Smoker question backwoods/weber

jketron

jketron

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For those with backwoods smoker and webers which do you prefer?

I have a weber wsm now and I'm looking at a party to use for serious home and competing.
 
I prefer both. I use both at home and for competing. Highly recommend the setup.
 
I have three 18" WSM's and a BWS Fatboy(both great cookers) and I use both for home and comps. I tried using just the fatboy for a contest, it can be done but your timing has to be perfect. I would recommend using both cookers for comps, one WSM and one BWS. It's nice to have the extra cooking space in case your timing is a little off.
 
once I got my Party I got rid of both my wsm's..qlthough I did end up buying a used Chubby
 
Started using a Party and WSM this year for comps and practice. Absolutely love it so far.
 
This is a great help guys, I've been eyeing out a Backwoods unit for some time. I know you dont need to spend the 1400+ on a party and will do fine with several WSM units as SLD does and many others but they look nice :)

I'm debating a Backwoods Party or a small horizontal cooker like a Jacks old South. I like the cabinet style with a door. I like the horizontal unit for that you can run the unit with differring temps from side to side to some degree.

Back to the Backwoods Party, I'd like to make it as easy to transport as possible and I'm thinking about getting the handles for the obvious reason and that I can use them as a tie down point and then casters to roll this unit around as needed.

Any heads up?
 
jketron said:
This is a great help guys, I've been eyeing out a Backwoods unit for some time. I know you dont need to spend the 1400+ on a party and will do fine with several WSM units as SLD does and many others but they look nice :)

I'm debating a Backwoods Party or a small horizontal cooker like a Jacks old South. I like the cabinet style with a door. I like the horizontal unit for that you can run the unit with differring temps from side to side to some degree.

Back to the Backwoods Party, I'd like to make it as easy to transport as possible and I'm thinking about getting the handles for the obvious reason and that I can use them as a tie down point and then casters to roll this unit around as needed.

Any heads up?
Click to expand...

The Party comes with handles on the side. "tie down handles" are an option but they are probably not necessary. Casters are great, but you can add them yourself for a lot less money than Backwoods charges. A heat diverter is a must.
 
Smokin Hoggz said:
I have three 18" WSM's and a BWS Fatboy(both great cookers) and I use both for home and comps. I tried using just the fatboy for a contest, it can be done but your timing has to be perfect. I would recommend using both cookers for comps, one WSM and one BWS. It's nice to have the extra cooking space in case your timing is a little off.
Click to expand...

I put a lot of faith in what Bill has to say.

I'm transitioning to a Backwoods/WSM setup myself this year. The only knock I have on my WSMs is that it's hard to keep the 22" up over 240F when it's loaded up. Other than that, the all-WSM setup did really well for me in 2011. I just decided it was time to add a heavier-duty cooker to the inventory, and my Extended Party is big enough to get even the occasional 20 lb. packer in. If you can swing a BWS with a larger grate (Extended Party, Gator, Fatboy, Competitor) it'll probably make life easier.
 
jketron said:
For those with backwoods smoker and webers which do you prefer?

I have a weber wsm now and I'm looking at a party to use for serious home and competing.
Click to expand...

I have two wsms (one each) and a fatboy. I like the WSMs and use them a lot but the Fatboy is the best of the three. Not even close in my Opinion. JMO
 
Had been using 2 WSMs for comps. Bought the Party in the offseason. Party is the best of the 3. That being said...you can still use the WSMs to have extra cooking space.

Make sure to get the heat diverter. The commercial fire grate is nice too, but you can make your own for far less.
 
I use a fatboy and 1 18.5" WSM. I started out just using the fatboy for all 4 meats, but I found my chicken took on too much smoke color. Not flavor, just ended up darker than I like. I now cook my chicken in the WSM. The fatboy does great for pork and brisket and is a rib machine!
 
Party is great, but IMHO needs mods that you may want to factor in.
(in rough order)
- heat diverter
- extended
- commercial fire grate
- 180* door
- extra sliders

And the WSM will sit beside it. They make a nice combo :thumb:
 
180 degree door? Hmm interesting. The standard door can be a slight pain as it needs to be all the way open to slide racks out. But I've found that a bungee cord helps with that.

Heat diverter - a must (helps water last a lot longer)
Extra sliders - for the party - absolutely, give a lot more set up options as the space between racks isn't quit enough for briskets


jketron said:
Back to the Backwoods Party, I'd like to make it as easy to transport as possible and I'm thinking about getting the handles for the obvious reason and that I can use them as a tie down point and then casters to roll this unit around as needed.
Click to expand...

Another idea instead of casters is a dolly with pneumatic wheels. Why? easier to roll though gravel or soft surfaces. Plus the dolly can come in handy for hauling water or other things around a comp. When I had a party, I picked one up from Tractor Supply for $20. Best $20 I've ever spent. I don't have the Party anymore, but still have the dolly.

That said, casters are nice too - but stay away from pneumatic unless you like replacing them.
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: pat
I guess I am the lone ranger, but I did not like our 2 partys and had trouble keeping up temps when they were loaded with food, even with a guru. I no longer have them and still have my WSM s..and a FEC100...It takes about half hour to get a wsm dialed in and then you don't have to touch it for 12 hours..Pretty simple but effective smoker.
 
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