What wins - smoker wise?

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Sarge

Got Wood.
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As I'm sitting here in Kettering at the Ohio Veterans BBQ Comp tending the stickburner and talking to our neighbors with a pellet pooper I was wondering - what wins?

Is there an observable trend of higher scores between the different types of smokers - stick burners, pellet poopers, and the ceramics?

Has anyone else looked at this or should I begin my own research?

Thanks,

Sarge
 
If the question was "who gets more sleep" well I could answer that.
 
A few months back someone noticed that among the top 20 or 30 teams in KCBS that
most were using pellet poopers and made a correlation that they obviously were
better (win more). I think it has more to do with competitors who compete more often,
more often than not, would like to get a little sleep. There were a few stick burner
teams up there, and a few ceramic cooker teams.

More than anything else, it has to do with what Larry said; cooks win competitions.
 
We use 4 WSMs, that's nearly as backyard as you can get.

"It's not the cooker, it's the cook" is a cliche because it's true. As long as you've got something that you can get to your desired temperature that will hold it steady for you, you're good.
 
DivaHerself said:
We use 4 WSMs, that's nearly as backyard as you can get.

"It's not the cooker, it's the cook" is a cliche because it's true. As long as you've got something that you can get to your desired temperature that will hold it steady for you, you're good.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. Spent thousands on various high-end pits before really understanding - "It's not the cooker, it's the cook." Simple is best, and knowing your pit(s), and how they run is just as important as the meat, seasonings, and/or sauces. And practice on the off weekends. I'm doing a practice cook now on pork butt, wings, sausage, pig candy, beef sliders, and grilled jerk chicken.
 
80% cook, 20% Pit.

You could be the best cook in the world and if that pit you built or bought doesnt draft your stuck!
 
True comps oughtta use old school stuff. Nothin against pellets (I'm thinking of getting one to get more sleep) but it just seems right to use wood/charcoal rather than a machine.
 
starvinmarvin said:
True comps oughtta use old school stuff. Nothin against pellets (I'm thinking of getting one to get more sleep) but it just seems right to use wood/charcoal rather than a machine.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree with that statement. Some of the art of tending fires to hold temps steady is being lost.

I believe also it is the mainly the cook and not the cooker, but in correlation to the pellet poopers it is about consistency. Turning out the same desired product each time once they find something that works.
 
My college track coach used to always say:

"I'll take mine and beat yours, AND I'll take yours and mine."

As it relates to BBQ, I think he'd probably say "it don't matter what cooker you use...a good cook is gonna have good results (and the opposite is also true)."
 
It really is the cook. We beat guys w/ 16 ft + trailers with 2 custom smokers fairly regularly. I have a $300 OK Joe.

It's the cook, but you _must_ understand your tool.

Mark
 
I think its a matter of knowing your cooker. I bet if a top team wanted to they could win on any cooker with a little practice.
 
I believe it's the cook and not the cooker, as well. I also believe that you can get consistent temps in offsets and pellet machines once you know how the equipment works, but it takes more work with an offset, as there is no thermostat. And if you cook with wood then you'll have to tend with temp swings.............but you can make it work. I'm not sure if there's a difference in say a pellet cooker that holds 250°F ± 5° vs an offset that averages 250°F with swings of ± 20° - 30°.

I have an offset..........I just don't sleep much..........err, not at all. I take cat naps! I resplit my fireplace sized sticks to minimize the temp swings and to maintain a certain temp with a lively fire to minimize smoke. I could use charcoal that would give me better temp control and probably enable me to better utilize a BBQ Guru or Stoker for even better temp control, less fuel consumption and.............much more sleep!
 
I am probably in the minority but on my pellet cooker I check at 11, 230, and up at 6. Just making sure things are still humming. I know a few other teams that check middle of night too.
 
starvinmarvin said:
True comps oughtta use old school stuff. Nothin against pellets (I'm thinking of getting one to get more sleep) but it just seems right to use wood/charcoal rather than a machine.
Click to expand...

I never understand this argument. Do you think people who use pellets have always used pellets?

If you agree it's the cook not the cooker, then it doesn't matter.

From you statement you think they win because they have a pellet smoker? I think the other posts address that one.

What about guru's and stokers's?

I come at it from the opposite direction, bring anything, gas, charcoal, electric whatever. I'd cook against anyone on anything because I don't want your excuse to be the smoker you ARE or ARE NOT cooking on.

Old school? What's that? How about smokers like Geer pits, that are so well made, that's not old school.

Only real old school is a pit in the ground.

Russ
 
We've had very good luck with WSM's and a WSM clone (Cajun Bandit)...but they are just pits...the real magic is getting the pit to do what the pitmaster wants it to. :cool:
 
Doesn't matter what you cook on, the judges are gonna fark ya over most the time anyways. :tsk:
 
I check my pellet cooker twice as much as I every checked my stick burner. Just me though.
 
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