What I wish I did/modded/knew/didn't do when I ordered my <brand> gravity feed smoker...

Thanks Smoking Piney, cpw, and olewarthog!

I think you three have narrowed in on my last considerations: these are all great units, Assassin gives you more value per dollar in standard features that are add-ons elsewhere, but Deep South has some additional features in the build and infrastructure. It's like trying to choose between two luxury car brands.

I do have concerns over the grease and heat management on the Assassin. Those concerns wouldn't exist if Deep South didn't have extra bits in these areas that make a lot of sense to me. Our previous pit's (not the WSM) grease management didn't perform as I'd expect. I am concerned over the possibility of the bottom rack running substantially hotter. I expect there to be temperature fluctuations from bottom to top, but this was another failing point of our last pit. Our previous pit had temperature variances well more than 100 degrees.

When you say the bottom level was like a grill, what temperatures were you seeing? 325/350+ to keep the rest of the chamber at 225/250?

I don't want to overspend if the Assassin quality and extensive features will meet all my needs but I also don't want to miss out on the additional infrastructure that the Deep South provides if I'll frequently see benefit from those bits.

sknabnoj said:

Have you looked at Humphreys? They have a reverse flow gravity feed unit that is pretty awesome. They are extremely well made and just as good of a reputation as the others that have been mentioned. The nice thing is that the reverse flow keeps temps really consistent from top to bottom. You can also use water if you like but I prefer fire bricks in the pan.

I solve my grease issues by just cooking in pans. It's not for everyone but, it fits my style and keeps everything very clean and contained.

Click to expand...

Initially, I had considered Humphrey's insulated reverse-flow cabinets but moved past them to the gravity-fed units. I didn't notice that there was a gravity feed line until much later on. Humphrey's gravity-fed smokers look attractive, but I don't know enough about them. Also, it appears they have much less capacity at a higher price point. They do offer the bonus of being reverse-flow gravity-fed smokers, so it's not an apples to apples comparison in cost and construction. They look like a quality product, there just doesn't seem to be as much info available about them.

Also, there may be some serious discord in my home if I introduce another variable into this shopping experience. :icon_shy

olewarthog said:

Scanning thru pics in my phone & came across this one that shows the drip pan in my Assassin 17. Please ignore the mess, I took the pic right before cleaning it up. All the grease that drips, will funnel thru the center tube into a disposal pan sitting on rails on the bottom of the smoker. After this cook, I learned the trick Piney mentioned. Cover it in foil. I cut an X in the center over the tube & push the "wings" into the tube.

Click to expand...

That's incredibly helpful! It looks like the drain plate really does cover the entire heat transfer area. How much hotter is the bottom rack than the higher racks? I figure there will be variance; that can be a good thing!

I think that I'd want to change the configuration of the runners of the Assassin if I go that route. Height was never really a concern in my previous pits; maybe I'm overthinking this.

Is 3.5" deep enough for a packer brisket? It looks like the full sized pans I typically use are 3 3/16" deep; just about .25" under the 3.5" space between runners, before accounting for the rack thickness itself. I've had some packer cut briskets blessed with ultra thick points, peeking out above the top of the pan. Those were magical cuts of beef. I also think that the bottom racks might be best for smoking poultry, especially after hearing that they run much hotter. Using the lower grates for chicken also solves placement issues for things like salmonella. I'm thinking a spatchcocked chicken or cut up poultry will fit in the shorter depth areas easier than a full packer brisket or plate ribs — another staple in my smoker.

Additional runners were brought up earlier in the thread, so I know I'm not completely off base in this thought. Am I overthinking the placement or the depth I'd need for different cuts? For what cuts do you all find the 3.5" runners are viable, besides flat items such as bacon and spare ribs?

I appreciate everyone's opinions and experience. In the end, I want to be sure I've covered all my variables!

toddu said:

Not to add any confusion, but have you looked at Southern Q Smokers?

Todd

Click to expand...

Where's the fun in not adding confusion? :icon_smile_tongue:

Thanks for mentioning them! I rather evaluate everything now before I've purchased a new pit.

I had looked at Southern Q; the site and model names look familiar but its been a while. I didn't find as much about these smokers as some of the other brands. Maybe that's why I stopped reviewing them. The Limo looks interesting,especially in the two door configuration. I'd need to learn a lot more about these pits though.

I wanted to give everyone an update; I always find it difficult to read a thread and not see any resolution at the end!

We haven't purchased a smoker yet. We discovered we might have some size issues moving some of these units around the perimeter of our home, so we're working on that first. I've taken everyone's advice, and I have contacted a few more of the manufacturers that you all suggested. To my surprise, some of them never wrote back to my request for more information about their products.

For those of you with gravity feed smokers, do you find that the placement of the charcoal chute and firebox changes the cooking dynamics of the smoker? I see that Stumps builds the chute and the firebox on the side; Assassin normally on the back. I'd think the fire side and opposite of it would have the highest heat. My thought: if the firebox is on the side (Stumps), I'd have a higher heat on a side (or side to side) versus back (or front to back on the Assassin). That would make a difference in food placement. Am I overthinking this?

Since we've had a lot of new manufacturers added, I figure I'll add my own curveball here. :shock:

Does anyone have an opinion of the Ole Hickory CTO or Ace MM compared to a gravity feed?

I realize these are entirely different units. The gravity feed can run unattended longer; Ole Hickory says a log or wood will last about six hours in their units. I've heard it can be longer, especially in the Ace MM with a full charcoal basket and burn down.

Running a unit for 18+ hours (gravity feed) without refilling is enticing but might be excessive if the Ole Hickory units provide other benefits. For example, many folks mention (very) hot spots in some of the gravity fed smokers, and (possibly) lesser amounts of smoke flavor compared to other types of smokers. If the Ole Hickory produces a better product more consistently, but can only provide about eight hours of unattended use, that might be a good trade off. Has anyone used the Ole Hickory units outdoors in the cold of winter or can comment on these aspects?

I had an easier time getting married than making this decision! :laugh:

rikun said:

About the flavor profile...

I don't own a GF unit, but we've borrowed GF on few competitions. I own ceramic cookers, UDS, WSM and RF stick burner myself.

The most pronounced smoke profile I've tasted has come from the GF! We didn't even add wood to the chute, we just kept feeding her few chunks for about 3-4 hours into the cook.

When I say most pronounced I don't mean "heavy" like with UDS or WSM. It's incredibly distinctive, but still "clean" and light.

I'm pretty bad at tasting smoke wood differences, but with gravity feed the difference between woods was pretty clear.

I think it's somewhat a cross between WSM and stick burner flavor profile. I have to say I really liked that.

Click to expand...

I think this is hugely helpful! It's so hard to articulate a taste and I think this paints a pretty great picture for me. Thank you!!

Smoking Piney said:

I noticed this when I got my Assassin. I can definitely detect the difference between the smoke woods - smell and taste.

Click to expand...

I definitely couldn't on my pellet and sometimes struggle to on my Weber. This may be a big selling point to me.

pjtexas1 said:

Same here. I'm not digging the smell of the hickory mini logs as they burn. I thought I would be using these in my gf as they are the perfect size.

Click to expand...

Not sure I know of these logs - do you have a link?

pjtexas1 said:

someone asked me to explain the difference in smoke flavor on my gf and my stick burner. i could not really put it into words. i think you stated it pretty well.

Click to expand...

Agreed!! Thank you all!