Stick Burner Or Pellet Grill

[sonofasmoker]

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.

Oh man, you understood my logic? You are exploring uncharted territory my friend!

 

[sonofasmoker]

.......raging wood (haha raging wood) fire.......

:D:D:D:D

 

[Rings Я Us]

The people that have been out here for years and really are into smoking and curing meats have a couple or a few smokers.
when you see their day to day pics on their general threads here, Your swing them use the MES or the Webers or the this and that with the mailbox mods or an A-MAZE-N pellet thing in a grill.
Your not seeing the $800 to $5,000 smokers in all these threads here. But they got them, the're sitting there ready to go..
Day to day, Your chicken and chops and your chuckies and burgers just aren't being done on those. Exceptions are those people that have the beginner offsets. They may use those more often because that's what they have to use..
It just seems like common sense to have something for everything or can do about everything and maybe have that one nice professional grade offset that you will use on special occasions. One that doesn't need mods and will last 30 years.

My junk smoker I can cold smoke or sear steaks and bake bread. Hamburger and crispy skin chicken after work everyday if I want.
If I had the nice stick burner there, I'm thinking 9 out of 10 cooks is going to be on the Brinkmann charcoal.. That's me. lol
I cook for 2 meals at a time mostly.

 

[gmc2003]

MP, We're very close in age. I'm about 10yrs out from receiving SS. I've retired from one company, and have been planning my next retirement. Both kids are grown, and married(those bills are paid off). I work a 12hr shift(3 days on, two days off, two days on, three days off. I work holidays that fall on my scheduled work days(although I can take them off using holiday time). and I get almost five weeks of vacation. So realistically, I only work half a year. Because of my schedule I only smoke on my days off. My main smoker is a WSM and I love it. For grilling I use a 22 kettle that I bought for 20 dollars at a garage sale. Since my kids have moved out it's only the wife and I. Whenever I smoke there's always plenty of leftovers so a vacuum sealer is my best friend. To the point of this response, the 22 WSM is close to set-it-and-forget-it. It takes very little maintenance. I don't use any additional temp controllers, because I like to fiddle a little(not babysit) with my smoker during cooks. As Al said, the Lang is a beautiful smoker, I would love one. I just couldn't justify the cost. The other wood burners available in my area are made on the cheap. I tried that when I was younger with a char-griller duo. Even with the mod's I had to babysit it(it still sits alone in my yard). If you really want a stick-burner(and it sounds like you do) get a good one. If you want to smoke carefree get a pellet-pooper, or widen your choices and look into other brands/types. Remember your the one who is using it.

Enough rambling.

Chris.

 

[jond36]

Double post... opps

 

[jond36]

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

Al, I am surprised you didn't mention your smoke vault. I love that thing over the WSMs I have used, but maybe I am just lazy. Haha:D

 

[Moose364]

I have Both the big custom built stick burner smoker and the Smoker Brother's pellet pooper. the main thing to ask your self is what your going to do with it. My stick burner takes a good 2 hours to get fired up and ready for meat, My pellet smoker takes about 20 mins and really all that takes is plugging it in and turning to temp to cook at. I can get home at 5 in the afternoon on a work day and have steaks ready for dinner in 1 1/2 hours. or hamburger's in a hour. I can't do that with my big stick burner where pellet grills get the bad from is the cheap one's being sold everywhere that are made of thin metal I mean there is a Major brand that you can get almost everywhere that is so thin they sell a Blanket to put on it while your cooking to help keep it warm. I mean Really!!!!, once you step up to the one's like Yolder, Rec Tec or Smoker Brother's then all of that goes away. plus being able to smoke with a different wood is awesome. here is a pic of a Ribeye I cooked the other night, check out the smoke ring on that baby

 

[troutman]

Low and slow, building a stick burning fire in a large iron pit, having to constantly tend to the fire on long cooks, the results of which (if done moderately correctly) are amazing OR you plug the pellet auger in, forget about it for that same period of time, the results of which (if done moderately correctly) are amazing as well. Pellets don't give you the same flavor profile, much more subtle. What you really need to ask yourself is what your convenience threshold is. Both, when mastered, can give you great cue. We can only sit here and give advice, only you can make that final decision. Concentrate on the cooking and less hand wringing over the cooking vessel and you will be fine.

 

[djjubbajubba]

I mean there is a Major brand that you can get almost everywhere that is so thin they sell a Blanket to put on it while your cooking to help keep it warm. I mean Really!!!!, once you step up to the one's like YolderView attachment 342053

You do know the Yoder YS480 is displayed on their website with a blanket, right? I'm not saying you're wrong (you're totally correct).

 

[motocrash]

Microwave on defrost setting with liquid smoke :confused:

 

[mowin]

I've got a GMG pellet pooper. Had it for 3 yrs now. I love the thing. However, I does lack smoke flavor compared to a stick burner. I do use a smoke tube on every cook and use 100% hickory pellets. It puts out some fantastic Q though.

I've been longing for a good offset reverse flow smoker. Did my homework, and chose a bubba grills 250 w rib box.
IMO, it produces better Q then my pellet pooper. I do use my GMG much more than my offset. As time is a issue.
But firing up the bubba and tending the fire is like therapy. I've fired it up for 2 hamburgers and a chicken because I needed smoke therapy.

BTW, Lang was on my short list of offset smokers. Thinking or getting a patio model so I don't have to fire up thr 250.

 

[Moose364]

You do know the Yoder YS480 is displayed on their website with a blanket, right? I'm not saying you're wrong (you're totally correct).

Well that is there little Baby smoker...........:rolleyes:

 

[mphugh]

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.

I’m not really into the “pride” factor, looking more for a quality cook.

I believe I will be going with the offset, but since it would cost me an extra $500 to ship the Lang to my house, I’m still looking for options for a quality offset. If you can direct me towards something built in the mid-west, perhaps shipping costs could be reduced.

 

[troutman]

Not sure where you are, but do an old interweb search to find pit manufacturers in your area. Seems like there are more and more of them each day. Here in Texas, you stumble over them just walking down the street !!!

Yoder, by the way, is in Kansas. That's about as Midwest as you can get :)

 

[mphugh]

Not sure where you are, but do an old interweb search to find pit manufacturers in your area. Seems like there are more and more of them each day. Here in Texas, you stumble over them just walking down the street !!!

Yoder, by the way, is in Kansas. That's about as Midwest as you can get :)

I'm in Brighton, Michigan, near Detroit/Ann Arbor. Yeah, not too sure why it seems so difficult to find a pit maker here because we Michiganders like BBQ too.

 

[mphugh]

Not sure where you are, but do an old interweb search to find pit manufacturers in your area. Seems like there are more and more of them each day. Here in Texas, you stumble over them just walking down the street !!!

Yoder, by the way, is in Kansas. That's about as Midwest as you can get :)

BTW, how are you enjoying our now your MVP?

 

[troutman]

He needs to carry the team to a WS title before he can truly be crowned ......

 

[motocrash]

Dyna-Glo ? Not sure of the quality but they seem to be popular.They can be bought from Big Box stores and they make Horizontals too. http://www.ghpgroupinc.com/product-catalog/smokers.html

 

[Rings Я Us]

Brighton? That's where I am right now.. lol Champion Cheverolet on Grand River.. Small world.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Bass Pro sells Horizon offsets. Heavy Duty