Looking for reccomendations: best (mobile) rig to smoke meat for 15-20 people

[wssrstrm]

Looking for recommendations to level up in terms of volume of output and increase my mobility.

For the past two years I've smoking brisket, short ribs, and an unbelievable volume of chicken low and slow on a 22" Weber Performer kettle w/Slow n Sear, a pit viper fan, and a Fireboard as thermometer. It's been a pretty amazing setup and it's worked really well. If I'm cooking for a small crew, this is absolutely fine indefinitely. The trouble is I can only feed about 5-6 people and I'm looking to increase the volume of my output...and increase my mobility!

What kind of rig should I be looking at if I want to smoke meat and beans for 15-20 folks? Earlier this summer I bought the Camp Chef Smoke Vault because was on sale, but I don't like it: not particularly mobile and I want to stick with charcoal, pellets, or wood as a fuel.

Something that fits on a little bitty trailer (or is a little bitty trailer) would be ideal. Budget-wise, will pay for quality and value, but I'm not rich, nor am I starting a business.

Love to hear what you folks have to recommend!

[Steve R.]

How about a Weber Smokey Mountain? I don't personally have one, but it would seem to fit the bill.

i can cook for a few people or a crowd with my Weber Ranch Kettle. Not much of a learning curve with this one compared to your 22". Don't pay retail, there are a lot of deals out there if you search around. I picked mine up brand new for under $700 about a year ago. It's the cooker I would choose if I could only keep one of my current lineup.

[tbob4]

I would look for a unit with shelves. Plenty of people will have suggestions. I find that shelves give you more volume with a smaller footprint. Something akin to the Yoder Stockton would probably be to your liking if you are using wood. The pellet folks will likely have good ideas, as well. It can be very convenient to travel with fuel that way in a small trailer.

[EdF]

http://kbq.us. ~75 lbs. Fits in most cars (and breaks down into several pieces). 60 lb food capacity. https://amazingribs.com/smoker/karub...-60-pit-review

Requires electricity.

[SMOG MAN]

+1

[CaptainMike]

60lb capacity?? I don't think there's that many people that I care enough about to make that much food for. But, then again, I haven't met everybody yet....

[Lock Stock and Barrel]

Take a look at Mr. Lang's smokers in Georgia.. these are competition type smokers on trailers but he has some nice small 36 and 48 inch models, reverse flow and very nice set ups. Built my own after researching his great ideas...imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

[JGo37]

[Troutman]

Where’s the engine? He said mobile!!! Maybe it runs on bbq smoke ??

[Quailsroost Smokers]

Troutman It's a trailer. Hitch bolted onto front bumper and electric cord running along hitch arm for the lights.

[JGo37]

Troutman Quailsroost Smokers I imagine it would LOOK like it's running if your towing while it's cookin', blasting smoke out'a them pipes.

[THE Humble Texan]

Look around Dallas (on line). I have not been down there for a long while but there is a company that makes GREAT units with picnic tables attached. If you don't need the tables, their trailers are still GREAT.

[jfmorris]

I think something that would fit the bill and be portable, and just extend what you are already doing with your kettle+SNS is a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain, or maybe a Pit Barrel Cooker, and if one isn't big enough, get two! Two PBC's would let you run 8 to 12 racks of ribs in one, while you cook 4 chickens or 2 briskets in the other. Cookers don't get much more portable than the PBC either. The problem with pellets is you will need AC power to run the smoker. Same thing with the Smoke Vault - you have to haul the propane tank(s).

A trailer type stick burner on the low end will set you back a couple thousand dollars unfortunately, and in the end, is not as portable or as small in footprint when not in use as a couple of PBC's. Plus if you are not used to stick burners - they need LOTS and LOTS of fuel. An order of magnitude more than you are used to with your kettle + SNS.

I think I am talking myself into a PBC too!

[Nightrayne]

For Sheer Portability - the PBC gets my vote too. Easily moved around by one person and the quality of the food it can produce is incredible compared to the price. Can be loaded into the back of a pickup so you don't need a trailer. A single bag of charcoal would let you run two PBCs simultaneously for a full cook.

[Nate]

Not sure what your budget is and if you are looking to attach it permanently to a trailer or be able to unload it....

For a small footprint I would consider looking at a vertical or vertical offset smoker. It also gives you a lot of flexibility.

[MBMorgan]

For sure, a couple of PBC's would be a great combo ... one running around 275-290 for ribs and the other at 350-375 for poultry. The only issue would be that there's not really a good way to shut down a PBC while it's burning ... which could be a factor if you don't plan to remain on site for at least 8 (or maybe 12) hours.

[jfmorris]

MBMorgan I have to wonder if WSM's have this problem, or do they shut down tight enough to choke the fire out?

[tdimond]

Meathead recommends a 10 gallon galvanized steel trash can on the free site for killing the coals. You can put the entire PBC coal basket inside, then put on the lid.

[Buck Flicks]

Whenever I tailgate, I take a foil roasting pan and a gallon jug of water. Once the cook is complete and we're ready to go in to the game, I dump the coals into the roasting pan and pour the water over the coals. This can be left under the truck/car, then put in a dumpster once the game is over. Some sporting venue parking lots have 55 gallon drums specifically for dumping hot coals in.

[BourBonQ]

I second what jfmorris and Nightrayne posted above.
Plus my PBC seems to cook faster than any of my other smokers, even at similar temps, haven't quite figured that out.

[JGo37]

There's a fella outside STL that makes these cheap to order. This one is $ 1500.00. But, I don't see anything right with this. How do you clean it? You need a truck, not SUV, to carry fuel. There's no offset for BBQ - this is just a big portable grill. It leaks like a sieve. What good are the end caps?

It does look cool for Operation BBQ Relief. This guy needs a new design.

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/tro/d/bbq-smoker-grill-trailer-with/6699561099.html

[MBMorgan]

jfmorris - You got me thinking (my wife seems surprised) and without any measurements taken, I wonder if someone with some metal working skills couldn't fabricate a PBC "snuffer" ... small enough to fit into the PBC ... large enough in diameter to just fit over the charcoal basket ... and tall enough to clear the handle of the charcoal basket. Just lower it into the PBC to kill the fire quickly ... and save the remaining coals for another cook.

Pardon the lack of proper perspective, but some quick and dirty doodling in PowerPoint suggests that it might look something like this:

[Pit Barrel Cooker Co.]

Pit Barrel Cooker Company is always looking at ways to improve the Pit Barrel Cooker experience and we always have stokes in the fire. Please feel free to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all new video and product releases. Thank you for your support!

[sos2979]

Great idea, but your figure is missing one thing that would make it much harder to build. The metal spokes that the grates sit on. Not sure you could get something that would fit in-between those and still be large enough to fit over the basket. It might be possible, but it would be tight and with a lit fire underneath it would get hot quick if your trying to maneuver it.

[MBMorgan]

sos2979 - I no longer have a PBC (to measure) but I figure that since the charcoal basket (with ash catcher) easily clears the grate supports, a thin-walled "snuffer" only slightly larger in diameter might likely do the same.

[wssrstrm]

Thanks so much for all the feedback everyone! Im going thru all the replies and comments now.

[BriggsBBQ]

I would do a WSM. I have competed and won two 2nd place trophies with WSM's. Inexpensive, light, easy to use, and cheap.