New guy. Need help choosing new vice

WSM or UDS are great choices for a newbie. A PBC is as well but with the PBC you lose the learning curve of actually tending a fire.

IMHO a PBC is a good "next step" smoker because the way it is designed and operates, it forces you to learn to let go of the pit probe and constant temp checking and to focus on just letting the meat cook. It takes you back to just throwing meat over fire and letting it cook. Learn fire management and maintaining good temps with a UDS or WSM first, and then add a PBC for those days that you just want to throw the meat on and sit and drink beer.

For me the ultimate is a real smokehouse.

You can start small and many people are doing good stuff with a propane fueled chip pan. I too like a challange and making a day of tending the smoker and enjoying a few beverages is a good time in my book.

I do also have a small brinkman propane smoker and use it for small work or cheese with the AMAZE-N-SMOKER and it works well. ( I did add another regulator and fuel valve to get better control of the heat).

Side box stick burner is another inexpensive route to start. Or you can spend as much as you like and buy many options, Yoder, Stump, assassin, lang, or custom made.

Here is a few links of smoke house cooks

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=172692

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...89#post2656989

http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2008/01/building-cold-smoker-smokehouse.html

uds or wsm are great to start out on. To learn the "art" of good Q I would recomend a stick burner. That being said I started out on a wsm knock off and used it for years. But I will say after converting to a stick burner there is no going back. Good luck on your new vice.

you know something, this email was a lot like my first few here. I researched like crazy looking for the right Q to get going. I really think you need to decide what type of cooking you plan on.

If it were me starting over again, I would get a weber OTG to start. learn the basics i.e.. fire control, direct and indirect, smoking etc. But that is just me.

Also, take into account that a smoker has a very specific function. If you buy a quality smoker and dont want to just smoke then you will need another Q for the other functions. Again, the OTG will really do a lot for you and it will be your go to.

For me starting out I should have asked myself what kind of cooking do I want to do?

If it is just smoking then I would say jump into a smoker. If you want to grill, smoke, indirect cook etc... then you need to look at alternative cookers. For me, had I known this answer, I may not have jumped right into a WSM. I wound up selling my smoker last week because it wasnt the right tool for me. I want something that does it all. For now my weber OTG will do the trick, but I am saving for a kamado Joe, the most versatile cooker in my opinion for the guys that wants all in one.

I was lucky that I didnt lose my shirt on selling my WSM, but for me, I am more of a griller and the odd smoker. So I really couldnt justify the WSM. My OTG is getting crazy use as I love grilling and cooking indirect. I did and excellent rack of ribs on them the other day and I find that it is way more versatile than the single purpose of a WSM smoker.

Anyways, just my opinion. Really know what you want to do before you invest. I can not wait to get my Kamado Joe. But it was trial by error for me, and I had to dive in to realize what I wanted. I would have never known had I not purchased the WSM.


Good luck

I'd say WSM if you want a easy ready to cook on unit or UDS if you can build it
I spent some yrs with my offset making some great food but love my WSM

Flip a coin between UDS , WSM or PBC..........or better yet get all 3! :biggrin1: UDS will or can give you the most cooking space.

RClark115 said:

I do have a gas grill I use for general cooking, but recently I have been grilling tri tips, and most recently I did a brisket on the gas grill (and believe it or not is was pretty tasty). So I feel smoked bbq is the natural next step.

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You can learn a lot about fire tending and smoking with a Weber kettle. Many inexpensive modifications are possible. With the knowledge gained reading here, you will have a basis to decide which direction you wish to go.

Love hearing that you're looking to jump in. My first question would be, "What are your goals?" If you like tinkering, adding wood, opening dampers, closing them, cooking indirectly, you're going to go offset. There are diff smokers with different goals.

Either way your going to have fun!

I would say a WSM 22.5" to start. Great capacity with an easier learning curve than a stick burner. If you get hooked (and you will), there are plenty of places to go from there.

I'm a stick burner fan.
An offset isn't that bad to cook on, it does take time as you need to tend to it.
Also an offset gives you the option to smoke or grill.

As said above, look at your goals then see what cooker fits them.
Best of luck to you.

sliding_billy said:

I would say a WSM 22.5" to start. Great capacity with an easier learning curve than a stick burner. If you get hooked (and you will), there are plenty of places to go from there.

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^Do this to start, or maybe a 26.75 OGT if your budget will allow it! You will learn they are very versatile, obviously direct grilling but also some great slow smoking, CI cooking and even pizzas all at a good entry price point. Once addicted, you can consider anything from a UDS/WSM to a stickburner (my personal favorite).

And welcome to the forum!

Tennis shoes a bicycle and Betty Ford

Before you commit start a walking 2 miles minimum and 1'30" bike program to abate the inevitable weight gain. Keep Betty's number on your speed dial for when your weekend sixer advances to a weekend 30'er.

All the above are symptoms and when you reach 15 cooking machines dial the phone. I recently sold three to get back to 11, or is it twelve cookers. Regardless I don't have to give up beer, and I have an ice pack on my right knee and a heating pad on my left.

But to your question-finally. If you are buying new, look for a manufacturers plate that says "Made in USA". Use a custom pit builder. If you buy used or Craigslist, your not helping foreign or domestic economies (no sales or VAT taxes) so load the patio up with "scores". Q'ing is not like the local ladies club golf championship where you're surrounded by rules queens. You own it in your kingdom. Take control of your scene-cook and post pics.

Big Poppa Drum Kit you can't go wrong with especially since it has great versatility with grilling and searing options not too mention being a great smoker like any other UDS.

I would get the biggest Kettle you can afford but a minimum of a 22.5". It is versatile for smoking and grilling and will give you a good idea of what you might want down the road in a dedicated smoker, should you choose to get one.

I have used my 22.5" Kettle One Touch Gold for grilling and smokes of 12+ hours. This forum is a great resource for learning creative ways to utilize the Kettle for various cooking styles. If you can swing a 26.75" Kettle, I would just for the additional cooking space.

Agree with all above...a WSM is a great start!

As noted above, budget, what you want to cook and for how many are considerations. I wouldn't recommend starting with a small stick burner. simply too much work and the inexpensive models take a lot of tending. You can learn a lot using a weber kettle. And, if you want to build it into a smoker something like the cajun bandit conversion is an excellent option. This arrangement would give you the ability to grill or smoke without making a sizable investment. The downside is limited capacity, but if you are cooking for only a few people this would not be a problem. If you move into a stick burner later I bet you will still use the kettle