Backwoods Chubby 3400 Vertical Charcoal Smoker - LVPBSCH3400

I bought the Chubby 3400 versus the G3 import model because it said it was made in the good ol' USA. Just noticed the other day that the data sticker says Made in China at the bottom! What the what? A lot of disappointment there, and I can't return it because I've already used it. Just checked this morning, and BBQ Guys still have it listed as USA made. With that out of the way, the Chinese made Chubby 3400 is still a pretty decent smoker given it's size. I've used it 7 times, and I think the design is well thought out. It's insulated which I like so it heats up quickly, gets back up to temperature when I check on the meat, and I don't burn myself when touching the outside. The water pan is nicely sized and can easily hold 2 gallons of water (even though I only ever added 1.5 gal). It is a little tricky to pull out the water pan from the smoker when there's still water in it though. A full firebox of charcoal and wood lasts me about 2.5 hours at 250deg before needing recharged. The offset vents at the bottom ensure that the firebox gets air from the back and front. I like the gaskets on the doors that prevents smoke leaks and heat loss. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to get the smoker cleaned up after each use. I'm a first time smoker, and I think this smoker is fairly intuitive to use when you follow the basics of smoking with charcoal. I'm just crossing my fingers that the quality of work and materials holds up for more than a couple years.

Ok let's understand that this may be lengthily. I have been smoking for over 20 yrs. I have gone from electric to propane to pellet smokers. I decided go back to old school charcoal because I could not get the bark and deep smoke that I wanted. I purchased a backwoods chubby. I seasoned the smoker as required. It required attention to the temperature more than other smokers. The seasoning went well and got the smoker ready to put food on. The water tray is so important I can not stress this more. This will help control the temp and keep the meat moist. The longevity of the burn is awesome. The smoke that it produces was better than an other smoker I have ever used. Now this is not the biggest volume smoker on the market but if you are not doing large production this is an awesome product. The fire box is very substantial and should last for many years. The intensity of the flavor was amazing. Choose your wood carefully because the favor it produces is intense. The first food I did was chicken with apple wood. The smoke ring was @ 1/2 an inch and it was incredibly moist. You may wish to add some apple juice to the liquids (3 parts water to 1 party apple juice) if you want a sweeter taste. The only thing I could suggest is to take your time and get used to controlling the temperature. This smoker is not for the new smokers but for those that are ready to step it up to the next level it is incredible. I highly recommend this product for producing an enjoyable smoking experience. I used hardwood brickets which was a step away from natural hardwood charcoal but worked much better an had a better burn. I can't wait to put a few butts on for the family get together. Thanks you BBQ guys for offering a great product.

BBQ Guys delivery was prompt and product was undamaged. First cook today started with 2 racks of Baby back ribs. Came up to temp in about 15 minutes after loading charcoal and wood chunks. Took 2 damper adjustments to get it holding at 225°. Ribs went unwrapped and done in 4 hours and were very juicy and delicious. Followed ribs with 2 medium briskets. Hard to fit them without trimming a lot. Lower the bottom &middle rack an inch or so each and they would fit perfectly. I used about 6 3x3 wood chunks and smoke flavor a little heavy, 4 would probably be about right. not sure about the 10 hour burn, I got almost six before reload but I didn't have the basket as full as it could be so maybe. Overall very pleased with product.

The smoker was great for the first year or two, I have taken good care of it and cleaned it after every single use. The Charcoal box was the first thing to have issues it started to warp and twist form the heat and I continuously have to try and bend it back straight again. The heat shield started to rust and now it is completely rusted and falling apart, on my last cook the water pan started leaking from the corner so now I need to figure out how to plug that up. I did reach out to backwoods and did not receive a response - I did purchase this in 2019 and they do offer a 1 year warranty so I understand that I am not entitled to any support on the product. I was under the impression that the smoker would be built to last more than a couple of years for the price. I have had the Weber smokey mountain smokers prior to this one and their quality is far superior to this smoker.

I got this as a gift from my wife. Followed the manufacturer's directions on setup. On my first cool, followed all instructions up through preheat step. I went inside to get the meat and when I got back the entire front of the grill was engulfed in flames. As far as you can tell the top door popped open and allowed a bunch more air flow to the charcoal and wood chunksvin the burn pan. The door insulation on both doors then caught fire and things were out of control from there. Fortunately nobody was injured and I was able to drag the grill far enough away from my house so nothing else burned. I think the grill is a loss due to warped metal from the heat. I tried to contact Backwoods, they are so far non-responsive. Do not recommend.

I really like my smoker and it's one of the center pieces of my outdoor kitchen.

I have now had the Chubby 3400 for six months and have wonderful results. I have done brisket, pork bellies, and ribs in the 3400 and the have come out amazing. I have attached some pictures of my BBQ cooks with the 3400. Highly recommended!!

I have smoked pork chops, turkey legs, ribs, Boston Butt and brisket in the short few months I have owned my Chubby 3400. I simply fire it up per the instructional video, prepare my meat of choice and cook! I have cooked up to 10 hours at 225 to 250 deg without having to add coals or water. The simplicity of the smoker is awesome and quality of food is spot on. The Chubby 3400 has exceeded my expectations. The folks at BBQGUYS are fantastic to work with, ordering through delivery and resending my cover that was missing in the original shipment. If you are enthusiastic about back yard cooking you will enjoy the Chubby 3400.

Best ribs ever my family love my ribs ,Us Mcknights takes BBQ serious mine is the best out of everybody.

I've had this smoker for over a decade and have had consistently excellent results. One of the most important things about smoking is maintaining consistent temperature and the Backwoods never disappoints. It is easy to adjust the top and bottom vents to get the exact temperature you need and keep it there.I wish it were a little bigger though.