Done with the stick burners

Q_Done_Right said:
I’ve only cooked on my new stick burner a few times (ribs, wings and brisket); it’s a Pecos by the way. For $400 not perfect but pretty well made IMO. I’ve burned post oak splits in it from B&B each time. I also have three WSM’s (one of each size model). I personally don’t really care what others think as it’s all about what I like as well as my guest. The WSM’s are soooooo much easier to use between the two. Pecos requires a ton of effort but I don’t mind if I’m dedicated to the cause. Could never do an overnighter on a stick burner though. Personally, I thought the brisket I made on the Pecos was better than any I’ve ever made on my WSM’s. At the same time, my wife, sister and I all preferred the ribs I make on the WSM over those I made on the Pecos. Wings tasted exactly the same but I got much crisper skin on the WSM because of the vertical heat with water pan removed. I still need to cook a lot more on my stick burner and it can be a huge liability if I’m not mentally up for it. However, I have zero issue with any of the BBQ made on my charcoal smokers (w/ wood chunks); in fact, I’ve vended with just WSM’s and people raved about the food I made on them. Good thread.
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I agree. for $500 I don't think the pecos can be beat in the offset category. burning wood just takes a lot of dedication .
 
I recently purchased an Old Country Brazos as I was tired of trying to get great smoke flavor from my Green Egg. It's been a real learning curve but I think I've honed my technique enough to make good BBQ. The true key for using a stick burner is becoming a fire technician; knowing when and how much wood to use, moving sticks and embers around and proper air flow(even if that means blowing into the firebox yourself).

I've come to the realization that long cooks like brisket and pork butt are always going to be at dinner time because I'm not going to stay up all night. I also only have the meat in the smoker for a max of 5 hours. If I'm going to wrap the meat at that time there is no point of wasting money on fuel and time on tending the fire when it can just go in a set it and forget it oven.

You can't beat the smoke flavor from burning wood IMO so it's worth it to me to use a stick burner.
 
el luchador said:
so somethng happened today that kinda opened my eyes to a different way. at work bring bbq on mondays to taste. I brought some chicken smoked with lump only and 1 guy could taste and smell the smoke and the other two could not. chicken was only on the cooker 1.5 hours so it really didnt have a lot of time to absorb that much smoke.

the guy who could taste and smell the smoke does not bbq.
one guy who could not taste any smoke brought wings cooked with lump and mesquite wood (ack!!!) I only had one wing and it tasted great but I could taste that chemical mesquite flavor on my tongue for 2 hours. Obviously this guy likes his food drenched in smoke.
its definitely interesting how different people perceive smoke.

the eye opener for me was this - the guy I sold the smoker to works with me and he brought some ribs he cooked on the pecos and let me have a taste. well, damn were they delicous. very present smoke flavor but not overpowering so I asked him how he used the cooker. he used RO lump for heat and added about two sticks of pecan over a 5 hour period for flavor. It probably had the best balance of smoke that Ive had.

so now thats got me thinking lump for heat, wood for flavor (I think thats the first time thats been mentioned here ? :becky:)

I plan to experiment with different amounts of wood until I can dial in that perfect flavor.




thats really interesting. but my thought is the meat has to be exposed to all the smoke at some point so even though there is residual cooking from absorbed heat, its still getting all the wood smoke
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The issue with using lump or briquettes in a true stick burner is cost. You can go through 10-20 lbs plus for a cook. Running all or at least mostly wood will be more economical. Not saying it wont work just that its against the grain
 
el luchador said:
so somethng happened today that kinda opened my eyes to a different way. at work bring bbq on mondays to taste. I brought some chicken smoked with lump only and 1 guy could taste and smell the smoke and the other two could not. chicken was only on the cooker 1.5 hours so it really didnt have a lot of time to absorb that much smoke.

the guy who could taste and smell the smoke does not bbq.
one guy who could not taste any smoke brought wings cooked with lump and mesquite wood (ack!!!) I only had one wing and it tasted great but I could taste that chemical mesquite flavor on my tongue for 2 hours. Obviously this guy likes his food drenched in smoke.
its definitely interesting how different people perceive smoke.

the eye opener for me was this - the guy I sold the smoker to works with me and he brought some ribs he cooked on the pecos and let me have a taste. well, damn were they delicous. very present smoke flavor but not overpowering so I asked him how he used the cooker. he used RO lump for heat and added about two sticks of pecan over a 5 hour period for flavor. It probably had the best balance of smoke that Ive had.

so now thats got me thinking lump for heat, wood for flavor (I think thats the first time thats been mentioned here ? :becky:)

I plan to experiment with different amounts of wood until I can dial in that perfect flavor.




thats really interesting. but my thought is the meat has to be exposed to all the smoke at some point so even though there is residual cooking from absorbed heat, its still getting all the wood smoke
Click to expand...
Didn't realize that you worked with BigSwole. :heh:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
ferdelious said:
I recently purchased an Old Country Brazos as I was tired of trying to get great smoke flavor from my Green Egg. It's been a real learning curve but I think I've honed my technique enough to make good BBQ. The true key for using a stick burner is becoming a fire technician; knowing when and how much wood to use, moving sticks and embers around and proper air flow(even if that means blowing into the firebox yourself).

I've come to the realization that long cooks like brisket and pork butt are always going to be at dinner time because I'm not going to stay up all night. I also only have the meat in the smoker for a max of 5 hours. If I'm going to wrap the meat at that time there is no point of wasting money on fuel and time on tending the fire when it can just go in a set it and forget it oven.

You can't beat the smoke flavor from burning wood IMO so it's worth it to me to use a stick burner.
Click to expand...

I tried the blowing into the fire box thing you recommended. I'm not sure if my beard is gonna grow back. Maybe I didn't do it right???

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
CptKaos said:
Thats funny right there :)

Larry
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that went right over my head. Can you expound?

pjtexas1 said:
Didn't realize that you worked with BigSwole. :heh:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I don't know my colleagues nicknames - one of them may be bigswole- if you describe him maybe it'll come to me :-D

smoke ninja said:
The issue with using lump or briquettes in a true stick burner is cost. You can go through 10-20 lbs plus for a cook. Running all or at least mostly wood will be more economical. Not saying it wont work just that its against the grain
Click to expand...

I guess that would depend on the size of the smoker and whats being cooked but that was not my experience with the pecos. I honestly also expected that it would be much less efficient than my stick-burner uds ,but it only used about 25% more wood.

so I would assume it would only consume about 25% more charcoal than a charcoal burner as well, assuming a well made offset (like the pecos) and a similar size to a uds(also like a pecos)
 
You said a $500 cooker can't be beat by any other offset. That's just funny

Larry
 
CptKaos said:
You said a $500 cooker can't be beat by any other offset. That's just funny

Larry
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lol. no. I said I don't believe you can find a better offset for under $500 than the Pecos.

at least that's what I should have said :-D

a Shirley 30x96 dual axle's got to be at least a little better than the pecos, no ? :becky:
 
I know, just couldn't pass on a hanging curveball :)
This has been a fun thread to read

Larry
 
el luchador said:
that went right over my head. Can you expound?



I don't know my colleagues nicknames - one of them may be bigswole- if you describe him maybe it'll come to me :-D



I guess that would depend on the size of the smoker and whats being cooked but that was not my experience with the pecos. I honestly also expected that it would be much less efficient than my stick-burner uds ,but it only used about 25% more wood.

so I would assume it would only consume about 25% more charcoal than a charcoal burner as well, assuming a well made offset (like the pecos) and a similar size to a uds(also like a pecos)
Click to expand...


Charcoal fueled cookers tend to not be offset but the heat flows direct. You cant compare different cookers fuel mileage. My 007 live fire drum is efficient compared to the stick burner offset. Charcoal cookers work off a controled burn, stick burners work off of draft. Unless you choke down the stick burner is gonna burn fast with charcoal and even then the offset nature will not be as effiecent.

Choking down will possibly give bitter or over smoked....but since you want more it would have been an idea, even if it were expensive to do
 
el luchador said:
I don't know my colleagues nicknames - one of them may be bigswole- if you describe him maybe it'll come to me :-D
Click to expand...

BigSwole is a member here that can never get enough smoke flavor and he talks about it all the time. i guess he hasn't been around recently or you would know the reference i was making.
 
smoke ninja said:
Charcoal fueled cookers tend to not be offset but the heat flows direct. You cant compare different cookers fuel mileage. My 007 live fire drum is efficient compared to the stick burner offset. Charcoal cookers work off a controled burn, stick burners work off of draft. Unless you choke down the stick burner is gonna burn fast with charcoal and even then the offset nature will not be as effiecent.

Choking down will possibly give bitter or over smoked....but since you want more it would have been an idea, even if it were expensive to do
Click to expand...

now Im getting away from my knowledge base here, but doesn't a mass of carbon have the same energy whether burned slow or burned fast? ie wont it deliver the same btus?

pjtexas1 said:
BigSwole is a member here that can never get enough smoke flavor and he talks about it all the time. i guess he hasn't been around recently or you would know the reference i was making.
Click to expand...

now that's funny cos my mesquite using friend is a big dude too). he may be bigswole. I'll ask :becky:

smokeswirl said:
Thats why I have two pellet grills
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for ease of use?
 
pjtexas1 said:
BigSwole is a member here that can never get enough smoke flavor and he talks about it all the time. i guess he hasn't been around recently or you would know the reference i was making.
Click to expand...

I truly believe that BigSwole chews creosote-flavored gum.
 
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