Need Some Advice on Second Smoker

[NascarFanTom19]

I've been trying to do some research on what is the best smoker to add to my collection. My main smoker I have right now is a Lang 84 Stick Burner as you see in the last picture attached. I love the Lang smoker and I never plan to stop using it. Its a lot of work and it would be nice to add a second smoker that I don't have to babysit as much. Before I was thinking about a more easy smoker I had plans on buying a Myron Mixon H20 smoker but thats another stick burner. My lang smoker turns out a good product. It was my first smoker Ive ever used and I would not change my first choice. I seen it on BBQ Pitmaster on TV and if the pros are using it than it must be a good smoker.

My two choices are a second smoker is the Myron Mixon Vulcan Gravity Feed Smoker that uses charcoal and wood chunks or a smoker not many know exist yet and thats a Yoder Cimarron Pellet Smoker attached in the picture below. It has over 2200 Sq inches in cooking space and its a very cool looking smoker. Many know Yoder makes a top of the line pellet smoker. So if Im going to go pellets I plan on buying the Cimarron that will start being delivered they say in March. My fear is even after I buy my second smoker Im still going to be using my Lang smoker at the same time and Im not sure how much diffrence one pork shoulder cook on my land will be different from a pellet smoker. I know the Myron Gravity smoker would be closer to what Im doing now but I don't like the way it looks. My lang is impressive looking I think and the new Yoder in the picture with those wheels look very impressive also but that Myron Mixon Gravity smoker don't look very cool I. Looks are not important as much as taste but You want a smoker that looks cool and that Cimarron is for sure a head turner.

Does anyone have a stick burner and a pellet smoker that can tell me how different it would be on my end product.

Does anyone use a gravity feed and a stick burner that can tell me how close they might be to the same end product. I think the end result the gravity feed would be my best choice.

Im all set to pull the trigger on a Yoder Pellet smoker but not sure if Im going to be disappointed when I compare the meat from the Yoder to my Lang Stick Burner. Pellets make really no ash and my Lang makes a ton so I can see how pellets would not do the same.

But I need opinions and advice. I sometimes smoke for 3 days straight and a pellet smoker would sure help me overnight. I have thought about starting stuff out in my lang and transferring it to the pellet smoker when I did not need both smokers full at once. but that would only work part of the time.

You just don't see many videos on the pellets smokers saying it has a nice smoke flavor etc. I know with my lang smoker I might be adding too much smoke at times.

I have read that on a pellet smoker the slower I cook it the better when it comes to smoke but Im not always going to want to start out at 180 degrees as they suggested.


Any Help?

 

[Okie Sawbones]

Pellet pooper. No brainer.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'd go with the Cabinet.

 

[Dweverett]

I have zero experience with a gravity feed so no help there. I've had food from stick burners and pellets. The stick burner can give a heavier smoke flavor though whether that's better or not is personal preference. Pellet grills give a consistent, clean smoke flavor that's very good.

One other thing on the pellet side. The stability of the electronic controller can change the way you think about cooking. Obviously there are exceptions but the time required for a low temp often is pretty irrelevant as you don't need to do anything to monitor it. For overnight cooks for example I've started dropping the temp down to the 180 level so I can start it early in the night rather than staying up till midnight or whatever. Brisket or butt will be nicely in the stall the next morning when I can wrap it and change the temp to manage it to finish more or less when I want.

I didn't realize Yoder made that model btw -- cool looking pit (though it almost looks like it should have a steering wheel)

 

[SimcoBBQ]

I've had both and had better results getting more smoke to the food in a gravity feed. You can go it in a pellet grill but to get that kind of smoke flavor you have to change cooking style somewhat. For instance put your meat in cold and smoke around 180 for the first couple of hours. I had a Lang 60 and had a hard time getting the smoke flavor from a pellet smoker. The biggest concern you may have is the amount of pellets you'll go through heating up that big hunk of steel. I had an Fec100 (it was insulated) it did ok on pellets for a large capacity cooker , but it did go through them getting up to temp with a load of meat. An insulated gravity feed is a lot easier on the wallet as far as fuel is concerned and you can impart as much smoke flavor as needed. Just my 2 cent

 

[KevinJ]

That Yoder sure is a good looking Pit but I've never had the opportunity to cook on a pellet grill or have had Q off of one. Just based off of what I've read on the internets and my experience with a stick burner and charcoal/wood, I'd have to say the gravity fed is going to give you a similar smoke profile to what you are using now over the pellet grill.

 

[pgyrogear]

Has anyone tried the Jen-U-Wine Jerry™ Pellet Grill Stick Burning System Upgrade in order to get more smoke with a Pellet cooker.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/151883165900?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

http://jenuwinejerry.com/

That Yoder looks real sweet!!!!!!

 

[cpw]

If you're looking for heavier smoke flavor, I'd go with the gravity fed. Those things are pretty much set it and forget it too, as long as you add a guru/stoker. I use/used a stick burner, a gravity fed, and now a pellet cooker and I will definitely say for ease of use/setup, the pellet grill wins hands down. I use my GMG way more than I ever used any of my charcoal smokers.

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

I love the food coming off of pellet cookers, but it definitely is not the same as stick burners. I personally like both, but they are different.

Maybe find someone with a traeger or something to taste the food. It won't be much different off that Yoder, and you can find out whether you like BEFORE DROPPING $6800 ON A PELLET COOKER!

Awesome machine, but waaaay more than I would pay for something like that. To me, pellet cookers put out very similar food brand to brand. I've personally cooked on and ate off of at least five different brands. All similar. You could buy nearly 7 traeger Texas models, or 10 gmg for that price.

 

[Hillbilly BBQ]

I have an offset stick, a yoder and an insulated cabinet. Send a PM ill give you my number and we can chat about the differences in detail if you want.

 

[NascarFanTom19]

Im more confused Now lol

One second I'm convinced not to go with a pellet as I read what some write and than I watch some videos and see meat with awesome smoke rings and wonder how different it really is. Im sure at times you can easy over smoke on a stick burner and might get use to that smoke flavor and when compare that to a pellet its like night and day. But if you took food that was not over smoked on a stick burner and compared it to what came from a pellet I don't know it would be that far off. Im speaking from the videos Ive seen and how the bbq looked. I seen some briskets with really nice smoke rings and if it got a smoke ring that nice on a pellet the smoke flavor has to be good. I would think. Its just so hard. I really don't like the way a gravity smoker looks. I know looks are not important with the way the food taste but Im really hoping that yoder can turn out a good smoky product. I read one second and Im all Yoder and another second Im confused.

I wish there was a Kcbs bbq contest soon around me so I can taste for myself.

 

[cpw]

Smoke rings don't have anything to do with the smoke flavor. It's why you can still get smoke flavor out of an electric smoker with no smoke ring at all. They sure do look good though.

 

[Bludawg]

No such thing as OVER SMOKING strong taste is a direct result of dirty smoldering fires! Build a UDS or spring for a PBC for when ya feel lazy.

 

[Big Andy]

I 2nd what Bludawg says. I have a PBC and use some chunks with the charcoal, and get great smoke flavor. It's not great for an all nite low-n-slow in my opinion, but it turns out great food with little hassle.

 

[MeatCandy]

Pellet cookers put out good Q...I can get my sleep too...
The Yoder Cimarron Pellet cooker is a sweet looking pit...

Easy choice for me...

Enjoy your search...

 

[TosaJake]

i didn't think that the Yoder Cimarron pellet was available yet?

 

[NascarFanTom19]

You can order one now and get it delivered in March - April

 

[Hog1990]

I like pellet cookers, but I don't think I would want to be in line for the first few that roll out. There are bound to be bugs. I would wait until they get their firmware worked out. Plus that thing will be a struggle to load and unload... Gravity Feed smokers work OK, I didn't care for the smoke profile on them.

 

[Porcine Aviator]

If you like the food that comes off of your Lang-- as I do-- you are not likely to be satisfied by a pellet cooker. I have used both extensively, and can say that pellet burners simply do not produce the wood flavor that you are used to. It is inherent in their design and fuel. You can add auxiliary smoke devices to overcome the problem, but then you are defeating the ease of use benefit.

I would suggest that you look at a vertical. The flavor is very similar to a stick burner( using charcoal and wood chunks), and you can leave the unit overnight with rock steady temperature control.

I still like the stick burner, but I don't think you can come any closer than the results from the vertical. Plus, the hands-off feature, with repeatable results, is hard to beat.

 

[TosaJake]

You can order one now and get it delivered in March - April

Any idea of what the out the door price is?