Planning for my next grill/smoker -- couple questions

[jasonwilliams14]

Hello everybody!

I recently purchased a 22" weber kettle and really enjoying it. I realized this weekend that I need some extra capacity for BBQ/smoking. I quick why.

I did my first two rib cooks this past weekend on the kettle.

Saturday went ok Ribs turned out not ideal, but still decent. I learned a lot.
Sunday, I changed up how I was doing my ribs and they turned out AMAZING!

The entire slab of ribs was gone for dinner, about 13 bones. My family loved them! (they want more this weekend).
However, as funny as it sounds, my oldest son was not at dinner that night, so he did not have any. He is the biggest eater of the family so a single slab of ribs is not going to be enough to feed the family.

All that being said, I immediately thought, "I need more capacity to BBQ (and an excuse to get another grill)".....

I also started to think about having family and friends over. If I have just my family over for a BBQ get together, I am looking at about 20 people just to give some idea of capacity I would need in the future.

My kettle is great. Fantastic way to learn charcoal, 2 zone cooking, temp control and it is so versatile. Unless I use a rib rack, which I am not opposed to doing, I am a bit limited on how much I can cook on it.

What a perfect time to add another BBQ!!

I have read through several threads on the boards regarding folks looking to add another BBQ/smoker. I am asking something similar, but wondering if i should expand my options and thinking.

Weber was my first charcoal grill. Love it. I came from a gas grill that I find it is ok. Good for some things but there is something about using charcoal and wood that I really like.

I started a short list of things I should consider.

I would like to be able to use both BBQs at the same time, cooking different things for family and friends. It makes a lot of sense to me.
I could be cooking ribs and chicken in my future smoker/grill, while I cook some veggies/sides on my weber kettle or similar combos.

I have been looking at a few smokers/grills.

-Pit Barrel cooker
-Oklahoma Joe Bronco
-Weber smokey mountain

I do not think I could go wrong with any of them. They are all great.

I then started to ask myself, "Should I pick a smoker that I could grill on as well? Or just go with a dedicated smoker with good capacity and not worry about grilling on it?"

I also started to ask myself, "Should I look into a pellet grill or something like a Masterbuilt gravity fed like the 800 or 1050?"

I have nothing against pellet grills. I know they are great. Part of me does not want to be dependent on electricity as weird as that might sound. Maybe if I should just get over it the whole electricity thing.

I bring up the pellet grills because they do have quite a bit of space to work with, especially the larger ones.

I wanted to ask folks here, to see if there is anything I am missing or overlooking before I buy my next grill. I may not even be considering or looking at other alternatives I am not aware of.

If it is helpful, here is a short list of items I would cook for my family and get together. (maybe not all, but just to get a general idea)

-ribs
-pulled pork
-chicken (thighs, legs, wings, quarters)
-veggies
-beans
-potatoes
-steak
-burgers and dawgs


I guess in a roundabout way, I am asking "how do I pick plan my next BBQ pickup based on the above?"

I appreciate the feedback and hope the above makes sense.

Cheers,

jason

[RonB]

Thanks for all the info. How much you are willing to spend would be helpful.

[jasonwilliams14]

Ahh, fantastic question and vital info I forgot to mention.
Lets say around $1000, give or take as a starting place.
Thank you!

[bbqLuv]

Love my Traeger, Timberline 850, but the prices are going out of sight, as it were. And there is the electricity thing.
Gas/Pellet sounds interesting. Which model do you have in mind?

[Brian_M]

I have really enjoyed my Masterbuilt 1050. Low and slow, hot and fast, both turn out great with the charcoal and wood chunk flavoring. Just be aware that the electronics may be finicky…and some may also be junk. Mine is just over three years old and I’ve replaced the control unit (I think it was a $40 part, and took about five minutes…). Grease flare-ups can also be a thing if you don’t clean it regularly. With all that said though, if mine were struck by a meteorite tonight I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one.

[jasonwilliams14]

I have been looking at the 1050 myself in my brief research. Looks good and has a lot of room. Also good to know about the electronics might be a little dicey...

[Brian_M]

Just keep in mind that it’s a box-store quality piece of equipment with a box-store price. You can find high-quality gravity fed smokers that come with high-quality price tags. For the 1050, replacement parts (to have on hand) and custom parts (to prevent flare ups) are easy to find online. I’ve completely enjoyed mine, and it’s still in my regular cooker rotation.

[Smoker_Boy]

You know what they say in racing:

More is better.

[jasonwilliams14]

O yes indeed. I see several grills in my future....I have to prep the wife and earn those brownie points.

[Jessterr]

Excellent choice in avatar babes. 😎

[Smoker_Boy]

Jason,
Show her you can make brownies on the grills.

[Grillin Dad]

I'm in a somewhat similar boat. I've got 4 smaller kids (ages 3 - 8), inlaws that lives in town (ugh), and friends that happen to show up when I'm smoking. I currently have the Weber Performer (22" kettle with cart) that I love, but am constantly running to max capacity. As the kids start eating more, I'll quickly have to upgrade.

So for me, I've planned my upgrade to either the 26" kettle (with a homemade cart that I've got in my head) or a Hasty Bake Legacy. The HB has a bit more capacity and would be fun learning how to run, but the 26" would be a sure thing (since I've already got the 22"). Decisions, decisions.

[Grillin Dad]

FWIW, HB runs an annual scratch-and-dent sale every labor day. Most of their grills are marked down 20%, putting the legacy right at your $1000 mark.

[jasonwilliams14]

O yes. I have 3 kids, 8-16. My oldest is a horse. Built thin and straight up with a crazy metabolism. His idea for breakfast is about 8-9 eggs (fried, scrambled, omelet...), couple pieces of toast, maybe some bacon. For dinner, we will have a casserole and he will eat half of it on his own........he just packs it away and is always hungry. My other two...remains to be seen.

Appreciate the info on Hasty Bake. Not familiar with it but will definitely check it out!

[PNWBrandon]

+1 Vote for HB Legacy in $1000 range!

[jfmorris]

jasonwilliams14 Welcome to the Pit from Alabama!

I have an offset smoker, but do my ribs more often on the kettle or kamado. You definitely want a rib rack (I use a Weber brand one from Home Depot or Lowes), and probably an insert like the Slow 'N Sear to maximize direct versus indirect area for smoking. With that setup, I can get 5 racks of ribs on a 22" kettle, but that is about it. With my kamado (SNSGrills Deluxe Kamado) I have 2 levels of cooking, and can fit 6 racks of ribs without using a rib rack. I personally think 5-6 is gonna be the limit for a 22" kettle, and make sure to flip them over half way through the cook if using the rack, as the side that is UP is hotter, due to being higher in the dome.

I think any of those 3 cookers you mention will do great if you want more capacity - WSM, PBC or Bronco. All come in an 18" or 22" variant, and if it were me, I would be looking for the 22".

Personally I think that while the Bronco can grill, unless you get the Bronco Pro (22"), it's limited. I would go with the dedicated smoker, and then expand your grilling capacity with accessories for the kettle. Or look for a second kettle or other large charcoal grill. It is hard however to beat the ease of use and the vent/air control of a kettle. Don't go with one of these cheap charcoal grills from the big box stores, as most of them are leaky, hard to control, and will be frustrating in the long run. I speak from experience.

The Masterbuilt and Charbroil gravity fed charcoal smokers are interesting, but also introduce technology that can (and will) fail, as well as a need to plug them in. You can get 10-20 years out of those other cookers if you take care of them. Anything with fans and electronics, not so much. I would expect 5 years or so personally.

The same longevity concerns exist for any pellet smoker, unless you spend $1000+ and that won't be from the local stores. And if you like your smoking results with charcoal and wood chunks, you may be disappointed with the light smoke you get from pellets.

I've got 5 cookers in my back yard - offset (864 sq inches), kamado (22"), kettle (a 22" Weber Performer Deluxe), Genesis 4 burner gas grill, and a 6 burner Camp Chef flat top (griddle). Of those, if I could only have ONE grill, it would be the Weber Performer kettle. The kettle is just the most versatile cooker, and has the most available accessories. If I could only have two, it would be the kamado and the flat top. I do a lot of big cooks, and tend these days to use the kamado and the kettle if I need extra capacity, versus firing up the offset and feeding it wood.

For feeding 20 folks, something I've done a lot, from JUST my kettle, I would smoke 2 Boston butts or a large brisket, and skip the ribs. 5 slabs of ribs is going to feed at most 10-12 adults in my opinion, depending on the adults. Or burgers, cooked in a couple of batches.

[jasonwilliams14]

Heya jfmorris! Thank you very much! Excited to be here.
That is very helpful information. Good to know how much I can cook and plan. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your wisdom. I agree on the OKJ Pro 22". It makes sense. You gave me a lot of things to think about and consider which is fantastic. I really apreciate it

[Donw]

If you don’t mind using propane I have had a CampChef Smoke Vault 24 for years in addition to all my other cookers. It uses wood chunks for smoking. When I want to cook for large crowds it always gets used for something whether extra meats, sides, and during the holidays I use it to bake pies. https://www.campchef.com/smoke-vault-24/CC-SMV24S.html Just a thought as I enjoy mine and several other long time members still use theirs too. And for grilling you already have the kettle

[jfmorris]

I keep wanting one of these! Especially since I have an outdoor NG hookup that would give it infinite fuel for smoking/baking/holding.

[bmillin]

I currently use a Weber Smokefire EX6, a 22" Weber kettle with SNS accessories and an OKJ Bronco. Love them all. For grilling and two-zone the kettle gets the call, for chicken, tri-tip and ribs the Bronco is awesome.

The EX6 comes out when I want to do a long cook but have a lot of other balls in the air, like when you are entertaining. The capacity is amazing and it turns out some great food. Being able to control it from the app while making a run to the store for the ingredients I inevitably forget is pretty handy.

All that said, #1 choice for up to around 4 chickens at once is hanging in the Bronco.

[PNWsmoke]

Sounds like you need at least 2 more.

[jasonwilliams14]

At least two more!

[LA Pork Butt]

The ribs, pulled pork and chicken would be low and slow. The Oklahoma Joe Bronco could handle that and has some grilling versatility. Uncle Bob and Panhead John can help you understand what that cooker can do.

[jasonwilliams14]

I really do like the low and slow method. I really cannot say why, I just prefer that style. Nice to know the OKJ can do it all.

[xaugievike]

I have no qualms with your list...but maybe at least take a look at the Weber Summit/Kamado (whatever they call it these days).

You're familiar with the form factor and the learning curve would be pretty easy. Exceedingly versatile for your current skills and will allow you expand from there.

I dont think your qualms with electricity are weird at all....I use charcoal cookers for that very reason (granted I have some climate/weather issues that will differ from yours).

[jasonwilliams14]

I will do that and look at the summit. Kamado grills are really interesting from my brief reading. Different, but also versatile.
I think the electricity thing is that I become dependent. Where as if I am using charcoal cooker, I am just reliant upon having fuel.
If there is a power outage (which I do get) I am in a holding pattern.

[HawkerXP]

I didn't read all of the above. But you already have one of the best outdoor cooker, kettle, why not add the best for quantity?


PBC, PBC, PBC!

[jasonwilliams14]

I have this funny feeling, a PBC is going to end up in my collection at some point.

[Purc]

I have the Weber 22" Kettle w/SnS and Vortex and the regular 18" OKJ Bronco. Between the two I can cook a lot. I prefer the Weber for indirect 2 zone cooking, smoking, grilling etc. With the Bronco I can smoke either on the flat grate, hang, or a combo cook with the OKJ Triple Grate accessory.( I hung 2 racks of ribs, then on flat grate -1 pork butt and 6 full chicken wings all at the same time) The Bronco can also be used as a grill as well. I now prefer ribs to be hung over the coals vs on the grate. I don't like to hang a butt or tri tip. Tri Tips go on the kettle. Therefore, I like having both styles of cookers for different cooks. I say to look very closely to a WSM. With a 22" WSM and a hanger accessory, you get huge volumes, the ability to hang over direct coals, 2 levels of grate cooking, 1 fuel type, shortened learning curve. BTW, my next purchase will be a griddle because it's different than my other 2 cookers.

[STEbbq]

I think you are thinking about this the right way. You have three very good choices.

I would prefer the Oklahoma Joe Bronco primarily because it is easier to refill on long cooks, it has a shelf, and it can be used as a supporting grill for steaks for example if your Weber has run out of room very easily. The others would be a bit harder to use or require mods to add that feature. The wheels for mobility are nice, and it would be the easiest of the three to move unless you enjoy lifting things off the ground. The capacity for all three smokers is sizable and they would all be able to cook enough food for 20 people. The downside for all three is really the bending over to fill and refill and crouching at times for adjustments. Not everyone is super mobile.

Panhead John has many many good posts on this particular cooker. You can see one here:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/charcoal-drums-barrels-and-bullet-smokers/oklahoma-joe-bronco/1487497-brisket-flat-on-the-bronco-documenting-the-cook

The other alternative I would consider is the Backwards Chubby 3400 or G3 Chubby. Both would meet your stated desire for a charocal smoker under 1k with massive amounts of capacity.

https://shop.backwoods-smoker.com/collections/frontpage

[Panhead John]

STEbbq Thanks for the shout out! I’m not sure what you meant by the fill and refill part and crouching at times for adjustments [speaking here only about the Bronco]. The Bronco stands pretty tall and the vents can be reached for adjustments with no bending over at all. If you’re talking about filling and refilling charcoal, the Bronco can easily smoke for 10-12 hours on a load of B & B. Some people have gotten 15-18 hours. I’ve never had to add more charcoal during any of my cooks on it.

[Panhead John]

The only time you’d have to bend over, a little bit, is to remove and replace the charcoal basket at the beginning of your cook. There’s a nifty curved handle included with the Bronco, to help with lowering the basket in or removing it.

[STEbbq]

Thanks Panhead John it is good to hear that the OJB is better than the rest in terms of mobility too.