Stick Burner Or Pellet Grill

[mphugh]

I love a good smoked brisket. I’m hoping to learn from the participants here in how to achieve the skills needed so I may enjoy a brisket I smoke myself.


In briefly searching this Forum, I found out exactly how ignorant I am on the subject of smoking anything but cigarettes (which I haven’t done proudly since 2001). I live in Michigan and would most likely be smoking meat in the winter months. I’m close to retirement age, but still a few years away from Social Security, so realistically, I would probably only use the smoker on weekends now, although, retirement and the time needed to tend the smoker is right around the corner.


Beyond the cheap bullet smoker I used to smoke/cook a few salmon, I have very limited knowledge in the art of smoking food, but looking forward to learning. Through many weeks of searching for the “best” method/smoker/pellet/stick burner, I believe I have boiled my choice down to two or three. Tops on my list is (1) Lang 36” Original Patio, but the shipping cost is almost half the price of the product. (2) The Old Country Brazos BBQ pit, although, I believe this is made in Mexico, and I recognize the importance of purchasing products built in the USA. Is reverse flow that important? (3) Camp Chef pellet grill. I’m really not that lazy, but people do swear by the convenience factor. I commute to work/from work and can’t “babysit” the firebox, so wouldn't this method be worthy consideration?


I look forward to any and all input regarding my dilemma in a final decision. Thanks for your time.

 

[sonofasmoker]

I think I can help here. The way I see it, these options are two different types of smoked food. Saying that may be a little confusing, but hear me out. I have a Traeger and a Old Country Peco's and I love both of my smokers. I started smoking 2 years ago with my Traeger and love it, absolutely love it, except for two things. The two things I struggle with on my Traeger are Bark and Pride.

Bark - IMO, Pellet smokers just dont seem to generate the smokey whirlwind heat that a traditional offset has. The bark and flavor profile or a wood fired offset is hard to replicate (for me) on my pellet grill. Thats not to say that it cant be achieved, but it just isnt the same to me.

Pride - I am weird about this and I have not had anyone see my viewpoint yet, but I will try here. I smoked two pork butts for a company potluck once. I rubbed em down, filled the hopper with pellets, threw the butts on and went to bed. When I woke up, they hit 205 internal so I wrapped them and brought them to work. I DIDNT OPEN THE LID ONCE. I didnt put any sweat equity into my food. I didnt put any passion or love into my food. When people eat my food from the Traeger and ask about my smoker, I am a little embarrassed. I tell them, "Its a crock-pot smoker". Nothing wrong with this at all though. Me personally, I like to tell people that I woke up at 3am to get my 17 lbs prime brisket rubbed and thrown on a fire. I sat with friends all day and drank beer and bonded over a fire pit.

I bought my Peco's to remedy the above issues. In fact I used both of mine yesterday to feed family in town. Both created great food. I personally prefer my offset smoker over the pellet smoker, but that doesnt mean my Pellet smoker doesnt have its place. When I dont have time, or the want to tend to a fire and get smoky smelling, I use the traeger. If I want to impress the pants off someone with some charred meat jello, I use the Pecos. It depends on your level of cooking.

***Might I add a suggestion. If you have the means to get the Lang, DO IT! I got the Pecos to see if the Lang would be something I really wanted. Boy do I still want it.

 

[Rings Я Us]

I voted..

applause-smiley-emoticon.gif

• Rings Я Us
• Aug 30, 2017

Was going to say, adding extra smoke using AmazeN tray is no big deal.

 

[mphugh]

Thanks for the input, sonofasmoker. If I understand you correctly, you aren’t helping in regards to my wallet/bank account, because it sounds as if you are advocating both types. Does it make me a little weird if I get and understand what you are saying about the “Bark and Pride?” There’s nothing wrong with the set it and forget it method.

 

[Rings Я Us]

You have an extra 13k to buy a good smoker? You can get the Kalamazoo gravity fed charcoal model. lol comes with a bbq guru for 16 hour smoking on a load of charcoal.

Edited: wish I had one.

 

[jond36]

My biggest pride factor is saying it was smoked for XX amount of hours. For some reason saying I smoked this hot and fast at 1 or 2 hours just doesn't have the same pride factor as ribs over 7 hours.

 

[mphugh]

You have an extra 13k to buy a good smoker? You can get the Kalamazoo gravity fed charcoal model. lol comes with a bbq guru for 16 hour smoking on a load of charcoal.

Edited: wish I had one.

No such luck, Rings Я Us, purely blue collar here. While the auto feed feature would be cool, I don’t suspect something looking that pristine would ever smoke up something worthy, but as always, there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[mphugh]

My biggest pride factor is saying it was smoked for XX amount of hours. For some reason saying I smoked this hot and fast at 1 or 2 hours just doesn't have the same pride factor as ribs over 7 hours.

Isn’t it possible to use a pellet grill at low temps for long periods of time?

 

[griz400]

reverse flow ......

 

[Rings Я Us]

reverse flow ......

pellet grill uses all the same wood as a stick burner.. lol haha.. just saying.

 

[djjubbajubba]

What

My biggest pride factor is saying it was smoked for XX amount of hours. For some reason saying I smoked this hot and fast at 1 or 2 hours just doesn't have the same pride factor as ribs over 7 hours.

if it's a tri-tip???

 

[djjubbajubba]

This is something I have been going back and forth about recently. I love to tend the fire, and you will never get the same quality product from the pellet than you will with a real raging wood (haha raging wood) fire. There really is a big sense of pride in knowing that YOU smoked that brisket for 8 hours. Not some machine that adds wood to a little burner every so often. That being said, I do LOVE the idea of set it and forget it with the pellet grills. Especially since my wife really hates how I have to beby sit my offset.

In my opinion, you should go with the offset. For a more economic option, you can do what I do. I get more pride because I took what is considered a garbage smoker (chargrilled duo) and made some, considerably, cheap modifications to it that has made it a pretty impressive little rig. I had one of my coworkers from Texas say I have a piece of s*** smoker until he saw it and is very impressed with it. So, not only do I get the pride of making my own barbeque by hand, but I have the pride of knowing inbuilt what I have. Especially since you're looking at retirement, and cost is a big aspect to take into consideration, getting a "good" smoker and making it great may be a better option.

Again, that being said... I'd go with the Lang.

 

[Rings Я Us]

:cool: I can buy a big lifted 4x4 too.. My friends would all envy me.. But it's not practical and my wife wouldn't like it.. Probably never take it off road either.

Grunt Grunt, Chest Thump!

 

[SmokyMose]

Can you get pellets readily other than internet? Do you have a Menards or Home Depot nearby where you can get a bag of Hickory or Mesquite sticks (if you don’t have your own wood)?
My gut feeling is that you’d prefer a stick burner. Yes, there’s a learning curve and you do have to “tend” it, but that’s part of the game.
You don’t have to spend a ton of money. Reverse flow is great but not everyone has the $ or space. I don’t.
I got a CharGriller Model 8125 at Home Depot two years ago for $299. The only “mod” is a baffle to get some of the heat down the chamber from the firebox.
I’ve had a ton of fun with it and made some really good chow. I’ve had people say mine was the best Brisket they ever had (That’s where the pride comes in ).
As far as Made In USA, I try to when I can, but I think of my Suzuki VL800. It was made in Japan and shipped to the USA, where American dock workers unloaded it and loaded it on an American truck which took it to an American dealership, where an American salesman got a commission and an American banker got some interest. An American mechanic gets paid to service it. It’s not a total loss.
Good luck, and welcome to the hobby!
Sorry about the big pic. Still learning the new site...

Dan

 

[georgia smoker]

Get the Lang! I have a smoker much like the picture Smokeymose posted that I have had for over 20 years. I HAD a Lang 84 that, like an idiot, I sold and bought a Traeger pellet grill. One of the biggest mistakes I have made. :(

 

[Rings Я Us]

People say the brisket on my ECB is the best.. Better than any restaurant.. lol
Get the smoker you can use any day at any time. Then get the one you have to babysit and use that on special days. That's what everyone does. You got the everything all the time smoker and the Big one for special occasions.

 

[motocrash]

Why isn't there "other" in the poll above? This is discrimination! I'm starting a movement.
I vote Hasbro Easy Bake Oven. You guys should see the bark I achieved on the pork chop I "smoked" yesterday after the 220v mod ! Aaand the best part....I didn't have to do anything but plug it in and walk away! o_O

Bill

 

[SmokinAl]

I've had several smokers over the years, although I have never had a pellet smoker.
I do however have a Lang & it is by far the best smoker I have ever used.
Yes you have to add a split of wood every hour or so, but it holds a steady temp & the food coming out of it has a better flavor than the other smokers I own. If cost is an issue, then the next best option, in my opinion is a 22.5 WSM. You can outfit it with a BBQ Guru & it will hold whatever temp you set it at until you run out of wood & charcoal. I have that setup too & it has ran 22 hours without adding any wood or charcoal, and you get a real wood/charcoal flavor.
Al

 

[dlupchurch]

I was in a similar thought process a few months ago. I bought an A1 from Custom Pits and Fabrication. Love the smoker, got a bigger model on a trailer so I could use it at work and church to help cook when we have gatherings. Even though its a larger smoker, I start the fire with charcoal then burn wood which is readily available here on our farm. I think you will enjoy the stick burner and find that you probably only have to check it about once an hour or hour and a half.

 

[natej]

Ever considered a wsm? Excellent smoker that wont break the bank.. virtually set n forget plus all the flavor of a charcoal/wood fire