# Smoker suggestions?



## pknight6 (Nov 8, 2014)

Looking for advice from BBQ gurus. I am thinking of getting a pellet smoker or a smallish smoker with a wood box (something like New Braunfels Smoker). It seems like the pellet smoker would be the much simpler, less labor intensive option. How do they compare final product wise. I will be using it for the usual weekend fare, brisket, ribs, sausage and maybe the occasional turkey. I don't want to spend thousands, just something for the backyard. Thanks!


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

I would go with a Weber smokey Mountain 22.5".. https://www.amazon.com/Weber-731001-Mountain-22-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B001I8ZTJA

While the pellet feeder smokers sound interesting, I have yet to have a finished product that was any good.. keep in mind that there are a lot of people that have spent 5x the cost of the actual hardware when purchasing them that will chime in to keep their sanity while justifying their purchase.


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

Agree with the Weber. Hard to beat for the money.


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## Spots and Dots (May 23, 2004)

An egg would be a better choice


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

I love my trager


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

A brisket on a pellet grilled smoker comes out the exact same as the already cooked brisket from HEB. It has it's place in the food chain. Same with a pork butt on a pellet smoker as well. Some people love it. I prefer a different finished product.


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

Ive been every where, and if I was to do it again and will soon.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=2127746&highlight=bbq


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Lyfe Tyme


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Mak grill,Aztec Rental Services is the dealer in Houston 713-681-1383


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## saltwaterfisherman (Jan 5, 2014)

I bought a Rec Tec about a year ago and we love it. Their customer service is awesome. 
http://www.rectecgrills.com/rec-tec-wood-pellet-grill-rt-680/


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## Tuff (Nov 29, 2011)

you are gonna get as many opinions as there are responses to your post-that said, I have a Camp Chef pellet grill that I did not spend a fortune on. Once you understand the science of cooking and get past all of the wive's tales, you will be able to cook anything on any type of apparatus. Check out www.amazingribs.com for great tips/techniques and know how.

Back to my pellet grill...it cooks the same as my Life Tyme stick burner, only the results are more consistent. If I need "wood" for a cook, I can get it at HEB or Academy (and many other convenient places). I don't have to stay close and mind the fire - but I can still sit on the patio and enjoy beverages if I want. I only wish I had purchased one sooner.

I am so convinced about my pellet grill, that if you really want a stick burner - you can have my Life Tyme pit for a measly $100 bill and you pick up. I will tell you that it is about 15 years old and can use a little TLC - but it will still cook with great results.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Spots and Dots said:


> An egg would be a better choice
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


X2.

It is a breeze with the egg and it takes an amazingly small amount of charcoal to do the job.


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

I love it when these threads some up. They always turn into a "what smoker do you currently use", because most people recommend what is in their backyards. 

There is a lot of ways to go. You mention "less labor intensive", so I read that as you desire a little more of a "set it and forget it" arrangement. Not wanting to spend "thousands" leaves it a little open too. Here is my breakdown for "set it and forget it" options, or at the very least, minimal hands on operation. 

<$500? Weber Smokey Mountain is the gold standard. It is a bullet type smoker which has been cranking out tasty que for years. They are a little leaky when they are new, but they seal up nice once they get a good coating of smoke and grease. You can also build your own upright drum smoker. If you are not as mechanically inclined, you can buy a kit from Big Poppa Smoker and be all in around $250 depending on drum cost. Just google to find more information. The UDS and WSM are both charcoal smokers. Use wood chunks for smoke. You regulate temperature by the amount of oxygen you allow into the fire chamber. It is a small smoldering fire that once locked in with stay around the same temperature for as long as you have charcoal left to burn. 

At around $4-500, you get in to some really good value stick burners. No, they are absolutely not "set it and forget it", but they are always worth a look in my opinion. A very good option is the Old Country Pecos which can be found at Academy. At $400 it is a bargain, but as with any budget stick burner, you will have to make some mods to make it cook right. You will mainly use small logs on top of a coal bed for fuel. But these kind of pits are not hands off at all. You will have to stay with the pit the entire time tending the fire. Some people love doing this. Others don't. But the flavor you get off of these pits simply cannot be matched by the other options. At least that is my opinion. There is just nothing like burning logs for fuel and flavor. Lyfe Time pits are very good in this price range, but they will most likely be between $500-$1000 depending on what you are looking at.

For between $600-$1000 you can go with an entry level pellet grill like Traeger or Green Mountain (there are other brands, just shop around) pellet grill. They are the easiest to use. Just push a button and you are smoking. Smoke flavor can be described as light, but to many, it is just right. 

Your options open up once you get past $1000. You start seeing some quality stick burners like the one mentioned above as well as other quality MFG's like Gator Pit. There are also some higher quality pellet smokers available like Yoder. If I was going to buy a pellet smoker, that would be my choice. Good stuff. 

Around $1500 is where you will get into the quality ceramic Kamado pits. The best bang for the buck is the Kamado Joe. The regular size is around $1000. The Big Joe is around $1500. The Big Green Egg and Primo are other great options and are a little pricier. A Primo XL Oval Kamado will set you back around $1800 with all added options. Probably the same goes for the BGE. With Kamados, don't mess around. Go ahead and get the biggest one you can get. Don't skimp on size. 

So there you have it. All of these options are good options. It all depends on what you want to spend vs. what works best for you. Beyond that, it is the cook, not the cooker that matters. 

Disclaimer: I have a Primo Kamado XL oval and Big Poppa Smoker UDS on my patio. I mainly use my Primo for everything from steaks, paella and pizza to slow smoked brisket and ribs. I use the UDS for slow smoking only and it is basically my overflow pit for when I am cooking for a crowd. I have used stick burners of all types over the years too. I wish I had the time for them. they cook the best tasting food, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the food that comes off of any mentioned above.

Good luck and get to cooking


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

Good Synopsis by MITB. 

You could also consider an electric for set and forget. In all honesty though, you need to get into the upper end stainless and insulated ones to get consistent results from an electric. 

I have a SmokinTex 1500 series that is quite good and does larger batches, but I also have a BGE I use for smoking smaller batches. 

From what you describe though, I would look hard at the Weber. Easy to use and very hard to top for the money.


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## iwant2fish (Jan 28, 2005)

I enjoy my WSM as a smoker and a grill.


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## driftfish20 (May 13, 2006)

This! Very well explained!



manintheboat said:


> I love it when these threads some up. They always turn into a "what smoker do you currently use", because most people recommend what is in their backyards.
> 
> There is a lot of ways to go. You mention "less labor intensive", so I read that as you desire a little more of a "set it and forget it" arrangement. Not wanting to spend "thousands" leaves it a little open too. Here is my breakdown for "set it and forget it" options, or at the very least, minimal hands on operation.
> 
> ...


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

UDS for the win! love mine. cant go wrong.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

manintheboat said:


> I love it when these threads some up. They always turn into a "what smoker do you currently use", because most people recommend what is in their backyards.
> 
> There is a lot of ways to go. You mention "less labor intensive", so I read that as you desire a little more of a "set it and forget it" arrangement. Not wanting to spend "thousands" leaves it a little open too. Here is my breakdown for "set it and forget it" options, or at the very least, minimal hands on operation.
> 
> ...


This guy gets it!! Stick burner is not for everybody.you need a good chainsaw,trailer, log splitter and a good source for wood.even the best smoker won't cook a good brisket.I started with a lifetime,good pit but definitely not great.good pits are super expensive .

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## pudsquali (Nov 23, 2016)

*Smoker*

I like my kamado joe. Once you get the temp dialed in you are good to go. Can cook all day long and end up with only a coffee can full of ashes. Mine is the classic. Got mine from the Texas Star Grill Shop on SW Frwy for around 800 bucks. Good luck on your search.


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## reb (Aug 12, 2005)

The latest from Charbroil


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

With few exceptions, the winning Briskets in most major cook-offs are cooked on a fed source (pellet cooker)cooker. As stated above, most consistent results which wins cookoffs. I prefer the old style stick burners for no reason other than ????, but have access to unlimited wood and have time to cut it and space to store it while it cures. All important parts to cooking with sticks.


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## pknight6 (Nov 8, 2014)

Thank you everyone, for the suggestions and ideas.


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## Kbrede2 (Feb 18, 2013)

I'll chime in my 2 cents worth. I've used a home made stick/charcoal burner since 1984.
In June I bought a Yoder YS640 (built in Kansas) pellet smoker grill. I love it!! It is truly a "set it and forget" unit. The wife is not a fan of heavily smoked meats, and this unit does not do that. She has loved everything that the pit has cooked, from ribs, bacon, brisket, turkeys, hams, and even a can of Spam (I just had to try it, LOL). If more smoke is needed I can add a Mojo brick or use a smoking tube. It's not for everybody, but it suits me great. Nothing like throwing a pork butt and 4 racks of ribs on just before going fishing for the day and coming home to perfectly cooked Que. 

ps, my dealer in San Juan, TX sells just about all kinds of smokers and sells out of these so fast he's started ordering them 6 at a time.


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

I have to agree that most people who use stick burners tend to oversmoke the meat. You really want clean white smoke which means you have to have a fire pit going to feed the smoker box with hot coals.

Pellet and electric smokers can produce clean smoke without all the work.

You should taste the meat with a hint of smoke. Not smoke with a hint of meat. 

Now stick burners with the time and facilities to do it right can produce incredible results. Most of us just dont have the time and room to do it right 

Just my .02

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## Lat22 (Apr 7, 2005)

I have an offset, a Big Green Egg and a 22.5 inch Weber Smokey Mountain. I get the best results from my WSM.


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## jsavoie88 (Aug 17, 2013)

manintheboat said:


> I love it when these threads some up. They always turn into a "what smoker do you currently use", because most people recommend what is in their backyards.
> 
> There is a lot of ways to go. You mention "less labor intensive", so I read that as you desire a little more of a "set it and forget it" arrangement. Not wanting to spend "thousands" leaves it a little open too. Here is my breakdown for "set it and forget it" options, or at the very least, minimal hands on operation.
> 
> ...


Excellent synopsis.

About a year ago, I was in the same position you were. I went back and forth between offset pits, pellet cookers, and kamado style pits.

The answer depends on what you're using it for. I wanted to be able to to everything from grill steaks at high heat (500*-600*) to throw a brisket on low and slow (225*) for > 12 hours.

The best option for me was a kamado style pit. I ended up getting two Kamada Joes--a Big Joe and a Joe Jr. I have had excellent results with everything I've thrown on these pits and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a pit.

Just my $0.02 for what it's worth. Best of luck to you and let us know what you end up with. Pics or it didn't happen!


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