) I made the right choice. Looking for ease of storage, check. Compact, check. Choice of fuels, check. At home I have a homemade meat/fish smoker and need a good heat source for use in that. I'm hoping that the propane burner option will serve me there. My only question is can the flame be adjusted low enough for me. I need to keep my smoker as low as
150 - 175 deg. and sometimes higher so I hope it will serve me for that use. I need to come up with some sort of baffle inside to prevent dripping fat from buggering up the burner before I can try it. I also plan to take it along when we're Airstreaming so that's the primary motivation here. I was looking towards the Cobb grill and liked that one too but this Volcano just might be the ticket here. We'll see. We usually don't sit in one place long enough to get comfortable so I don't do too much outdoor grilling when Airstreaming but I plan to slow down our travels this winters trip south so I hope it works for us.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
12-21-2013, 01:29 PM
|
#2
|
Rivet Master 
2007 25' International CCD FB
Northridge
, California
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 516
|
Hi I too have been looking into the Volcano 3. I currently have a Cobb and am not impressed with it at all. I m hoping the Volcano stays hotter and lasts longer than the Cobb plus I like the drop down stow feature. Ive been waiting for the price to drop on Amazon but looks like the lowest is $130. I would love to learn how to smoke on the Volcano any tips would be great.
Thanks
LilNomad
|
|
|
12-21-2013, 01:59 PM
|
#3
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
Hi Nomad. Not planning to smoke on the Volcano. Just use the propane burner in my smoker for a heat source. I cold smoke salmon all the time but for meat I need some heat. I had been using a gas burner but it crapped out on me last year so I'm hoping this will serve my purposes. However, if you just sprinkle some damp wood chips over the charcoal no reason you can't produce some smoke for grilling purposes.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
12-21-2013, 05:39 PM
|
#4
|
2 Rivet Member 
1977 31' Sovereign
Overland Park
, Kansas
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 49
|
If electric is an option, there is a great Good Eats episode where the host uses a simple electric hot plate to char chunks of wood to smoke meats in terra cotta planters and a separate show where he uses the same setup in a cardboard box for lower temp fish smoking.
BTW, propane is supposedly a bad choice for smoking since the combustion process releases a lot of moisture into the smoke chamber, but a lot of folks prefer using that method/taste for their BBQ.
|
|
|
12-21-2013, 06:13 PM
|
#5
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
I think you're right Wolf. Moisture is not all bad though. A lot of people put a tray of water in their smoke chamber to add moisture. I don't though. I've never felt it was needed. Maybe because I was using propane.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
12-21-2013, 06:16 PM
|
#6
|
4 Rivet Member 

2006 19' Safari
Irvine
, California
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 272
|
Volcano comes with a baffle. Not sure you can crank the burner down low enough for smoking, but for all your other requirements you are going to love the volcano.
|
|
|
12-22-2013, 12:06 PM
|
#7
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
Actually the smoker application was an afterthought. I had already ordered it. If it works great, if not I'll keep at it.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
12-22-2013, 02:24 PM
|
#8
|
4 Rivet Member 
Central Florida
, Florida
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 455
|
We have a Volcano grill and use it for dutch oven cooking and for grilling.
We also have the propane attachment. I hadn't thought about using it as a smoker. Let's us know how well that work out.
__________________
Dave
2008 Classic 34
Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab CTD
|
|
|
12-22-2013, 04:56 PM
|
#9
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
I will Dave. I have an old reefer that I use for the smoke chamber and smoke from an outside box with smoldering hardwood sawdust. Works great for cold smoking but this will only work if I can control the heat to keep it to low enough temps. So we'll see. Maybe an outside control valve will help out. What type of dutch oven do you have ??? I need to think along those lines too.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
01-07-2014, 09:13 AM
|
#10
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
Hey there Dave. My Volcano grill came last week. I like the look and feel of it but haven't tried it out for what it is. But, I did try it for what it isn't. I took the gas burner ( optional ) and gave it a go in my meat / fish smoker. Seemed to work great. I had no trouble getting the temp. Up to 200 deg. F and I think it could have handled even more. I'm happy with that and seemed to easily be regulated to even lower temps if needed so I'm a happy camper. Or maybe better said, Happy non-smoking Smoker. Now to get some bellies and make some bacon.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
01-07-2014, 09:58 AM
|
#11
|
Rivet Master 
2007 25' International CCD FB
Northridge
, California
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 516
|
I ordered mine the other day im soo excited. Ive been waiting for awhile trying to see if the price would drop..finally gave up and ordered it. Im gonna use the cob for veggies etc. and the Volcano for meats. I will still use my soaked woodchips in each for flavor but would love to learn to smoke stuff. (foods) hehe
LilNomad
|
|
|
01-07-2014, 10:44 AM
|
#12
|
retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,420
|
Smoking is not difficult. There is a little science in the curing process. Not much but too much to go into here. The smoking part is the easy part of it. Heat or no heat depending on what you want. This little gas burner works for the heat side of things for me.
There's plenty of help and guidance on the web. Google and Utube are your friends in this.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
|
|
|
 |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|

Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|