time to upgrade... help me out!

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BuffaloDave

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So I'm in the market for a new smoker. I currently have an 18.5 WSM and 2 22.5 weber kettles.

Maybe I'm suffering from information overload, but I can't seem to narrow it down. I'm sure I overlooked plenty of good fabricators maybe someone here can help. I have offers to do some small pop-ups and not enough space to cook what I want.

Criteria- pretty basic really

Enough space for 6 packer briskets comfortably

no pellet/gravity feed/gas assist

insulated cabinet-buffalo winters need I say more.




I really wanted to get an Ironside CDR, but they aren't available until october. I figure it's the perfect way to transition from charcoal into hardwood so I may just hold out, but I really want something sooner. I'm open to offset and though cabinet would be an easier transition I want to eventually be using all hardwood. Any suggestions?
 
A Shirley Fabrication patio cabinet would run those 6 packer's with ease in the winter, I'm on the dead end side of Lake Michigan with the North winds and brutal winters and that pit laughs at the cold.

A small Mixon H20 wouldn't be terrible either, both those pits are easy on wood use and have plenty of space for what you want to do on larger cooks and still small enough you won't use up the wood pile to run a butt or two.
 
BuffaloDave said:
I knew someone would say shirley. Love them, but 3 year wait
Click to expand...

No Sir, St. Louis BBQ store has a shipment of them due in soon and most of them will have warmers.

Flat out amazing pit, one of the very best I have ever owned and a good bit of the lower and back side is 3/8" steel being non insulated was not an issue in the worst of the cold.

I ran that a few days below zero in terrible wind chills and it held temp's perfectly.
 
If that is what you really want, October will be here before you know it, you have the WSM's to get you by until then, if you settle for something else then you're just going to think about what if, at least I would anyways.
 
I was snooping around Lone Star Grillz website a few days ago and noticed they have a 12-14 week shipping time on their big units. Just something to consider.
 
Also consider dealing with the water on pit like the Ironside or Mixon H20, that's an issue when it's really cold out those pits have welded in water in pans and require water to cool them.
 
You'll definitely need an insulated cabinet in Buffalo winters.

What's your aversion to gravity feeds?

I have an Assassin 24 gravity feed that I run year round - even in near zero winter temps with howling wind, and I have no problem keeping spot-on temperature.

Something to consider.
 
You may want to check these guys out as well.
Winter months where I am are pretty cold maybe not Buffalo cold but nonetheless pretty cold. Mine performs just as well in sub zero temps as it does in 90 degree weather. I don't cook with water as no water pan needed with these units although if you wanted to you could always slide the pan in.
www.cascadesmokers.com/
 
lot of choices for good insulated cabinets out there.

Pitmaker, LSG, and Humphrey's to name a few. I'm partial to my Vault, but if you're considering using it to do pop up cooks, be forewarned that any and all of the big insulated cookers are hernia-heavy.
 
BuffaloDave said:
So I'm in the market for a new smoker. I currently have an 18.5 WSM and 2 22.5 weber kettles.

Maybe I'm suffering from information overload, but I can't seem to narrow it down. I'm sure I overlooked plenty of good fabricators maybe someone here can help. I have offers to do some small pop-ups and not enough space to cook what I want.

Criteria- pretty basic really

Enough space for 6 packer briskets comfortably

no pellet/gravity feed/gas assist

insulated cabinet-buffalo winters need I say more.




I really wanted to get an Ironside CDR, but they aren't available until october. I figure it's the perfect way to transition from charcoal into hardwood so I may just hold out, but I really want something sooner. I'm open to offset and though cabinet would be an easier transition I want to eventually be using all hardwood. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

The holiday weekender would be an excellent choice. It will be my next addition as my current two Humphrey's are mounted in a truck and I want one for fun at home.
 
Already some options I hadn't already looked at. Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep em coming!



InThePitBBQ said:
No Sir, St. Louis BBQ store has a shipment of them due in soon and most of them will have warmers.

Flat out amazing pit, one of the very best I have ever owned and a good bit of the lower and back side is 3/8" steel being non insulated was not an issue in the worst of the cold.

I ran that a few days below zero in terrible wind chills and it held temp's perfectly.
Click to expand...

I'll def look into this one, I was under the impression all models were backordered forever. Thanks!
 
Smoking Piney said:
It reads like you really want to able to cook in very cold weather and be able to handle a considerable load of meat. A good cooker that can do that well will set you back some serious coin.

Take your time and choose wisely. Buy once - be happy.
Click to expand...

I quickly realized I wasn't going to get what I want for 3k. This thread has me going through and looking at some options I didn't THINK I needed haha.


Another issue is everything is so far away I will likely need to ship it. Def gotta make it count.
 
InThePitBBQ said:
A Shirley Fabrication patio cabinet would run those 6 packer's with ease in the winter, I'm on the dead end side of Lake Michigan with the North winds and brutal winters and that pit laughs at the cold.
Click to expand...


Was looking at the STLbbq site and pricing. The largest option was patio model with 3 racks (6", 5", 3.5 inch spacing) and a 2 rack warmer, how much meat could I load up on this thing? My concern is that I may have to upgrade even bigger eventually, but that's a ways away.
 
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