WSM vs. Rec Tec Mini

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Ciggy5

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Hey everyone. It's been a while since I've been on here, and boy have I missed you all *hugs*

Now that that's out of the way, SMOKERS! Particularly, The 22.5 WSM and the Rec Tec RT-300 Mini. I want to get something new, and I'm tired of stick burners, having to do all the mods and spend what feels like 453 hours putting the damn thing together.

I've done some research and have found that the Rec Tec Mini and the WSM both fit my budget and the limited space I have in my yard. I've heard great things about both: pellet grills sound great and I've been super interested in getting one, but I've heard that the WSM is almost totally unmatched when it comes to ease-of-use for a charcoal.

If any of you guys have one or both, or have used one or both, I'd really like to hear your opinions!
 
pigville porkers said:
So i have a wsm 18 and a Battle box and a rec tec mini, my go to everyday ease of use is my mini... I love them all but the mini gets used alot.[/url]
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A lot of my concern is lack of smoke flavor with the pellets. I've heard a lot of pellet guys complain that the smoke in their pellet grills is lacking.
 
Ciggy5 said:
A lot of my concern is lack of smoke flavor with the pellets. I've heard a lot of pellet guys complain that the smoke in their pellet grills is lacking.
Click to expand...

You're correct the smoke flavor is quite mild on hotter cooks. If you start out lower for first couple of hours it usually helps. As far as ease the RecTec is a great option and highly recommend them.
 
I haven't used the mini, but it looks like the 22" WSM has more cooking area by way of the two grate levels. I'm an intermediate smoker at best and I am very happy with the WSM's. I finished a UDS last falls and it does pretty much what the WSM does, with the option to run a bit hotter if you need it, for a smaller investment if you are on the fence.
 
I have the WSM 22" and I also have a GMG Pellet Grill. I've tried a lot with the GMG to enhance the smoke flavor, I got a downdraft mod, I bought gasket to keep as much smoke in as possible, and I even got a smoke tube where I mixed pellets with wood chips in there. I got good brands of pellets too, ones that were 100% hickory and 100% apple. still wasn't enough, the flavor just doesn't compete with what I can cook on the WSM. And I find that I monitor the GMG just as much because the grate temp is way off from what I set it to, and one side of the smoker runs a lot hotter than the other. I'm not sure if other pellet grills have these same issues or not

my WSM has always been very reliable, I've had it since July 2011. It has its sweet spot that it likes to settle into, sometimes getting it hotter or cooler can be an issue but I let it run anyways and the food still comes out great. it holds temps very well, once it gets going I don't need to check on it too often.
 
Kyle Serlington said:
I have the WSM 22" and I also have a GMG Pellet Grill. I've tried a lot with the GMG to enhance the smoke flavor, I got a downdraft mod, I bought gasket to keep as much smoke in as possible, and I even got a smoke tube where I mixed pellets with wood chips in there. I got good brands of pellets too, ones that were 100% hickory and 100% apple. still wasn't enough, the flavor just doesn't compete with what I can cook on the WSM. And I find that I monitor the GMG just as much because the grate temp is way off from what I set it to, and one side of the smoker runs a lot hotter than the other. I'm not sure if other pellet grills have these same issues or not

my WSM has always been very reliable, I've had it since July 2011. It has its sweet spot that it likes to settle into, sometimes getting it hotter or cooler can be an issue but I let it run anyways and the food still comes out great. it holds temps very well, once it gets going I don't need to check on it too often.
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^^^^This

Had the same problem with my Traeger, plus it's electro mechanical and I had multiple problems with it (induction fan, auger and control board) and you couldn't use it in the rain.

I'd go with charcoal (and check out the Pit Barrel Cooker for the same money you'd spend on the WSM).
 
Ciggy5 said:
A lot of my concern is lack of smoke flavor with the pellets. I've heard a lot of pellet guys complain that the smoke in their pellet grills is lacking.
Click to expand...

All are correct on here, but keep in mind that all different pits are just different tools in the shed. My battle box cooks way better than my wsm and rec tec.. that being said the ease of my rectec for every day cooking is just fine with me. I have had no complaints about smoke flavor from any one. Ive even used my rec tec in a non sanctioned comp and won chicken with it.
 
Another option to consider: The Pit Barrel Cooker is $299, creates great tasting food, and is set-it-and-forget-it simple. At one point I was considering a pellet grill for ease of use and am very glad I got the PBC. Check this thread for more details.
 
I am in the WSM corner. Know nothing about pellet grills, but I do know that anything with electrical components will eventually have issues and need repairs or replacement parts. WSM is virtually maintenance free...and can still be used when there is a power outage.
 
Thank you all for your input, this thread has been very telling lol I think I'm going with the WSM at this point
 
I have no experience with pellets. Got the WSM 22 a year ago. I was ready to throw it away for the first few cooks and call all the WSM lovers liars. I could not get the darn thing to keep steady temps and it was eating Kingsford like crazy. Everyone here said to keep at it and it would season up and get better. Well it sure did. I learned how to use it and now have no trouble doing an overnight cook without worry. No babysitting temps and I can get over 12 hours on a load of Kingsford. I have now added the 14.5 and 18.5 to the shed!
 
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