New Smoker Advice

TailGateJoecom said:
I have a 22 WSM and a pellet smoker, FEC120. Both put out great food, but I find that since I got the pellet smoker I am smoking a LOT more, at least 3 times as frequently. And I use the smoker for a lot of things I wouldn't bother lighting the wsm for, like different side dishes, sausages, chicken, etc. I also am more eager to do big meats as well.
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This was pretty much my thoughts exactly.. I have my wife convinced we would use it more and that she would even be able to monitor a cook while I am at work if need be with the Yoder. I Love my UDS and was not thinking about replacing just adding something else to my arsenal. But either way need something I can more set and forget with a 4 and 8 year old running around.
 
But everytime I get closer to pulling the trigger on the Yoder I chicken out because they are not cheap. I am my own worst enemy sometimes.
 
desertguy76 said:
But everytime I get closer to pulling the trigger on the Yoder I chicken out because they are not cheap. I am my own worst enemy sometimes.
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I was going through the same quandary as you. I decided on a 22 WSM, and also bought a CyberQ. I'm very happy with my decision.

You really don't need a controller since the WSM is really stable, but it's nice to put on a butt before work and have it ready when I get home. I can monitor the cook and adjust the cooker temp on my phone when I'm away.

The cons are the start up time and clean up.
 
I gave up on pellet grills being set and forget, being able to leave unattended , etc, when i discovered rare, but possible, auger jams, and auger tube fires. Rare, but knowing my luck...
 
I'm a little surprised that I hear very little about the Big Green Eggs. They are fuel misers and cook all night long without a bit of babysitting. I use a Guru with my X-Large and have done 20 hour cooks with no problem. I put a Maverick E72 next to my bedside and open one eye a couple times through the night to check on it just for peace of mind. It also does a very good job with direct grilling which is what I prefer for chicken. It is more versatile than any other of these cookers which makes it great for a second unit. All that being said, I also own (2) Backwoods Smokers and (3) Meadow Creeks and really like them as we'll but for what you are saying you NEED, you can't go wrong with the BGE IMHO....
 
I was going to mention a DigiQ or other electronic temp control, but others have beat me to it. I will also ask, did you build a single-rack UDS using the guidelines here? If so, then you have room to add another rack which will double your cooking space to over 700 sq inches.

The only thing with this is that you would need to obtain a Weber dome lid with, I believe, a ~22.5" opening. These can be found at garage sales, Goodwill, etc. A weber lid, new 22" Weber grate, and a BBQ Guru are MUCH less than a new Yoder.

With 20 lbs of fuel, I can go well over 16 hours in my UDS (I'll usually burn the remainder a few days later for chicken, and even then there's fuel left, though for longer smokes I sometimes need to wiggle my UDS a bit to shake some ash down through the coals so they can breathe. Other than that, it's well-seasoned and holds temps like a champ.
 
Trailer Trash makes a great point. The egg is a very versatile cooker and holds up very well in just about any condition you can think of. Hot and fast, low and slow if you manage the fire right it can put out great food and needs little attention. I also have a cabinet style smoker (Backwoods) which is great as well. The biggest benefit of the BWS compared to the egg is that you can smOke much more food and have greater capacity and I find it easier to move / transport. The eggs can be a pain to move around but if you plan on cooking primarily at home and like more of a set and forget option the ceramics are hard to beat, especially when you add a guru or stoker.
 
Thanks everybody for the advise and help.. I am not any closer to making my decision unfortunately
 
Lone Star Grillz

darkoozy said:
I agree with the cabinet smoker if you have the budget for it...I have been using a WSM for sometime and making some awesome bbq, but felt an upgrade was in order, and went for an insulated cabinet smoker as well.

Ordered one 2 weeks ago (still waiting, like torture) from Lone Star Grillz. Check out the engineering, its awesome...

http://www.lonestargrillz.com/Insulated-Smokers.html

Good luck on your quest to enjoy more bbq
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I ordered mine on January 31. Chris started building mine on Thursday, 3/13/14. He builds these in batches of 4 at a time, so he is probably building yours at the same time. They should be done this week or the next. Can't wait to try it out. I already have an extra 2" ball valve and a 2" Guru adapter.
 
More space is one thing but i got lost on UDS and needing overnight cooks. What was the problem not being to do overnight cooks?

Solution get another UDS and hook up a controller if you want sleep.
 
desertguy76 said:
If I was to go with a temp control system is one recommended over another? I searched out some old threads but they seem to be a couple years old.
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I've hooked a guru and a PitmasterIQ up to mine. The IQ 110 an the 120 or fairly inexpensive. Ask for their 3/4" ball valve adapter...piece of cake
 
I have a WSM 22.5. It is easy to cook on and very stable and can run a long time on a load of charcoal. However, I find I hardly ever use it because it is such a pain to clean. No way to get the ash out of the bottom except take the Charcoal grate out and dump it. And while it has a lot of space with the two grates, the bottom grate is really only useable for something you don't have to access while you are cooking.

For all of these reasons, I am getting a pellet grill myself. Most likely a Memphis.
 
Volsfan846 said:
I have a WSM 22.5. It is easy to cook on and very stable and can run a long time on a load of charcoal. However, I find I hardly ever use it because it is such a pain to clean. No way to get the ash out of the bottom except take the Charcoal grate out and dump it. And while it has a lot of space with the two grates, the bottom grate is really only useable for something you don't have to access while you are cooking.

For all of these reasons, I am getting a pellet grill myself. Most likely a Memphis.
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Sounds like your is defective. I'll take that scrap off your hands for $50... :mrgreen:
 
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