ProQ vs Weber Smoky Mountain

[reallyalexsc]

Does anyone have any experience using ProQ smokers?

They are very WSM-esque, but I'm really struggling to find reviews from anyone who seems to know what they're talking about - including searching here!

They look pretty solid to my untrained eye, but have no idea what the actual build quality is like compared to a Weber, if it suffers similar door-leaking issues with smoke or anything else.

Any first-hand experience would be gratefully received as would any observations from the specs from anyone more knowledgeable than me.

(I'm in the UK, so our options / pricing does limit options somewhat!).

Thanks.

[Jerod Broussard]

Max Good

May be able to help

[ComfortablyNumb]

Have you watched any YouTube videos on the ProQ? https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ry=proq+smoker

Appears they are manufactured in the UK. I'm on the other side of the pond, so I haven't seen them before.

[Max Good]

ProQ is designed in England and manufactured in China by Mac's BBQ. Napoleon's Apollo smokers are made by Mac's for Napoleon and are almost identical: http://amazingribs.com/bbq_equipment...el_tid%5B%5D=1

[reallyalexsc]

Thanks! I thought they looked very much like the Napoleon ones but wasn't sure if they were actually related. That is *very* helpful.

[nyekike]

I have a ProQ Frontier. I am quite new to the whole smoking business, but what I recognized is that smoke comes a lot in between the parts of the smoker, so it leaks quite a lot. For me the temperature climbs up and down quite a bit when I am cooking, but have to admit, the weather is usually windy here and I am really inexperienced. Still, I can keep the temp around 225. If you do not mind climbing up or down a few degrees during the cook the ProQ might be ok. I cooked chicken, pork butt and ribs so far, chicken and butt was really good, the rib was also ok, and I think I made the mistake there when not trimming it correctly.

[ecowper]

nyekike Since the ProQ has a similar design to a Weber Smokey Mountain, I would anticipate that as you cook on it more, the gunk that accumulates inside the cooker will help to seal the joints where the pieces come together. That is certainly the case on the WSM. You can also solve the smoke leaking problem with some high temperature gasket ... Lava Lock seems to be a preferred brand. Also, the temperature varying over time inside a WSM style smoker is normal as the charcoal ignites and burns, convection changes inside the smoker, etc. My WSM will see temp swings of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit on a regular basis. Nothing to be too concerned about.

[nyekike]

Thanks a lot for saying these nice words I already ordered some gasket, once it is delivered will see how I can fit it on and see how much it helps. As a plan B already started feeding my wife the idea of a insulated smoker..... Thanks god she loves the food I make on the ProQ.

[ecowper]

I will also say that I cook with my WSM summer and winter, snow, rain, and sun. Unless your air temps are below -5 Celsius, I don't think you need to worry too much about the impact of air temps. I never have had an issue with the WSM until I got down to -5 C, or so.