Worth it to cut your teeth on a CoS before spending $$$ on a "premium" offset?

[blackdogbbq21]

I went with a COS first just to make sure I was ready to commit to watching a fire constantly for 12+ hrs before i made a bigger investment. If that is a concern for you i would test drive a cheap smoker to be sure the time commitment is worth it to you.

 

[SmokyDick]

If you go cheap be prepared to run higher than 225, you'll be doing 250+. I spent lots of time and effort trying to run my cheap chargriller under 250 but it wasn't worth the effort. Its since rusted away and sometimes I miss it.

 

[Inthewoods]

I originally and at glance thought it was Convention of States and I felt the hairs on the back of me neck stand up as if Uncle was creeping on me with a balanced budget.

Anyways be realistic about how much time ya will be using it as ya live in Arizona...a nice mid-tier would probably do.

-D

 

[Itsdone]

Ah, but you put forth effort in to looking, as did I when looking for the acronym originally. Big difference, especially when accusing somebody of being "lazy".

The only reason i didn't google it, was because i was pretty sure my guess was correct. Bottom line, i wouldn't have to guess or google it if people weren't soo lazy.

 

[16Adams]

Lifetime cookers mean something different to a 40 year old than they do a 60+. Something to think about, if you spend large on a cooker like Shirley, Jambo, Klose etc you can sell it down the road and get a lot of your money back. As well you can put it your will for generations down the line.My Oklahoma Joe's when it's gone it's gone. I wouldn't sell it to anyone. Might gift it. Might leave out for the night gremlins, but wouldn't sell it.

I firmly believe you can cook great food on a COS. As well I believe that there is a quality of life to having the best you can spend.

Oh if I wore a younger man's clothes.


PS and a very personal opinion. I think the best tasting smoked meat comes from a drum. A clean fire drum.

 

[oldgfbbq]

Why not get both. You could get a lot of the learning curve out of the way on the COS while waiting for the high dollar smoker to be built and delivered.

 

[thedude9999]

I went this route and have mixed feelings. It was way more work running an Oklahoma Joe than it is running a quality offset. While it gives you a taste of what tending an offset smoker is like - it’s a very different experience.

I’d say if you enjoy cooking on a COS, you will love a quality one. But if you hate cooking on cheap COS, that’s not really a good indicator that you wouldn’t like cooking on a quality one.

 

[snadamo]

Well, I pulled the trigger on the Highland offset. Should be here sometime next week. Went with smokestack extension, smokestack lowering kit, rtv for the seams, adhesive gasket just in case, and some firebrick for the fire box. NOTE: These are not my pics

 

[16Adams]

Fire basket. Of the few things I've done concentrating the heat and away from walls has helped most in fire management and allegedly will aid in longevity. You're going to have fun you will figure out quickly enough. Slight tilt towards drain bucket is better than not draining or backflow. Paint is going to peel on the firebox side pretty quickly. Scrape it off and hit with Pam or Generic Pam (careful too hot it will flare) anyway treat it like cast iron, keep it oiled it will turn black and not rust.

 

[SweetHeatBBQnSC]

Let us know what ya think of it when it comes in and you fire it up.

 

[snadamo]

Adams, the initial plan is to lay the firebrick on the bottom of the firebox to simulate a semi-insulated firebox...without a basket. However, if that plan goes to chit...basket is in the future.

similar to what this fella north of the border did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CstFU78PgY&t=293s

and similar to what this feller did too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6HI-EhQVME



The hard part is figuring out how much wood to purchase (have all the tools needed to cut the splits). Way too many variables, I know...just don't want to be short.

 

[thedude9999]

Make sure you have something to cut the splits down. A kindling cracker is great if you don’t. You need to feed that thing small splits.

 

[Inthewoods]

Congratulations!

-D

 

[snadamo]

Make sure you have something to cut the splits down. A kindling cracker is great if you don’t. You need to feed that thing small splits.

Thanks. Just picked one up on amazon. Figured the boys can help with kindling and loading the firebox