sliding_billy
somebody shut me the fark up.
I finally saw one in person at Academy the other day. The workmanship on this specific one was an absolute joke. Nothing fit right at all. The metal also seems thinner than some of their other models.
New Old Country Pit - Over n Under - I like it
- Thread starter SmittyJonz
- Start date
ButtBurner
Babbling Farker
from the few pics I have seen of these in action they seem like they take too much wood.
Each pic shows 2-3 logs in it
My Shirley takes less and its 4x bigger
Each pic shows 2-3 logs in it
My Shirley takes less and its 4x bigger
Today's Academy ad says 25$ off if you open and use Academy Credit Card. It can and has been debated whether that is wise, I do it and cut the card. Got 200$ off a Toughshed and two upgrades via Home Depot. Hint. Open in one spouse name only. leaves other spouse open to do the same in the future. That's advice from CS at HD
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Was your Shirley $500? Your comparing Steak to Bologna. :crazy:
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
YA its 1/8" - Wrangler is 3/16" but smaller size for same price. All are Sloppy Workmanship - most are Fair but some are BAD - that's why they are $500. :shock: I just looked over 2 Last nite when I stopped for Wood Chunks for the Uds and both I could Tweak Easily and beefing up the Fire Grate would have been the Hardest and that's Easy.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
:mrgreen:
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
In New $500 Readily Available Store Bought Stick Burners you have 4 Choices:
1. "Ok Joe" at Lowes n Walmart - $429-$449.
2. Old Country Pecos - Academy $399.
3. Old Country Wrangler - Academy $499.
4. Old Country Over n Under - Academy $499.
I have cooked on 1,2 n 3 in the last year and half. They all cooked about the same. Not had Mods. I used cookie sheets and foil water pans under the grate on FireBox Side. 1 and 2 are Basically the Same (Size, Gauge, Look) 3 is heavier Gauge on the Doors but Smaller. 4 I have not cooked on but I look at them every Academy Trip. I don't need it cuz I have a PatchWork Bandera. I wish someone local to me would get one so I can cook on it. I would Help them with the Tweaks too.
So if you are in the MKT for a $500 Stick Burner go look at ALL and make up your Mind. I don't see Nuttin wrong with buying any of them.
You High End Pit Owners need to remember the Days of cooking on the cheaper pits because that's what you could afford or was willing to Spend and STOP comparing your $1000-$1500-$2000-$2500 Pits to $500 Pits. That's just Stupid, UnFair and you could be Discouraging a Guy that $500 is All his has to spend on a Pit and it IS a Big Purchase for him. All 4 of those Pits can put out some Good Q - I know cuz I done it. Yes they will burn some Wood but not near as Much as the $200-$250 COS Pits. If one took care of the above Pits Id say they are 10 yr Pits.
Once I get my BadAzz Muscrat Pit in future I will still Look at the Mid Grade Pits and recommend or review them for the Newbs and Average Joes ( like me) for Who $500 is a Big Purchase.
Many will say keep saving and get the so n so Small Backyard model for $850-$1000 but for some Folks the Difference tween $500 and $900 is 1 Yr. Some guys can swing $900 but don't want to. MANY Kitchen Passes Cap at $500. :shock:
1. "Ok Joe" at Lowes n Walmart - $429-$449.
2. Old Country Pecos - Academy $399.
3. Old Country Wrangler - Academy $499.
4. Old Country Over n Under - Academy $499.
I have cooked on 1,2 n 3 in the last year and half. They all cooked about the same. Not had Mods. I used cookie sheets and foil water pans under the grate on FireBox Side. 1 and 2 are Basically the Same (Size, Gauge, Look) 3 is heavier Gauge on the Doors but Smaller. 4 I have not cooked on but I look at them every Academy Trip. I don't need it cuz I have a PatchWork Bandera. I wish someone local to me would get one so I can cook on it. I would Help them with the Tweaks too.
So if you are in the MKT for a $500 Stick Burner go look at ALL and make up your Mind. I don't see Nuttin wrong with buying any of them.
You High End Pit Owners need to remember the Days of cooking on the cheaper pits because that's what you could afford or was willing to Spend and STOP comparing your $1000-$1500-$2000-$2500 Pits to $500 Pits. That's just Stupid, UnFair and you could be Discouraging a Guy that $500 is All his has to spend on a Pit and it IS a Big Purchase for him. All 4 of those Pits can put out some Good Q - I know cuz I done it. Yes they will burn some Wood but not near as Much as the $200-$250 COS Pits. If one took care of the above Pits Id say they are 10 yr Pits.
Once I get my BadAzz Muscrat Pit in future I will still Look at the Mid Grade Pits and recommend or review them for the Newbs and Average Joes ( like me) for Who $500 is a Big Purchase.
Many will say keep saving and get the so n so Small Backyard model for $850-$1000 but for some Folks the Difference tween $500 and $900 is 1 Yr. Some guys can swing $900 but don't want to. MANY Kitchen Passes Cap at $500. :shock:
ButtBurner
Babbling Farker
no...but my $300 OK Joe took much less wood as well.
I just think it takes too much wood.
Bludawg
somebody shut me the fark up.
The difference between a 500.00 pit that cooks good and a 2,500 pit that cooks good, is the available volume that is needed on a regular basis and the amount of wood that is required to cook that one Butt or Brisket on it. If I'm cooking for me and 20 friends a 500.00 pit is fine, if I'm cooking for 150 payin customers on a regular basis then the bigger rig is called for. For the average person Big and Expensive can be excessive. For what its worth an O/U will be replacing Buhela very soon
dadyk00l33
Found some matches.
Hi All,
So like a few others on here, I'm a first timer and this thread is what made me sign up. Since this is my first post, i'll apologize in advance for rambling. Because of this conversation, I decided to purchase the over under. I'm new to smoking and purchased a gas/charcoal grill with a smoker box from Heb because I needed a new gas grill and also wanted to dabble in smoking. Well I was able to manage a slab of ribs on it but found out the hard way, the smoker box was in name only. This thing is definitely only for show. So I decided I still wanted to try to get good at smoking but need something better. I almost pulled the trigger on a Brinkman vertical trailmaster because I liked the price point. After watching videos on mods to it, I still don't think it'd have been a bad choice but the more I read, the more I started to understand the different types and the build quality of each. Inevitably every conversation strayed to "save up your money and buy a custom one" etc. They almost had me believing I couldn't smoke something unless I dropped a grand. The biggest problem with that though is that I like being married and wished to remain so. Anyway, the day I was about to pull the trigger on the Brinkman, I wandered into Academy for the first time since moving to san Antonio 2 years ago and happened to notice the Old Country brand. These were pretty much the best of all worlds for a beginner on a budget that still wants something they can grow into. I was actually going to get the Pecos because it looked and felt awesome and of course the price was in line with the higher end of the lower grade smokers. Well, to make a long story, not quite as long, I found this post, saw the pics and read the reviews and kind of fell in love with the over under. Plus, I must've been in the right place at the right time because the guy gave me 20% off, so it made the price the same as the Pecos. I told him my 5 year anniversary was coming up and apparently my wife was supposed to give something made of wood as the present, I figured this wasn't made of wood but it uses it so that should work right? Anyway, he must've liked that, plus one of the casters is off so it makes it wobble.... bam 20% discount... yay for me.
I'd love to hear from people that have been cooking on it for a while now and see if theres any hints or tricks they've figured out that would help me get started on it... other that what's already been discussed that is, i.e. the fire box grate being flimsy, make a charcoal box for minion'ing, etc. Also, the biggie for me, I have to keep it on the back patio, what cover has anyone had success with, it's so tall and deep that nothing seems to fit even close. I'll try to post pics once I find someone to help me lift the heavy ass thing up a couple stairs and get it seasoned. Thanks again for all the great help hear and I'm glad to be part of this community.
So like a few others on here, I'm a first timer and this thread is what made me sign up. Since this is my first post, i'll apologize in advance for rambling. Because of this conversation, I decided to purchase the over under. I'm new to smoking and purchased a gas/charcoal grill with a smoker box from Heb because I needed a new gas grill and also wanted to dabble in smoking. Well I was able to manage a slab of ribs on it but found out the hard way, the smoker box was in name only. This thing is definitely only for show. So I decided I still wanted to try to get good at smoking but need something better. I almost pulled the trigger on a Brinkman vertical trailmaster because I liked the price point. After watching videos on mods to it, I still don't think it'd have been a bad choice but the more I read, the more I started to understand the different types and the build quality of each. Inevitably every conversation strayed to "save up your money and buy a custom one" etc. They almost had me believing I couldn't smoke something unless I dropped a grand. The biggest problem with that though is that I like being married and wished to remain so. Anyway, the day I was about to pull the trigger on the Brinkman, I wandered into Academy for the first time since moving to san Antonio 2 years ago and happened to notice the Old Country brand. These were pretty much the best of all worlds for a beginner on a budget that still wants something they can grow into. I was actually going to get the Pecos because it looked and felt awesome and of course the price was in line with the higher end of the lower grade smokers. Well, to make a long story, not quite as long, I found this post, saw the pics and read the reviews and kind of fell in love with the over under. Plus, I must've been in the right place at the right time because the guy gave me 20% off, so it made the price the same as the Pecos. I told him my 5 year anniversary was coming up and apparently my wife was supposed to give something made of wood as the present, I figured this wasn't made of wood but it uses it so that should work right? Anyway, he must've liked that, plus one of the casters is off so it makes it wobble.... bam 20% discount... yay for me.
I'd love to hear from people that have been cooking on it for a while now and see if theres any hints or tricks they've figured out that would help me get started on it... other that what's already been discussed that is, i.e. the fire box grate being flimsy, make a charcoal box for minion'ing, etc. Also, the biggie for me, I have to keep it on the back patio, what cover has anyone had success with, it's so tall and deep that nothing seems to fit even close. I'll try to post pics once I find someone to help me lift the heavy ass thing up a couple stairs and get it seasoned. Thanks again for all the great help hear and I'm glad to be part of this community.
pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
I finally had the chance to see one of these in person last week. I was more impressed than I thought I would be. If I was in the market for a cooker in the $500 range this one would be at the top of my list.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Congrats on your purchase. I have not seen or heard about a cover for it. You would probally just have to use a tarp and bungees or straps. Without a cover - Keep it closed up - exhaust vents too but keep the intakes slightly open. After Big Rains you might need to check it, dry it out. Clean your ash out after it cools - ash will absorb moisture from the air and cause rust.
Charcoal Box n Minion? I wouldn't try to run it on charcoal if thats what you mean. the firebox is designed to be a grill also - so you might want a basket for that but not necessary. Beef up the wood burn tray - I like what Bay-B-Baq Junkie did on page 4 - and get a layer of lit charcoal on it and 2 splits. then add a split of wood every 45 minutes or so.
here is another Over n Under thread. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201508&page=2
Keep us updated.:wink:
pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
I have 2 covers from these guys. They are heavy and less than half the price of most other custom makers. One of them came with a seam not sewn properly and the other was perfect. Really quick too. They had it made and in my hands in 2 weeks if I remember correctly. I think they wanted $80-$90 when everyone else wanted $400-$500.
http://www.coverus.com/
http://www.coverus.com/
dadyk00l33
Found some matches.
Sorry, I'm a new, I meant a charcoal basket, not box. Everything I read says the minion method is the way to go? Maybe not so much with this set up? I'll look into doing the firebox grate like that but will probably have to do it more like the other post you sent me where the guy did a no weld version out of expanded metal. I don't really know anything about welding or know any welders. If this turns into a thing where I spend more money on mods and not enough on food, my wife may kill me so being a newb i'll just focus on learning to cook. When I get better, i'll worry about modding.
Do any of the experienced guys know of any good forums on techniques or recipes? I just started with some you tube videos and one of Myron mixons books, been good so far but am always looking to expand my horizons.
Do any of the experienced guys know of any good forums on techniques or recipes? I just started with some you tube videos and one of Myron mixons books, been good so far but am always looking to expand my horizons.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Minion method is for charcoal cooker/smokers. You bought a stickburner and need to burn sticks - firewood. If you want to run on charcoal you bought the wrong smoker.
You could strengthen the firebox grate with 2" angle iron and stainless steel bolts - no weld
There are a lot of Good BBQ videos on YouTube. Plenty of good info here - just ask or use the search bar at the bottom of the page- it searches within BBQ Brethren.
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ODU Dad
Knows what a fatty is.
BTTT. I want to keep this up there. I am seriously interested in buying this as my first serious small gig rig. And if/when I outgrow it and can decide what is bigger/better and what can be added to this to expand my capacity. Just don't buy too many of them, I want to keep the prices down for a while.:laugh:
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
I was in the Arlington Academy (behind Parks Mall) tonite and they had 3 of them. 1 of them was Pretty Decent Fit n Finish for an Old Country - if I had had some Money I probally wouldve gotten into Big Trouble with Ole Lady when i got Home cuz I would've bought it...... :shock:
Bludawg
somebody shut me the fark up.
I had to go to Waco yesterday and I had some time to kill between appointments so I was on a cheap ammo hunt Academy, Cabellas, & Gander Mountain, When I was in Academy I went to drool on an O/U and I noticed something.... a design change:shocked:! Gone is the ability to regulate the heat from the FB with an adj baffle , there is a fixed baffle welded in on the inside, IMO this will be a major draw back. While It may be cheaper to manufacture It seriously limits the pits abilities. This was a big selling point to me. I guess I'll have to take a looks see at the ABS All Star
DaveAlvarado
is Blowin Smoke!
Smitty, I saw one of those in Academy too.
Man, for $500 it's a heck of a good design.
My favorite part that hasn't been touched on yet--it's a heck of a big grill. The way the firebox is designed full-length, you get about an 18x36" grill surface. You can dump a bunch of charcoal in the bottom of the firebox, put in the grilling grates, and cook up a whole mess of burgers or steaks. If you don't mind walking laps around the cooker, you could even sear off steaks in the firebox then finish them indirect on the smoker side.
I'd say that if you're into stick burning, it's the best $500 you could spend if you've only got room for one cooker on your porch. It's good competition for a WSM + One Touch combo on the charcoal side of things.
Also I'm not sure in practice if you'd really need to build a fire that spreads the length of the firebox. That's probably just for the pretty pictures. The air intake runs the whole length, but it's got the smokestacks on the outside edges. I bet a smaller fire right in the middle of the firebox would cook plenty good. The airflow design is clearly for convection--hot air circles from the back to the front, and from the middle to the sides. If you built a fire to one side or the other, it would only draft on that one side giving you big hot and cool areas, if that's your thing.
Heck, the more I think about it, the more I want one on my patio.
Man, for $500 it's a heck of a good design.
My favorite part that hasn't been touched on yet--it's a heck of a big grill. The way the firebox is designed full-length, you get about an 18x36" grill surface. You can dump a bunch of charcoal in the bottom of the firebox, put in the grilling grates, and cook up a whole mess of burgers or steaks. If you don't mind walking laps around the cooker, you could even sear off steaks in the firebox then finish them indirect on the smoker side.
I'd say that if you're into stick burning, it's the best $500 you could spend if you've only got room for one cooker on your porch. It's good competition for a WSM + One Touch combo on the charcoal side of things.
Also I'm not sure in practice if you'd really need to build a fire that spreads the length of the firebox. That's probably just for the pretty pictures. The air intake runs the whole length, but it's got the smokestacks on the outside edges. I bet a smaller fire right in the middle of the firebox would cook plenty good. The airflow design is clearly for convection--hot air circles from the back to the front, and from the middle to the sides. If you built a fire to one side or the other, it would only draft on that one side giving you big hot and cool areas, if that's your thing.
Heck, the more I think about it, the more I want one on my patio.
bluzieq
Full Fledged Farker
Not to hijak a thread but if you haven't laid hands on the all star, it is really a nice very well made small pit. Lots of stainless parts. Very high quality. You'd love it. I look at academy at the o/ u every time I'm there, I just wish they'd move em inside,its cold outside!!
