Smoker Options - Wood Deck
 

As some may know, I'm relocating from KC to Chicago in May. I bought a condo in the city and my unit is on the top floor with a giant private wood deck on the roof which will be my primary outdoor space.

I'd like to be able to smoke, but have always set up on concrete. The building is brick, but the deck and railing is wood. The guy I'm buying it from had a Big Green Egg up there that he smoked on so I assume the HOA approved. He had it flat on a heat mat, no nest or anything. I currently have a Weber Smokey Mountain and definitely don't feel comfortable lighting my coals with a chimney near wood. I see the BGE can utilize an electric heating element to ignite the coals, so that seems safer.

CP smokers, any thoughts on smoking options on a wood deck? Opinions seem pretty mixed in my initial Google search. Anyone have experience with a BGE? Does it contain the heat/embers enough for a wood deck?

By "private space," do you mean private to your building's residents? Or private to just you?

I would be terrified of some slap-dicked yokel ****ing up my smoker by throwing hot dogs and bulk burger patties on it and just leaving the remnants there to smolder.

I couldn't do it.

I have a Good One smoker (offset of the "Free Range" also lets you grill direct heat)...only use charcoal and have it on a wood deck with a mat....never had any problems.

It's mine. Penthouse, playa.

How do you light your coals?

Hi United. I think a ceramic grill is definitely the way to go. I have a Primo XL and it is a wonderful unit. It's similar to a BGE, but is oval in shape which allows you to fill half of the firebox with lump charcoal and leave the other half empty. This provides direct heat over the coals, but indirect heat on the half without coals. Very handy.

When I first got it, I worried about having to put more charcoal in during a smoke, but if you fill half of it up, it will easily cook for something like 20 hours before a refill is needed. Plus, with ceramic units, once you get the temperature set (via air vents), the temp stays totally constant!!!

I've had my unit for about 10 years now and 3 neighbors have bought the same unit. Although a bit pricey, it really is a nice unit.

Oh, and as per starting up the coals, I'd recommend a little plug in unit that has a fan and heat element in it. It's a little cylindrical device about 18" long and about 2" in diameter. Plug the unit in and hold it on the coals for about a minute, and presto, the coals are fired up. Very handy and no need for a chimney/flames.

Good luck!!!

Oops, forgot to add that with ceramic units when you're finished, you just shut down the air vents and presto, the coals quit burning. So, no smoldering at all. Very safe.

Now that I'm looking closer at the BGE, a lot of people house them in wooden nests/tables.

Yup, my Primo sits in a Teak wood table. Very handy, plus easy to move around. However, I think there is a steel stand available too. The nice thing about the table set up is that you have room to set stuff on. Highly recommended.

How do empty the ash in your setup?

Yeah, If you can afford a top floor condo in Chicago, the logical move is to buy a table for the Egg.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward the Egg or another ceramic with a table. I looked up the Chicago code and it looks like charcoal grill use on balconies is at HOA discretion. I'll verify with them first as I'd like to buy this bitch now and have the movers move it.

Chimney and lighter gel

There's a door/air vent at the bottom of the Primo grill. The coals sit on a grate and the ash falls through the grate, You then scrape out the coals through that door/vent. Easy peasy.

BTW, you should probably use lump charcoal for ceramic grills as lump charcoal has much less ash.

I'm thinking about getting this.

Anybody have one?

Meatball, I didn't have that particular smoker, but I had a similar one made by Dave Klose down in Texas (interesting guy who can custom-make grills.....can Google to get particulars). Anyway, it was similar in design....but it was larger.

Two downsides of that type of unit (in my mind): (1) it takes a lot of charcoal to get it heated up as there's a lot of air that needs heating, (2) temperature control is DEFINITELY not as simple as with a ceramic unit. You've gotta watch the temp pretty closely on the units with the firebox on the side.

That said, they are fun to use and do a GREAT job of smoking a lot of meat. So, if you want to watch the smoker (whilst imbibing on an adult beverage or twenty), that type of smoker is great. If you want more of a set-it-and-forget it type unit (eg. put a brisket on and get to the proper temp and leave the house to go watch your kid play a ball game), well a ceramic is the way to go. Plus, generally speaking that smoker unit is for smoking and NOT grilling. Can do both on a ceramic.

GET BOTH!!!

Good info, thanks.

this. all day. I'm not sure of the "gel". I use a white waxy-looking thing that I get at home depot. there are 24 wax cubes per pack. you take a match or lighter, light that sumbitch, and then put your chimney (full of charcoal first, son) on top of burning cube.

drink a beer.
dump chimney of white hot coals on grill.
????
profit.

seriously tho, I've seen people set chimneys on the grill and do that, me personally, like when i'm at the stadium, or in a grassy area outside the stadium, I use a 12 inch by 12 inch paver-stone to set my chimney, as I don't want to put anything non food on my actual grill area.


that reminds me I need to grill something this weekend now. kudos!!

My traeger Texas elite will be here tomorrow. So stoked!

I've never used a Traeger, but have heard they're very nice units. Keep us posted on how it works out for you......Enjoy!!!

I use a Traeger. The work great for grilling or smoking. Hardest thing is leaving them alone.

What part of the City did you decide to move to?

That was my first style of smoker...it was OK, but not close the quality I get from my "Good One"

I'll be just off Milwaukee Ave in Bucktown. I'm much more excited about it than I imagined.

I've had my BGE in a wood table on a wood deck for 6 years with no problems. I have it resting on a piece of slate in the wood. You can touch the slate even when grilling at high heat with no problem. It also isn't a problem when doing a long smoke of 15 hours at 225.

This is good to hear and likely the setup I'll go with. I do several overnight cooks and want the piece of mind that my smoker isn't going to catch the deck on fire. Nothing is worse than feeling rundown the day of the party because you were up all night paranoid about your smoker.

Hey, baby. You smell smoke?
**** off, go back to sleep.

This isn't necessary, but I think it would be a huge plus for someone who smokes overnight or isn't able to sit by the smoker all day/night. I use it for everything but high temp cooks. It works great for grilling chicken and pork as well as smoking anything.

https://www.bbqguru.com/

My first, too.

What do you have now?

Got the green light from my HOA on a charcoal smoker for the deck. There's even a gas line that runs out to the deck for grills.

Still leaning ceramic with a table. I have an attached garage 4 floors down so storing it in the winter may be a challenge. Any concern leaving a ceramic under a cover outside for a Chicago winter?

I know the winters are rougher in Chicago than in STL, but I leave my Egg covered over the winter and have had no problems.

The previous owner kept his outside covered but he's from Michigan so I wasn't sure if he knew what he was doing.

Looks like it time to go shopping. It's just my wife and I so I'm debating between the XL or the Large. I worry a large brisket may not fit on the Large though.

If you can afford it and have the space, go with the XL. I don't use mine all that often, but when I do I wish we had the XL instead of the large.

(didn't pay for mine, so really can't complain)

Absolutely go with the XL; you won't regret it. Also, I do not cover my Primo ceramic grill at all in the winter. It sits in it's table thing on the patio all winter here in KC, and it's been fine now for about 10 years. Worry not these things are rugged.

PS. DEFINITELY GET THE XL!!! Good luck.