Smoker Conundrum???

[Meatguyver]

Dont do cheap, get something you will enjoy. I started Q with a kettle, moved and gave it to a buddy because i was stupid. Bought a crappy charbroil offset and hated that thing to no end, i even beat it with a hammer once! Then came the wsm. I love that thing! Im saving for a lone star grillz stick burner and thats because i want real estate, but i will keep my wsm. Dont know anything bout a UDS but me and my work buddies are planning a build for the office!

 

[Wolverine]

Just dont buy a piece of junk, even the wsm 18.5 is a great cooker and affordable, save your money dont reinvent the wheel,,

 

[harleykids]

Look on your local CL, and get yourself an old 1/4" thick Brinkmann offset or OK Joes offset. They are on our local CL all the time for $50-$200.

They will turn out fantastic Q, smoker will last forever, and you won't have to reach down into the WSM all the time.

I got a very early Brinkmann 1/4" thick offset for free from the junk guys next door that were paid to haul it off from someones back yard. Bought some 1/4" plate steel, made a firebox baffle and 3 tuning plates to put in the bottom. $30 in steel total. Turns out better Q than many setups 10X the price.

I would buy used (let someone else take the depreciation hit!) and buy an offset stickburner, add baffle and tuning plates and you are good to go for many years to come.

 

[ButtBurner]

I would consider a smokenator for your kettle.

lots of great reviews on it

http://www.smokenator.com/

 

[grantw]

The wsm has far more even temps than a kettle, I have all 3 sizes of wsm and I'll tell ha the 14.5 is the most used unit I have now, it will go a long time on a single load of coal and easily cooks enough for a decent size family get together. I do run a guru on it at 250 with water.

 

[Mike Twangzer]

I might second the notion of a PBC ....

 

[flyingbassman5]

I'll throw the idea of a Mini WSM out there. Its basically the perfect "get your feet wet" kinda vertical cooker. Why? A) you get to build it yourself. #2- you can find a smokey Joe on CL for 10-20 bucks plus a 32 qt stock pot at any local junk store. And third, it gives you the option of awesome portability.

 

[Whitewookie]

Sorry I checked out on the thread but something unexpected occurred. We suddenly became the rescue parents of a puppy that some bastard threw out of a car window.

A friend of ours found him walking down the middle of the highway and picked him up and contacted my wife to see if we were interested.... The rest as they say, is history. The Vet sais it looked like he is a little malnourished and had taken a pretty significant tumble, but is OK and has no serious injuries. Anyway, after the initial Vet bills and puppy supplies the smoker got back burnered.

He appears to be a Chihuahua/Dachshund (Chiweenie). Definitely the smallest dog I've ever had. He had is being merged into a pack with a full sized hound mix and a Jack R./who-the-hell knows what mix... Both seem to be grudgingly accepting him. (Both are females).

Anyway, thought my quick exit need a little explanation.

VR,
Harold

 

[ButtBurner]

good for you!! thats wonderful!!

On Sat, we are driving from our home in Michigan to PA to adopt a rescue dog, a 3 yr old Red Bone Coonhound!

We cant wait to meet him!!

 

[Happy Hapgood]

DAMN! The Bastages need to be strung up by the balls! Good on you and your Wife Wookie!

 

[Whitewookie]

I love dogs. We quit buying some years ago and now just do rescue dogs. Figure it gets us a good dog and saves the dog....Win/win deal.

Didn't really need three, but you know how it is...

VR,
Harold

 

[ButtBurner]

I love dogs. We quit buying some years ago and now just do rescue dogs. Figure it gets us a good dog and saves the dog....Win/win deal.

Didn't really need three, but you know how it is...

VR,
Harold

our 2, both are rescues. And the new addition!!

 

[Whitewookie]

Great looking dogs. Don't look spoiled at all.:wink:

 

[Dauvis]

I can relate from personal experience. My wife would do the same. Priorities come first. :thumb:

 

[pjtexas1]

Easy choice to make. The smoker will still be there when you want it. My wife rescued a yorkie that someone used to beat. damn sweetest dog we have ever owned. anybody that hurts a defenseless animal doesn't deserve to live.

 

[elkhorn98]

I would also recommend a wsm or uds. I wouldn't worry about not using a smoker. I cook almost everything on my 2 UDSs. I hardly ever use my weber kettle now. Good luck.

 

[Oak-n-hickory]

I can't say whether quality has declined over the years in Brinkmann, but would assume it has. But for the money, the ones I've had have been good performers. I finally burned out one in the early '80's - at least to the point I junked it instead of moving it cross-country, and have another one I acquired a few years later that's to the point of needing a couple of new pans. I'd be surprised if the current ones were still made in the USA, but I certainly got a lot of great meat out of the ones I've owned. Webers just never appealed to me - build quality has always seemed inadequate for the prices.

 

[dadsr4]

I can relate from personal experience. My wife would do the same. Priorities come first. :thumb:

This.
At least it's a small dog. We got this one with a 3 hour notice.

She thought she was a small dog.

 

[Whitewookie]

Well, thanks for all the good comments on the dog situation, but back on topic before the mods hunt me down.

I've pretty much settled on a WSM. I'm actually leaning toward the little 14.5.

Probably the most common things I will be smoking are a ham (rarely more than one), maybe a couple slabs of ribs, some fatties, a butt or a brisket from time to time and the odd chicken. Rarely am I going to need to do a big smoke. Usually just me and the wife and maybe a couple of friends.

Do you guys think the 14.5 would do it for me. I figure I can press the kettle back into smoking duty in a pinch...

Opinions?

VR,
Harold

 

[SmittyJonz]

It should work fine - same size as Brinkmann Gourmet but I did have to cut half the point off a 15 lb packer.