Help me pick my smoker

[olflathead]

Own a meadowcreek CD 108. Love it! the PR 60 is big enough that u can sell a little bbq on the side and let someone else pay for it. Just a thought!

 

[SmittyJonz]

13 lb TurkeyBird on a 18" Kettle ( kid at Work )

 

[SmittyJonz]

The Access of a Cabinet Smoker is way nice esp when cooking multiple meats or things.

You could probally get a non insulated cabinet made that would run like a UDS for $800 ish.......if you were closer to Florida I know a Guy who knows a Guy who is working on building some.......

or Cruize over to Kentucky.......... http://www.polecatcustoms.com/

 

[Rusty Kettle]

gsb1982, I would love to see the pix of your Bullheads. Let me know what yo think after you fire it up too. I'm interested in how efficient it burns.

After starting this thread, taking all of your suggestions and doing some investigation, I've come to the follow conclusions.

1) My UDS is a real smoker!
2) I like fire, so I'm not interested in a pellet pooper.
3) Offsets are cool, but expensive, take more attention and more fuel.
4) Cabinet smokers are built like tanks and burn efficiently, but getting one big enough to put a 17# turkey in jumps right out of my price range.

I'm leaning toward buying a scratch and dent salvage barrel (85 gal.) and building my dream UDS Big Boy. $225 shipped.

New 26 1/2 Weber grate for top grate - $80
Sandblast and paint - $80
Cannibalize my old UDS of it charcoal basket (bottom grate), bottle opener, nipples and ball valve - free.
Cannibalize my old 26 1/2" Weber of it's lid and grill rack - free

That will give me the larger cooking space I want, fire attention span I have and fuel efficiency I can afford. All that and over $1100 bucks left in my pocket.

Yes, my UDS is a real smoker.

I love my pellet pooper it's awesome but hey it's cool it may not fit your needs. Get a 22.5" weber kettle for turkey and get what you want for the rest of the year. How often you do turkey? I do mine once a year but the traeger is too small for it. I chose an everyday use smoker for me. My wife just was on me about spending more time with her and my son. You can't go wrong with a kettle grill for turkey and if you love tending a fire then it is perfect. Although once you get the hang of it set it and forget it just watch temp swings in the weather as it can really mess up your fire management. It was fun at thanksgiving and I plan to do it again this coming thanksgiving.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Well?

 

[southpaw_1979]

Well like many of the other posts, I'll give you the highlights of my smoker. I have a Horizon. I love the thing. I bought the 16" Classic. With your budget you could go bigger and I'd probably recommend it. It isn't a reverse flow, you can get a deflector plate to even out the heat if you want. I do not have the option. I instead take advantage of the heat near the firebox if I'm cooking different meats and want something hotter or not. I normally only cook for the family. So cook away from the fire most the time, if I want to crisp up chicken skin, close to the fire. Only a few times, I've wished I had the deflector (so I put a water pan in under the fire box end).

I like being able to grill over direct heat in the firebox and use charcoal, wood or a combination of both.