Yoder Kingman

Baby Back Maniac said:

I want to see pics too...if you don't mind.

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I would love to have gotten the Cimarron, but only if I could have had the same mods. However, it would have cost approx $8k, which my wife would not have approved, and rightfully so. Also, I'm a backyard BBQ'er only - I don't do competitions. Thus, there really is no need for me to get the cart version of that smoker since its parked where it'll likely remain throughout its lifespan. Additionally, I moved it myself after taking off the shelf, stack, HMS, and internal grates. So, it can be rolled around if necessary. But that sucker is approx 2K lbs with all its accoutrements installed. And I'm a larger & stronger-than-average-guy; you don't want to move the standard Kingman if you don't have to! Pics below - I installed three giant glow-in-the-dark Tel-Tru thermometers recently, so those pics are how it looks now. You can also see my Old Country Pecos model smoker in one pic, which is what I started with and can still use if needed. Finally, I smoked 16 bone-in pork butts to donate to the flooding relief efforts in the Baton Rouge area after the flooding disaster back in September - and you can see a pic of that cook. I could have fit more. The Kingman has a very large capacity.

^^^^sooooo nice!!!

RubyQ that is one awesome smoker. How do you like having the firebox open on the top? Do you end up using it for grilling that way, or do you think it would be fine just having it all sealed up on top?

16 pork butts!?!? You can definitely cook a ton of food on the kingman. I have a DIY cooker that's 20" diameter with a 52" shelf. It's crazy how much more you can put on a 24" diameter cooker.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I really appreciate it.

How does it compare with the Pecos as far as temperature control/use?

Ruby-Q said:

And the larger Bravos model, which is designed exactly the same but bigger and made out of 1/4" steel pipe, is easily the best smoker on the market for under $1000.

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I bought a Brazos used but new for $650. Great smoker for the money for sure.

mnbadger said:

RubyQ that is one awesome smoker. How do you like having the firebox open on the top? Do you end up using it for grilling that way, or do you think it would be fine just having it all sealed up on top?

16 pork butts!?!? You can definitely cook a ton of food on the kingman. I have a DIY cooker that's 20" diameter with a 52" shelf. It's crazy how much more you can put on a 24" diameter cooker.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I really appreciate it.

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I like the square insulated firebox more than I thought I would. I got it specifically for the 1/2" walls, but now I really like its size, how it opens at the top, and the boiler-style front door/baffle. I don't use the firebox for grilling b/c the insulated box does not have a grill grate, which was a non-issue for me since I have a gas grill and charcoal grill. I use the top door to maintain the fire; I use the front boiler-style door solely as a means to control the temp. The top opening is great because it precludes you from having to bend over to maintain the fire - which my lower back appreciates. Also, its really no different from a standard round firebox, which also opens from the top. As you can see from some of those pics, I removed the two heavy duty firebox grates and put them directly outside the front of the firebox and then lined them with cinder blocks and slate I had lying around. This allows me to pull out a burning log if I've impatiently loaded the box with too much fuel. You don't need grates in your firebox for air flow so long as you keep the stack wide open and build a good fire. I don't use charcoal anymore; rather, I start with a wood splits arranged in a box formation. The benefit is that I don't end up with a pile of charcoal ash at the beginning of the cook that can choke the air under the fire. That also allows plenty of air flow. Also, by removing the firebox grates, I can then fine-tune my fire by moving the fire with a tool up against the cook chamber to raise the cook champer temp or move the fire away from the cook chamber to lower the temp. This gives me an additional temp control measure that I can employ before adding or subtracting fuel. I got this idea from seeing the brick pits and huge water/air tank offsets of the legendary BBQ joints in and around central Texas. All of those places build their fires on the ground and not on top of a grate.

Baby Back Maniac said:

How does it compare with the Pecos as far as temperature control/use?

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No comparison. The Kingman is 1/4" steel with a 1/2" steel firebox. The Pecos is 3/16" steel. The Kingman is also at least 3-4 times the size of the Pecos. Thus, once the Kingman gets up to temp, all that thick steel holds its heat. You can feel the weight and thickness of the Yoder by just resting your hands on the outside of it. And you'd probably not be able to open the lid without the counter weight. Compared to the Yoder, the Pecos feels as durable as a metal filing cabinet. Whereas, the Yoder Kingman looks and feels like it participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and probably survided a torpedo or two! You can open the Yoder's cook chamber door for a couple of minutes and the temp falls maybe 10-20 degrees depending how long you have it open, but then jumps right back up when you close the lid. When you open the Pecos lid the temp falls 50-75-100 degrees, most of which does not return after closing it, and, so, you have to spend the next 15-30 minutes raising and stabilizing the heat. I was CONSTANTLY fooling with the fire to raise/lower temps on the Pecos. And even after I became accostomed to it, the longest I could get it to hold its temp was approx 30 minutes. The Kingman can hold a temp for up to an hour and a half, and maybe longer, once you get it stabilized. And it moves like a train - slowly climbs up and slowly falls. The Pecos would spike and fall 50-75 degrees in minutes. Thus, you could ruin a cook by simply grabbing a beer from inside. In sum, a professional grade smoke, like the Yoder, does a lot of the work for you. I'm not nearly as worn out and exhausted after a 16 hour brisket cook on the Yoder as I was on the Pecos. Now I just use the Pecos for pork butts, if needed, b/c butts can take the punishment of wide fluctuations in heat. I've yet to ruin a pork butt despite my best efforts.

Big Swole said:

I bought a Brazos used but new for $650. Great smoker for the money for sure.

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Yeah, I'd buy a Brazos if I could somehow get it to my house and into my outdoor man cave without my wife seeing it. It and the Wrangler model is made from 1/4" steel pipe, unlike the Pecos. That being said, I think the Old Country line of smokers is the best that you can buy for under $1000 (Brazos) and $500 (Pecos) if you want a traditional offset barrel smoker. Plus, the stacks are at grill level! Aaron Franklin uses the tiny Old Country model, which is smaller than the Pecos, at his house for personal use. And I find that hilarious because it just goes to show that BBQ technique and experience are more important than the type of smoker.

That's a really good looking rig. Next time out that way I need to stop by and check them out


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