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Smokers, Grills, Pitts & More => Stick Burner & Trailer Smokers & Grills => Topic started by: Yeller on January 10, 2017, 08:15:27 am

Title: Oklahoma Joe
Post by: Yeller on January 10, 2017, 08:15:27 am
I'm just curious what everybody thinks of the Oklahoma Joe's stick burners I haven't heard anything bad about them they seem to be priced pretty reasonable for retail backyard smoker I want to ditch the Komodo and the Weber grill and just use the OJ.. what stickers always is the sealing of the lid I looked at it pretty closely over at Lowe's and it seems like it's got a pretty decent seal .. a little bit I felt would probably take care of that. 

As always your thoughts and opinions I greatly appreciate it
Title: Re: Oklahoma Joe
Post by: wood River BBQ Team on January 10, 2017, 04:54:18 pm
Yeller: In days gone by the OJ was a standard and it's an OK smoker but with a series of owners and cost cutting practices, the metal thickness and the heat/smoke leaks leads to problems controlling temperature. I started out with a smoking Joe from Walmart & put a lot into it sealing the leaks and installing plates to even out the temperature. It was learning experience and I cooked a lot of good stuff on it but you can also cook good product over a fire pit in the ground!! Anyway, after a while I gave up and sold the unit and bought a Lang. The Lang is a solid mid priced cooker and the difference is the thickness of the metal. The thicker the metal the better it holds the heat and the easier it is to control the temperature. I had a few manufacturing problems with the unit (that's why it mid range) but I fixed them and added some stuff (fire bricks, chimney extension etc) to improve the efficiency.

 Would I buy another SJ or a OJ -- probably not. Would I buy another Lang -- maybe. If I had the money I'd buy a Peoria Custom Cooker, which is in the $3000 range (with shipping).

I also have a Weber 22.5 kettle, which my wife uses for chicken. I wouldn't ditch either the Weber or the Komodo. Both are great cookers and can be used for different products. I also have a Pit Barrel Cooker, which I use for ribs, fish.   
Title: Re: Oklahoma Joe
Post by: Yeller on January 11, 2017, 05:38:32 am
Thanks ...Usually when there's a site dedicated to mods makes you wonder whether it is worth it by the time you spend an additional $300. Just wanted more capacity than the Komado.
Title: Re: Oklahoma Joe
Post by: wood River BBQ Team on January 11, 2017, 07:25:40 am
Exactly, my experience. I probably put a bit more than $300 into the rig -- I even moved the chimney because it was in the wrong place for the reverse flow effect I wanted. The heat/smoke made the turn under the tuning plates and immediately went to the top of the chamber and out the chimney. Additionally, with a large turkey I could barely close the lid. I actually created a "silk purse out of a sow's ear" and still ended up with a sow but I learned a lot about smokers. The person I sold it to for $225 (so I lost on that deal but was glad to get rid of it) really didn't know what he was buying and didn't understand or care about the mods. He saw that it looked trick but just wanted something to dump charcoal into and throw a piece of meat on.   

The Weber Smokey Mountain or the Pit Barrel Cooker would be a nice addition for you and I think are a better choice than the OJ but they're limited in cooking capacity. The Lang 36 Patio is perfect for us because I'm normally just cooking for her and I but the Lang 36 has the capacity to cook for a bunch of people.