Decisions, decisions. Help me pick a new smoker (or not)

[rickgregory]

People are going to give you what THEY like, but to me the LSG, while very nice, may not fit your high capacity needs. It kind of depends, though, on what you want to cook for those 12+ person get togethers. SO much of this kind of decision is affected by what you want to cook, how, etc.

I almost suggested the LSG above, but even though I think it gives more smoke than other pellet grills, does it give you the charcoal like smoke you're used to? I think in your shoes I'd ask in the LSG section https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...tar-grillz-lsg.

Upside? If you like it, the LSG will last forever. Downside? Pricey, you have to wait and there's the chance that you just arent a fan of the smoke style.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

that's the biggest bummer about the LSG offerings in my opinion, both of them are on the small end.

[rickgregory]

Right, and if they're on the expensive side AND on the small side... eh.

I think SNS + something else is the way to go. Something like the camp chef smokevault lets him see if a vertical smoker is useful etc. If it is, he can always move up to a higher quality unit if needed.

It's nice to say 'buy once cry once' but that assumes you know the kind of thing you want.

[Rod]

I agree with rickgregory You need two smokers/grills. That way you can have the desired capacity when needed and don't have to go overkill for half a dozed chicken pieces. I'm in the camp of kettles whether it be the SnS or Weber with Fireboard and Pit Viper fan. My pellet grill experiences definitely left me yearning for more smoke flavor. With a kettle or two or even a Weber Kamado you check all the boxes.

Flexibility, check. Can smoke, roast and sear.

Capacity, check. With a 26" kettle and a 22" kettle that should be adequate for 30 people with some accessories (elevated grates etc.). An E6 and a 26" should definitely not be a problem for 30. Though I've only cooked for 8-10 at the most so I'm no expert there.

Set and forget, check. With a thermo/fan controller they are waaay better maintaining temps than a pellet grill in my experience. Not sure how they work in direct sunlight though. I know pellet cookers struggle mightily in the heat in my experience. Mine (Traeger and RecTeq) had a hard time staying below 300 in the summer here in the desert and they were always in the shade. As soon as temps would get to the mid 90's, forget it. Don't even want to remember the days trying to cook at lower temps when it was 117 outside.

Another upside with the kettle/fan combo is if the fan dies or the controller dies, you're not dead in the water. A lot of people here don't use fans and controllers and talk about how rock solid they run without them. On a pellet grill, if the fan, auger or controller dies, you're sunk. Plus with kettles you can be mobile. Even with a fan and controller. I've taken my set ups with a battery pack and that will run the fan and controller all day. You don't have to have power like you do with a pellet rig.

Accessories galore make kettles the king when it comes to quick MCS fix. So there's that...

[glitchy]

I don’t have any experience with the LSG and it looks like a great pellet grill. I suspect it’s a pellet hog, but that’s the only negative I’ve seen about it. High pellet consumption isn’t all negative either, sometimes it leads to more smoke output. My SmokeFire used more pellets than anything else I’ve had and had maybe the best smoke profile.

Pellet grills are definitely about convenience first. Easy to use, easy to clean, no tending on long cooks. While not having hands on with the RecTeq or P&S, my educated suspicions are that they will all be on the weaker side of smoke profiles for pellet grills. I’ve had multiple Traegers, CampChef, GMG, etc. barrel type poopers with side stacks and solid drip trays. They were all great for ease, but just meh in comparison to other pellet offerings for smoke profile and all were pretty indistinguishable from each other in results. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked many of them as they beat cooking on a gasser for flavor.

When you start looking at pellet grills that change things in design, most of them have better smoke profiles. Most noticeable to me has been the exhaust and drip tray. All the rear exhaust models I’ve had seem to circulate the smoke to actually hit the food more. As well, grills like the SmokeFire, MAK, and Memphis have major differences in their drip pans, the Weber doesn’t have one and the MAK (and Memphis) funnel all the smoke up to the pan and out all four sides of it, instead of just the front and back.

I’d love a little time with a Yoder and LSG to see how they compare. They seem to rely on firepot differences to make more smoke. A member on another forum did have both a MAK and Yoder and did several side by side cooks giving the advantage to MAK. My best guess would be these two are in between, but probably closer to the MAK, Memphis, Weber.

If you want to ‘grill’ on a pellet ‘smoker’ though, that’s where the real differences are. Weber and MAK are way beyond anything else I’ve used there. It’s still not as good as your Genesis, but they will do it and with more flavor. Some others have options to expose the firepot, but all I’ve seen are only good for a steak or two at a time. The MAK and Weber can pretty much use the whole main grate for grilling.

Let me know if I can answer anything to help your decision.

[glitchy]

Jfrosty27 Those wood fired convection oven cooks might be my favorite things on the pellet grill. Birds, meatloaf, meatballs, etc.

[bkono]

Your insight is definitely appreciated here. Do you have any thoughts on the vertical style and it's effect on the smoke profile? I'd think they'd have potential to do something different with the exhaust at least. Specifically looking at the 3 that have come up in research and suggestions: Pit Boss Copperhead 5 Series, the Camp Chef XXL, and the Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro?

[glitchy]

bkono With the verticals it’s kinda hard to say with comparing one side by side. It’s so different with the firepot straight below the exhaust, but also the tall narrow nature bringing the smoke back to the food more easily. My gut says the smoke profile might vary bottom to top. The Smoke Daddy has a lot more potential for a good smoke profile with the convection fan than the other two.

[Wedunne]

Just throwing out another option: why not consider a Pit Barrel Cooker? You could probably get 2 (or more) for less than a decent pellet pooper. And you'd get more smoke profile, great flavor and easier clean up.

[bkono]

Hmm, strong suggestion. I hadn't really thought about it, but if they are really as stable and minimal-attention as people say, this is a strong contender. I was just looking at the Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Jfrosty27 mentioned, and saw Walmart would ship it in 2 days for $269 ... was almost an impulse buy without any more research. 😆

[Jfrosty27]

bkono I bought one for my son as a Christmas gift this year. I was impressed by how solid it is in terms of build quality. He did his maiden cook of a pork butt two weeks ago and said it was a breeze to operate and held temp rock solid throughout the cook.

[Joey877]

I just bought the Bronco because this price told me I had to.

[Polarbear777]

A medium sized vertical cabinet gravity fed charcoal smoker can handle the max load. More expensive than some options, less expensive than others. With fan control is just as set and forget as any pellet rig.

but if you like lighter smoke, a larger pellet smoker will do well.

[DavidNorcross]

First of all welcome. You have tons of recommendations here. I agree with others, glitchy is a huge help in this area especially in the pellet world. I have a Grilla Silverbac and love it. You mention RecTec, great product. Others have recommended LSG and MAK, not owned either of them, but I am sure they are also great.

You probably will not stop at one or two or even three cookers overtime. I can't tell you what you "need" when it comes to cookers because it comes down more to what you want with this hobby. Best of luck to you. Anxious to see where you land.

[TripleB]

Wedunne made a great point. The PBC is virtually a hands free smoker. It's just load your meat and go. You're not fretting over the temp. Two PBC's could feed 30 people. Plus pellet poopers are expensive and can have mechanical issues. Use the excess cash to buy some other BBQ toys you've been looking at. The PBC is not sexy, but you won't have to worry about it pooping out on you.

[leol2]

Smoke Daddy puts out a great pellet smoker with lots of room at a reasonable price. Check out their website

[STEbbq]

I don't think a pellet smoker will suit you as you are getting a lot of compliments on the smoky flavor of your food. I do believe you need two smokers, though, for weekday small cooks and another one for larger parties.

I've owned an MB560 for about two years and it has been excellent. I would recommend it your small weekday cooks. It would be more efficient than the larger 1050 as that still would not handle your 30 person cooks.

For the larger parties, what about the MB cabinet?

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/smokers/masterbuilt-40-inch-digital-charcoal/

Two cost-effective options that deliver on the minimal monitoring and excellent smoky flavor. Win win!

[bkono]

Had just finished reading the AR review on the cabinet you referenced before coming back to check this thread. Good suggestions. Going to drop in on Home Depot tomorrow and take a good hands-on look at these.

[STEbbq]

If you are worried about the cookers breaking, MB has all of the parts online so it is easy to order new ones and replace them.

[Redwng]

I have the LSG 20x36 pellet and the LSG 20x36 offset and both have their times when they are very useful. I had a Rec Tec 680 for 7.5 years before I got the LSG pellet but the LSG smoke profile is superior. I did a spatchcocked chicken at Christmas and I had the controller set at 350 and was still getting a lot of smoke out of the stack, unheard of on the RT. From the removable firepot, pellet dump, the sear function and of course the Fireboard controller (allows you to catalogue your cooks with notes) it is 395# of awesomeness. I don't find it uses any more pellets than my old RT but even if it did one doesn't drive a Mercedes and complain it uses premium fuel.

I did a tri tip a while back which I smoked at 220 until 110 internal than moved the sear baffle and set the controller to 450 and left the lid open. I checked the temp above the flames on the grate with my IR and it read 756. I seared the TT for 75 seconds and sliced across the grain and it was amazing. I will include a pic.

With both grates in this thing one can cook a lot of protein. I will agree that a 3-5 month wait isn't what I wanted but this beast works exactly as I wanted and I would highly recommend it. Let me know if you have any questions.

[rickgregory]

The problem with the LSG or any other high end pellet rig is that the OP has a profile that they like and pellets are different... and the LSG, MAK etc are expensive. If you know you like the smoke profile, that's one thing but if you really like what a charcoal unit gives you dropping $2k+ and hoping you like the style is a big ask.

[bbqLuv]

I have a Traeger Timberline, love it.
(1) Traeger Ironwood Wood Fired Pellet Grill Review | BBQGuys Expert Overview - YouTube
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[glitchy]

Rereading your original post, why isn’t the Signals/Billows fan setup working to make the Chubby less work? Does it just not work right or does something else make it ineffective with the Chubby? I’ve always thought the cabinet smokers like that were supposed to be easy smokers? Isn’t it dump the coals in and light, set the vents and wait? Maybe a Fireboard 2 Drive and Pit Viper will help, then you can buy another cooker that fills a want or different gap more than a replacement?

I don’t know that it would fit your capacity needs, but my WSCG isn’t much more effort than my pellet grill, It’s just extra time to get the fire going. Once running, I can go 16-18 hours hands off with the FB hooked up.

If you’re strongly considering a Masterbuilt gravity series, I do suggest you do go look at one. I finally saw one in my local Home Depot a couple weeks ago. If you’re used to a Weber and a Chubby, you need to look it over to be sure it wouldn’t bug you quality wise. Also, it’s important to note that they recently sold the company. It’s hard to say if that’s good or bad. I was intrigued by them many times, but after my frustrations with the SmokeFire, I didn’t want the high odds of more. Also, I think it’s important to note that their grilling is indirect just like a lot of pellet grills, just hotter than most. I’m not bashing the product, just pointing out things you should consider, especially after you’re already used to quality mid range cookers now.

[jlazar]

I cook with a Backwoods Chubby G2, a fireboard, and a pit viper fan. Have no trouble keeping temp 225-230 the first 6 hours. From there, it wants to settle in at about 250. I have never had a butt or brisket go beyond 9-10 hours so no problem for me. Only time I had a temp runaway was when I let the water pan run dry. Once near target temp, I close all input vents and just run with the fireboard/pit viper. Set top vent to about 3/4 open.

[bkono]

jlazar that's helpful. I think there's some balance of desert heat/sun, wind, and the fact the billows is a single speed fan (with a not great algo) that leads to it getting into a bad cycle. Will add a post shortly as I finish digesting, but I think a fireboard and pit viper are in my future regardless of other gear. Won't fix the cleanup issues, but if it can address the monitoring, that's a massive win.

[jlazar]

I also put a foil pan in the water pan to make cleanup quicker and easier.

[WI Bubba]

I have a LSG 20x36 pellet pooper, and I can't stop saying enough good things about it. It's definitely an investment, but if you are willing to shell out the $$$$, and survive the wait, you will be rewarded.
I know the folks that own a MAK pooper love theirs as much as I love the LSG, so they are certainly worth a look.

The suggestion that 2 new cookers would serve you best is solid advice. As much as I love my LSG pooper, there in no way my kettle/SnS/Vortex combo is going away. There is just way too much versatility there.

Bottom line is this. Decide where the top of the budget is, and then make a choice on what kind of fuel you want to use. If your willing to crack the $3k mark, then you have some great choices of cookers, but it also weeds out the noise of all the sub $3k cookers. Camp Chef, Grilla, RecTek, Pit Boss, Masterbuilt, and so on, all make cookers that get the job done, and can do it very well. This is why the owners of these brands will happily tell you that they love their smoker. However, and this is coming from a guy that was very happy with his Camp Chef DLX 24, there is a noticeable difference in quality when you make the jump to the "premium" cookers. You just have to decide it the juice is worth the squeeze.

Happy hunting! I can't wait to see pictures of what finally shows up on your doorstep.

[rickgregory]

Decide where the top of the budget is, and then make a choice on what kind of fuel you want to use.

Key advice here. Things like an LSG are great... if you're OK with the $$. But if your top end budget is $1k, it doesn't matter how good things at $2-3k are. Like, Skip below lists two cookers that I'd love to have but the total outlay for both is closer to $6k than to $1k and I'm never going to spend that much. If someone can and is willing to, that duo sounds killer.

[Old Glory]

I like the two cooker suggestion.

1. Pellet Grill - MAK, LSG, P&S, Weber. Less smoke but way more convenience and you can up the smoke by adding a smoker tube. As was said above they are wood fired convection ovens. So easy to use. Not a grill but you can get them to sear. I have a Blazn' Grid Iron. Functionally works well but I am dealing with rust issues. I use it for everything. Birds, steaks, tri tip, chops, ribs, butts, it does it all for me. Mostly roasting and reverse searing meat. It is not a grill. It does not direct cook burgers, dogs or anything else. It is just not designed for that. I could set it up with the sear station but like Glitchy said it is a small area to cook on. Weber and MAK are supposed to be better but I have no experience with those cookers. The smoke is good enough for me. Though...

2. WSCG - I call this the one grill to rule them all. Plenty of cooking room. Can be set up like a traditional kettle grill or a Kamado. As a kettle direct and indirect cooking is a breeze. In kamado mode it is better than a BGE. Use a fan and it is very stable. Pick up a low profile Slow & Sear and a Vortex and it can do it all. I have a reducer ring for when I only need a small cooking area.

I posted this comparison in another thread. I do love the WSCG. It is so versatile. I use it at least 3-4 times per week. With the two level fire grate it is super easy to switch between cooking modes: Hot Fast or Two zone to Full Kamado.

I have a WSCG and a BGE XL and I have cooked on both.

BGE Pros:
More mass with the ceramics. They take longer to heat up but stay hotter longer and may be slightly more stable.
Great Low and Slow
Can get really hot for good searing
More like an oven I do feel you get more heat radiating out of the thick ceramic walls.
I would choose the BGE for Pizzas
I have a Woo Ring and the Ceramic Grill Store plate setter so I can pull out the grill grate and plate setter to add charcoal.

BGE Cons:
Takes longer to heat up ceramic mass
More mass means that it is harder to bring temps down if you overshoot target.
Heavy and fragile.
Not as good at two zone or direct grilling.
Need rig to lower grill grate to get closer to fire
Have to pull everything out to add chunks and charcoal
Need to pull everything to clean ash

WSCG Pros:
Good at Low and Slow
Insulated to hold heat and remain stable yet less mass means you can correct temps if you overshoot.
Great at direct and two zone cooking
Sears very well
Fire grate has two levels.
Easier to switch out heat deflectors
Easier to add wood chunks and more charcoal because of hinged grate and deflector (New plate is not hinged)
Lighter and not fragile
Gas Assist lighting
Easier to clean ash
Both a Kamado and a Kettle

WSCG Cons:
Less mass means less stability and less oven like cooking
BGE better at pizza (I assume)
Longevity not proven

With these two grills, pellet cooker and WSCG you you will be able to have enough horsepower to cook for 4-30 with ease.

[Rod]

Old Glory Since the WSCG has been replaced by the Kamado, the deflector plate is different. Not double walled, nor hinged anymore. So you have to remove everything to add fuel/chunks. My only complaint thus far. We're told cold meat attracts smoke. So setting everything up and getting to desired temp and then pulling everything to add chunks is a PITA. Kinda hard to predict where to place wood chunks at the same time of lighting. For me at this time anyway.

[Old Glory]

For Kamado mode I bury wood chunks under the charcoal (per Harry Soo) light and let everything heat up. I add a couple of chunks on top of the lit charcoal and adjust the vents to set my temp. Let it run for a bit to settle then add my protein.