# What I like about stick burners!!



## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

Preparing
Tinkering
Adjusting
Tinkering some more
Fire management
Paying attention 
Adjusting again
Thinking
Adjusting again
Paying attention
Paying close attention
Watching, Watching, Watching
Drinking Beer!!
Seeing smiles on faces.


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## kruizer (Feb 19, 2019)

Same here.


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## banderson7474 (Feb 19, 2019)

I like it as a hobby b/c it's def more to do but I also would like to have an electric pellet smoker for those cooks overnight or when I don't have the time for sticks.


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## 73saint (Feb 19, 2019)

Ain’t that the truth!


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 19, 2019)

Yup its fun to have different ways to do smokes.

Warren


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## banderson7474 (Feb 19, 2019)

It doesn't help that my buddy just got a Rec Tec Bull either.  The one thing mine probably beats his is a lot more smoke flavor


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

banderson7474 said:


> It doesn't help that my buddy just got a Rec Tec Bull either.  The one thing mine probably beats his is a lot more smoke flavor


No doubt!!


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

HalfSmoked said:


> Yup its fun to have different ways to do smokes.
> 
> Warren


No doubt about it. Thinking bout a UDS for the inventory. Not decided yet.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 19, 2019)

As said the other day easy to build your own.

Warren


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

banderson7474 said:


> I like it as a hobby b/c it's def more to do but I also would like to have an electric pellet smoker for those cooks overnight or when I don't have the time for sticks.


I agree. There are definitely advantages to something that will do an overnight smoke. My OLE Big Bertha will accomplish that however, I don't fire her up unless I'm smoking a ton of meat. She does whole HAWG very well.


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

HalfSmoked said:


> As said the other day easy to build your own.
> 
> Warren


Yep! Already researching what I need.


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## banderson7474 (Feb 19, 2019)

Hawging It said:


> I agree. There are definitely advantages to something that will do an overnight smoke. My OLE Big Bertha will accomplish that however, I don't fire her up unless I'm smoking a ton of meat. She does whole HAWG very well.




Oh yea you are right, I should have said I'm not willing to stay up all night and tend to a stick burner.


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## SmokinLogs (Feb 19, 2019)

I started out with a COS, converted it to reverse flow with some other mods, and learned a lot about smokin with it. I think some of the best tasting Q is from a clean burning stick burner. I Had a lot of fun with it and a lot of good Q from it. It does take a lot of tinkering to run, which i enjoy, but with four kids under the age of 5 i had to do something a little more reliable. I built my UDS and love it. Its reliable for long periods of time without much tending, requires very little fuel, and even does great in freezing cold winter. Winter smoking was tough with my cheap stick burner. I recommend a UDS to everybody. I built it for CHEAP too. Its nice being able to go to bed and know the smoker will keep smokin. You should definitely add one to your arsenal!


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## bbqbrett (Feb 19, 2019)

Great list!  You might add on lighting the fire and of course the great smell of meat being smoked!


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## motolife313 (Feb 19, 2019)

I don’t do much tinkering besides splitting the wood and putting it in the chopsaw . My intake vent is wide open no adjustment and my exhaust is wide open. All I do is add wood to the fire as needed.


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

motolife313 said:


> I don’t do much tinkering besides splitting the wood and putting it in the chopsaw . My intake vent is wide open no adjustment and my exhaust is wide open. All I do is add wood to the fire as needed.


Sounds really good. As for my rigs through the years, I can't load em up and walk away like a pellet deal. Got to make sure all is good. Take care.


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

Yo


bbqbrett said:


> Great list!  You might add on lighting the fire and of course the great smell of meat being smoked!


u are spot on!!


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## Hawging It (Feb 19, 2019)

SmokinLogs said:


> I started out with a COS, converted it to reverse flow with some other mods, and learned a lot about smokin with it. I think some of the best tasting Q is from a clean burning stick burner. I Had a lot of fun with it and a lot of good Q from it. It does take a lot of tinkering to run, which i enjoy, but with four kids under the age of 5 i had to do something a little more reliable. I built my UDS and love it. Its reliable for long periods of time without much tending, requires very little fuel, and even does great in freezing cold winter. Winter smoking was tough with my cheap stick burner. I recommend a UDS to everybody. I built it for CHEAP too. Its nice being able to go to bed and know the smoker will keep smokin. You should definitely add one to your arsenal!


Thanks Brother! I want to add to my inventory and researching my UDS build. Gonna do it soon. Take care.


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## DustyJoe84 (Feb 19, 2019)

I like those things too! I love the challenge of maintaining a proper fire and getting that good TBS rolling. I was nervous about learning on a cheap offset but it's not as bad as some of the horror stories I've read. It's really hard to beat the flavor of a stick burner!


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## Geos7812 (Feb 19, 2019)

Well said OP.  Some don’t get it.  The end product is only part of the enjoyment for me.


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## hardcookin (Feb 19, 2019)

banderson7474 said:


> I like it as a hobby b/c it's def more to do but I also would like to have an electric pellet smoker for those cooks overnight or when I don't have the time for sticks.


All my big smokes start at 4:30 am. Always done for supper.
I prefer that to overnights.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 20, 2019)

Thanks for the like Flatbroke.

Warren


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## bluewhisper (Feb 20, 2019)

Another nice thing about stick burners is, you can actually burn sticks. You can gather windfall wood or maybe get some from a tree trimming job - I did that when my neighbor's maple was brought down and had smoking fuel for two years. Now I'm on the lookout for more.

Have 30-inch bow saw. I need to make a good set of sawbucks.


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## Hawging It (Feb 20, 2019)

bluewhisper said:


> Another nice thing about stick burners is, you can actually burn sticks. You can gather windfall wood or maybe get some from a tree trimming job - I did that when my neighbor's maple was brought down and had smoking fuel for two years. Now I'm on the lookout for more.
> 
> Have 30-inch bow saw. I need to make a good set of sawbucks.


Absolutely! I know a guy that owns a tree service. I have plenty of oak and hickory on my place but I love pecan as well. When I need pecan, he always comes through.


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## banderson7474 (Feb 20, 2019)

Hawging It said:


> Absolutely! I know a guy that owns a tree service. I have plenty of oak and hickory on my place but I love pecan as well. When I need pecan, he always comes through.



Do you ever buy oak firewood and use it for fuel?  I'm thinking why am I burning bought smoke wood especially if I wrap the meat up.  I could use oak fire wood a lot cheaper but my problem is I haven't learned how to tell if it's really oak or not.


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## Hawging It (Feb 20, 2019)

I cut my own oak on my land. I love using oak. Many times after wrapping what I am cooking I will bring in and put in oven till I get my IT


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