Blessing, maybe...what would you do?

[jkief]

So I was notified the other day, I’m being reassigned from MacDill AFB in Florida to go back to Ft Bragg or Vicenza, Italy. We bought our house a couple of years ago in the Tampa area and will put it on the market when we move, which will be between October and June of next year. Currently our house appraised for 110K more than we currently owe. Wife agreed that if we get appraised value, we can pay for a new smoker. If we move to Bragg, I’d wait until after the move to purchase. If assigned to Italy, we’d have to wait until we get back stateside to get something. I’ve been eyeing a gravity fed or possibly a cabinet like the LSG or Humphreys. My eye has caught the Southern Q limo JR, Assassin, Stumps, LSG, or Humphreys. Pros/Cons of cabinet vs gravity? Thoughts?

 

[ronbrad62]

The good news is, you can most likely afford anything you want, and if your smoker builder has a waiting list, you will probably be back stateside by the time it's your turn if you take Italy. How long do you have to make a decision on your destination?

 

[jkief]

The good news is, you can most likely afford anything you want, and if your smoker builder has a waiting list, you will probably be back stateside by the time it's your turn if you take Italy. How long do you have to make a decision on your destination?

I can request my “choice of preference” from now until June 8th. But the Army has the final say as to if they honor my preference or not based on the need. Definitely not necessarily in a hurry for anything either. Just pre-planning. I know cabinet and gravity fed are similar, but different at the same time.

 

[NoOne]

My next purchase will be a Humphrey’s.

But a huge congrats on the next move - that is always exciting.

 

[halfcocked]

I would wait until I got settled back in the States (unless you are intending to stay in Italy). You will have advanced notice enough to make an order to arrive for when you get back.

 

[NoOne]

I just spent 3 years living overseas without a smoker and it was terribly missed. If they are willing to ship it over, get it on the boat.

 

[jkief]

My next purchase will be a Humphrey’s.

But a huge congrats on the next move - that is always exciting.

Anything in particular has you eyeing the Humphreys over the others listed? Thanks!

 

[NoOne]

Anything in particular has you eyeing the Humphreys over the others listed? Thanks!

I don’t know... for some reason I’m not sold on gravity feed, personal preference I guess. LSG is I the running, but I like the reverse flow design and size of the Humphrey’s with all of the customization available for the price seem to fit for me. And I could get it in crazy colors if I wanted, but would mostly go with a textured flat black.

But the biggest thing is being in the dry altitude of Colorado, a water smoker is almost required and the Humphrey’s has that integrated when I need that extra moisture, but could use it without if desired. I think I could get some good results cold smoking also, but that should be the case for any vertical cabinet.

I have chatted with them a few times, seem like good folks, but shipping is a big negative for me, but not much different from LSG. I just can’t convince myself to pull the trigger and order one so close to the purchase of the Santa Maria, I should wait a little bit and keep riding that honeymoon before I get another right?

 

[Hoss]

Go to Italy if you can.Worry about a smoker later.

 

[Chester]

What are you doing with the smokers you have?

 

[jkief]

If I get stationed in Italy, the Army will put everything I can’t/ don’t want to take in storage for me. That’s where those will go. If I get stationed in North Carolina again, they will come with me. Either way, I plan on keeping what I have, just adding to. (Although think I might offload the Yoder YS640S) If Italy, adding 3-4 years down the line after I return. If NC, then adding in a year or so. I think this post may have gotten misconstrued, though. It’s not so much what would you do about the assignment. Unfortunately, I have very little say on that. Army will tell me where they need me to go. I put Italy as my first choice, but my assignment manager already hinted that 3rd Special Forces Group is more of priority. So I’m already prepping my mind to go back to NC. It’s more so what would people do if they had the opportunity to get either an IVC or gravity fed? I’ve got my eyes on a few, but not sure which way I’m leaning.

 

[NoOne]

You made me think about it too much. I’m ordering my Humphrey’s tomorrow. I re-reviewed everything yesterday and they have the features I want at the price I can live with.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

So in your mind your going to Carolina? Can't you see the sunshine? Can't you just feel the moonshine?

 

[jkief]

You made me think about it too much. I’m ordering my Humphrey’s tomorrow. I re-reviewed everything yesterday and they have the features I want at the price I can live with.

You’re going to have to keep me posted on how you like it. Please!

 

[jkief]

So in your mind your going to Carolina? Can't you see the sunshine? Can't you just feel the moonshine?

Yeah. Spent 6 years there already. I’m still trying to expel the moonshine from my body!!

 

[onemanlan]

My next purchase will be a Humphrey’s.

But a huge congrats on the next move - that is always exciting.

I cannot speak well enough about my Humphrey's Battle Box. I do wish I had picked up a larger model, but thats simply because I'm tall & have to bend down a lot with this model. Album of when it arrived as well as a few cooks.

It's an amazingly high quality unit. It doesn't feel like any corners were cut. Very efficient too!

Best of luck on your next purchase.

 

[frognot]

Thank you for your service. My great nephew will be deployed overseas later in the year. It’s been nice having him at Fort Hood and getting to see him, his wife and their new baby the last year and a half (they’re from Tennessee).

 

[jkief]

Thank you for your service. My great nephew will be deployed overseas later in the year. It’s been nice having him at Fort Hood and getting to see him, his wife and their new baby the last year and a half (they’re from Tennessee).

Thanks! My first duty station 19 years ago was Ft Campbell!

 

[jkief]

I cannot speak well enough about my Humphrey's Battle Box. I do wish I had picked up a larger model, but thats simply because I'm tall & have to bend down a lot with this model. Album of when it arrived as well as a few cooks.

It's an amazingly high quality unit. It doesn't feel like any corners were cut. Very efficient too!

Best of luck on your next purchase.

Thanks! I’m going to have to do a lot of research. I think I have it narrowed down to the Humphreys or Southern Q Limo Jr. Deep South looks really nice, but a tad pricey for me probably.

 

[Chester]

I think you would be splitting hair’s choosing between an IVC and a Gravity. I know I was. I am super pleased with my Southern Q, but Humphreys was high on the list as well as an Assassin Gravity. I do think the Southern Q is one of the better value products out there, and I do know it runs well paired with a Fireboard, that I believe you said you had for your Assassin. I currently have a smallish brisket in mine humming away at 280 degrees that is currently in a stall.

I think there are differences between designs, but not specifics to Gravity vs IVC. I mean a Humphreys cooks as much differently to a Lonestar as it does to a Stumps, but all similar enough that the result is similar.

One thing that I do like about a Gravity though is the easy ability to change on the fly. You have your charcoal going, and you can add as much or as little wood to the firebox as you want after it is lit. I can get something cooking like a brisket and feed it some wood in the beginning couple hours, and then decide to throw something else on an adjust accordingly. Just have to keep charcoal in the feed. Like the brisket I have going on now, I smoked with hickory feeding the firebox for 2-3 hours. I can come back now 5 hours later, add some chicken and throw in some apple wood. You can always add some wood chunks with the charcoal and not worry about feeding the firebox. It’s a little more flexible in that way.

All these companies listed makes good quality products though, and you would be hard pressed not to get a quality unit.

Someday, I will probably add a pellet grill back to my rotation. Leaning towards a Yoder myself. I think I would prefer a lighter hint of smoke which I believe you said the Yoder produces compared to the Mak, and am sold on the Fireboard controller it has. I love a good smoke flavor a lot of the times, but sometimes not so much.