AZ Barbeque.com
Smokers, Grills, Pitts & More => Smokers, Grills, Pitts & More General Discussions => Topic started by: Tempe BBQER on May 25, 2009, 08:33:36 am
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Ok I am getting ready to make a purchase of a smoker. I am still new so I don't want to spend a ton of money but I also want to get some more experience.. Been using my weber grill and an old brinkman water smoker, they work good, but I want someting different.
I would love to be able to get one of those good ones, but I am not looking to spend that much for my first real smoker :)
I have been using wood a little bit mixed with charcoal and its been fun so thinking I would like to get one that I can use wood in if I wanted.. I guess that would mean having a firebox right?
So I guess I am looking for advice on what the differences are etc?
Any help would be awesome... Who knows maybe someday I will get the guts to get out to a comp and give it a try :) but then again I may be so new I will fall flat on my face :o
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One of the best starter smokers is the Weber WSM. Just look at champion teams who still use these..
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Personally I think the Diamondplate would be a great fit for you... :o ;D Especially for a stick burner...
Seriously though, if you are looking at starting out and are on a budget, I would HIGHLY suggest you stop by BBQ Island and talk with Mike and/or Shelton. Not only will they be able to help you out, but they will also honestly tell you the differences and benefits to each type of smoker. They really are great guys over there.
Which BBQ Smoker to purchase is really a personal preference. While a lot of guys here use the WSM's, most guys in the Mid West and Back East still use the stick burners. I personally like the stick burners as it's all about the "Roll Up". When I roll in with a big trailer Smoker, it just looks more impressive then rolling in and unloading R2D2 (WSM's) from the car.
Good luck on your Smoker purchase, we certainly look forward to hearing about your journey and of course seeing lots of pictures. ;)
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OK, for those of you who have heard this story already, I apologize in advance. For those who have not, I also apologize in advance.
What smoker to purchase? Let us begin!
For 20+ years I had been using a Weber 22.5" Kettle grill and shunned all things propane. I was a purist and believed that charcoal was the only "real" way to cook food outdoors. I learned everything I could about charcoal grilling techniques and could cook everything from steaks, chicken and chops to whole roasts and turkeys using both direct and indirect cooking methods. I dabbled in ribs too but never got the kind of result that I hoped for. I eventually came to the conclusion that the only way to get real "barbequed" ribs was to slow cook them in a real smoker. I made the decision to get one but had to make the decision that you are now faced with of which one or, more specifically, which kind of smoker to get.
My budget was only about $400 so I was limited in choice between a backyard sized offset smoker or a bullet style smoker like a WSM. I did a lot of research, asked a lot of questions and eventually decided to get an offset because I liked the idea of having to tend (i.e., play with) the fire in the firebox. The smoker I bought was a Bar-B-Chef offset from Barbeques Galore and I used it like a mad man for about a year and a half. We even did our first ever competition using that little offset and the trusty old Weber Kettle. I learned a lot about fire control during that year and cooked a lot of really bad, but damn tasty to me, barbeque. It was about that time that I received a WSM as a birthday present and the whole world of barbeque changed for me.
WSMs are much more stable cookers than their offset cousins and all of the things I learned about fire control made using them even easier than they already are. The quality of my food improved dramatically. We had already made the decision that we were going to try our hand at competing so we bought 3 more WSMs and those 4 cookers became our competition arsenal and we have no intention of using anything else. That might change someday but I don't see it happening any time soon.
Now I told you that because I think it is important to understand that my needs about what I wanted from my cooking equipment changed during that first year and a half. I started out just wanting to have fun cooking real "low and slow" barbeque in my own backyard but I ended up having a desire to compete. I eventually switched from the offset, which still have but never use, to the WSMs because they would allow me to do everything I wanted from the offset but would also allow me to compete.
The best advice I can give you is to first decide what you want from your smoker, (backyard fun, catering, competition, etc.), and then focus your attention on the type of smokers that will meet those needs. You also need to be fair about what your budget is and realize that your needs and/or desires might change over time and you might need different gear to meet those needs.
Oh, and as for what Mike calls "roll up", there's nothing quite like rolling up with a trailer filled with little ol' WSMs and then "rolling out" at the end of the event, past those big trailer smokers, with a few big trophies in tow!
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I also got an offset, the Brinkmann Smoke 'n' Pit, for the same reason. I wanted to fiddle with the fire. It isn't all it seemed to be in my mind. I'm just now, after 8 months, beginning to figger out how to get the right amount of smoke. As for "control", I'm not there yet. I think I start with too much charcoal in the firebox and too much charcoal in the chimney. Then it burns out too fast. I should shaddup in case I ever want to sell this smoker! I am assembling the bits to make a drum smoker, if the drum is still available by the time I get off my tush...I believe my experiences with the offset will help me drive the upright better. Anyway, listen to VQ. It's obvious he knows what he's talking about! I doubt there are many other teams who've been invited to the JD Championships after about 2 years of competing...
kitch
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WOW thanks for all the input so far.. with the WSM can you use wood chunks, or do you have to use chips?
I guess right now it's just to use in the backyard, but I am interested in catering, and have had some chances to do some, but don't have the correct equipment. I assume to do that I will need something bigger then wsms correct? It would never been anything to big to start. Then on the other hand I would like to compete sometime... Who knows I am going to have to figure this all out :o
But thanks for all the advice.. please keep it coming
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I have a smoke n pit. I had a really hard time keeping the temperature constant, so i bought a pro q now i am happy. I sleep better at night lol and everyone loves my meat. I suggest a pro q.
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and you dont have any problems with temp? I have jsut started to get a hold of that with the weber kettle grill i am using as a smoker
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There's always the "Smokenator", a gizmo for a Weber Kettle that keeps approx. 60 briquettes up against one side of the kettle and holds a pan of water. Looks cool--maybe I'll ask Santa for one...
Good luck making a decision. You'll wind up like Jay with 20+ units in the yard. I'm only up to 4...
dk
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I also suggest the Pro Q's. They are very similar to the WSM's.
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I have very little problems with the temp on the pro q. I woke up at five in the morning got the temp correct on it and went back to bed. I checked the temp periodically through the cook, and only had to adjust it once. Not too bad i think.
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The most important thing is to buy as many different smokers as you can over time.. small to big.... then you can always practice and practice every weekend on different smokers for different tastes and times..... then the very most important (not proper sentence structure) anyways..... always buy the largest bottles of Jack...... so when you roll out with small or large smokers.... you can pull a trailer of empty bottles of Jack which will be the admiration of all..... whether you walked or not.... My advice..... Jump in an compete...... you will get lots of advice, make friends and eat and drink beyond your wildest dreams...... just ask Dean......and he makes a mean red chili.....
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I also suggest the Pro Q's. They are very similar to the WSM's.
But where can one purchase one of these? Who has some for sale? ;D
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But where can one purchase one of these? Who has some for sale? ;D
You just have to shop around Dave. I havent seen any on Craigslist in a few weeks. ;)
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Here's a Pro Q Excel 20 selling for about $250. The ad is a bit old, so it may not be still available.
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/spo/1248239710.html (http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/spo/1248239710.html)
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I have heard that pro q's are no longer available in the states, which really sucks because when i get some money i wanted to buy a few more. My advice to you is just keep your eyes on craigslist they pop up there sometimes. good luck and happy q'ing
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I may be able to help you out mullet. PM me if you are interested.
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Look Weber makes a very solid product and they stand behind it. I also have a proQ. I will tell you this if I were going to spend anymore then 150.00 I would go with a WSM I really am enjoying the 22.5 I think I'm going to convert my 18 to a rotisserie and see what kind of chicken I can turn out. A very wise BBQ Champ once told me Keep it simple.
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Just my two cents....
You said that you are interested in catering but don't have the right equipment, ie not enough room. One option, buy a bullet smoker, WSM, or other such smoker and find that there is not enough room to do anything in volume. Sure, you can buy several of these units, and cook that way. The other option is to look into stick burners like Mike said. The bullet smokers are great, that is if you like charcoal...., but for doing any kind of volume...., they are lacking. You have to remember a lot of the people on this site use there cookers to compete in competitions. I personally use my cooker, I have a Lang 84 Deluxe, to feed myself and a LOT of people, ie catering. Now, these stick burners do require the use of more of your time because you have to tend to the fire a little more. As far as the results.... I feel the use of real wood, and not compressed petroleam by products, is what the essence of what BBQ is. Now as far as cost is concerned, my BBQ was about 5000$ after shipping to my door. That may seem like a lot, but when you consider that I can easily feed 150 people, or cook for my wife and kid, I know I made the right choice.
If you are truly hooked on doing the BBQ thing, you may want to look into the stick burner route. I don't know any of us that made the investment that are on this site complaining about having too much room on there smoker to do whatever they want. Now the guys here that have Bullet smokers couldn't even think about doing an entire hog. In fact, my smoker can do about 300 pounds of meat at a time, and there has been times when I wish I had a bigger one.
Now is this investment more than 150$?? Certainly. Is it worth it?? Wouldn't trade mine for the world...............
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I have my gator offset. It's a stick burner. I find that I don't have to fight with the elements much at all to get and keep my temps. I have tuning plates where with a turn of a bolt to unlock them and a nudge with a screwdriver to change the spacing. I can run the entire pit at the same temp, or I can have a 2-3 zone fire going. So I can have one area running 175 for sheet pans of garlic, onions, veggies, cheese, etc. one area at 225 for bbqin pork and beef, and 275 in another area for doing chicken, fatties, abt's, etc.
All i have to do is get 4-5 sticks going, then add one stick bout every 45-60 minutes. The only temp problems I ever had is trying to use charcoal in it..but it's a stick burner..so ain't supposed to burn charcoal.
I can cook for my wife and I, or I can cook 4 briskets, 4 butts and 16 racks of ribs and 40 chicken thigh's at once.
I have a couple drums, I am going to make into smokers before I head out for comps next year...maybe get Pro-Q or WSM if I find the right deal at the right time while getting re established. Once I get my tile business relaunched and going for a bit to where we are comfortable, I will be getting a mobile stick burner from gator