FEC-300 vs. Ole Hickory

[Bigmista]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

I have not cooked on a commercial FE but have used the Southern Pride units 300 and 500.
Great smokers, consistent product, i also seem to get great yield (almost 70%) on butts. You do have to feed it logs regularly and i would guess the maintenance would be lower than the FE's.
The Old Hickorys are basically the same as the SP.

Good luck and where's the new location going to be?

On edit...
You really want a non stop smoking machine, look at the JR Oyler.

Just sayin.

I wish the Oyler was in the same zip code as my price range.

[PorkQPine]

You might want to check on the cost of pellets vs. oak logs as well as storage for the logs compared to the bags of pellets. For me oak logs were cheaper than pellets and I had storage space for them. I put one log in at night for the overnight cook and that log was all it took since the OH and SP use gas for the primary heat source with the logs providing the smoke. The pellet units use pellets for heat as well as smoke so they use a lot more pellets than the log/gas units.

[NorthwestBBQ]

IMHO Southern Pride is the best.

[kurtsara]

Originally Posted by PorkQPine

You might want to check on the cost of pellets vs. oak logs as well as storage for the logs compared to the bags of pellets. For me oak logs were cheaper than pellets and I had storage space for them. I put one log in at night for the overnight cook and that log was all it took since the OH and SP use gas for the primary heat source with the logs providing the smoke. The pellet units use pellets for heat as well as smoke so they use a lot more pellets than the log/gas units.

how much gas are you using overnight with the one log though?

[Elegant Bear]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

I have an FEC-500. I've cooked on Southern Prides as well on multiple occasions. In a commerical setting, the FEC-300,500,750 is the only choice for me. This summer we cooked 500+ lbs of pork butt and got a 64% yield. It is a fact that a pellet pit has a better average yield than gas or wood/charcoal.

Please forgive the naive question, but can it be used inside with ventilation or strictly outside?

[Bigmista]

The can be inside with proper ventilation.

[Prairie Smoke]

Originally Posted by PorkQPine

I put one log in at night for the overnight cook and that log was all it took since the OH and SP use gas for the primary heat source with the logs providing the smoke. .

Does one log last - and smoke - all night?

Same question, asked differently - how long would a large log (say 8" diameter by 12" long) smoke before being burned up by the fire?

This question applies to both OH and SP pits.

[Prairie Smoke]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

I have an FEC-500. I've cooked on Southern Prides as well on multiple occasions. In a commerical setting, the FEC-300,500,750 is the only choice for me. This summer we cooked 500+ lbs of pork butt and got a 64% yield. It is a fact that a pellet pit has a better average yield than gas or wood/charcoal.

Very intriguing Todd... "it is a fact"... Why is the yield higher in a pellet pit? I'm not doubting you, just curious about the reason. That's a pretty big savings in a commercial environment.

Did you trim any fat cap off these butts?
Thanks

[Prairie Smoke]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

The big FEC pits smoke differently from the 100's, too. You get a better smoke at higher temps, which isn't true with pellet grills and smaller pits. I get great smoke off of the 500 running at 250 degrees. I agree that it is hard to compare the 100 and the big FEC pits.

I never realized this! I too am shopping for a big commercial pit to expand my catering operations and I was leaning towards OH / SP just because of the greater control over the amount of smoke flavour - and perceived "level" of smoke flavour from the logs. My pellet experience is only with the FEC100 and Traeger... So if this is true it helps with my decision...

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by Prairie Smoke

Very intriguing Todd... "it is a fact"... Why is the yield higher in a pellet pit? I'm not doubting you, just curious about the reason. That's a pretty big savings in a commercial environment.

Did you trim any fat cap off these butts?
Thanks

What I've been told is that gas robs moisture from the air while a pellet fire doesn't. You'd have to ask Fast Eddy or Cookshack or maybe Candy Sue why that is. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Did not trim fat cap. You know how much work it is to trim on 500+ lbs of butts. Yikes! I was just happy when it was all over. That was a lot of pork! We did 800 the year before.

EDIT: The 64% was AFTER we pulled everything and bagged it. Fat was removed after cooking and before weighing. Just to be clear.

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by Prairie Smoke

I never realized this! I too am shopping for a big commercial pit to expand my catering operations and I was leaning towards OH / SP just because of the greater control over the amount of smoke flavour - and perceived "level" of smoke flavour from the logs. My pellet experience is only with the FEC100 and Traeger... So if this is true it helps with my decision...

A pellet pit and a stick pit will be different. They are two different animals. I love the food that comes off of that big pellet pit, though. I've said more than once that I'd like to take my 100's off of the competition trailer and replace with a FEC-300. That would be the perfect comp machine for me having spent time with the FEC-500.

[jbrink01]

Todd said it. I have 2 - 500's, and get great yield.

[Jeff Hughes]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

What I've been told is that gas robs moisture from the air while a pellet fire doesn't. You'd have to ask Fast Eddy or Cookshack or maybe Candy Sue why that is. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

That make sense based on a conversation I had with Eddy last year...

[Ranbo]

I have a had a long agonizing look about this myself. I personally would go with the FEC but the Ole Hickory is a fine machine. This is based on watching friends who have bussiness and use both kinds of smokers every day. When ever my wife finally says yes to the resturaunt it will be a FEC, but I do not like the rotissere in the FEC 300. I would like a little more room between shelfs. Part of the overall decision for me is based on it's easier to get pellets in certain flavors cheaper than wood.

[BRBBQ]

If you go OLE Hick, go the bigger EL model, better flavor