Competition Level Smokers with Detailed Info

cmohr74

cmohr74

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Last year I was going through deciding on a smoker to purchase. There is so many things to consider when making such a large purchase. Me being the great sleeper I am, I woke up and couldn't sleep so I got bored. I decided to add more options to the list that I created last year. These were a few of the questions I continued to ask myself when deciding to make this large purchase
  1. How many contests will I really be competing and at what level?
  2. How will I transport this cooker?
  3. How much do I want to tend to the fire?...aka sleep time
  4. How much smoke flavor do I want?
  5. How much will I REALLY cook quantity wise? (Too little/Too Big)
  6. What temperature range do I want to cook with overall? (versatility)
  7. What spacing do I want between my racks? Brisket/Ribs/Birds/Pork
  8. What is my cost per square inch of cooking surface?
View attachment 74158

I know there are many other cookers out there trailer wise, but with all the options available, it was hard to break them down for the list (Jambos, Trailer Yoders...etc). I also could not find all the information for all cookers out there. I'm no expert on BBQ or equipment, but I do like helping other BBQ Brethren out when I can. Hopefully my boredom helps someone.
 
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That was a lot of work to put that together. I've been looking at a gravity fed smoker, nice to have a comparison list right there. Thanks.
 
Well I appreciate it Meat Man. It's a tool that helped me so I figured why not share it to help someone else make a decision. I am re-attaching the pdf so it's not so small; I didn't realize it came through that size. Good luck in your research for a new gravity feed.

View attachment 74187
 
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What a wonderful break down. :eusa_clap I agree with Meat Man, that's a lot of work to this together. That's close to the same questions I asked myself before I purchased my Stumps Stretch. Thanks for sharing.
 
Wow You killed it. Should be a usefull tool for anyone that has a new cooker in thier future. Great job!
 
Very cool! :cool: The one thing that jumped out at me was the cost and weight of the WSM's as compared to all the other smokers...lightweight, portable, affordable, and produce killer bbq...talk about the most bang for your buck! :becky:
 
Thanks Dan for posting this. It will come in handy when our team decides to upgrade in the near future.

JD McGee said:
Very cool! :cool: The one thing that jumped out at me was the cost and weight of the WSM's as compared to all the other smokers...lightweight, portable, affordable, and produce killer bbq...talk about the most bang for your buck! :becky:
Click to expand...

Well said, JD! For those of us on an extremely tight competition budget, the WSM is one of the best ways to go.
 
I'm glad this could help out a few people. Like I said, there are many more companies out there and I apologize if I missed them. Please let me know if you want me to add any.
 
That's a great list Dan. One thing you might add to the list is: What type of smoker can I cook on and consistently produce my highest quality BBQ.
 
cmohr74 said:
Last year I was going through deciding on a smoker to purchase. There is so many things to consider when making such a large purchase. Me being the great sleeper I am, I woke up and couldn't sleep so I got bored. I decided to add more options to the list that I created last year. These were a few of the questions I continued to ask myself when deciding to make this large purchase
  1. How many contests will I really be competing and at what level?
  2. How will I transport this cooker?
  3. How much do I want to tend to the fire?...aka sleep time
  4. How much smoke flavor do I want?
  5. How much will I REALLY cook quantity wise? (Too little/Too Big)
  6. What temperature range do I want to cook with overall? (versatility)
  7. What spacing do I want between my racks? Brisket/Ribs/Birds/Pork
  8. What is my cost per square inch of cooking surface?
View attachment 74158

I know there are many other cookers out there trailer wise, but with all the options available, it was hard to break them down for the list (Jambos, Trailer Yoders...etc). I also could not find all the information for all cookers out there. I'm no expert on BBQ or equipment, but I do like helping other BBQ Brethren out when I can. Hopefully my boredom helps someone.
Click to expand...

Thanks for putting that together. What did you end up buying after all of that?
 
Very nice job. I can see why you never made it back to sleep with a project like that.
Thanks for sharing.
 
I wound up purchasing a Backwoods extended party from distributor, bought a Backwoods party off the Brethren for dirt cheap gutted it and rehabbed it, and scored a wicked awesome deal on a Memphis advantage. All that from a UDS to start. I wouldn't change my decision if I had to do it again
 
If you don't mind, can I ask you why you went with the Backwoods over a gravity feed (i.e.- Stumps, rebel, DW, Superior, Etc.). I have a Backwoods Chubby but am thinking about switching over to a gravity feed. Awesome job on your list by the way, very helpful.
 
Great job Dan! I have been looking for a smoker and with all the options and sizes it's really hard bouncing back and forth between websites. This puts it all in one convenient location!
 
agilbert said:
If you don't mind, can I ask you why you went with the Backwoods over a gravity feed (i.e.- Stumps, rebel, DW, Superior, Etc.). I have a Backwoods Chubby but am thinking about switching over to a gravity feed. Awesome job on your list by the way, very helpful.
Click to expand...

For me personally, it was weight. I have played with a Backwoods and it produces food exactly how I want. I use one to compete with two of my meats at one temp, my regular party if for another meat, and my Memphis is for another. I don't have a trailer and I am solo. I can easily move them in and out of my van for transport. I modified both the charcoal baskets on my parties and with a guru, I am getting 9-10 hour burns. This was why I perosnally chose the Backwoods.
 
I can definitely see where you're coming from. The Backwoods are pretty easy to manuever and load.

Thanks.
 
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