So very confused (tire kicking/window shopping)

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Baychilla

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At the moment I have an old Weber Genesis gasser, an old WSM (pre thermo/ash catcher) and a large Big Green Egg. I've never really been thrilled with the WSM. It's turned out some decent food, but it's been kept more for a "if other things somehow break" type of day. The Egg is fine for searing but I'm not overly thrilled with the smoke it puts on long low and slows (also its smothered itself a few times with and w/o a Guru). For that reason (or just because something new would be well...new) I'm starting to look (again) at something different.

At one point I was looking at everything from IVCs to gravity feeds to a pellet pooper. I'm thinking an IVC and gravity feed would be similar in flavor to the WSM so they've moved towards the bottom of my list. The Mak 1 star looks like an interesting device for smoking and some people say its near/equal to a stick burner. That seems interesting the flavor of a stick burner with the ease of a set and forget.

Then I made the mistake of watching some videos on the new LSG 20" offset. I've never used a stick burner before so if I went that route there'd definitely be a learning curve involved. This would have the benefit of being an actual stick burner and I believe may have a bit more space (better to have and need not than need and have not).

Price wise they'd be about a wash (or close enough) that it's not a case of one's vastly more expensive than the other. Ditto fuel.

I think that leaves longevity and how much I'd be willing or not to put the time into a stick burner (assuming that indeed the Mak = stick burner in smoke profile). Options are good until you think you've narrowed it down.
:blah: :wacko:
 
2 excellent cookers. If you have never used a stick burner, I am not sure I would pay that much for a starter pit. I would recommend buying a cheaper offset, and make sure you like the process, and have time for it.
 
I went from a couple WSMs to a 24x60 Shirley RF, to another Shirley RF, then to a direct offset stick burner. While there is a bit of a learning curve to running a stick burner there have been a lot of good threads here about fire management. The biggest thing question is... Do you want to tend a fire or do you want a set it and forget it type cooker? I enjoy tending the fire but have a UDS if I need something I can set and forget.
 
Keep egg. Buy a quality stick and a mid range pellet. GTG


OR

Consult SmittyJonz
 
I personally believe stickburners are the best way to go, but you will also need to take into account the cost of wood. It says you're in San Francisco and just recently somebody made a post about the high cost of wood in your general area and that's kind of a pain. Also you'll need a place to store a decent amount of wood... at least 1-2 palettes worth.

With all this being necessary, stickburners are kind of a way of life in terms of owning and operating them. They demand a lot of attention and wood, but I personally feel they make the best BBQ when operated properly. They are also kind of a spectacle that others are always interested in. Nobody is clamoring to see a Mak-1 operate but when you fire up a good offset pit it gets peoples attention.

I have a Johnson Smokers pit and I love it, but looking at those new LSG 20" style smokers they look to be a good piece of equipment for a pretty reasonable price. And it sounds like they are banging them out very quickly so that's always a plus.

Good luck with whatever you choose, but it sounds like you're looking at good quality equipment so you really can't go wrong either way. I spent about 6 months going back and forth between a ton of different smokers before I found Johnson Smokers. I was close to buying a Yoder Stockton, then a Stumps, then a Lang, and it just went on and on. I'm glad I settled where I did and ~15 months of cooking later I'm still very glad I ended up going with a stickburner.
 
This is a pretty easy decision imo and one I contemplated, I had a WSM, actually liked cooking on it and results other than it was too small (18.5) for my liking. So I purchased a Hunsaker Drum, love it but wanted something else to cook on that would give me a different smoke profile than a Charcoal Cooker just to change things up, I also grill and smoke on a Weber Performer.

Was looking to add to what I already have, not replace and it came down to how much effort do I want to put into a cook. Fall is coming (college football) and almost every Saturday I have guests over and do a good size cook. If I'm watching a good game I don't want to be bothered with having to go out and baby sit a cooker or throw a stick every 45 minutes to an hour. If you could always time it on a commercial break then cool, can't count on that.

I guess you could call me a lazy cook but a stick burner would probably get used 6-8 times a year, the rest of the cooks would be on the Drum or Weber, the stick burner would be at the bottom of the Totem Pole as far as how often it would be used.

If you think you would like putting in the time and love the process of cooking on a stick burner then go that route. I would personally love to own a LSG 24" x 36" LSG Offset but knowing how much I would probably cook on it, just can't justify it right now, maybe one day.
 
Last edited:
Rockinar said:
No pellet smoker is going to be like a stick burner. It's just not.

If you want stick burner flavor without the stick burner footprint, look at the KBQ

Its basically a compact stick burner with no fire management.

https://kbq.us/product/kbq-c-60-pit/
Click to expand...

I'very seen videos of these in action they look interesting but dangerous at the same time. They appear to get extremely hot on the exterior and it looks as though hot embers can escape from the wood hopper on top making it a fire hazard in my opinion.
 
I have a MAK 1 Star & I have a new LSG 20x42 offset that will be delivered tomorrow. I love my MAK but I expect the smoke profile of the LSG to be in an entirely different class. As someone else said, pellet grills can’t compete with stickburners when it comes to smoke flavor.

I put up a post yesterday inquiring about the cost of wood here in the Bay Area but I’ve quickly learned (thanks to the great advice on this forum) that good deals can be found on Craig’s List & also in Napa & Sonoma Counties. There are a few places in the Napa area that I may try. I have a pickup truck so I will pickup the wood myself to save some money.
 
I had never used a stick burner when I got my LSG HOS, I followed the instructions and by the time I was done with the initial seasoning I pretty much had the fire management down. Of course I joined this site a couple of months before my offset arrived so I had the benefit of the Brethren knowledge so it seemed second nature by the time my cooker arrived.
 
Look at the ABS All Star. It's something that doesn't get mentioned on here and I should recommend it as a different option for people looking for a new smoker. I came from a stick burner that I loved, but didn't always have time to tend the fire every 45 minutes...30 if it was windy here in Kansas which is a lot. I have buddies with pellet and kamado cookers. Both put out good bbq, but just didn't do it for me flavor wise. I researched every type of smoker out there for over a year and decided on the All Star. I'm glad I did...love it. It's a rear offset. It gives me nice smoke flavor with lump and wood chunks. I can get a little over 3 hours on one load fuel so I can relax, but also tend to the fire some which I do like to do, just not as much as I once did.

Good luck in your quest for a new smoker! It can be maddening, but also fun.
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@op

What do you not like about the wsm?

It's possible that a new cooker may or may not fix your issues.

I like a uds because they are under $100 for most people who have the ability to diy but it should have the same taste profile as a wsm
 
A few forum members own M Grills and seem to like them. Both an adjustable grill and wood smoker but could also use just charcoal as well.
 
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