Need help with picking a smoker

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Smokenrt

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Hello everyone I'm new here & just started learning how to smoking meats & bbq. I have a Kingsford kettle & a mastercraft 7in1 smoker. The other day I found out how BAD of a smoker the mastercraft is. It took almost 6hrs to do a whole fryer chicken! I had problems the whole time trying to keep the temp between 275-300 and I had to keep feeding the fire. I was using Lump charcoal and it burnt about 8-9lbs in that time. I've been looking around and I like the Char-griller Acorn Kamado. My local walmart has them for $288 & I'm really thinking about getting one but last night I found a offset smoker that I've been looking for its a New Braunfels Longhorn Deluxe for $350 used. So if anyone has these can you tell me the Pros & Cons of them.
 
Build a uds! Sorry just had to get that response out the way. Do you want a set and forget type or one to monitor a bit. It all depends on what you want in a cooker. I've never used either, but the are both capable of doing a great job.
 
Well if you give us more info we could help you better. How often you cook, for how many, do you like sleep, how much space you have, do you cook year round? Ect
 
I like the thoughts of set it and go but I also don't mined tending a fire every now & then. But I don't want to feed almost Half a bag to cook one little chicken.
 
Get an 18" WSM, they're around $250 and the best backyard smoker you can buy (IMHO). I can get it to park at 250 for 7-8 hours. I cooked my first contest with one also...
 
Smokenrt said:
I like the thoughts of set it and go but I also don't mined tending a fire every now & then. But I don't want to feed almost Half a bag to cook one little chicken.
Click to expand...

If you like set it and forget it with a little tending required from time to time then I suggest a WSM. I also suggest the 22($399) vs. the 18($299). I started with the 18 and it's a great smoker but its hard to fit ribs laying down and most briskets have to be shoehorned between the grate handles. I also had a New Braunfels as my first smoker and it was difficult to keep an even temperature and used much more charcoal than a WSM. I would also suggest cooking a single chicken on your kettle. Good luck.
 
Depending on the size of cooks you will be doing, I'd get the 18.5 Weber smokey mountain (wsm) for only $12 more than the char griller you are considering. If you need more cooking room and/or have it in your budget get the 22.5 WSM. Webers are better products in my opinion than what you are looking at. Or if you want to spend less, buy or build a drum smoker as mentioned. You can read for days here in the forum about UDS. I'm new to smoking as well but after reading thousands of posts here I plan to get a used wsm or find time to build a uds. Especially being a beginner.
 
Weber WSM as well. I am saying that because that is what I learned to smoke on myself and have no regrets.
 
I've looked at the WSM's & I like them but why I'm like the acorn is cause it's versital on the other hand I like the longhorn for the amount of cooking room. By thanksgiving I want to be able to smoke some turkeys for my family.
 
Uds can be built to be very versatile and a wsm can be with a couple easy cheap mods. The wsm will last you forever.

Someone else may be able to answer this more correctly but I believe the 22.5 wsm can cook 2 18lb turkeys at once.
 
I have had an Akorn for 3 years now.. It has a learning curve but the internet is now loaded with info that really shortens it.

Once you have a handle on it, it is a very easy cooker to run.. To the point of being boring.

It is a very versatile cooker and it does not look as if your loaded up with other grills.. If you are worried about charcoal consumption it probably is the way to go. On something short like a chicken you will be shocked as to how little lump was burned when you look in there the next day.

Another nice thing about it, is it is unaffected by ambient temp.. I have done long low and slows as low as 8 degrees with no noticeable difference in how it ran or charcoal consumption..
 
If you're on a budget like I am I would get a wsm now and save a little more money to get weber kettle. With those two cookers you can cook just about anything.
 
Iceturkes Have tried cooking a turkey on your acorn? I want to cook ribs, butts, meatloafs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, brisket, steaks, burgers, ah heck anything that I can get my hands on. I think I would use the acorn more. But when it comes time to cook a lot I will want the size of the offset.
 
Ok. I just talked to the guy with the longhorn. He said its 3 years old been used 15-20 times and it's stayed in his garage. He's done all the mods already like sealing the doors with high temp gaskets, high temp silicon between the fire box and cooking chamber, he run the smoke stack all the way over to the fire box side, lowered the smoke stack inside down to the cooking grate, and put a full length heat deflector in the cooking chamber.
 
If you want to cook a lot of wonderful meat at one time may I suggest a Pit Barrel Cooker. You can cook 8 racks of ribs at a time.
 
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