Help venturing out of gas

Welcome to the Forum, I hope someone can help you. That is a lot to ask of one unit.

landarc said:

Welcome to the Forum, I hope someone can help you. That is a lot to ask of one unit.

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^ +1 .. I agree

I'd start with a weber kettle and a bag of KB.

Thats a tall order... if i were you i would consider just getting a sturdy charcoal/wood smoker and a sturdy gas grill.. may be cheaper than getting it all in one..

Wow..........With $2500 to spend why not go this route. And this is new pricing.
Weber Performer Charcoal about $329
Weber Rottiserie about $150
Weber Genesis gas about $1000
Weber WSM smoker about $400

This is a bunch of fun for $1880

I feel you you would be better served getting 2 different units. For longevity, I would look at Weber, Big Green Egg and Primo for charcoal. There are plenty of accessories for each of these that would allow you to cook almost anything. For gas, the only ones that I have seen that last are Webers. The nice thing about the Weber gas grill is that there are replacement parts for the one that will wear out.

Regarding multiple smokers, remember "he who dies owning the most smokers wins."

Seriously though, if you could find one unit that does all you ask, there would be compromises that you shouldn't have to put up with. Two, maybe three smokers with some accessories can get you the best of each type of cooking all within your budget.

There are no all in one units worth their salt at the $2500 level. As was mentioned two separate grills may be the way to go.

Buy welder and hit the scrap yard!

Bludawg said:

Buy welder and hit the scrap yard!

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He's not asking for advice on how to build one on his own.

BobBrisket said:

He's not asking for advice on how to build one on his own.

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I doubt he will find a new unit like he wants at the price point in the budget let alone a used one. When I find my self in this predicament I find it easier to make what I need for about 1/4 of the asking price. I reckon it is my Pioneer spirit of self reliance that was offering such an un politically correct answer.

first off combination anything is ALWAYS going to be a compromise , and that couldn't be more true than in bbq's . buy a gas grill . whichever suits your fancy and budget .

then figure out what you need in a smoker . me i recently bought a GMG pellet grill and it's f'ing amazing . http://greenmountaingrills.com/products/ . there are many other brands of pellet grills also but GMG fit my budget and needs . they have a great following .

my opinion .

cheers Woody

btw i've been a stick/charcoal offset bbq er for over 12 years and just junked my chargriller

Bludawg said:

I doubt he will find a new unit like he wants at the price point in the budget let alone a used one. When I find my self in this predicament I find it easier to make what I need for about 1/4 of the asking price. I reckon it is my Pioneer spirit of self reliance that was offering such an un politically correct answer.

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True, but not everyone has those particular skills.

The big custom smoker places are obviously more expensive.

Is it possible to find someone in your area that does this kind of stuff on the side and still do a custom job for you at a lesser price due to not having the overhead, employees, etc? High schools, Tech Schools do this kind of stuff too for the cost of material and so that they can get the practice on something real. Some times they even have stuff that's already built. On the scrapyard note, they may be able to recommend someone that does this kind of stuff on the side.

That's a possibility as well.

My Dad taught me to "always buy the least expensive house on the most expensive street". Guess his advice carried over to my cookers. Some I bought new, some Craigslist, and don't think I have 1000$ in all of it. And I use them all. Good luck finding the "one".

I look forward to following this thread to see what you finally purchase. Interesting.

I wonder if you could get the charcoal grill side of a Lang Hybrid smoker/grill setup to use gas?

As much as I love my Webers, you have one of the best builders of BBQ pits within driving distance. Klose BBQ Pits in Houston makes awesome pits -- and you wouldn't have to pay big for shipping, since you could pick your pit up.

Having said that, your rotisserie needs may be able to be et with a 22.5 Weber OTG and a Cajun Bandit rotisserie kit. That's what I use, and love it.

I also agree that getting one unit to do everything well may not be practical. Maybe a Klose smoker and a Weber Kettle with rotisserie kit.

CD

CD

I was almost like you.Once I started here I began to crave non gas cooked food.After I got my Vision komado I never use my gasser anymore.With a komado you don't need a rotisserie.You could get a komado and if you don't like it you could sell it.

The weber wsm is a great smoker, and you would have enough left for a pellet grill. Or just a wsm and a performer. I have all three and for quick grilling the pellet is easy to use and start with no mess of charcoal. The performer with gas assist is easy to start as well and hardly any mess.

I would not abandon gas entirely. I love having a gasser sitting next to my kettle that I can put on low and keep stuff warm as it comes off the grill. Or if you want to grill up some burgers quick, the gas grill can be ready in a couple minutes. Nor would I buy a shiny new one. There are probably lots of older ones that are still pretty solid on Craigslist. Here are a couple I recommend:



A two burner Silver A or three burner Silver B will do nicely. Check that grates, burners and flavorizers are in good shape or figure the replacement cost into purchase price (along with propane tank.) Incidentally, the Silver A was under $100 with the addition of a CI grate I already had and some stainless flavorizers I found on CL. The Silver B was free and came with SS grates and flavorizers.

As far as charcoal, the Weber 22.5 kettle will fill the bill for grilling. If you grill for lots, the 26 is a nice step up (but at about twice the price, it may be more economical to use two 22.5 kettles.) Again, there is a usually good selection on CL.

As for smokers, the grills above leave you with most of your budget for that. I'm very happy with my Smokey Mountains but there are lots of different styles that others can suggest based on your needs and desires.

And lastly, welcome to the Brethren!