Thinking about an El cheapo offset

[mneeley490]

Since it looks like I would need around $1,000.00 on up to get a good stick burner, I bought a Weber 22 inch premium kettle grill and will smoke meat with either that or my MES. I would love to have a quality stick burner, but have a limited budget

You really can't go wrong with a Weber kettle. I still think it's the most versatile grill/smoker out there. Learn to perform the Minion Method (aka Snake method) on it for long smokes like pork butt or brisket.

 

[caiguar]

Since it looks like I would need around $1,000.00 on up to get a good stick burner, I bought a Weber 22 inch premium kettle grill and will smoke meat with either that or my MES. I would love to have a quality stick burner, but have a limited budg

The kettle is the best grill you will have. I have all kinds of grills and that one still gets some of the duties. It smokes, grills, sear, either the best of them.

Save a bit of money and buy any of the masterbuilt gravity series. Depends on the space you need. In have the 800 and 560. 560 is plenty and you can sometimes find them on Craigslist or offer up.

 

[Fueling Around]

Since it looks like I would need around $1,000.00 on up to get a good stick burner, I bought a Weber 22 inch premium kettle grill and will smoke meat with either that or my MES. I would love to have a quality stick burner, but have a limited budget

Welcome to the kettle heads. Best all around wood (charcoal is wood?) burner ever created.
I haven't posted much on the 22", but I recently did a couple of smokes on my new 18" Jumbo Joe

 

[alan Maples]

Welcome to the kettle heads. Best all around wood (charcoal is wood?) burner ever created.
I haven't posted much on the 22", but I recently did a couple of smokes on my new 18" Jumbo Joe

I'm thinking about breaking it in with a Boston Butt, but I don't know when.

 

[bill1]

A Weber kettle lasts a lifetime and is easily moved. It's very versatile, can do lots of meats and lots of cooking styles (low&slow to steak-grilling). I think you made a great choice.
You didn't mention your experience level, but you seem pretty new here so I think it's wise to not break the bank on something you don't know if you're going to dig or not. An offset is a pretty unique space of the cooking world and takes a bit of effort to develop technique with it. Spend some time with your Weber, and hang around here a bit and you'll know better what your next (if there's a next) cooker should be and what pricepoint you want to be at.

 

[Fueling Around]

I use lump charcoal in my kettles. Briquettes burn out too fast for me.
I realized from the Jumbo Joe to not sweat the temps. Just pour a pile of lit charcoal in a side and put the meat on the opposite side.
I also use a 6" smoke tube. Apple is the wife's favorite. When the tube burns out, I move the meat to my oven. Wrapped meat in a grill is wasted charcoal.

 

[caiguar]

I love my kettle, if you need any pointers just ask around. Almost all of us gave had the mighty Weber kettle at one point or another. S lot of us still do. I actually did use it today for reverse sear steaks. Love the thing, it's hard for any other grill to compete against the kettle. Enjoy it, it's the best teacher of them all as you can do lots and lots of different things with it.

 

[alan Maples]

A Weber kettle lasts a lifetime and is easily moved. It's very versatile, can do lots of meats and lots of cooking styles (low&slow to steak-grilling). I think you made a great choice.
You didn't mention your experience level, but you seem pretty new here so I think it's wise to not break the bank on something y'm ou don't know if you're going to dig or not. An offset is a pretty unique space of the cooking world and takes a bit of effort to develop technique with it. Spend some time with your Weber, and hang around here a bit and you'll know better what your next (if there's a next) cooker should be and what pricepoint you want to be at.

I'm a newbie here, but not with smoking meat. I've had an offset before, but it was a cheap one and meat near the firebox would cook a little faster. I think unless I can get a reverse flow offset, I shouldn't get one

 

[bbqjefff]

My advice? Don't do it. My first foray into smoking was a Charbroil American Gourmet from Walmart.
View attachment 627792

This thing had so many holes in it that needed to be plugged, and it leaked heat and smoke like a sieve. I'm pretty sure I spent more in hardware mods to seal it and get better heat retention than I paid for the dang thing. And then, if I wanted to smoke something like a brisket or a couple of pork butts, I had to stay awake all night tending the thing. Much like a boat, selling it was the 2nd happiest day of my life.

Nope, save your money and get something of better quality that doesn't need constant attention.

I second that. I was lucky. My wife's uncle gave me an old New Brunfels stick burner. It just has some rust I have to clean off but it's an older heavier duty smoker. Works great!