Is my offset worth the work? Is my love affair over?

[MeatyOakerSmoker]

guns, grills/smokers, and gals....there just ain’t no perfect one.......get one of each for every occasion......or maybe just stick to the guns and grill/smokers......!

Well said...:clap:

 

[SmittyJonz]

One should have both a stickburner and a charcoal set it and forget it style be it UDS or WSm or Insulated Cabinet.

 

[Sopchoppy]

I've been a pyromaniac since I was a kid. So, feeding the Wrangler is a joy. And you can't beat a stick burner for flavor. The thicker ($) the steel, the easier it is to manage fire feeding.

 

[bosco0633]

We have no time and honestly I don't want to be married to a cooker st this point in my life. Just a suggestion but have you thought about a Kamado? I love my Kamado cooker and it is the Swiss Army knife of BBQ. You can do virtually anything with them. They are insulted well with ceramic and they hold temps rock solid.

The other option is a pellet smoker. You can literally set it and forget it. Now I understand that the smoke profile is not as good as an offset, however, your situation is that the good is not necessarily better and you sound like you need to be inside. Happy wife is a happy life.

I would consider a Kamado before anything else personally based on your comments.

Good luck on whatever direction you go

 

[greenmountainsmoke]

I can usually get around 25-20 minutes per split, but I also keep mine pretty small cause my firebox is also small. Hoping to get the Akorn Kamado for my birthday. That one will be for longer cooks while my offset would be for cooks 3 hours or shorter.

 

[MeatyOakerSmoker]

I wonder if adding some expanded metal will help. The OK Joe has very large openings in the charcoal grate so a lot of my coals fall through.

 

[bbqlearner]

In my opinion, everyone need 1 set and forget it smoker & 1 offset. My wife loves the cooks out of the offset so she doesn't mind me cooking with that as much. Though, I have a Shirley so I barely need to tend the fire - just adding splits every hour or so.

 

[pitbossJB]

I know what you mean, I'm in the same boat. I would keep both, but there's nothing like loading up the UDS and taking off for three to five hours and coming back to find your dinner is done.:clap2:

 

[gtr]

I like having a stickburner for large cooks and parties and when I have time to just hang out in my back yard. I use verticals for when I have other things I need to pay attention to but don't want to give up having BBQ for a meal. If/when you upgrade to a heavier stickburner, you will most likely find that tending it will take less of your time - it will still require attention, but not as much attention as a thinner gauage offset needs.

 

[BillN]

Happy wife happy life...

 

[MeatyOakerSmoker]

Happy wife happy life...

Yes I agree. She'll be much happier when I buy a better smoker so I don't have to be tending the fire so much. :wink::decision:

 

[Big Swole]

I'm responding to the OP's opening post, because I've not had time to read the whole thread yet but, after this weekend I'm asking myself the same thing.

I did my first brisket, to Boston butts, and some ribs on my new LSG IVC, and I can honestly say I'm not sure what I've experienced from my stick burner is any better or even as good as what I tasted this weekend and leftovers the rest of this week.

I may still use my offset when I'm in the mood to manage a fire for 12 hours and drink beer with buddies, but it's just so easy to use this LSG IVC.

 

[TedW]

It's just a matter of lump vs stick vs briquette.

If they had a vertical insulated stick burner, I'd be all set.