Hey Jack, I love both of my Stumps 😁 I was in Georgia a couple of years ago for a conference and Myron Mixon class. I was due to go and see Thad at Stumps but we had a hurricane heading up the middle of Florida and Georgia so everything was locked down, so I didn't get a chance to visit. Beautiful part of the world 😁
I really enjoyed the video. What is your method of adding smoke/wood chunks to the gravity fed smoker? I’m really considering getting one of these, but I don’t yet fully grasp the best way to add wood chunks. I know that chunks can be added to the ash pan (which you mentioned in the video) and/or the charcoal chute to create smoke. But I would think that adding chunks to the ash pan would create smoldering white smoke, not clean smoke. And I’ve read that adding chunks to the charcoal chute will cause them to burn up and not actually have a benefit (i.e., won’t create smoke). You mentioned in one of your comments that you tend to your Stumps every 12-15 hours. How do you do that with wood chunks? If you only add wood to the ash pan, what kind of smoke does it produce? Does that wood actually catch fire (as opposed to just smoldering)? I appreciate any light you can shed on this subject.
Hi Stratton, I'm glad you found the video useful. I add the chunks to the ash pan. They are only there for the first 2 hours of the cook as meat doesn't take on smoke flavour after that. So I'll add some as the meat goes in and sometimes more, an hour into the cook and thats all. I believe the wood is just smoldering as the charcoal ash drops onto it. I've always found it runs clear/blue smoke and certainly not the white acrid kind. The airflow is good, so no chance of keeping stale smoke in the cabinet. Hope this helps?
I am just starting to research gravity fed smokers. They look like they perform really well. One question I have is it seems like you have to use all the charcoal in the hopper tube. Does anyone ever close it up before it's empty and is there a way to do that and then restart it later with that residual charcoal? I guess you could just pull the grate at the bottom and empty out the unused charcoal...? Thank you!
Just found your Stumps reviews. They look like really good smokers. Where do you buy them from in Australia? I can't seem to find an outlet to urchase from. Cheers
Hi Mike, thanks for the kind words :-) I've just moved house and am still in a bit of disarray but in about 6 weeks I should have a decent sized BBQ Shed / Studio so will be able to cook more often and post more videos. So hopefully in the next 2 months, I should be able to start posting weekly and I will post more Stumps videos. Checkout my recent Bacon video, that was smoked on my purple Stumps Junior.
Hi Bryan, you should light the Stumps, get up to temperature and then run for 15mins or so to ensure it runs clean. I don't add any meat until this process is complete, so never get an acrid taste.
Nice review. Look forward to seeing more videos on your stump. I was thinking of buying one for the backyard. The question I have when you pull the rack out a little to check the meat does the juice of the meat spill on to the ground or is there something you do to prevent that.
I do two things. The Stump sits on a Stump mat, so any drips go onto the mat. Also once I’ve got a Brisket or Butt up to the stall, I place it in a foil hotel pan, on a cooling rack and cover with foil. This way of of the au jus stays in the pan and not all over the floor.
What happened to your Yoder 640? Sounds like you went away from the yoder to this first smoking. I'm asking because I was thinking of getting the yoder 640 as my do everything grill and get rid of my WSM and Weber gas grill, but I've heard pellet smokers don't impart a big smoke flavor on meats.
I still have my Yoder and use it in Comps for meats I don't want heavy smoke on, such as Chicken. Have a look at my Yoder YS640 for my positives and negatives. Pellet grills do not give great smoke, so if you want heavy smoke its not for you. I like light smoke, so I'm happy with pellet grills.
seems i am a bit late here. would of answered the qeusttion directly. if you like a smoke on your food stay a way for yoder pellet. As the old saying goes, they are geat cookers. But lacking on the smoke.
Hi, no I’ve never had a problem with rain or condensation under the chequerplate. One of mine lives in the garden and has the Stumps cover. The other is in the garage and goes to Competitions, it has been rained on but I do wipe it down. No problems so far, fingers crossed.
Aron, I had a Red Classic for 2 1/2 years and it looked great. It lived in the yard, under the Stumps cover. That’s as long as I’ve had one, so can’t tell you more than that.
Hectors Smoke House Thanks. I’ve got another quick question. How long do you think it would take to get a Stumps up to 250 or so without using a Guru? I’ve got another brand of gravity fed smoker and I love it. What I don’t love is having to always you a Guru because I find it to not be accurate and reliable.
It would probably take around 2 hours to get to 250f. When not using the guru make sure you take out the guru adaptor as it will greatly restrict the intake. You could shave 30 mins off by leaving the firebox door open a little and opening the door on the charcoal chute. However, as soon as you get get to 180f ish close the chute and firebox door, as it may overshoot 250f and they are a pain to cool down. I use the guru 90% of the time, as it makes it incredibly easy 😃
Dang Bud your videos on stump smokers were spot-on and I really appreciate it very thorough. If you're so excited about them why did you do any follow-up cook videos? All your other videos are duds.
Thanks for the complement and the slap :-) The only reason I didn't do a lot of the cooking videos in the Stump is purely because there are a lot more Webers etc around rather than the Stump. However, I'm just in the process of moving home and will have a awesome BBQ Shed, once thats complete, I'll get back into the videos and will do more on the Stumps and the Komodo Kamado. I apologise for the rest of my videos being duds :-)
Unfortunately not. I’ve imported 3 so far. Still have 2 and sold 1. It’s pretty expensive bringing them across, roughly double the usd to get to the aud imported price. But they are fantastic for low and slow.
over 4 thousand USD for a smoker and your using briquettes??? for over 4k I would it expect to have a chamfered (maybe thats not the right word) chute where its narrower at the top than the bottom to prevent bridging so you would have to worry about lump coal. Edit: after watching more of the video i find it mind blowing that for over FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, for that little guy, is doesnt have a chute as I described. also, it seems for airflow and heat/smoke distribution the heat deflector is angled the opposite way it should be. if heat rises and comes out where the deflector is the tallest then not much smoke/heat is going to travel all the way, literally down, to the end the deflector. this seems like a really stupid design for OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS
Beautiful and high quality smoker with plenty of room for doing a lot of same and different products at the same time, but unfortunately the new kid on the block the "Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560" will appeal mostly to the general public because of the ability to smoke and grill with it.
Not used a Backwoods but have eaten meat out of Myron’s H20, cooked by Myron himself and it was fantastic. A friend in Oz just bought a H2O and won a GC the week later. I’d have no problems using water pans but if you are a massive fan of a crispy bark, it might be a disappointment. I like bark but prefer tender meat, so I’d be very happy using water. Cooking meat with steam and smoke is a pretty good thing. Are you thinking about buying a Backwoods?
I'm thinking about buying a Backwoods chubby 3400 water smoker to get me started. Like you at first, I'm a gas BBQ person and looking at getting into smoking low and slow.
That sounds great. I always think it’s all about your budget and what you want to cook. If you are doing only low and slow then a cabinet is fantastic. Also depends how much sleep you want. Stick burners need feeding every 30 mins. My Stumps every 12-15 hours, this makes a massive difference to me. If doing low and slow/ hot and fast then an oval Kamado, but the humble kettle is a great place to start. I probably need a video about choosing the right BBQ for the individual 😁
I have a Backwoods Party and love it. My friend uses the same Backwoods and is the 7x's South Carolina Grand rib champion. However, we both likened are looking at Stumps, Assassin and Deep South Gravity Fed smokers. Not because we are unhappy with Backwoods, but we are BBQ sluts
If you're interested in them, give them a call. Talk to Thad and voice you're concerns and see what they say. I've been happy so far, no real concerns, they do work well but give them a ring.
It’s not the cheapest, there are a range of models and the Baby and Baby XL cost less than the Junior. But this is hand built in Georgia, not mass produced in China. Definitely not for everyone but if you are serious about low and slow, they are awesome.
I know many home smokers that have them. They range in price from patio sized to catering sizes. There are many much cheaper Chinese smokers that are brought into Australia and the USA, but these are all handmade in GA, USA. You work out your budget and buy the best smoker you can at your price range, if you can afford a Stump, they perform excellently and if you look after it, you might have something to hand down to your kids. This will at the higher price range for most but you are getting something that is built like a tank, they have an 8 week+ lead time which means quite a lot of people are buying them. Rolex’s are expensive to most but they are something to aspire too
A great review and recommendation. Stumps Smokers are made here, in middle Georgia, just a few minutes from my house. Proud to have 'em here.
Hey Jack, I love both of my Stumps 😁 I was in Georgia a couple of years ago for a conference and Myron Mixon class. I was due to go and see Thad at Stumps but we had a hurricane heading up the middle of Florida and Georgia so everything was locked down, so I didn't get a chance to visit. Beautiful part of the world 😁
DSS all the way!
I like these vids. He's very detailed and shows everything. I'm building my own and this is a good reference video!
Best review I have seen of a Stumps smoker!. Thanks a lot.
I really enjoyed the video. What is your method of adding smoke/wood chunks to the gravity fed smoker? I’m really considering getting one of these, but I don’t yet fully grasp the best way to add wood chunks. I know that chunks can be added to the ash pan (which you mentioned in the video) and/or the charcoal chute to create smoke. But I would think that adding chunks to the ash pan would create smoldering white smoke, not clean smoke. And I’ve read that adding chunks to the charcoal chute will cause them to burn up and not actually have a benefit (i.e., won’t create smoke). You mentioned in one of your comments that you tend to your Stumps every 12-15 hours. How do you do that with wood chunks? If you only add wood to the ash pan, what kind of smoke does it produce? Does that wood actually catch fire (as opposed to just smoldering)? I appreciate any light you can shed on this subject.
Hi Stratton, I'm glad you found the video useful. I add the chunks to the ash pan. They are only there for the first 2 hours of the cook as meat doesn't take on smoke flavour after that. So I'll add some as the meat goes in and sometimes more, an hour into the cook and thats all. I believe the wood is just smoldering as the charcoal ash drops onto it. I've always found it runs clear/blue smoke and certainly not the white acrid kind. The airflow is good, so no chance of keeping stale smoke in the cabinet. Hope this helps?
@@HectorsSmokeHouse Yes. It helps very much. Thank you!
I am just starting to research gravity fed smokers. They look like they perform really well. One question I have is it seems like you have to use all the charcoal in the hopper tube. Does anyone ever close it up before it's empty and is there a way to do that and then restart it later with that residual charcoal? I guess you could just pull the grate at the bottom and empty out the unused charcoal...? Thank you!
Gus, I always shut it down and keep the charcoal in the chute. I then relight the bottom of the coals through the ash pan drawer, very easy.
Just found your Stumps reviews. They look like really good smokers. Where do you buy them from in Australia? I can't seem to find an outlet to urchase from. Cheers
This was a great review. Thanks for sharing it.
instablaster.
Masterbuilt owes someone a check.
Hector please show more cooks on a stumps you are a tremendous cook
Hi Mike, thanks for the kind words :-) I've just moved house and am still in a bit of disarray but in about 6 weeks I should have a decent sized BBQ Shed / Studio so will be able to cook more often and post more videos. So hopefully in the next 2 months, I should be able to start posting weekly and I will post more Stumps videos. Checkout my recent Bacon video, that was smoked on my purple Stumps Junior.
As the coals light up, they give a very think, bitter tasting smoke. Does this travel to the meat or is there an exhaust somewhere for that?
Hi Bryan, you should light the Stumps, get up to temperature and then run for 15mins or so to ensure it runs clean. I don't add any meat until this process is complete, so never get an acrid taste.
thanks very much for this video
Nice smoker design, but what's up with the cobbled welding on the aluminum handles?
Not sure, I expect they are bought that way. Can't be that bad as I've had 3 Stumps and it's never bothered me 😁
Nice review. Look forward to seeing more videos on your stump. I was thinking of buying one for the backyard. The question I have when you pull the rack out a little to check the meat does the juice of the meat spill on to the ground or is there something you do to prevent that.
I do two things. The Stump sits on a Stump mat, so any drips go onto the mat. Also once I’ve got a Brisket or Butt up to the stall, I place it in a foil hotel pan, on a cooling rack and cover with foil. This way of of the au jus stays in the pan and not all over the floor.
Does it have a insulation between hopper and cooking chamber
Where do u put a water pan for humidity?
What happened to your Yoder 640? Sounds like you went away from the yoder to this first smoking. I'm asking because I was thinking of getting the yoder 640 as my do everything grill and get rid of my WSM and Weber gas grill, but I've heard pellet smokers don't impart a big smoke flavor on meats.
I still have my Yoder and use it in Comps for meats I don't want heavy smoke on, such as Chicken. Have a look at my Yoder YS640 for my positives and negatives. Pellet grills do not give great smoke, so if you want heavy smoke its not for you. I like light smoke, so I'm happy with pellet grills.
seems i am a bit late here. would of answered the qeusttion directly. if you like a smoke on your food stay a way for yoder pellet. As the old saying goes, they are geat cookers. But lacking on the smoke.
Have you had any problems with rain water or condensation getting between the checkered plate and grill? My concern is rust over time?
Hi, no I’ve never had a problem with rain or condensation under the chequerplate. One of mine lives in the garden and has the Stumps cover. The other is in the garage and goes to Competitions, it has been rained on but I do wipe it down. No problems so far, fingers crossed.
Fantastic, detailed review. Thanks!
Thanks Chad, I'm very happy it was useful 😁
Thanks for the video. How do the custom colors hold up over time?
Aron, I had a Red Classic for 2 1/2 years and it looked great. It lived in the yard, under the Stumps cover. That’s as long as I’ve had one, so can’t tell you more than that.
Hectors Smoke House Thanks. I’ve got another quick question. How long do you think it would take to get a Stumps up to 250 or so without using a Guru? I’ve got another brand of gravity fed smoker and I love it. What I don’t love is having to always you a Guru because I find it to not be accurate and reliable.
It would probably take around 2 hours to get to 250f. When not using the guru make sure you take out the guru adaptor as it will greatly restrict the intake. You could shave 30 mins off by leaving the firebox door open a little and opening the door on the charcoal chute. However, as soon as you get get to 180f ish close the chute and firebox door, as it may overshoot 250f and they are a pain to cool down. I use the guru 90% of the time, as it makes it incredibly easy 😃
Do you get that flavor you get from a offset burning just wood???
This is what I want to know. I'm guessing not...
This smoker is a beauty!
I do love the Stumps and particular this color 😁
I'm looking at buying a junior and was curious if you notice a difference in this smoker compaired to your other ones due to the heat diffuser in it?
The Junior seems to have a more even temp, left to right but my Classic was also very good. Either way you can’t go wrong.
Thank you
how often do you 'feed' it wood for smoke?
Dang Bud your videos on stump smokers were spot-on and I really appreciate it very thorough. If you're so excited about them why did you do any follow-up cook videos? All your other videos are duds.
Thanks for the complement and the slap :-) The only reason I didn't do a lot of the cooking videos in the Stump is purely because there are a lot more Webers etc around rather than the Stump. However, I'm just in the process of moving home and will have a awesome BBQ Shed, once thats complete, I'll get back into the videos and will do more on the Stumps and the Komodo Kamado.
I apologise for the rest of my videos being duds :-)
Would love to see more Stumps! Love the other videos too.
Also is there any place in Australia you can buy these from? Or do you have to import them into Australia.
Unfortunately not. I’ve imported 3 so far. Still have 2 and sold 1. It’s pretty expensive bringing them across, roughly double the usd to get to the aud imported price. But they are fantastic for low and slow.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to me I really appreciate it.
over 4 thousand USD for a smoker and your using briquettes??? for over 4k I would it expect to have a chamfered (maybe thats not the right word) chute where its narrower at the top than the bottom to prevent bridging so you would have to worry about lump coal.
Edit: after watching more of the video i find it mind blowing that for over FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, for that little guy, is doesnt have a chute as I described. also, it seems for airflow and heat/smoke distribution the heat deflector is angled the opposite way it should be. if heat rises and comes out where the deflector is the tallest then not much smoke/heat is going to travel all the way, literally down, to the end the deflector. this seems like a really stupid design for OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS
Beautiful and high quality smoker with plenty of room for doing a lot of same and different products at the same time, but unfortunately the new kid on the block the "Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560" will appeal mostly to the general public because of the ability to smoke and grill with it.
Good review!
What's your thoughts on water pans in the smokers? Like the Backwood smokers?
Not used a Backwoods but have eaten meat out of Myron’s H20, cooked by Myron himself and it was fantastic. A friend in Oz just bought a H2O and won a GC the week later. I’d have no problems using water pans but if you are a massive fan of a crispy bark, it might be a disappointment. I like bark but prefer tender meat, so I’d be very happy using water. Cooking meat with steam and smoke is a pretty good thing. Are you thinking about buying a Backwoods?
I'm thinking about buying a Backwoods chubby 3400 water smoker to get me started. Like you at first, I'm a gas BBQ person and looking at getting into smoking low and slow.
That sounds great. I always think it’s all about your budget and what you want to cook. If you are doing only low and slow then a cabinet is fantastic. Also depends how much sleep you want. Stick burners need feeding every 30 mins. My Stumps every 12-15 hours, this makes a massive difference to me. If doing low and slow/ hot and fast then an oval Kamado, but the humble kettle is a great place to start. I probably need a video about choosing the right BBQ for the individual 😁
Keep up the good work mate :-)
I have a Backwoods Party and love it. My friend uses the same Backwoods and is the 7x's South Carolina Grand rib champion. However, we both likened are looking at Stumps, Assassin and Deep South Gravity Fed smokers. Not because we are unhappy with Backwoods, but we are BBQ sluts
Ever have issues with smoke rings with this smoker? I have a smoker that is similar to this one and I cannot get a smoke ring on my brisket.
No but I have heard of others having issues with the Pro Q one, to the point they got rid of it.
That things a tank. Your kids kids will be smoking on that thing, might need to fill the tires though. Lol.
How does this do with high heat for steaks
It doesn't its purely a smoker. It will get to 325f for Chickens but it is primarily an indirect smoker
Great Review!
Many thanks, Avery 😁
Blimey, might as well roll my oven out onto the patio...
Love this
Many Thanks 😁 Happy you found this useful
I am in the market and this is a great review, but some of these wields are of very questionable quality.
If you're interested in them, give them a call. Talk to Thad and voice you're concerns and see what they say. I've been happy so far, no real concerns, they do work well but give them a ring.
Will do, I am sure they are fine for a smoker, my experience is with off-road so :)
Stumps smoker seems to be way overpriced. A $150 for a handle you can pick up at lowes for 15 bucks.
“Imported across from Australia” got me excited and then very really confused. Nope, American made.
Yuppie Smokers
Nothing wrong with a Yuppie Smoker :-)
Great stuff but silly expensive. Not for the home smoker 😳
It’s not the cheapest, there are a range of models and the Baby and Baby XL cost less than the Junior. But this is hand built in Georgia, not mass produced in China. Definitely not for everyone but if you are serious about low and slow, they are awesome.
I know many home smokers that have them. They range in price from patio sized to catering sizes. There are many much cheaper Chinese smokers that are brought into Australia and the USA, but these are all handmade in GA, USA. You work out your budget and buy the best smoker you can at your price range, if you can afford a Stump, they perform excellently and if you look after it, you might have something to hand down to your kids.
This will at the higher price range for most but you are getting something that is built like a tank, they have an 8 week+ lead time which means quite a lot of people are buying them. Rolex’s are expensive to most but they are something to aspire too
Hectors Smoke House it’s a big investment, don’t even think you can get them in the uk. I have a treager which was pricey
Same in Australia. No one stocks them I’ve had to import them myself 😟
Family heirloom
$4360 for that?!?! Yeah... No thanks.
Yeah don't forget freight to Australia
With the bragging