Honest Feedback, Charcoal cooker vs Offset

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Fishwater2002

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I have a lot of charcoal cookers, Humphrey’s Long Weekender, Weber Summit Kamado, Weber kettles 22 & 26 plus now I even have an OKG Bronco Pro Drum but I’ve always wanted an offset, for the last two years it’s been a constant search but funds never align with available cookers.

So I’m trying to get honest feedback of the taste & quality of the end product when using an offset vs a charcoal cooker. Let’s assume all things being equal as far as skill running each pit. Is the offset really THAT much better vs an experienced pit master using a charcoal cooker? Am I just obsessing about what I don’t have, like the hot girl in school or is that much better?

Obviously it’s a lot more effort & there are times when the charcoal cookers, especially the Humphrey’s with its set it & forget cooking gets a little boring. But I’ll probably have to sell a cooker or two to fund the offset so before I do anything I’ll regret I’m hoping to hear from folks who have had or currently have both & what their honest opinions are about the quality of the end product.
 
On my cabinet smoker I was able to get probably 90% of the flavor compared to my offset, with about 10% of the effort. I have gone back to my offset (reverse flow) and pretty much won't cook on anything else. The control, flavor, and bark I get on my offset is the best out of all my cookers. I have an amazing Cotton Gin drum smoker, and it makes some great food, but I just don't really enjoy cooking on it.

There's something unique about sitting outside with my offset overnight, tending the fire, and taking short cat naps between adding sticks. This is what I refer to as the art of BBQ, and you just don't get that with fan systems and charcoal cookers.
 
I’ve owned and cooked on about every style cooker. Stumps gravity, FEC pellet, BGE, drums, Shirley reverse flow and my 250 gallon Moberg. Each style can turn out great bbq, but right now I am really enjoying the moberg. I still have many of the other cookers, as time will determine which gets used. I still think it is more the cook vs the cooker.
 
Fishwater2002 said:
I have a lot of charcoal cookers, Humphrey’s Long Weekender, Weber Summit Kamado, Weber kettles 22 & 26 plus now I even have an OKG Bronco Pro Drum but I’ve always wanted an offset, for the last two years it’s been a constant search but funds never align with available cookers.

So I’m trying to get honest feedback of the taste & quality of the end product when using an offset vs a charcoal cooker. Let’s assume all things being equal as far as skill running each pit. Is the offset really THAT much better vs an experienced pit master using a charcoal cooker? Am I just obsessing about what I don’t have, like the hot girl in school or is that much better?

Obviously it’s a lot more effort & there are times when the charcoal cookers, especially the Humphrey’s with its set it & forget cooking gets a little boring. But I’ll probably have to sell a cooker or two to fund the offset so before I do anything I’ll regret I’m hoping to hear from folks who have had or currently have both & what their honest opinions are about the quality of the end product.
Click to expand...

Charcoal grills to me...just for direct heat grilling. You "can" smoke on them to a small extent IMHO.

The offset type..to me is real low and slow BBQ...all wood.

But YMMV....but you asked opinions.
;)

And hey, if you've got that many....save and splurge for just ONE more...and get a good offset to round out the stable of cookers you have there!!

:)

cayenne
 
I think the flavor profile from an offset is hard to beat. (I also have a ceramic style cooker and an insulated cabinet to compare to) But before I will say the difference is great enough to make it worth the investment, I would like to add a couple of things to think about.
One is size and weight. I recently bought a 24x48 that weights about 850# and is about 7'-6" end to end. Moving it around isn't bad on concrete but it will require some effort to put it under your favorite tree unless that will be it's permanent location.
Second thing to consider is sourcing wood, depending on your location that could be an issue.
I like having options and have no intention of getting rid of my other cookers, they have their place. But for me, especially when the weather is right, it's hard to find a better choice than an offset.

Good luck with your decision.
 
After 16 years of cooking on a charcoal/chunk WSM, I tasted meat off my Brazos offset and I knew that was barbecue. I've not looked back. We smoked pork butt and when my wife and I were pulling the pork we took a taste. We looked at each other and knew this was much better.

That said, many people enjoy charcoal/chunk flavor.

There's KCBS judge living here locally who says he prefers charcoal/chunk. Cooks on a Humphreys.

The most popular barbecue joint in Tulsa is a place called Burn Co. They cook everything on 11 Hasty Bake charcoal/chunk smokers.

I know what I like, but that doesn't mean its the best. Its just what I like.
 
This is a potentially controversial observation. Having had a couple stick burn offsets, couple ceramics, couple barrels, multiple large and small WSM's, medium and small charcoal cookers. IF I do my part the offset with a clean fire, thin blue good coal bed and right sized splits is hard to beat. However, I prefer the open fire drum for taste. It's smokey but a good hintnof live fire grill flavor too.

The controversial observation. The closest I can get to my best offset cooks is the Pellet Cooker. Currently runnytwo of them Austin XL & Pit boss tabletop. Again I have to do my part. Quality meat, attention to rubs, turning meats and swapping positions of said meats. Upper vs lower racks. My Pellet Cookers deliver a nice clean smoke 225-250°.

I've had close to 35 cookers the last 15 years.

Cook vs Cooker very much in play.
 
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There is a tool for every job, Kettles are awesome and can produce some great meals. I was where you are a few years ago. I wanted to take it to the next level and more cooking space, but didn't want to spend $5k on something and I end up not really getting into it or liking. I ended up getting an OC pecos for $400. It's a step or 2 above the box store smokers but it didn't break the bank.
As far as taste, I prefet the offset for smoking. I haven't used a drum or Weekender so I cant compare to them.

One thing to note, cooking on an offset is a process. You have to manage the fire and spend time with it
 
Go to the best offset bbq joint you can find and taste their products. Personally I like the taste of my pellet grill more then the offset food I've had. But I've also never had bbq in Texas.
 
"Am I just obsessing about what I don’t have, like the hot girl in school or is that much better?'

Why torture yourself ..... unless you like it ..... just get one and be done with it. A lot of good opinions ... you're going to do it anyway .... the sooner the better..... that hot girl isn't going to wait forever :-D
 
I love my offset. Direct heat is pretty good for some things too. Not regular grilling but direct heat. Meat 18” or so above the coals.I use my 22” WSM without the water pan to achieve this method sometimes.Something different.Offset is still my favorite.
 
All things equal the offset will always produce a better over all product because of how the air and smoke travel around the meat (convection). With that being said I prefer the flavor of direct heat ribs and chicken.

Something else to be said. With all the pellets and fan controlled gravity smokers I think people have forgotten how hands off a weber wsm or kettle can be. I've owned a few pellets and both the masterbuilt gravity and chargriller gravity smokers and they all fluctuate in temps. On my wsm I may have to play with the vents for the first 30 minutes of the cook and ever few hours after but it's pretty hands off for the most part (225 to 285.... anywhere in there and I just let it ride). Not to mention you can can add a air temp controller to them also.
 
Since I got my current offset I haven't thought about using either WSM I have at all. I either use the Weber kettle or my offset. I am currently trying to sell both WSMs I have. I know the offset needs more babysitting but I really enjoy the fire and tending to it.
 
Well I worked out a trade with a gentlemen a few hours away & if all goes to plan I’ll be bringing home (in my opinion) one of the finest offsets made tomorrow evening.
To be continued…..
 
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