MMMM.. BRISKET..
The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.  



Our Homepage Donation to Forum Overhead Welocme Merchandise Associations Purchase Subscription Amazon Affiliate
Go Back   The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS. > Discussion Area > Q-talk

Notices

Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 07-06-2006, 11:38 AM   #1
offa1a
On the road to being a farker
 
offa1a's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-05-06
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach,FL(near J'ville)
Default Brethren advice please

Looking into getting my first smoker/grill. I like the Brinkman pitmaster, but what do I know. How about the CB Bandera? I can't wait to start some real smoking with some real knowledge. I've done it all guess work so far. Any input into my first baby would be appreciated. I could read these threads all day. So much knowledge so little time. My boss just doesn't understand.
__________________
Kurt

-BKSD
- Ducane POS Gas grill
offa1a is offline   Reply With Quote




Old 07-06-2006, 12:01 PM   #2
Bigmista
somebody shut me the fark up.
 
Bigmista's Avatar
 
Join Date: 05-24-04
Location: Long Beach, CA
Default

We need some info about you to give you a good answer.

What is your budget?

Do you have access to lots of wood or will you be using charcoal?

Do you enjoy the challenge of managing a fire or do you prefer the hands off approach?

How much space do you have available?

How many people on average do you plan to cook for?

Will this be a stationary cooker or do you want something portable?

Answering these questions will allow us to be more helpful to you.
__________________
Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook?


Rec Tec RT-700 Bull
Pitmaker Vault



Remembering Scott
Bigmista is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 12:08 PM   #3
Ron_L
Moderator
 
Ron_L's Avatar
 
Join Date: 12-09-04
Location: Wandering, but not lost
Name/Nickname : Captain Ron
Default

Yeah... What Mista said!

Give us some guidance on what you want to do with it, Kurt, and I'm sure you'll get more recommendations than you want!
__________________
"Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..."


Naked Fatties Rock!

PKGo X 2/PK360/
Ron_L is online now   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 12:46 PM   #4
kickassbbq
is One Chatty Farker
 
kickassbbq's Avatar
 
Join Date: 10-20-05
Location: mn
Default

I know nothing about the Bandera, except the guys that have them really like them.
I DO know about the Brinkmann PitMaster. I have used mine 3 times a week for about 12 years. You can get one for about 150.00. It is a GREAT smoker and I would rather use it than my 3000.00 Lang!!!!!!!!!!
Smoke On!!!!!!!!!!!!
PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________
Smoke On!!!!!!
[URL="http://www.kickassbbq.com"]www.kickassbbq.com[/URL]
kickassbbq is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 12:56 PM   #5
Q_Egg
is One Chatty Farker
 
Q_Egg's Avatar
 
Join Date: 05-06-06
Location: St George, UT
Default WoW !! ... kickassbbq ... you got my attention!

.... I continue to consider adding this 'style' cooker and your comment certainly gets my attention. If you had to rank the 'typical' range of products in terms of the Brinkman's strengths/weaknesses, where does it shine versus doing 'just ok' (brisket, butt, ribs, chicken, fish, ....) in your lengthy experience ?

Do you turn to the Lang mainly when cook amount requires it ??
__________________
Tom B.
[FONT=Garamond]aka tommy_bandera
----------------------------------
GMG_Daniel Boone _ pellets only
Big Green Egg _ Large _ need high heat
Broilmaster D3 'natural' gasser
[I]CB Bandera .. hooked me
Traeger Texas 075 spoiled me[/I][/FONT]
Q_Egg is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 02:22 PM   #6
offa1a
On the road to being a farker
 
offa1a's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-05-06
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach,FL(near J'ville)
Default

We need some info about you to give you a good answer.

What is your budget?- No set budget but being my first want it to be decent

Do you have access to lots of wood or will you be using charcoal?- I know charcoal is a given but being close to GA I know I can get some PECAn and other good woods

Do you enjoy the challenge of managing a fire or do you prefer the hands off approach?- I think I like the hands on approach

How much space do you have available?Good amount of space in the back yard but my neighbors love seeing me grilling out in the driveway in our hood. What can I say I'm still a Philly boy at heart

How many people on average do you plan to cook for?Just sharing with friends and family to start . 4 - 15 (to big a range)

Will this be a stationary cooker or do you want something portable?I can go with either but I like the idea of portability.


I'm thinking if I go bigger and don't cook a lot at once it will mean a lot of wood/charcoal use for nothing, but than Starting out small and than needing to upgrade right away isn't good either. Is there such a thing as a middle of the roader??
__________________
Kurt

-BKSD
- Ducane POS Gas grill
offa1a is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 02:32 PM   #7
Jorge
somebody shut me the fark up.
 
Jorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-23-04
Location: DFW, San AntonioTx
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by offa1a
We need some info about you to give you a good answer.

What is your budget?- No set budget but being my first want it to be decent

Do you have access to lots of wood or will you be using charcoal?- I know charcoal is a given but being close to GA I know I can get some PECAn and other good woods

Do you enjoy the challenge of managing a fire or do you prefer the hands off approach?- I think I like the hands on approach

How much space do you have available?Good amount of space in the back yard but my neighbors love seeing me grilling out in the driveway in our hood. What can I say I'm still a Philly boy at heart

How many people on average do you plan to cook for?Just sharing with friends and family to start . 4 - 15 (to big a range)

Will this be a stationary cooker or do you want something portable?I can go with either but I like the idea of portability.


I'm thinking if I go bigger and don't cook a lot at once it will mean a lot of wood/charcoal use for nothing, but than Starting out small and than needing to upgrade right away isn't good either. Is there such a thing as a middle of the roader??
One of the biggest complaints I hear about any cooker is lack of capacity. If budget allows go a little bigger than you think you need to.
__________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. --Frank Zappa

Keeping Valspar in BBQ, one cook at a time.

Recipient of a Huggies box!

Shut up, and cook!!!!
Jorge is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 03:05 PM   #8
offa1a
On the road to being a farker
 
offa1a's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-05-06
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach,FL(near J'ville)
Default

That's my thinking. It's the same with any hobby passion you do. Anytime I start out with th ebase model i'm quickly wanting to upgrade
__________________
Kurt

-BKSD
- Ducane POS Gas grill
offa1a is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 05:55 PM   #9
LeeBo
On the road to being a farker
 
LeeBo's Avatar
 
Join Date: 02-11-05
Location: Soonerville, OK
Default

I have a 1996 Bandera and a 2006 Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM). I bought my Bandera at Sam's in the winter and got a great deal on it; plus, it's better built than today's models. It's produced some great Q.

My reason for buying the WSM was that it's just my wife and me. While the Bandera can cook a heckuva lot more meat, it's a fuel hog and has to be tended every hour or so. That can be a good day with friends and beer, but more times that not I felt shackled buy it. Plus, after that much fire tending I was often ready for a Big Mac instead.

I debated buying a WSM for about a year mainly because.... it just didn't look cool like a big heavy guage smoker. Silly reason, but it's the truth. There, I said it. I know, looks don't affect the meat - guilty as charged.

Well, I've used the WSM twice and love it. I can cook ALL DAY on 10 pounds of charcoal and only have to check on it every four hours or so. It takes up less room in the garage (although I'm not giving up the Bandera). I suppose I'll only get out the Bandera for big jobs. Otherwise, the WSM is more enjoyable for me. Quicker fire-up time, longer smokes, less fuel, stable temps.

The best price is at http://grill-doctor.stores.yahoo.net/18smmo.html
LeeBo is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 07:09 PM   #10
queball
On the road to being a farker
 
queball's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-26-05
Location: southwest of what's left of New Orleans
Default

There is a pretty darn good chance that your first wont be your last so dont over-think it. It seems to me that budget should be the driver here and there are many choices for entry level cooks. Its just heat, meat and patience. I can tell that most of these guys are really good at what they do and I am sure that most could cook great bbq on just about any operable pit. As you improve your technique you will get a better feel for what you need.
__________________
Cajun Grill Super by Percy Guidry
Cajun Microwave by Queball

"If God did'nt want us to eat cows, he would'nt have made them out of meat."
queball is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 07:53 PM   #11
colt45
Full Fledged Farker
 
colt45's Avatar
 
Join Date: 08-11-03
Location: Tomball, TX
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeBo
I have a 1996 Bandera and a 2006 Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM). I bought my Bandera at Sam's in the winter and got a great deal on it; plus, it's better built than today's models. It's produced some great Q.

My reason for buying the WSM was that it's just my wife and me. While the Bandera can cook a heckuva lot more meat, it's a fuel hog and has to be tended every hour or so. That can be a good day with friends and beer, but more times that not I felt shackled buy it. Plus, after that much fire tending I was often ready for a Big Mac instead.

I debated buying a WSM for about a year mainly because.... it just didn't look cool like a big heavy guage smoker. Silly reason, but it's the truth. There, I said it. I know, looks don't affect the meat - guilty as charged.

Well, I've used the WSM twice and love it. I can cook ALL DAY on 10 pounds of charcoal and only have to check on it every four hours or so. It takes up less room in the garage (although I'm not giving up the Bandera). I suppose I'll only get out the Bandera for big jobs. Otherwise, the WSM is more enjoyable for me. Quicker fire-up time, longer smokes, less fuel, stable temps.

The best price is at http://grill-doctor.stores.yahoo.net/18smmo.html
EXACTLY what he said... except some by some strange occurance a WSM showed up at my door one day...
__________________
[size=6][b][color=blue]Colt 45[/size][/b][/color]
Josh
Chater Member
Currently without a Chapter
colt45 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 07:58 PM   #12
offa1a
On the road to being a farker
 
offa1a's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-05-06
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach,FL(near J'ville)
Default

Sounds like a lot of great advice. I had a WSM some years back and it seemed difficult to add more coals as well as having to remove racks if I was wanting to turn something a rack down. I need to go out and start lookin
__________________
Kurt

-BKSD
- Ducane POS Gas grill
offa1a is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 08:04 PM   #13
Doorbusters
Full Fledged Farker
 
Doorbusters's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-05-06
Location: Wichita, KS
Default

Dude, everyone has great points. You cannot go wrong with the Bandera, it does not sound like you are cooking for 50 people, Go with the Bandera.
__________________
[FONT="Arial Black"][/FONT] Custom offset (Delilah)
Bandera on the Welfare Wagon
Doorbusters is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 10:43 PM   #14
LeeBo
On the road to being a farker
 
LeeBo's Avatar
 
Join Date: 02-11-05
Location: Soonerville, OK
Default

I gotta admit, one of the best points made was queball who said, "I am sure that most could cook great bbq on just about any operable pit."

Heck, my dad has a buddy that made a smoker out of a farkin' casket. Yes - the thing used to bury dead people. Says it's well insulated, plenty of room, and makes great Q.
LeeBo is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 07-06-2006, 11:27 PM   #15
kcquer
Lives in Spirit
 
kcquer's Avatar
 
Join Date: 02-17-04
Location: Wherever there's Sweet Blue
Default

Have a look and see if you can find a Brinkmann Smoke King Deluxe. It's the mirror image of a Bandera, and the general consensus is that of the current versions of the 2 the BSKD is of a bit higher quality.

Either one will serve you well as an entry level cooker, plenty of capacity (plan on ordering some extra shelves) for larger cooks, will do some grilling and isn't such a fuel hog that you can't fire it up for a couple racks of ribs.

No matter what cooker you end up with, this is the place to learn how to use it!!
kcquer is offline   Reply With Quote


Reply

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Need advice from the Brethren stellarfly Q-talk 3 12-12-2010 09:46 AM
New to Brethren but would really appreciate some advice. Demosthenes9 Catering, Vending and Cooking For The Masses. 9 05-07-2010 12:32 PM
Brethren in need of knife advice... quad150db Q-talk 28 12-28-2008 10:09 PM

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Forum Custom Search: Enter your Search text below. GOOGLE will search ONLY the BBQ Brethren Forum.
Custom search MAY not work(no display box) in some configurations of Internet Explorer. Please use compliant version of Firefox or Chrome.







All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:56 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
2003 -2012 © BBQ-Brethren Inc. All rights reserved. All Content and Flaming Pig Logo are registered and protected under U.S and International Copyright and Trademarks. Content Within this Website Is Property of BBQ Brethren Inc. Reproduction or alteration is strictly prohibited.
no new posts