Help Needed! New Smoker Purchase

[jmitch43]

I've been researching smokers for a long time and I believe I have my options finally narrowed down. I am asking for advice / help however before I finally pull the trigger. The absolute top end that I can spend (including shipping) is 2K. Below are the what I've narrowed it down too, along with any concerns or comments I have with each one. Any advice or feedback would be AMAZING! I would also love to be able to grill with charcoal on the firebox as well with my smoker. Smoker must be able to handle at least 6 slabs of ribs as well.

On a side note, I'm from Detroit, but have a lot of family from Alabama and I would love to eventually make a wood pit BBQ (you know, the old cinder block or brick pits with the sheet metal on top) that they were used to having in BAMA... yes I know this is a more precise and complicated way to smoke with actually moving the wood coals underneath the meat. But, as you all know for the most part, Alabama BBQ is done on these pits where the food is about 3' feet above the wooden amber coals. Beside making one, if anyone knows of a company that sells a pit like that (or something similar) please include that in your response. I would love to have a pit, not a smoker, like that as an ode to my kin.

Below are the smokers I've narrowed it down too:
1) Horizon 20" Marshall (not the rd special model): 2 tel tru thermometers and sliding convection plate
- with shipping this puts me exactly at my budget.
- downside, not a lang

2) Lang 36" hybrid
- with shipping this puts me a tad over budget, but you can't beat the quality. have to go hybrid to have the ability to grill with it as well
- downside, smoking chamber is too small. I'm looking to smoke at least 6 slabs of ribs on the main chamber.
- the 48" is out of budget and I cannot grill on the normal patio version
- quality wise this would be my #1 and I love the reverse flow design and fact that the drippings hit the bottom of the smoker and rise back up due to how fat the bottom gets. Just wish the 36'" was bigger or the 48" allowed me to also grill.

3) Gateway drum smoker
- love the fact you can hang the meat and the drippings hit the coal and smokes back up
- although things can be cooked low and slow, preferred method is hot and fast and fundamentally I'm not sure I'd like that as I'd like to be more involved with the process
- downside, small cooking area on grate, so most things would have to be hung that were being smoked. Although, don't know how I feel about the hot and fast preferred for everything (this is more similar however to Alabama BBQ, but the food is not 3' above wood coals)

4) M1 Charcoal Grill and Wood Smoker
- love the versatility of it and the fact the smoker is reverse flow and charcoal grates can be adjusted
- downside, cooking capacity and surface area without having to use extenders or charcoal grate as another smoking grate

Phew! sorry for the novel, can't wait to hear the feedback!

 

[SmittyJonz]

Assassin Grill.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212864

I prefer my smokers to be smokers and grills be grills but I do Smoke on my Weber Kettle and the Assassin can do both. 36" is Standard, 48" optional.

 

[SmittyJonz]

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186946
.

 

[Big N Hot]

The cook chamber on a lang 36 can hold a lot more than 6 slabs. I'd say ten comfortably.

 

[jmitch43]

On the 36"? Does that involve using the top rack? Does the top rack come standard? It doesn't seem deep enough to put 6 full large slabs in, could just be my perception though.

 

[jmitch43]

The assassins seem interesting. Curious as to why they aren't priced higher. What gauge steel are they made out of and are they 1/4"?

 

[Notorious Q.U.E.]

Lang 36 stretch. Unless you must have a chargrill, people pay for Langs to smoke. As other Brethren have said, Weber does a fantastic job of direct charcoal grilling. I had a Lang 36 and you're correct that you had to put a full rack of St. Louis spares longitudinally along the long axis of the cooker. Maybe Lang 48? Buy once, cry once !!

 

[IamMadMan]

If you are truly purchasing a smoker that you really want, price itself should not be the prohibiting factor... We can all find a way to purchase what we truly want. Don't take that the wrong way, I mean we'd all love to have a Maserati, but practicality of use leads us back on track; you cant take a family of 5 on a family outing in the Maserati.

Approach your purchase with diligence and cognitive thinking.... I cannot stress this fact enough, think well in advance before you purchase. Start by making a list of what your long term goals for using the smoker will be.

Separate you needs from your wants....

In column "A" list your needs keeping in mind your current cooks: shelf space, shelf size, total capacity, and the required size for the footprint of the smoker.

In column "B" list your wants.. Not truly what you need, but what you would like to have.

Next consider your fuels..... Wood, Charcoal, or other. If you live in the city or the suburbs where wood is not common, the cost of wood and having it delivered can become quite costly for weekend cooks. If you live on a ranch or a farm you may have an endless supply of wood, but that doesn't mean that wood is an ideal choice for you.

After that you can decide size, adjustable shelving, vertical or horizontal, reverse flow, and so on....

Start by deciding what you wish to use for fuel, do you want a stick burner that may require a lot of attention for the firebox, or a well insulated charcoal cooker that can burn all night on an eight pound load of lump charcoal. Consider and calculate your fuel costs then move on to other needs.

Wood burning cookers require a lot of baby sitting to keep the fire tended for long cooks. I do not mean this in a negative manner because I know many people who enjoy the solitude and peacefulness of tending the fire all day or overnight. A few beers, a cigar, all without the wife yapping away like a mad chihuahua, results in utter peace and serenity. There are many others that due to everyday life activities do not have the time to tend a fire all day or all night. Lastly we have those who just have no interest in sitting by a cooker all day or all night. This is where you need to consider the amount of time you wish invest into every cook.

Charcoal cookers can run unattended for longer lengths of time when the airflow is properly adjusted. Sometimes you may have to add more charcoal for longer cooks, but not always the case. Then we have the insulated charcoal cookers that are extremely fuel efficient, these can cook 12 to 14 hours unattended.

There are also pellet cookers and also electric cookers where special needs can come into play. Places that don't allow charcoal or gas grills, these can often fill the void.

The last thing we want is to have you wind up in disappointment and be stuck with a smoker you are not happy with because you let someone else choose your smoker for you. Bottom line is what works for someone else may not always work for others.

Everyone loves their own smokers they have, and they all feel their smoker is the best, mainly because it suits their needs well. People are individuals and needs change from person to person like anything else. The last thing I want to do is try to persuade you to purchase something just because I like my unit.

If you are not sure what you want, consider building or purchasing a UDS until you get your homework done.

 

[Big N Hot]

On the 36"? Does that involve using the top rack? Does the top rack come standard? It doesn't seem deep enough to put 6 full large slabs in, could just be my perception though.

The top rack comes standard.

 

[Big N Hot]

Lang 36 stretch. Unless you must have a chargrill, people pay for Langs to smoke. As other Brethren have said, Weber does a fantastic job of direct charcoal grilling. I had a Lang 36 and you're correct that you had to put a full rack of St. Louis spares longitudinally along the long axis of the cooker. Maybe Lang 48? Buy once, cry once !!

I've got a stretch. I've only been able to cook on it 6-7 times so far because I've been working overseas. When I was home during the month June I was fitting racks front to back on it. Maybe it's cuz I trim off the tips at the end that don't carry all the way through the meat. Those bits are my taste testers.

 

[Big N Hot]

If you are truly purchasing a smoker that you really want, price itself should not be the prohibiting factor... We can all find a way to purchase what we truly want. Don't take that the wrong way, I mean we'd all love to have a Maserati, but practicality of use leads us back on track; you cant take a family of 5 on a family outing in the Maserati.

Approach your purchase with diligence and cognitive thinking.... I cannot stress this fact enough, think well in advance before you purchase. Start by making a list of what your long term goals for using the smoker will be.

Separate you needs from your wants....

In column "A" list your needs keeping in mind your current cooks: shelf space, shelf size, total capacity, and the required size for the footprint of the smoker.

In column "B" list your wants.. Not truly what you need, but what you would like to have.

Next consider your fuels..... Wood, Charcoal, or other. If you live in the city or the suburbs where wood is not common, the cost of wood and having it delivered can become quite costly for weekend cooks. If you live on a ranch or a farm you may have an endless supply of wood, but that doesn't mean that wood is an ideal choice for you.

After that you can decide size, adjustable shelving, vertical or horizontal, reverse flow, and so on....

Start by deciding what you wish to use for fuel, do you want a stick burner that may require a lot of attention for the firebox, or a well insulated charcoal cooker that can burn all night on an eight pound load of lump charcoal. Consider and calculate your fuel costs then move on to other needs.

Wood burning cookers require a lot of baby sitting to keep the fire tended for long cooks. I do not mean this in a negative manner because I know many people who enjoy the solitude and peacefulness of tending the fire all day or overnight. A few beers, a cigar, all without the wife yapping away like a mad chihuahua, results in utter peace and serenity. There are many others that due to everyday life activities do not have the time to tend a fire all day or all night. Lastly we have those who just have no interest in sitting by a cooker all day or all night. This is where you need to consider the amount of time you wish invest into every cook.

Charcoal cookers can run unattended for longer lengths of time when the airflow is properly adjusted. Sometimes you may have to add more charcoal for longer cooks, but not always the case. Then we have the insulated charcoal cookers that are extremely fuel efficient, these can cook 12 to 14 hours unattended.

There are also pellet cookers and also electric cookers where special needs can come into play. Places that don't allow charcoal or gas grills, these can often fill the void.

The last thing we want is to have you wind up in disappointment and be stuck with a smoker you are not happy with because you let someone else choose your smoker for you. Bottom line is what works for someone else may not always work for others.

Everyone loves their own smokers they have, and they all feel their smoker is the best, mainly because it suits their needs well. People are individuals and needs change from person to person like anything else. The last thing I want to do is try to persuade you to purchase something just because I like my unit.

If you are not sure what you want, consider building or purchasing a UDS until you get your homework done.

Very well said. At the very least he gets to hear stories and ask questions of guys that already own what he's looking at.

 

[Kikaida]

The last thing we want is to have you wind up in disappointment and be stuck with a smoker you are not happy with because you let someone else choose your smoker for you. Bottom line is what works for someone else may not always work for others.

Everyone loves their own smokers they have, and they all feel their smoker is the best, mainly because it suits their needs well. People are individuals and needs change from person to person like anything else. The last thing I want to do is try to persuade you to purchase something just because I like my unit.

^^^Exactly!

 

[Stlsportster]

Trimmed spares fit front to back on the 36. I could fit 5-6 on the bottom and another 3 on the top.

 

[Smokey Lonesome]

Been looking at the M1 myself as a cooker which grills and smokes and is a stick burner at that but the cost with shipping is above your $2000 limit. Personally if this or another cooker is what you really want, I would not let a few hundred dollars get in the way.

Also check out Hunsaker drums in addition to Gateway, etc

Good luck!

 

[jmitch43]

I'm really liking the looks of the assassin 48". Love the fact that v-pan sizzles the juices from the meat back up into them

 

[Joe Black]

MadMan wrote the absolute best advice column I have ever read on this subject. The comment about everyone promoting their own personal smoker is especially good. I really like mine and have pushed it a lot. However, recently I have read where he is having delivery problems that will naturely lead to communication issues. If I wanted another one, I would use him, but I am having a problem pushing him to my Brethren.

 

[PnkPanther]

I was in same boat as you few months ago.

Few good points. The M1 is about more than 2k with Shipping just an FYI, of your choices the one I like best. But no personal experience with it

I decided against the drum smokers, but after watching some new hunsaker fans, I'm thinking Drum might have been the way to go and cheaper than what I spent. I'll probably get one eventually, I'm leaning towards whitewater.

I ended up with the good one open range and am very happy with it. 2nd choice was the assasin grill and 3rd choice for me was whitewater drum

in the end it's personal, sometimes you don't know what you want until you get it use it.

 

[SmittyJonz]

The assassins seem interesting. Curious as to why they aren't priced higher. What gauge steel are they made out of and are they 1/4"?

1/8".

 

[DubfromGA]

I'm really liking the looks of the assassin 48". Love the fact that v-pan sizzles the juices from the meat back up into them

I spoke with Jeff, the owner of Assassin Smokers, this morning.

Most of my questions were regarding that very grill.

Let's just say, I'm enthused.


It sounds like a substantial piece of equipment....just under 500 lbs.

Really cool versatility and excellent capacity.

Decisions.....decisions......

 

[SmittyJonz]

Some folks get stuck on metal thickness- thicker is Good and Bad. You have to Heat up the metal to get to cooking temps. Thicker metal takes longer and requires more Fuel....sometimes charcoal can't do it or it takes ALOT to get there and maintain it. Folks say 1/4" or better retains Hest Better - only if you have the fire/fuel source to maintain it. I got a Buddy in oilfield who brought home some 20" diameter 3/8" wall pipe and built a smoker - I don't like it - even with a roaring fire it takes 1.5 hr to stabalize at cooking temps - and it's a small cooker -20"x 48" - and he has to run a larger fire than normal thru the cook.
1/8" will last if taken care of, Heck 14 guage will last if taken care of......