Ok guys help me make up my mind!!!

I just did a cut and paste from Jay's site. I know we both agree, no matter the size of the racks, Spicewine cookers are amazing units.

BBQ_MAFIA said:

I just did a cut and paste from Jay's site. I know we both agree, no matter the size of the racks, Spicewine cookers are amazing units.

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Yes they are.

I think Jay downsized the racks a while ago (after I got mine). A guy I know has a newer super medium and he can't get 3 hotel pans on a rack and I've seen a couple of large cookers with different sized racks.

hedge said:

i disagree with getting two smaller cookers at once. I'd rather have one larger than two small, just my opinion though.

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what do you do when you just want to cook one brisket or rack of ribs or bird?

:boink:

boogiesnap said:

what do you do when you just want to cook one brisket or rack of ribs or bird?

:boink:

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use another smoker in your collection. :boxing:

Militant83 said:

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has given some advice. Although the best advice given was just get out there and see if you can see any in person. So hopefully if things go right I will do just that and end up at the KCBS comp in Kettering,OH this coming weekend to get a look at some cookers and speak with the teams to get their thoughts on their particular cooker.

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I will be in Kettering, OH this weekend if you want to stop by and check out the Humphrey's cookers.

I'd rather cook 1 butt in a competitor than a chubby. Negligible difference in fuel used anyways.

Untraceable said:

I'd rather cook 1 butt in a competitor than a chubby. Negligible difference in fuel used anyways.

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Interesting.

I'd rather HAVE one competitor than one chubby.

But for competition and backyard, I'd prefer to have the option of cooking at different times and temps and woods.



Just my 2 cents.

My only concern with 2 pits, is one always gets neglected and a neglected pit can turn funky. As a competition team though, 2 is a great idea if you have a teammate with his own pit.

hedge said:

use another smoker in your collection. :boxing:

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like maybe a humphries 1/2 pint? ya kinda proved my point a disproved yours all at once there fella.

oooh something shiny!

see y'all in 6 months. :twisted:

boogiesnap said:

like maybe a humphries 1/2 pint? ya kinda proved my point a disproved yours all at once there fella.

oooh something shiny!

see y'all in 6 months. :twisted:

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no where did i say that.

Militant83 said:

PMG I checked out your Facebook, are those Quebe'd battle boxes or regular?

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Regular Battle Boxes.

Militant83 said:

I don't care for the WSM personally, I've used them in the past. And this purchase isn't just for competitions, I also wanted a nice insulated cooker that will hold up well in the cold Ohio winters if I chose to cook over the winter.

Well guys, as much as I wanted to try to get to a comp this weekend and see some cookers in person, that is now a no go. Work isn't wanting to play well with me taking the time off unfortunately. So it looks like this will end up being a sight unseen purchase unless I can get down to the KCBS event in Cincinnati in October.

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To be honest, imo going to a comp and looking is a great idea in theory, but in real world application won't give you much more info than what you get right here and on manufacturers sites. Think about it, when I ask someone about their pit, that they maybe invested a few thousand in, hardly ever do I get a response of "gee its ok but I probably wouldn't buy it if I had it to do all over again." Basically, everyone seems to love the pit they invested in. It is just human nature really. Look on this site for instance, is there really a lot of guys trash talking the pit that they use? Not much. Yeah it would be nice to swing by a comp and see them in person, but it isn't like you would get to actually use any of them, and I doubt you would get a ton of unbiased opinion. Not a knock in any way on fellow brethren, its just the nature of the beast. And besides, I think the majority of people here have probably bought their pits site unseen as well.

hedge said:

i disagree with getting two smaller cookers at once. I'd rather have one larger than two small, just my opinion though.

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I agree with this initially. It can be hectic at moments when you are first doing comps, no need to compound that managing 2 cookers and 2 fires, unless maybe if they are like pellet cookers. I started with one cooker that was big enough to make do and handle everything, if a little tight, and figure after a season or two I can figure out which second pit to add.

I started comp cooking with an FEC120, which fit my duel needs for comp and catering perfectly. After having done a small number of comps I have gotten a feel for what I have and what I think I need. I am probably going to add a yoder ys1500 in the fall, and in the summer next year add a small yoder offset stickburner to fine tune my brisket on.

TailGateJoecom said:

To be honest, imo going to a comp and looking is a great idea in theory, but in real world application won't give you much more info than what you get right here and on manufacturers sites. Think about it, when I ask someone about their pit, that they maybe invested a few thousand in, hardly ever do I get a response of "gee its ok but I probably wouldn't buy it if I had it to do all over again." Basically, everyone seems to love the pit they invested in. It is just human nature really. Look on this site for instance, is there really a lot of guys trash talking the pit that they use? Not much. Yeah it would be nice to swing by a comp and see them in person, but it isn't like you would get to actually use any of them, and I doubt you would get a ton of unbiased opinion. Not a knock in any way on fellow brethren, its just the nature of the beast. And besides, I think the majority of people here have probably bought their pits site unseen as well.

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Definitely agree with all the above. A lot of feedback/opinion you find here is "Pit XYZ is 'built like a tank'" and everyone loves what they have. Makes it pretty confusing.

Even though I know you are in Ohio where it is cold I still think 2 WSM's is an awesome way to go. There aren't many comps up there in the dead of winter :-D. I've used mine when it is freezing and while it does burn through more charcoal most people have trouble maintaining temp when it is windy or raining than trouble in the cold. 2 WSM's will be inexpensive, easy to move and easy to sell if you want to bounce to another smoker(s).

I've competed with 2 WSM's and then I went to a large gravity fed simply because I like to tinker and found a good deal on craigslist. Did fine on both setups. Then when I knew I was getting a camper (not a toy hauler) I didn't have a way to move around the large pit. So I wanted 2 smaller pits again that I could put into the back of a truck. I could have gone back to the 2 WSM setup, but again because I like to change it up I went Backwoods because I had a local dealer and they still fit the bill for lifting. Lot's of guys swear by humpries, but I wouldn't take them if you gave them to me because they are heavier (aka even more "tank like" :becky and my wife and I wouldn't be able to lift them into the truck. Granted I would take them for home use obviously :-D.

Next year I might have something different. Point is any number of the pits suggested here have teams "killing it" using said pit. They all put out great food. Confusing again right?? So finding something close to you at a decent price is the way I would go. WMS's are a short Amazon order away. Most pits hold their value and you can always turn around and sell it and change it up :thumb:.

Anyways, there is more blah blah to analyze.

Ive noticed that if you take Pit questions to pm, your much more likely to get the real story on the pit. Everyone loves their own pits pretty much because all these custom pits are nice friggin pits!

fnbish said:

Lot's of guys swear by humpries, but I wouldn't take them if you gave them to me because they are heavier (aka even more "tank like" :becky and my wife and I wouldn't be able to lift them into the truck. Granted I would take them for home use obviously :-D.

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Humphrey's are sturdier than BWS, but they aren't going to break your back. Or your wallet. You can get the Pint which is basically the same size as a G2 Party for around $800 less and it's only 30-40 pounds more in weight.