bjgamez
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2013
- Location
- Houston, Tx
What is everyones pit of choice for competition? I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find the thread...
I'm a fan of insulated vertical gravity fed smokers. I have noticed there's a lot more people going that way over here in Texas. In the San Antonio rodeo BBQ cook off. I think 3 of the top five used a pitmaker insulated smoker, but have heard these things get too hot and closer to the 275-325 range. Anyone have any experience with these?
The Jambo ain't a cure-all. Just buying one ain't going to make you a good cook. You'll look cool, but that's about it.
I've got a vault and if you don't put water in it AND it has the slide for the intake, it is very hard to keep below 325 with any fuel at all in it. I sealed up the slide and can put it anywhere I want now. J$, a contributor on this site had them install a ball valve for air inlet on the firebox instead of the standard slide they install...which I'm sure works amazingly well for fire control.
In review, pitmaker vaults and safes are water cookers and if I cook with water it sits on 250 as long as there is water in the pan and the fuel will last about 6 hours. If I cook dry, the intake better be sealed up and I control with a guru. I can set it on 275 and cook for at least 12 hours without a refill on fuel.
I like my vault a lot; but until I sealed it up, it was a bit disappointing in fuel consumption and burn time.
I have the safe, if there is water in the pan it sits at 225-250 easy. If there is no water in the pan it wants to be over 300.
I do it for the chicks. Cbicks dig guys with big wood......
I believe you have to also throw the FEC100 in to any conversation about cookers.