How Much Better is a Good Offset?

[Wesman61]

I'm really curious how much better off I'd be with a Lang, Yoder, LSG etc. I have an Ok Joe Longhorn now. Can anyone give specific details on how they benefited when they upgraded from a $300-500 smoker to a heavier duty smoker? TIA

 

[Bigshowbbq]

Thicker steel retains heat hold temperature much easier and tight seals around doors won't leak heat/smoke.

 

[retired trucker]

If you can't do it on a $500 to $600 unit, then you can't do any better on a $2000, $3000 system. Basically it is the cook, not the cooker that turns out good Q. Now if you just "want" a bigger or nicer smoker, then by all means you can justify the purchase. Not being negative or a smart arse, but just encouraging you to think through a decision with regards to a major purchase.

Disclaimer: I am a bit of a penny pincher in my old age so take my suggestion with a grain or two of salt. :wink:

Omar

 

[Shagdog]

The thicker the steel the better. It really does make a difference. I'm not sure what the thickness is on an ok Joe, it may be fine.. I had an old chargriller, and if you charted the temp swings on that thing it would look like a roller coaster. It was always getting hotter or colder. It would hardly ever just sit at a temp. With my shirley, the roller coaster has smoothed out to a slightly hilly road at best. Where I used to vary temps from 375 to 200 and back to 400, I now vary from 275 to 310, tops. For the most part she just cruises with about 1/10th the amount of attention. It really is that much easier to use

 

[Thatgrimguy]

It's easier to maintain consistent temps. It will draft better and run thin blue smoke easier. It will hold heat better. It will look better. It will have more room to work with. It's hot spots will work more to your advantage than disadvantage becuase of the size. You will be able to use more than twigs to feed the cooker.

 

[Bludawg]

I have to agree with Omar ( retired trucker) If you learn your pit you can cook on it with ease. I recently gave away my Chargriller Outlaw to a friend. The first time he cooked on it I got him started & showed him how to manage the fire for a few hrs. his temps varied just like they did for me +/- 25 deg. It's the cook not the pit. I've cooked on PJ's Shirley and it is easy to cook on but, but no harder than the Trailmaster I had( comparable to the Longhorn) or my new O/U. The real key to any stick burner is fire management.

 

[pjtexas1]

i had an old Texas Smokemaster. while it was 3/16" and was a decent cooker. i benefited from steadier temps, not adjusting the intakes, no leaks, fitting a ton more meat, using less wood (insulated firebox), less stress, more cooking options (warmer and gas burner), more prep area with the table options, bigger wood storage on the cooker, built-in warmer helps a lot. i am sure i am forgetting a few things...will add later as they come to me.

edit: like stated above...if you are just looking to cook better then a fancier cooker may not be the magic wand but if a new cooker gets you more excited to cook and you cook more often then maybe it is a little bit magical.:laugh: see my sig...you don't have to have the most expensive tool but you do need one that works properly.:thumb:

 

[Doug Crann]

A bad carpenter always blame the tools. Never bought into the "thicker metal will retain more heat" line. What retains the heat is good air tight doors. Ain't like metal has any real "r" value....sure when you start talking the difference between 18 gauge andt 1" plate there is a difference, but between .125" and .250" the difference is going to be minimal.....but what the hell do I know...

 

[landarc]

Hmmm, I'm going to have to disagree with Omar and Blue a bit. Yes, if you learn your cooker, you can cook on any decent cooker. But, a well built cooker, with heavy steel and tight seams will make it easier, as will a properly designed intake, exhaust and throat. A larger firebox, not common in the $500 range also makes a difference.

 

[mnbadger]

A bad carpenter always blame the tools. Never bought into the "thicker metal will retain more heat" line. What retains the heat is good air tight doors. Ain't like metal has any real "r" value....sure when you start talking the difference between 18 gauge andt 1" plate there is a difference, but between .125" and .250" the difference is going to be minimal.....but what the hell do I know...

This makes sense to me... My guess is the thicker the metal the more heat it will hold risidually. But the majority of the heat in an offset is from a high airflow going over the meat (i.e. fire management). Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better that the smoker I'm building will only have .150" thick walls in the cook chamber.

 

[jermoQ]

$500 isnt reeeaaal cheeep

I would first modify your question to "can y'all help me make some modifications on my OK Joe". I don't have one of those but considered one a few years ago as an upgrade from what I had. They seem to be designed good and I think you could learn how to tweak it to get Q that is the best especially since peeps are making great Q on thin walled WSM's and UDS's. At least then you can have more time to save up $$ to get one of the Cadillac models you are dreaming of.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Smoker Bragging Rights.? :shock:

They are exactly 7 times better than the tin foil ones like Charbroil, but only 2.3 times better than the Longhorn and only 1.7 times better than Old Country(s).

The better pits will react faster and have smaller temp swings. On a Longhorn or Pecos you have 50-60* temp swings - target temp +\- 25-30*. On better qaulity pits it can be 20-30* temp swings so target temp +\- 10-15*. - esp reverse flow or insulated firebox units. And they last longer- possibly 2-3 times as long.

 

[J_Don]

I'm looking at an OK Longhorn as we discuss this and it is definitely a step up from my soon to be X Char-Griller. Being as I am not on the competition circuit it will suit my needs just fine. It is definitely built better than the Char-Griller. Guess it really boils down to what you will be using it for. I would love to have a Shirley, Lang etc but that would be overkill for me not to mention I can't afford one.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Ok Joe only needs a convection plate and raised fire rate. If you are looking for more than that then upgrade to a better Quality Pit. Get a Shirley Backyard or LSG or Jambo or other......

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'm looking at an OK Longhorn as we discuss this and it is definitely a step up from my soon to be X Char-Griller. Being as I am not on the competition circuit it will suit my needs just fine. It is definitely built better than the Char-Griller. Guess it really boils down to what you will be using it for. I would love to have a Shirley, Lang etc but that would be overkill for me not to mention I can't afford one.

If you have Academy Sports near you get a Pecos. About same size as Longhorn but fully welded with better exhaust. Pecos benefits from running running plates or convection plate same as a Longhorn.

 

[Bludawg]

Get an Over Under you won't regret it!

 

[wtxsmoker]

Cadillac or VW both will get you there. I prefer a heavy well build pit. It's just the comfort and ride that count. Just easier to manage and enjoy.
However if you can manage a fire you can cook on anything!

 

[Okie Sawbones]

Myron Mixon says he can cook better in a trash can than any of us can with whatever smoker we choose. :shock: :drama:

 

[Wesman61]

Lots to think about. I had a New Braunfels offset that I modded the heck out of and still couldn't get it to stay within a reasonable temp range. However I am just now coming into a better understanding of how to manage the fire. My deal now is that I recently bought a Gateway drum smoker that I love and it turns out great Q. However I still like what I can produce on my offset better. I need to mention that the offset I have now is the dual smoker/gasser unit. It is about the same as the regular Longhorn except the cook chamber is shorter. I would like to be able to cook more than one medium brisket at a time. If a regular Ok Joe or Old Country could work for me without making me want to pull my hair out I'd happily save the extra $1000+. I'd pay good money for an offset that I can enjoy cooking on rather than fighting it for 10 or more hours.

 

[Grillard]

Myron Mixon says he can cook better in a trash can than any of us can with whatever smoker we choose. :shock: :drama:

I tried cooking in a trashcan but it just melted. And Rubbermaid wouldn't even honor the warranty!