Competition Level Smokers with Detailed Info
 

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?

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.

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.

Attachment 74187

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!

I went with the Lang 36" Hybrid (with a 30" charcoal grill on the front end) and it is great for home use; HOWEVER, it is a wee bit small for competition - kinda need their 48". Best value for the $$ in my opinion.

GREAT comparison chart!

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 for posting that.

Thanks Dan for posting this. It will come in handy when our team decides to upgrade in the near future.

Well said, JD! For those of us on an extremely tight competition budget, the WSM is one of the best ways to go.

Nice Job!

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.

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.

Figure that one out, Kevin, and you'll be a rich man :-D