Opinions on Mixon Gravity Fed

[fatguy]

Hey Brethren,

I have many smokers but don't have a gravity fed smoker and we are looking to complete the heard. Would prefer "quality" over continuing the search for the "better smoker" so have ruled out Masterbuilt and other lower class models. Eyeing a Mixon G20 gravity fed smoker https://myronmixonsmokers.com/products/mms-g20

My plan is to possibly use it for KCBS competitions if testing goes well but largely use it for more lazy cooks for a bit more flavor than a pellet grill and if we were to try to do some catering/cooking for a local bar/restaurant. Feels weird to say this but if we were trying to cook meat for a profit this would be the smoker.

Seems that these smokers have a nice charcoal flavor and if we add a blower - some of the set and forget features we like in our Yoder pellet smokers.

Any thoughts as to build quality, flavor, or anything I may be unaware of? Don't see much online about these smokers but I know that a couple comp teams use them and definitely easier than managing a fire across many pits.

Thanks for the help!

 

[BBQLab]

Hey Brethren,

I have many smokers but don't have a gravity fed smoker and we are looking to complete the heard. Would prefer "quality" over continuing the search for the "better smoker" so have ruled out Masterbuilt and other lower class models. Eyeing a Mixon G20 gravity fed smoker https://myronmixonsmokers.com/products/mms-g20

My plan is to possibly use it for KCBS competitions if testing goes well but largely use it for more lazy cooks for a bit more flavor than a pellet grill and if we were to try to do some catering/cooking for a local bar/restaurant. Feels weird to say this but if we were trying to cook meat for a profit this would be the smoker.

Seems that these smokers have a nice charcoal flavor and if we add a blower - some of the set and forget features we like in our Yoder pellet smokers.

Any thoughts as to build quality, flavor, or anything I may be unaware of? Don't see much online about these smokers but I know that a couple comp teams use them and definitely easier than managing a fire across many pits.

Thanks for the help!

It’s been a while since I was involved with KCBS champion BBQ. At that time pellet smokers were not permitted. I recall people wanting to use models like the FastEddy which was like a “set-it and forget-it” type of computer system as this gave the optics of sorta cheating. That may have changed with the advances in BBQ technology. Clearly you have seen people using BBQ Guru systems, ThermoWorks, etc which monitor temps and control fans for stoking the fires. The only major difference is those computer systems on an offset, pit barrel, or cabinet with splits or charcoal still require some fire management. The pellet models have a computer that maintains a temp and still may be seen as cheating vs competitive advantage.

 

[BBQBrew65]

FYI: KCBS allows pellet smokers.

You might consider SouthernQSmokers Gravity fed.

https://www.southernqsmokers.com/gravity-feed-smokers/

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

Are you specifically wanting a gravity feed? would you also consider a traditional insulated vertical cabinet?

Both are pretty much set an forget and can maintain temperature for 18-24 hours without reloading. Note a gravity will need to have new wood chunks added to the ash pan fairly frequently.

I have always wanted a gravity feed but ended up getting 2 traditional IVCs as they seem a bit more user friendly, need less tending to and are less likely to run into issues.

For gravity feed check out
Stumps
Assasin
Souther Q
Humphreys

For traditional check out
Lone Star Grillz
Humphrey's
Cascade
Ironside
Meadow Creek

I'm sure there are more options I am forgetting

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

KCBS History Lessons From 1993

I have posted this information several times before on various forums on the interweb. Here is a recap of the major changes that occurred back in 1993:


1. Pellet cookers were deemed a legal cooking device. The logic given behind this ruling was once the pellets were ignited and the lighting device was off, the heat source was not considered electric nor gas.



2. The two divisions of Professional and Amateur were eliminated and all teams competed in the same division. Prior to this rule change, a professional team was defined as any team whose head cook derived income from from monies earned through any type of business associated with BBQ. This included cooking, catering, retail of BBQ items such as rubs, marinades and sauces, and manufacturing of BBQ items such as grills and pits. Before this rule change there were two separate judging tents, the tent for the professionals and the tent for the amateurs. Each division announced winners in the categories and each had its own grand champion. The overall grand champion was the team that had the most total points regardless of their division.


3. The pork category was defined as pork shoulder only. The shoulder cut was defined as it is now with the butt section, the picnic section or the whole shoulder. Until this rule change, any cut of pork could be submitted. The argument given for this rule change was that there was no consistency of the cuts being submitted and this led to judges making comparison of pork entries being judged. Some of the cuts being submitted were loins, tenderloins, hindquarter cuts that were not cured, and country style ribs that were were cut from the loin area. At this point in time, country style ribs cut from the shoulder were not very common.


4. Ribs were now defined as being either spare ribs or back ribs. Before this rule change, country style ribs from the loin area were allowed. However, if you turned in country style ribs for your rib entry, you could not turn in that same cut of ribs for your pork entry. (I bet this made for more work on the contest reps to keep track making sure that a team did not turn in country style ribs in two categories.)


I think that there were a few other changes done thirty-years ago, but these are the four major ones that I remember.



Lager,


Juggy

 

[fatguy]

Guess part of the reason I am looking at a gravity smoker is so I don't need power. My Yoder 640 can run off my Jackery battery but for comps I want to reduce the amount of items I have to bring. Typically use drums but it would be good to have a cabinet or gravity fed more like an oven. From what I have seen they keep pretty consistent temp and have less spikes than opening and closing a drum.

I know someone with the Mixon gravity fed which is why I am considering it. Seems like a good and I can get it quite a bit under retail.

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Guess part of the reason I am looking at a gravity smoker is so I don't need power. My Yoder 640 can run off my Jackery battery but for comps I want to reduce the amount of items I have to bring. Typically use drums but it would be good to have a cabinet or gravity fed more like an oven. From what I have seen they keep pretty consistent temp and have less spikes than opening and closing a drum.

I know someone with the Mixon gravity fed which is why I am considering it. Seems like a good and I can get it quite a bit under retail.

Will this person let you give the cooker a test run? That would be the best case scenario to see if it truly performs the way you want. I see a ton of gravity feed smokers on the KCBS circuit and I'll admit I'm a bit jealous that these cooks can sleep soundly for 6+ hours while I'm up all night feeding my offset. haha

When I was running my BBQ food truck I switched from an offset to an insulated vertical cooker. That IVC changed my quality of life as it allowed me to sleep all night long. I've never had food cooked on a gravity feed, but the food coming off my IVC was so close to an offset's smoke profile that most of my customers said they didn't notice any difference. I could tell it was a bit lighter in smoke flavor but overall it was definitely a good way to go.

Good luck moving forward! I'd love to hear thoughts if you do end up snagging the Mixon gravity feed cooker.

 

[fatguy]

Will this person let you give the cooker a test run? That would be the best case scenario to see if it truly performs the way you want. I see a ton of gravity feed smokers on the KCBS circuit and I'll admit I'm a bit jealous that these cooks can sleep soundly for 6+ hours while I'm up all night feeding my offset. haha

When I was running my BBQ food truck I switched from an offset to an insulated vertical cooker. That IVC changed my quality of life as it allowed me to sleep all night long. I've never had food cooked on a gravity feed, but the food coming off my IVC was so close to an offset's smoke profile that most of my customers said they didn't notice any difference. I could tell it was a bit lighter in smoke flavor but overall it was definitely a good way to go.

Good luck moving forward! I'd love to hear thoughts if you do end up snagging the Mixon gravity feed cooker.

For KCBS I am only competing in backyard so I can still get some sleep I use Gateway drums but may give my Outlaw Patio smoker a shot at an event or two.

Will let you know if I grab the Mixon. Don't know them close enough where I could borrow it or sit at their house for a day. Overall they seem pretty simple and if I stepped up to Masters/Pro it would definitely help as I am largely a team of 1. 4 meats would be running!

 

[Back9Q]

I have seen them up close and although very nice not worth large dollar amount IMO. Like you I was looking for insulated charcoal smoker and ultimately bought a pitmaker vault used for $2500 and it was amazing. Ran 15-16 hours without refill. Id take a look at those and other GF before pulling trigger


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[WeberWho]

I love my gravity feed smoker. With the gravity feed smoker I'm able to put wood chunks under the charcoal grate and get them to fully ignite and emulate my bigger stick burner. It's not a full replacement of a stick burner but it puts out some fantastic clean smoke and takes very little babysitting other than the first couple hours of adding wood chunks for flavor and that takes very little effort.

 

[willic]

I have a Stumps XL Stretch... I load her with 90 to 180#, get her to temp, fill her up and come back in 9ish hours... fill the shoot half way and finish off the 12 hour cook! Easy, peasy! I just ordered a 2nd XL Stretch!

 

[Itsdone]

I had to check this thread's date. I got nothing good to say about Mr Mixon. I will bow out of this thread.

 

[fatguy]

I have seen them up close and although very nice not worth large dollar amount IMO. Like you I was looking for insulated charcoal smoker and ultimately bought a pitmaker vault used for $2500 and it was amazing. Ran 15-16 hours without refill. Id take a look at those and other GF before pulling trigger


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I would be getting the Mixon for the same price range - around $2500. Does that change your thoughts on quality/value?

 

[fatguy]

I had to check this thread's date. I got nothing good to say about Mr Mixon. I will bow out of this thread.

What don't you like? How he capitalized the "brand" and turned bbq into a business? I have no problem with someone finding a market and using it to make money.

Not defending him as I don't know much about him. Just haven't heard anything bad about him or his company.

 

[Itsdone]

What don't you like? How he capitalized the "brand" and turned bbq into a business? I have no problem with someone finding a market and using it to make money.

Not defending him as I don't know much about him. Just haven't heard anything bad about him or his company.

Some might say he is a cheater. I won't make that claim because there's no proof or regulations on ingredients, But one day, these things might be like Lance Armstrong.
Anyway im done.

 

[Mike Twangzer]

Can't contribute but it is an interesting thread. You mentioned adding to the herd ..... what all is in the corral ? THX

 

[Back9Q]

I would be getting the Mixon for the same price range - around $2500. Does that change your thoughts on quality/value?

Yes I would pull trigger at that price.


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[Smoking Piney]

Hey Brethren,

I have many smokers but don't have a gravity fed smoker and we are looking to complete the heard. Would prefer "quality" over continuing the search for the "better smoker" so have ruled out Masterbuilt and other lower class models. Eyeing a Mixon G20 gravity fed smoker https://myronmixonsmokers.com/products/mms-g20

My plan is to possibly use it for KCBS competitions if testing goes well but largely use it for more lazy cooks for a bit more flavor than a pellet grill and if we were to try to do some catering/cooking for a local bar/restaurant. Feels weird to say this but if we were trying to cook meat for a profit this would be the smoker.

Seems that these smokers have a nice charcoal flavor and if we add a blower - some of the set and forget features we like in our Yoder pellet smokers.

Any thoughts as to build quality, flavor, or anything I may be unaware of? Don't see much online about these smokers but I know that a couple comp teams use them and definitely easier than managing a fire across many pits.

Thanks for the help!

Can't speak for the Mixon gravity feeds, but I certainly can speak for Assassin. I've had my Assassin for 7 years now, and it's still a star and proven performer. The build quality is top notch, as is the performance.

I use an IQ 120 controller (provided) and it works great. I put my wood chunks in the ash box, shake the grate to get embers on them, and I get the smoke I need.