Ok guys help me make up my mind!!!

Militant83 said:

Any thoughts on Gravity Fed Vs Vertical water cooker? Im seeing most recommendations on the water cooker and only a couple gravity fed. Any reason for that or just personal preference?

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I've cooked on both and you can't really go wrong with either one. There are pluses and minuses to each type.

Gravity Fed pluses:
1. The ultimate set it and forget it cooker: consistent from cook to cook (if you buy the right gravity cooker)
2. Easy to start: light a cube or drop a lit chimney into the chute, attach the fan and walk away
3.

Gravity Fed minuses:
1. Potential for grease fires- varies by company/brand
2. Very heavy and this can limit mobility; it took four or five of us to get my largest gravity cooker out of mud and onto plywood to roll back to my trailer
3. With a small load the food can sometimes get a little dryer
4. Bridging: charcoal can get caught in the chute and not drop down and light.
5. Can run on the expensive side

Vertical Water cooker pluses:
1. Backwoods and Humphreys are very mobile cookers (the Humphreys weighs a little more than a BWS, but it is a better built cooker IMO)
2. Moist cooking environment
3. Temps even side to side
4. Easy to maintain consistent temps on
5. Fairly affordable cookers
6. Convection effect: the reverse flow pattern of the heat along with the radiant heat provides a very even cook

Vertical Water cooker minuses:
1. Cleaning up the water pan/grease
2. A little more work to initially load with charcoal and to re-load; ashes can get in your food if you aren't carefully
3. With the standard BWS the steam from the water can make your bark not set properly (some users will debate this issue). Humphrey's has a solution to this: they have a slide out water pan that isn't right over the firebox that provides the moist environment without all the steam.
4. Temps can get away from you if you don't add water or if you light too many coals at one time

I'm sure I'm missing some pluses/minuses, but this a start that others can add to as they see fit.

I cook briskets, butts and ribs on a Superior SS1 and chicken on a Stumps Baby. I cook at 235 degrees in the Superior and 275 in the Stumps. Both are gravity feed, insulated vertical smokers. Both are very easy to control, set it and forget it. Both hold rock solid temperatures in any weather. Both are excellent quality cookers.

Do you guys with gravity fed like the stumps we own find it hard to add smoke and problems with the charcoal bridging? We have to make a small fire in the ash tray and add wood chunks there in order to get smoke. Not a big deal but that is not a problem with our BX50.

I have no knowledge of using a vertical gravity fed smoker. But having 2 smokers even if the second one is an excellent idea. I cook my big meats at 250. At comps a smaller smoker for cooking my chicken I normally run temps about 350 degrees at grate level for chicken. Temps like that will help crisp up chicken skins for a better bite though skin for the judges.

Militant83 said:

Ok so correct me if I'm wrong. But what I'm gathering is from the info provided is when it comes to water style cookers, Backwoods, Humphreys, and Spicewine are top of the line choices. And as far as gravity fed goes Southern Q and Stumps are the top choices.

While there are other good companies these seem to be the top.

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Don't want to offend anyone here, but I don't know that I would consider backwoods top of the line. The sheet metal used is a little thin, and the seems are not welded water tight, like they would be on a cooker I would consider top of the line like a pitmaker. You do not want it getting wet in the walls were the insulation is. Also, I believe they are significantly lighter than some other vertical cab smokers. It ain't made of aluminum or titanium, so if it is lighter, it is built of thinner materials.

If I were looking at grabbing an insulated cooker like this, I am pretty sure I would go with a spicewine of pitmaker. Don't know much about humphreys, but I would research that too. I am reasonably certain backwoods would not be a consideration for me.

Just my opinion, don't wanna make any BW owners feel bad.

I have been to Spicewine Ironworks' shop and witnessed his operation and his cookers first hand. If I were,in the market, I would not consider anything except a Spicewine. Please do yourself a favor and talk to Jay. I believe you'll be impressed and convinced.

Also, since nobody has said it yet, I will. Build a UDS. (It HAD to be said)

Backwoods are great cookers so are the new Meadowcreek vertical insulated cookers

TailGateJoecom said:

Don't want to offend anyone here, but I don't know that I would consider backwoods top of the line. The sheet metal used is a little thin, and the seems are not welded water tight, like they would be on a cooker I would consider top of the line like a pitmaker. You do not want it getting wet in the walls were the insulation is. Also, I believe they are significantly lighter than some other vertical cab smokers. It ain't made of aluminum or titanium, so if it is lighter, it is built of thinner materials.

If I were looking at grabbing an insulated cooker like this, I am pretty sure I would go with a spicewine of pitmaker. Don't know much about humphreys, but I would research that too. I am reasonably certain backwoods would not be a consideration for me.

Just my opinion, don't wanna make any BW owners feel bad.

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Tailgate Joe is right. If you are looking for a heavy, clunky chunk of metal that takes you, three buddies, and a mule to move, then a Backwoods is not for you. :wink:

If, on the other hand, you are interested in winning competitions and turning out top quality que without breaking the bank or your back, the Backwoods reputation speaks for itself.

Regarding the issue of needing two smokers for two different temps...I cook all of my comp meat on a BWS Party.

Big meats are cooked at 250. When it is time to put in the ribs, it is also time to wrap the big meats. I have a second charcoal basket that I load up and get lit outside of the smoker. Once it gets going, I swap out the baskets, wraps the big meats, turn up the Guru to 275 and put in the ribs.

When the big meats come out it is time to wrap the ribs. Chicken goes in on top rack (notice ribs are foiled - no cross contamination).

The point is, one can cook all four meats on a BWS with two different temp ranges.

Humphrey's Battle Box is a cooking machine

If you decide on a Spicewine get a Super medium, not a medium. If you are thinking gravity fed take a long look at a Vulcan.

I suggest whatever model you get you make sure it is sized to be able to cook with pans.

I use a Backwoods Competitor and Backwoods Chubby and love the set up. Big meats go on Friday evening in the Competitor. Light the Chubby around 4-5 AM saturady for ribbs to go on. usually when the big meats are in the cambro its time to rwrap the ribs and then they finish in the Competitor a long with chicken. Chubby has the fire removed, cleand up and ready to load back in the toyhauler.

Good luck.

I second the notion of getting out there and seeing cookers in action for yourself. I think you'll find that most teams are very accommodating and you'll get a lot of help.

Tons of folks winning with Backwoods. But there are tons of folks winning on WSMs. Tons of folks winning on Yoders.

My point is that when it boils down, it's a lot more about the cook. Once you figure your cooker out and develop a process, you're golden.

Although, I've got a buddy with a Backwoods Party and he hates the fact that the water pan boils out every couple of hours. So there's that.

I don't understand the need for a gravity feed cooker. My medium Spicewine has a mazed charcoal basket and will hold temperature for 18 hours using a Guru without reloading charcoal. I also never use water in my Spicewine as the water acts like a big heat sink making you waste charcoal. We simply line the water pan with aluminum foil to catch the drippings for very easy internal cleanup. To me the only thing the water does is make a mess. If you are looking for a cooker that will last you the rest of your life, buy the Spicewine. Uncle Jay builds them like a brick chit house.

Sawdustguy said:

I don't understand the need for a gravity feed cooker. My medium Spicewine has a mazed charcoal basket and will hold temperature for 18 hours using a Guru without reloading charcoal. I also never use water in my Spicewine as the water acts like a big heat sink making you waste charcoal. We simply line the water pan with aluminum foil to catch the drippings for very easy internal cleanup. To me the only thing the water does is make a mess. If you are looking for a cooker that will live long than you, buy the Spicewine. Uncle Jay builds them like a brick chit house.

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And some don't understand the need for charcoal basket smokers. Different strokes.

fnbish said:

And some don't understand the need for charcoal basket smokers. Different strokes.

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I don't have a problem with people not understanding charcoal baskets. BTW, the Spicewine is not a charcoal basket smoker. I built one for the firebox to get a more efficient burn. Lots of Spicewine owners have done the same thing. I got the idea from Jimmy Brod (Smoking Cracker). I am frankly puzzled why you have a problem with me understanding the need for Gravity Feed. I am not allowed to have an opinion? I never said gravity feed is wrong, I said I (JUST ME) don't understand the need. To me (AND ONLY ME) it seems gravity feed has the possibility to jam with an oversized or odd shaped piece of charcoal where a charcoal basket is just a hunk of metal. YMMV