WSM, PBC, UDS, Cheap Bullet. Same results?

[Fooball]

I started with one when I first started BBQ'ing like 25+ years ago. I honestly can't remember - can you do a minion method or similar and get long unattended burns on one? Or is it more effort? How did you manage fires on long cooks?

Man, back then, for me and my (stupid? no - aweoms!) friends, we would just throw hunks of cheap meat on the smoker while drinking like 18 beers. And then get up and go to work the next day feeling fine. I miss those days and that smoker

Haha....you bring back memories for me. Same deal for me and my buds, but never did long cooks. (didn't know better)

I would throw a rack or two of ribs on trimmed to fit the 18" diameter. Coals would be all the way on the bottom with chunks of hickory, put the lid on and let her rip for about 2 hours.

Maybe add a few coals and wood chunks through the door at the one hour point to keep that lid thermometer in the middle. Done! Smoked ribs! Nobody complained.

If I knew better I would have used my own thermometers, start with fewer coals for low and slow and added more wood and coals through the door over the long haul to go maybe 4 hours. I still don't wrap my ribs to this day.

 

[Fooball]

The key word to me in the title is “results”. I started with a cheap bullet and thought it was awesome, until I got a wsm, which was infinitely better. Now that I have a drum, I wouldn’t take a WSM if you gave it to me. That said, I have other options for set and forget-pellet and green egg, as I cook hot on the drum so I spin the rack every 20 minutes or so. I’ve done long cooks on a drum, with a deflector at lower temps, so it can be done but I think you lose the magic of grease dropping on the coals.

Ok a vote for the UDS over the others from someone who has tried them all.

Nice perspective. I thought my bullet was awesome, too.

My biggest thing was make sure the cooker was charcoal, never cave in to the easier gassers. Made sure I'd mention to anyone who had a gasser "I've always used charcoal." (just a friendly dig!)

And you're right about the drippings hitting the coals. That spells flavor!

 

[kynmo2010]

My first smoker was an 18" WSM I bought over 15 years ago and I still have it and still use it. I built a UDS (less than $75 in it) because I wanted more capacity and there wasn't a 22" WSM available at that time. Both produce great BBQ. I have competed in several charity rib and wing cookoffs and have beaten several teams that had smokers costing several thousands of dollars. Am I that much better? Not really. It just goes to show you can produce good BBQ and not have so much money invested.

 

[Fooball]

My first smoker was an 18" WSM I bought over 15 years ago and I still have it and still use it. I built a UDS (less than $75 in it) because I wanted more capacity and there wasn't a 22" WSM available at that time. Both produce great BBQ. I have competed in several charity rib and wing cookoffs and have beaten several teams that had smokers costing several thousands of dollars. Am I that much better? Not really. It just goes to show you can produce good BBQ and not have so much money invested.

According to the judges you are that much better than the guys you beat. Don't shy from your accomplishment.

They liked your UDS ribs or wings better than those guys. I would like a sample to confirm your win.

 

[dsp2]

Haha....you bring back memories for me. Same deal for me and my buds, but never did long cooks. (didn't know better)

I would throw a rack or two of ribs on trimmed to fit the 18" diameter. Coals would be all the way on the bottom with chunks of hickory, put the lid on and let her rip for about 2 hours.

Maybe add a few coals and wood chunks through the door at the one hour point to keep that lid thermometer in the middle. Done! Smoked ribs! Nobody complained.

If I knew better I would have used my own thermometers, start with fewer coals for low and slow and added more wood and coals through the door over the long haul to go maybe 4 hours. I still don't wrap my ribs to this day.

That's a good point. I never really did long cooks on mine, either. I think the first time I did a pork butt or brisket was on a BGE and then a WSM. We also stuck with shorter cooks, with pork ribs being pretty much the longest ones.

Now I'm really curious. If I cooked on an inexpensive bullet right now, I'd probably try a Minion method or, as you suggest, maybe less coals and then be mindful about measuring temps and adding coals/managing the fire.

On the other hand, you could kind of just roll with what you get and cook shorter or longer depending on the fire. I've made some good ribs pretty quickly on Weber Kettles or higher heat WSM cooks, for instance.

Good stuff! Now I want to go BBQ something today, and maybe have some beers (though probably a little less than 18 of them