Blutch
Full Fledged Farker
Brethren,
After my first cook with the UDS, I'm wondering why I would keep my big offset. I've been listing pros and cons and have come up with a lot more cons than pros. I'm not a competitor and don't have time to do it even if I were to want to.
Here is the list of cons on using the offset - fuel.. I don't have an easy or inexpensive source of wood. Inneficience - requires constant tending and fiddling.. I know some enjoy this and so do I when I have two days to blow - which is rare.. Uneven grate temp - Even with a heavy baffle and custom charcoal basket I have to constantly rotate the meat due to inconsisten temps at the grat.. I know I could put in tuning plates and move the exhaust chute down to grate level to help with this, but I don't think it will ever be as even as the drum is. Messy... rotating meat and dealing with the fire is very messy on the deck. Cleaning the pit is also a huge job. I have a great charcoal basket/ash pan setup in the drum which makes cleanup easy. Taste - the Q I did in the drum was as good or better than anything I've been able to do in the offset.. I haven't had the offset that long so I know in time I would get better at it, but I'm asking myself why go through all that when the drum is working great.
Pros - space? The drum has almost as much space and I could build another one fairly easily. Cold weather cooking? Offset is thick, drum is thin.. I wonder in cold and wind how the drum will do? No experience there. The offset looks cool on the deck, the drum looks like my name is Billy Joe Bob and I live in the hills.
That's where my thoughts are. Someone talk me out of selling the offset.
B
After my first cook with the UDS, I'm wondering why I would keep my big offset. I've been listing pros and cons and have come up with a lot more cons than pros. I'm not a competitor and don't have time to do it even if I were to want to.
Here is the list of cons on using the offset - fuel.. I don't have an easy or inexpensive source of wood. Inneficience - requires constant tending and fiddling.. I know some enjoy this and so do I when I have two days to blow - which is rare.. Uneven grate temp - Even with a heavy baffle and custom charcoal basket I have to constantly rotate the meat due to inconsisten temps at the grat.. I know I could put in tuning plates and move the exhaust chute down to grate level to help with this, but I don't think it will ever be as even as the drum is. Messy... rotating meat and dealing with the fire is very messy on the deck. Cleaning the pit is also a huge job. I have a great charcoal basket/ash pan setup in the drum which makes cleanup easy. Taste - the Q I did in the drum was as good or better than anything I've been able to do in the offset.. I haven't had the offset that long so I know in time I would get better at it, but I'm asking myself why go through all that when the drum is working great.
Pros - space? The drum has almost as much space and I could build another one fairly easily. Cold weather cooking? Offset is thick, drum is thin.. I wonder in cold and wind how the drum will do? No experience there. The offset looks cool on the deck, the drum looks like my name is Billy Joe Bob and I live in the hills.
That's where my thoughts are. Someone talk me out of selling the offset.
B
