Author Topic: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)  (Read 25895 times)

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Offline scoobydufus

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Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #-1 on: September 29, 2016, 06:05:20 PM »

Hi all,

    I'm in the market for a smoker that is both hands off and can turn out a mess of food at once.   I came across a video review of the Ole Hickory CTO (wood ignited by gas) and two slightly scaled down units that are similar but are charcoal only.  My understanding is the CTO is big with the competitive cooks, but I didn't find much written out there about them.  Do any of you have them and if so,  can you give me the lowdown?  (Pros, cons, how hard it is to maintain)   It looks like they've got a gas-fed flame igniting a log of wood and then using fans to regulate air flow/temp.  Is it as good as it sounds?


Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« on: September 29, 2016, 06:12:41 PM »
Big Poppa Smokers has a nice Ole Hickory unit with rotisserie. A bunch of restaurants use Ole Hickory pits. Dickies does, they will let you back in the kitchen to see it.
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Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2016, 06:48:55 AM »
Thanks for the info.   I really like the process of working with wood/fire to smoke food and this unit feels like a cheat.  However there's something to be said for a fire and forget solution when you've got a mess of people coming over.  Having the wife interested in a new smoker is kind of cool as well.  I just want to make sure whatever I buy works on both the volume and quality/consistency front or I'll never hear the end of it.   :)

Thx,
Scoob.

Offline Hub

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2016, 07:00:44 AM »
FEC 100 and 125 pellet cookers are also frequently encountered in competition.

Hub
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Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2016, 08:43:03 PM »
Hi,

    I was looking at the FEC-100 as well.   The FEC looks like it has less maintenance and is easier to clean up than the CTO.  The only reason I'm hesitant is that everyone tells me that pellet smokers don't lay on enough smoke flavor.   Have you ever used one?   What's your take?

   

Offline jimsbarbecue

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2016, 11:33:48 PM »
We have a Ace BP. Holds a lot and we love it.

Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2016, 08:38:14 PM »
We have a Ace BP. Holds a lot and we love it.

So I looked at the BP and it looks like a scaled down CTO without the gas for competition guys.   Is it insulated well enough to use in winter?   The CTO is arguably too big for us but I like the idea of it being a gas-assisted stick burner.   

Have to ever cooked on a pellet smoker as well?  If so, how does the smoke flavor from the ace compare to the pellet smoker?


Offline jimsbarbecue

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2016, 11:51:43 PM »
The Ace is charcoal only. With just charcoal the smoke is more then our Mak grill pelletsmoker. The Ace is like aCTO in size just 3 racks compared to the 4 rack of the cto. There is a ultra que is a smaller home size

Offline teesquare

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2016, 11:03:42 AM »
Thanks for the info.  I really like the process of working with wood/fire to smoke food and this unit feels like a cheat.  However there's something to be said for a fire and forget solution when you've got a mess of people coming over.  Having the wife interested in a new smoker is kind of cool as well.  I just want to make sure whatever I buy works on both the volume and quality/consistency front or I'll never hear the end of it.   :)

Thx,
Scoob.


You have never had enough to do while cooking for a crowd have you!? ;) :D :D :D Seriously - there are no "cheats" - if the objective is focused on the consistency of the food you wish to turn out. If you want to perfect you mastering the fire - and don't mind having some real variations in food product - o.k.! But many of us have reached a point where consistency and less "poking" and fidgeting time are used to attend more productive aspects of the meal prep. Now - if you are lucky enough to have a Mrs. that handles ALL other aspects of the meal - you are my hero! :D :D :D

Keep in mind that the smoke flavor profile of charcoal is different than wood pellet flavor. I love them both - for different uses, and reasons. But I tend to default to charcoal for chicken - and wood pellet smoke for most other uses, most of the time. I will change it up occasionally - but I would say 65% of the time - briskets and butts and ribs are pellet grill cooked - in my applications - because I can control the mrs easier for longer periods of time - with less hands on....

I have personally not found the Mak 2 Star to be deficient in smoke production. In fact, it has consistently produced a more pronounced smoke - than any other pellet unit I have used yet, given that the user allows the smoke mode to be used - and not rush to cook at a higher temp right off the bat.
Commonly I will use the smoke mode for 2-4 hours ( time allowed and outdoor temp. dependent) THEN turn up the heat to the desired cooking temp.

Alternatively - it is hard to argue with the simplicity of adding an Amazen Smoker Tube to any cooker - leave the heat off for the desired amount of time for cold smoke/pre-cook smoking - then apply heat. But again - this is a wood smoke - not a charcoal flavor.

And- lastly...all of the above is for nought if we are talking about competition time schedules. I am referring to "home use" scenario. ;) ;D At home we can have t he luxury of time and prep methods - unlimited ( with some planning of course...) but that does not apply in a catering, restaurant or competition situation.
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Offline Hub

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2016, 03:22:52 PM »
Hi,

    I was looking at the FEC-100 as well.   The FEC looks like it has less maintenance and is easier to clean up than the CTO.  The only reason I'm hesitant is that everyone tells me that pellet smokers don't lay on enough smoke flavor.   Have you ever used one?   What's your take?

   

"Everyone" is wrong.  It is possible to oversmoke using pellets (not recommended) but using a pellet cooker requires some adaptation of approaches and recipes to get the most from the medium.  Here are the basics.  Good luck in your search for the right cooker  ;D

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2641.0
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2647.0

Hub
Committed Pellethead & BBQ Writer
KCBS MCBJ & CTC
Ph.B.
Memphis Advantage
NOS American-made Traeger 075
Weber Performer
NG Weber Spirit (warming oven)
PBC
NO SMOKE DETECTOR IN MY OUTDOOR KITCHEN

Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2016, 10:04:16 PM »
The Ace is charcoal only. With just charcoal the smoke is more then our Mak grill pelletsmoker. The Ace is like aCTO in size just 3 racks compared to the 4 rack of the cto. There is a ultra que is a smaller home size

Thanks for the info.  I've never seen the inside of one before.   Is it easy to service?  IE:  if I need to replace a fan or something is it designed to make that straightforward or is it a bear?

Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2016, 10:27:51 PM »
Thanks for the info.  I really like the process of working with wood/fire to smoke food and this unit feels like a cheat.  However there's something to be said for a fire and forget solution when you've got a mess of people coming over.  Having the wife interested in a new smoker is kind of cool as well.  I just want to make sure whatever I buy works on both the volume and quality/consistency front or I'll never hear the end of it.   :)

Thx,
Scoob.


You have never had enough to do while cooking for a crowd have you!? ;) :D :D :D Seriously - there are no "cheats" - if the objective is focused on the consistency of the food you wish to turn out. If you want to perfect you mastering the fire - and don't mind having some real variations in food product - o.k.! But many of us have reached a point where consistency and less "poking" and fidgeting time are used to attend more productive aspects of the meal prep. Now - if you are lucky enough to have a Mrs. that handles ALL other aspects of the meal - you are my hero! :D :D :D

Keep in mind that the smoke flavor profile of charcoal is different than wood pellet flavor. I love them both - for different uses, and reasons. But I tend to default to charcoal for chicken - and wood pellet smoke for most other uses, most of the time. I will change it up occasionally - but I would say 65% of the time - briskets and butts and ribs are pellet grill cooked - in my applications - because I can control the mrs easier for longer periods of time - with less hands on....

I have personally not found the Mak 2 Star to be deficient in smoke production. In fact, it has consistently produced a more pronounced smoke - than any other pellet unit I have used yet, given that the user allows the smoke mode to be used - and not rush to cook at a higher temp right off the bat.
Commonly I will use the smoke mode for 2-4 hours ( time allowed and outdoor temp. dependent) THEN turn up the heat to the desired cooking temp.

Alternatively - it is hard to argue with the simplicity of adding an Amazen Smoker Tube to any cooker - leave the heat off for the desired amount of time for cold smoke/pre-cook smoking - then apply heat. But again - this is a wood smoke - not a charcoal flavor.

And- lastly...all of the above is for nought if we are talking about competition time schedules. I am referring to "home use" scenario. ;) ;D At home we can have t he luxury of time and prep methods - unlimited ( with some planning of course...) but that does not apply in a catering, restaurant or competition situation.

Hehehe.   When smoking something for myself or my family,   I accept the variances I get with the more manual methods.  When I've got a big pack of people to feed,  like you I'm looking for quality and consistency with as little manual intervention as I can get away with.  That's why the FEC and the CTO are both interesting alternatives.   Something that eliminates the skill factor also has a lot of appeal.   If I can trim a brisket the night before and then let my wife toss it on the smoker at the right start time when I'm traveling, that's the ideal. 

I've looked at the Mak 2-star and it seems like a well-constructed and thought out product.  The only issues I saw with it was I was unsure it would hold enough food and I'm not sure it's insulated well enough to hold temp during the winter months.  Winters here aren't as cold as the midwest, but New England gets pretty cold in January.   Both the FEC and CTO claim to be well-insulated, but I should probably build myself a spreadsheet so I can keep facts on each model straight.

My time constraints are usually related to my work/travel schedule.  I've considered competing someday but it looks like the things you do to win competitions aren't necessarily the same thing you'd do to cook for friends/family.  By that I mean I'm not usually cooking for one bite but for a meal with ample leftovers.  It definitely sounds like fun though so maybe someday.

Thanks for the feedback/advice! 

Offline scoobydufus

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2016, 10:30:22 PM »
Hi,

    I was looking at the FEC-100 as well.   The FEC looks like it has less maintenance and is easier to clean up than the CTO.  The only reason I'm hesitant is that everyone tells me that pellet smokers don't lay on enough smoke flavor.   Have you ever used one?   What's your take?

   

"Everyone" is wrong.  It is possible to oversmoke using pellets (not recommended) but using a pellet cooker requires some adaptation of approaches and recipes to get the most from the medium.  Here are the basics.  Good luck in your search for the right cooker  ;D

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2641.0
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2647.0

Hub

I live in a part of the country not known for smoking meat which is why I came hear to pester you all with questions.  :-)  That was a great write-up.  So based on what you wrote, when people say that pellet smokers don't have enough smoke flavor, what they're really saying is that they prefer dirty smoke / the creosote flavor you get from a poorly managed fire.   Given the pellets are an engineered product and the air flow is managed, the pellets burn more cleanly which means you're getting thin blue smoke for the entire cook.  If I want to lay on some dirty smoke,  the easiest way to do that is with a separate smoke generator like an amazen smoke tube or the like.   Some adjustments are necessary but nothing radical.  Am I on target?

Thanks all!
-Scoob

« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 11:15:41 PM by scoobydufus »

Offline jimsbarbecue

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2016, 12:54:14 AM »
Everything is easy to service with off the shelf parts

Offline Hub

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Re: Ole Hickory CTO and Ace (BP/MM)
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2016, 03:10:25 PM »
Hi,

    I was looking at the FEC-100 as well.   The FEC looks like it has less maintenance and is easier to clean up than the CTO.  The only reason I'm hesitant is that everyone tells me that pellet smokers don't lay on enough smoke flavor.   Have you ever used one?   What's your take?

   

"Everyone" is wrong.  It is possible to oversmoke using pellets (not recommended) but using a pellet cooker requires some adaptation of approaches and recipes to get the most from the medium.  Here are the basics.  Good luck in your search for the right cooker  ;D

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2641.0
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=2647.0

Hub

I live in a part of the country not known for smoking meat which is why I came hear to pester you all with questions.  :-)  That was a great write-up.  So based on what you wrote, when people say that pellet smokers don't have enough smoke flavor, what they're really saying is that they prefer dirty smoke / the creosote flavor you get from a poorly managed fire.   Given the pellets are an engineered product and the air flow is managed, the pellets burn more cleanly which means you're getting thin blue smoke for the entire cook.  If I want to lay on some dirty smoke,  the easiest way to do that is with a separate smoke generator like an amazen smoke tube or the like.   Some adjustments are necessary but nothing radical.  Am I on target?

Thanks all!
-Scoob

Pretty close, Scoob, but I want to qualify that "dirty smoke" more often refers to excessive exposure to what is really "white smoke" and a little of it is common and not too bad a thing with some types of smokers.  Some folks really like a heavy smoke infusion and getting it with add-ons to pellet smokers is sometimes problematical.  Your references to the good elements of what is usually termed "blue smoke" are correct.  Too much white smoke will give you the creosote flavoring and lingering smoky  aftertaste most try to avoid.

Honestly, if you can, the best way to determine if you like the flavor profile from a particular smoker is to cook on it several times and see how the results match your taste buds and expectations.  Hope you can do some "test cooking".  PM me if I may be of assistance.

Hub
Committed Pellethead & BBQ Writer
KCBS MCBJ & CTC
Ph.B.
Memphis Advantage
NOS American-made Traeger 075
Weber Performer
NG Weber Spirit (warming oven)
PBC
NO SMOKE DETECTOR IN MY OUTDOOR KITCHEN