# Educate me on stick burner smokers



## MileHighSmokerGirl (Nov 7, 2021)

I had a short end platter of spare ribs at the Summit Hickory Pit BBQ in Lee’s Summit, Missouri at the end September.








When I ordered I really had no idea what a short end platter was but they were amazing.

The texture and tenderness was incredible. They weren’t fall off the bone or mushy, but perfect bite and very different than the ribs my 18” WSM puts out.

My Dad said these are smoked with a stick burner smoker.

So educate me on stick burner smokers. I want to know more please.


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## JJS (Nov 7, 2021)

They are a hell of a lot more work than a WSM, you will be feeding it all the time so there is no get it going and go take a nap, on the good end they can turn out a product that in my opinion is far superior and can be worth the extra work.

what is it you would like to know?


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## boykjo (Nov 7, 2021)

I run a stick burner and I have to say some of the best BBQ  I tasted came from a  charcoal burner. IMO You can put out the same BBQ or even better.  You may need to control your heat better with the smaller cook chamber. My stick burner needs little fuel and can maintain temp at 250 with a few small splits of wood. I get about an 1hr to 1.5 hr of maintained heat per split. The key to great BBQ is to have red hot kindling and thin thin blue smoke.

Boykjo


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## Ringer (Nov 7, 2021)

I can only repeat what has been said here. They require a good babysitter and need to be fed hourly but if you are willing to learn proper fire management and invest the time and money, the end product is second to none. It looks better, it tastes better and it is just better in my opinion. I've used all kinds of smokers and my rf custom stick burner puts out the best product. 

If you go that route build/buy one that has a good sized firebox and a decent sized exhaust stack. There are the vertical, standard offset, and reverse flow options out there. I chose reverse flow. There are probably many others, I'm just listing the things I have experience with. 

To me, the stick burner is worth it but there is alot for one to consider.


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Nov 7, 2021)

JJS said:


> They are a hell of a lot more work than a WSM, you will be feeding it all the time so there is no get it going and go take a nap, on the good end they can turn out a product that in my opinion is far superior and can be worth the extra work.
> 
> what is it you would like to know?



what brands are good stick burner smokers? Do you have links to pre-built ones? 




boykjo said:


> I run a stick burner and I have to say some of the best BBQ  I tasted came from a  charcoal burner. IMO You can put out the same BBQ or even better.  You may need to control your heat better with the smaller cook chamber. My stick burner needs little fuel and can maintain temp at 250 with a few small splits of wood. I get about an 1hr to 1.5 hr of maintained heat per split. The key to great BBQ is to have red hot kindling and thin thin blue smoke.
> 
> Boykjo



I do pretty good at controlling my heat in my wsm. Just looking at other methods. 




Ringer said:


> I can only repeat what has been said here. They require a good babysitter and need to be fed hourly but if you are willing to learn proper fire management and invest the time and money, the end product is second to none. It looks better, it tastes better and it is just better in my opinion. I've used all kinds of smokers and my rf custom stick burner puts out the best product.
> 
> If you go that route build/buy one that has a good sized firebox and a decent sized exhaust stack. There are the vertical, standard offset, and reverse flow options out there. I chose reverse flow. There are probably many others, I'm just listing the things I have experience with.
> 
> To me, the stick burner is worth it but there is alot for one to consider.



Thanks. Great info. Can you post a pic of yours and some of the meat it has produced?


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## Ringer (Nov 7, 2021)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> Thanks. Great info. Can you post a pic of yours and some of the meat it has produced?


Sure thing


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## thirdeye (Nov 7, 2021)

What area do you live in?  Mid grade and high end backyard stick burners are heavy and shipping can get expensive.  When looking at cost verses value it's a good idea to look for options within 500 miles of home, then delivery might be reasonable or you could take a trailer and pick it up yourself.   Be warned, the pricing has increased lately due to the prices of steel and some builders have a waiting list.


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Nov 7, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> What area do you live in?  Mid grade and high end backyard stick burners are heavy and shipping can get expensive.  When looking at cost verses value it's a good idea to look for options within 500 miles of home, then delivery might be reasonable or you could take a trailer and pick it up yourself.   Be warned, the pricing has increased lately due to the prices of steel and some builders have a waiting list.



I’m in the Denver area. I definitely don’t need a giant one to feed a neighborhood. It’s usually just me and occasionally a few neighbors or friends.


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## thirdeye (Nov 7, 2021)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> I’m in the Denver area. I definitely don’t need a giant one to feed a neighborhood. It’s usually just me and occasionally a few neighbors or friends.


I thought you might be with that nickname.  I'm in Wyoming and judge BBQ competitions in the Mountain West states, a lot of folks from northern Colorado are involved.  I'll ask around for recommendations.  I do know there is a good wood dealer in Franktown.


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## golfpro2301 (Nov 7, 2021)

I recently moved to a stick burner and as someone who has competed on well reviewed vertical cabinets and komodos And has closet full of trophies I can say food just tastes better on a stick burner. Especially pork and beef. Chicken I cant really tell

as others have said this is a babysit type of cooker that takes a lot of work. The amount of work is dependent on quality and draft of the cooker. These will likely cost you $3k-$6k depending on size and where you live. Brands that stand out for backyard size are

outlaw
Pitmaker
Shirley
Workhorse
Primitive pits

if you want larger you can go to propane tanks which have a lot of great builders in texas. If you have fabrication skills you can build as good as quality as above for a lot cheaper. This is route I took and my build is in progress


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## 1MoreFord (Nov 7, 2021)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> I’m in the Denver area. I definitely don’t need a giant one to feed a neighborhood. It’s usually just me and occasionally a few neighbors or friends.



Don't go too small.  You can always cook one rack of ribs in a big cooker but you can't cook twenty racks.  Also small pits are harder to control than something in the medium sized range.  Mine is 20" x 48" and I consider that to be the starting point of easier to control.  24" x 48" would be better and even larger gets easier.


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## bauchjw (Nov 7, 2021)

I Got this recommendation from tx smoker: https://johnsonsmokers.com/

Also, you cant forget Yoder and Lang smokers if you’re talking stick burners.


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## bertman (Nov 7, 2021)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> I had a short end platter of spare ribs at the Summit Hickory Pit BBQ in Lee’s Summit, Missouri at the end September.



This post caught my attention because this place is just a short walk from my house. Please tell me you tried the beans, too. Out of all the great BBQ places in the KC area, their beans are some of the best.


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Nov 7, 2021)

bertman said:


> This post caught my attention because this place is just a short walk from my house. Please tell me you tried the beans, too. Out of all the great BBQ places in the KC area, their beans are some of the best.



KC area is my old stomping grounds. I’ve eaten at Summit Hickory Pit many times and had their beans. Good stuff.

The baked beans and slaw at Smokehouse BBQ in Independence are absolutely amazeballs. I could drink their cole slaw by the gallon. Lol.


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## hardcookin (Nov 13, 2021)

I have a Lang smoker, And I would  buy another one.
Problem now is prices for new stick burners have gone up and usually have a long build time.
Used smoker prices are crazy!!
Good luck with your search!


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## chesterinflorida (Nov 14, 2021)

The listed ones are all top quality units that will last forever.  If you want something to try out and see if you like it, something like a Old Country Pecos would be worth looking for.  It won’t last a lifetime, and won’t draft as well as a better unit, but will give you the ability to try your hand at one at a much reduced price.  You can see if you like the process, and then a get a better unit down the road.    Be forewarned that it will be a harder to maintaina good fire and even temperature on a lower quality pit like the Pecos, so you may run into some struggles that you wouldn’t if you went and bought a better pit from the start. But I have had some good BBQ off these also, and if it means the ability to get one and try, it maybe worth it.


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## golfpro2301 (Nov 18, 2021)

As Chester said lower quality pit wont draft as well and will need more babysitting but can still turn out great food. A lot of time people dont want to spend money on properly designed pit and go cheap alternative which requires a lot more work. This gets then out kf offset game and or smoking all together as it can be more of a hassle than a pleasure. Just know that going in if want to go with lower quality pit

you can always spend the $$$ on great pit and if you dont like it can sell it on the forums. The difference in what you get vs what you paid will be around price of a lower quality pit


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## h8that4u (Nov 18, 2021)

I am in Northern Colo. if interested I am thinking of getting rid of this smoker. https://www.texasoriginalpits.com/product/pearsall-16-offset-smoker/


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## Central PA Cowboy (Nov 18, 2021)

Your best bet is to talk to 

 smokin peachey


He actually uses his, so he’s a great resource.


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## smokin peachey (Nov 18, 2021)

Central PA Cowboy said:


> Your best bet is to talk to
> 
> smokin peachey
> 
> ...


How can I help?


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## daspyknows (Nov 20, 2021)

I have a Horizon and love it.  They are based in Oklahoma.  Lots of great options and while it is more work, the food coming off is top notch.


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## JckDanls 07 (Nov 20, 2021)

Another thing to consider is the wood to run these smokers...  Is a good hardwood (oak, hickory, pecan, etc.) available in your area ?  You will need a good source for wood ...


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## Workaholic (Nov 20, 2021)

I'm going to be the oddball here.  I went cheaper.  As in $300 or so for the unit, cheaper.  Could use it with charcoal or splits.  I usually ran a combination of the two, giving me about 2 1/2-3 hours at temp before I had to start feeding it every 45-60 minutes.  I enjoyed it, and the only reason I went WSM, was family time.  I wanted to be able to spend time with my family during my smokes instead of being interrupted every hour to spend 5-15 minutes feeding the smoker.  

With the $300 unit, such as the: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Grill...n-Black-Charcoal-Horizontal-Smoker/1002666848

and a few mods such as high temp sealant fireplace gasket, and tuning plates, I was keeping the temp within 20* from one end to the other.  The tuning plates were the biggest factor in that.  The sealant and gasket were just to make sure to keep better control of the draft.  If I were considering to dip my toe into an offset again, (which I may do in the future) the Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn or Highland reverse flow smoker from either Lowes or Home Depot (home depot has better pricing) would be my primary candidates.  With reverse flow, you shouldn't need tuning plates, as the smoke doubling back helps considerably to even out temps across the grate, as well as help with hold over, for when you have to open the door.  

As far as woods, if you don't have a supplier, I noticed yesterday that one of my local Ace Hardwares has splits in bags, I *think* for about 20 a bag.  Might be worth looking for.  I believe they were from B&B.


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Dec 25, 2022)

Any opinions on the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland for a starter stick burner? 

My dad says they are junk. However he has never used one. He says that because my brother had an Oklahoma Joe’s smoker and said it seemed cheap and then he sold it. Not sure how my Dad can have an opinion based on hearsay but ok. 

Anyhow this is for sale nearby for $300.


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## sawhorseray (Dec 25, 2022)

They are made of thin steel, have trouble maintaining temp, and have huge temp fluctuations. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. Father knows best! RAY


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 25, 2022)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> Any opinions on the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland for a starter stick burner?
> 
> My dad says they are junk. However he has never used one. He says that because my brother had an Oklahoma Joe’s smoker and said it seemed cheap and then he sold it. Not sure how my Dad can have an opinion based on hearsay but ok.
> 
> Anyhow this is for sale nearby for $300.


It would be a good smoker to learn on without spending a lot of money.  In fact,  you could probably sell in a couple years for what you pay for it.   And if you bargained the price lower,  might sell it at a profit.

All the while you can learn about burning sticks.   Find out if that's something you like or not,  and learn for free.    If you enjoy tending the fire then step up to a more expensive better built smoker.

IDK if its just a pic distortion, but it appears to me that the firebox is sort've slanting off to the right ?  I wonder how that can happen.

Try to find what year that smoker was made.   I would not pay more than 1/2 the cost of a new Okie Joe, and if its older, I would pay even less.

Editing, I just looked up the MSRP of a Highland, and its $450.   I would not pay more than $200 for it 









						Offset Smoker | Highland
					

Enjoy a classic smoking experience with the Oklahoma Joe's® Highland Offset Smoker. High-temperature, heavy-gauge steel construction offers durability, learn more.




					www.oklahomajoes.com


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 25, 2022)

In that price range of offset smokers, the Old Country Pecos is the best of the lot.   New they're $500 at Academy.   Not sure you could find a used one in Denver.   Used Pecos go pretty fast here in OKC.


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## jcam222 (Dec 25, 2022)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> KC area is my old stomping grounds. I’ve eaten at Summit Hickory Pit many times and had their beans. Good stuff.
> 
> The baked beans and slaw at Smokehouse BBQ in Independence are absolutely amazeballs. I could drink their cole slaw by the gallon. Lol.


I went to high school in that area, Fort Osage. I run a Lang , have had 2 now and LOVE them. When shopping for on highly recommend combing the smoker for sale Facebook groups and Craig’s list. You will save a fortune and get a higher end unit. The better they are built / thicker metal the easier they are to manage fire in.


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## h8that4u (Dec 25, 2022)

OR you could get this one.... https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/lang-36-patio-1000.318656/


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## jcam222 (Dec 25, 2022)

h8that4u said:


> OR you could get this one.... https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/lang-36-patio-1000.318656/


Heck yes. That would be a great one.


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Dec 25, 2022)

Is Smoke Hollow a good brand? This one on fb market place for $200


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## MileHighSmokerGirl (Dec 25, 2022)

h8that4u said:


> OR you could get this one.... https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/lang-36-patio-1000.318656/


Way out of my price range.


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 25, 2022)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> View attachment 652338
> View attachment 652340
> 
> 
> ...



I don't know anything about Smoke Hollow,  must be a brand for the Denver area.

Just right off, I see a problem with the cook chamber door not fitting flush on the upper right side.

Resale of the Okie Joe would be a lot easier.


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## gmc2003 (Dec 25, 2022)

Smokin Okie said:


> I don't know anything about Smoke Hollow,  must be a brand for the Denver area.
> 
> Just right off, I see a problem with the cook chamber door not fitting flush on the upper right side.
> 
> Resale of the Okie Joe would be a lot easier.



That's nothing that a little red RTX wouldn't fix. It'd be a cheap fix. 

Chris


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 25, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> That's nothing that a little red RTX wouldn't fix. It'd be a cheap fix.
> 
> Chris



It appears the door is " sprung " ,  which happens when they cut the door out of the pipe.  It releases tension in the door.   It looks like the top of the door " sprung " out. 

The door on my Old Country Brazos was sprung.  The lower left corner sprung out.  Made about a 1/2" gap.   I tried RTV sealant but the gap was too wide.    So I had to put clamps on the lower corner on both sides and along with the RTV it fixed the issue.

If the gap is not too wide RTV will fix it.  But if its a wide gap, I don't think clamps would work at the top of the door.


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## JckDanls 07 (Dec 25, 2022)

Myself...  I don't think the chamber door is that big of a deal...  The biggest thing is the fire box door... That's the one to make sure it seals good so you have more control of the air intake...


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## Marknmd (Dec 25, 2022)

MileHighSmokerGirl said:


> Any opinions on the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland for a starter stick burner?
> 
> My dad says they are junk. However he has never used one. He says that because my brother had an Oklahoma Joe’s smoker and said it seemed cheap and then he sold it. Not sure how my Dad can have an opinion based on hearsay but ok.
> 
> Anyhow this is for sale nearby for $300.


I have an OK Joe Highland.  Didn't plan on it but it was sitting on the sidewalk in front of Lowe's on deep discount.  If you check amazon, it has fairly good reviews - 4.6 stars.  When I bought mine, it was retailing for only $349 but mine was $100 off because it had a badly bent wheel axle, plus I have a 10% veterans discount at Lowe's so I paid only $225 plus tax.  I replaced the wheel axle, which is to say I had to replace that whole leg, for $20.  I added mods one by one including a welder's blanket, baffle plates, water pan, extended chimney, cooker door sealers, fire bricks, ash bucket, firebox basket, second gauge.  I bought cooker door clamps but never installed them because my cooker door doesn't leak!  In fact, there are no leaks anywhere.  And the temp is the same from right to left with consistent thin blue smoke out of the chimney.  When all was said and done, I paid about $500 altogether and it cooks very nicely.  I'm very happy with it.

I think now the retail price is $449.

If you decide to get one, try to pick it up yourself if you can because a lot of them get damaged during shipping.  They're 178 lbs if I remember correctly.

Oh - also bought a manual log splitter from Harbor Freight.  I think I paid around $120 for it on sale.  

An offset is fun to cook on, but it does require a lot of attention.

Good luck.


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 25, 2022)

I've owned an Old Country Brazos and now have a Franklin offset.  I like the performance of the Franklin but I think good barbecue can be had from just about any offset if a person is willing to work at it.


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## 3montes (Dec 26, 2022)

I have been cooking on this particular pit for nearly 14 years now. 











I've had several others I have bought and sold while I had this one but this is the one that is not going anywhere. This one was built by a independent fabricator in Texas so it is a one off.  First thing I would tell you is do not be intimidated by people who tell you these are so much more work than anything else.  If you want minimal input and as little involvement with your smoker as possible then yes go another route.  There is a bigger learning curve to running a stick burner and each one is different but once you that learning curve is completed it's not much different than anything else. Throwing a split of wood on every forty five minutes or so is not considered a lot of work in my book. If you want to be able to go to bed and trust the electronics to do the work for you this is not for you. Frankly I don't know how people can go to bed with a brisket on the cooker I'd never sleep a wink!

There are a number of things that are a must for me in a stick burner. A horizontal conventional flow, tuning plates, and cabinet doors. A two door firebox. A door on top for feeding the fire and the door on front for cleaning ashes out. So much easier loading in splits and managing a fire from a standing position looking down at the fire. 
A fire box that is vented on three sides to catch that slightest breeze no matter which direction it comes from. I don't consider having to leave the door open a proper way to vent. If that slight breeze isn't coming from the direction of the door opening it's not accomplishing anything.   

And of course much depends on your budget. Most fabricators will build you anything you want. But in today's global economy where everything is sourced out of country and prices and material availability are huge factors fabricators don't have much control over. I paid $5 grand for the one in the pics nearly 14 years ago. You wouldn't touch that for that price these days. You would probably struggle to find a high quality patio pit for that now.  Price is probably the biggest hurdle to stick burning these days. 
But don't let that stop you. Buy what you can afford and join the stick burning fraternity and upgrade as you go along. It's a dying art and we need more people to pick up the stick!


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## JckDanls 07 (Dec 26, 2022)

3montes
 ...  I agree with you 100%...  I don't understand why people say they are so much work...  As you say ... Walk out/by and throw a split on every 30-60 minutes is no work at all ... The vents never have to be adjusted....  It always runs the same temp whenever you throw a new split on ... 

This is my Stick Burner that I built myself...


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## tbern (Dec 26, 2022)

JckDanls 07 said:


> @3montes ...  I agree with you 100%...  I don't understand why people say they are so much work...  As you say ... Walk out/by and throw a split on every 30-60 minutes is no work at all ... The vents never have to be adjusted....  It always runs the same temp whenever you throw a new split on ...
> 
> This is my Stick Burner that I built myself...
> 
> ...


very nice!!


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## Smokin Okie (Dec 26, 2022)

Well, you fellas are saying there's no " work " involved, ( and I used the term " work "  loosely, like in comparison to a pellet smoker )  there's a lot more involved with a stick burner.   And look at what you're cooking on compared to Cheap Offset Smoker ( COS ) .

Unless a person turns a COS into a charcoal/chunk smoker they're gonna demand a lot of attention.    If ya gonna burn splits on an Okie Joe Highland, there's not gonna be any 45 minutes between splits.  To minimize temp swings,  its gonna be necessary to use small splits that will have to be added every 15 to 20 minutes along with constant monitoring of the temp and smoke.


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## Marknmd (Dec 26, 2022)

Smokin Okie said:


> Well, you fellas are saying there's no " work " involved, ( and I used the term " work "  loosely, like in comparison to a pellet smoker )  there's a lot more involved with a stick burner.   And look at what you're cooking on compared to Cheap Offset Smoker ( COS ) .
> 
> Unless a person turns a COS into a charcoal/chunk smoker they're gonna demand a lot of attention.    If ya gonna burn splits on an Okie Joe Highland, there's not gonna be any 45 minutes between splits.  To minimize temp swings,  its gonna be necessary to use small splits that will have to be added every 15 to 20 minutes along with constant monitoring of the temp and smoke.


Exactly right.  15-20 minutes for the Highland.  Constant monitoring. 

The larger the offset smoker, the easier the cook.  This is according to Jeremy Yoder over at MSB.

OTOH, my drum, and even my SnS kettle requires much less attention.  The Highland requires more attention, but it's FUN!  At least it is to me.  And you get the advantage of superior smoke flavor.  :-D


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## chp (Dec 26, 2022)

I’m up in northern Colorado. You have certainly gotten good advice from the folks here. A few things I would add. The front range gets a fair amount of wind. The lighter offset smokers will have larger temperature swings in the wind. I would suggest starting used to see how you like it. The dry Colorado climate doesn’t have some of the rusting issues. Many used options look terrible, but the rust is just surface rust and the smoker can be restored. Look for heavy and welded smokers. If rusted, look close to see if the rust is deep or just surface (most common in the firebox). Also keep in mind, Colorado is not the home for many of the standard smoking woods. Fruit wood is my go to around here. You should also learn about the idea of a ‘backbone’ (think heat without flavor) woods to support your smoker. The typical oak, hickory, mesquite, are all trucked in but more $$$. Best of luck. Here is mine I found used locally:


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## h8that4u (Dec 26, 2022)

I also have one similar to that for sale, Price can be discussed if not to far out of your range.  https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...sall-16-offset-smoker-for-sale-750-00.318657/


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