In your original post you mentioned that you sometimes need lots of capacity. That is my case as well. I have a MAK Pellet Grill(Good Quality and Hands Off) and a LSG Adjustable Charcoal Grill (Large Capacity and Versatile) and like them both. You've gotten a lot of good advice here in The Pit. Good luck with your decision.
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bkono In response to the WSCG/Kamado Old Glory covered a lot of it. I purchased out of MCS for wanting a alternate/backup for my pellet grills. In case I had a part failure or power outage or for just when I felt like using something else. It didn’t take long for me to rule out a ceramic as where I live can range in temps from -20 to 100+ and I usually roll my grills around. The fears of ceramic in those conditions scared me. I love my WSCG and still say if I could only have one grill it would be that despite how much I love and use my MAK more. I have a SnS, Vortex, and modified a Big Joetisserie for it, so there’s really not anything it cannot cook well. It’s the best steak and chicken wing/leg cooker I have and has also smoked some of the best hunks of meat I’ve made too. Everyday though as I have the MAK longer, it moves closer to replacing the WSCG on the only list though. The MAK is just to convenient for such a small trade in results. On my WFH days, I can smoke something all day with only 10-15 minutes to get the MAK going and food on, versus 45-60 for the WSCG. Once running, they’re both hands free and wait for yumminess.
What I can share that might help are a couple Fireboard graphs from long smokes on the WSCG to show how hands free it is once running. The drop on the end of the first cook is me dropping the temp to hold and the rise on end of the second is me raising the set point you can see it responds pretty well to adjustments.Attached FilesLast edited by glitchy; March 29, 2022, 08:18 AM.Comment
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I'm trying to catch up after visiting our son, do did not read all the posts, but here's a slightly different idea.
Look on craigslist or something similar and see if you can find a cheap pellet pooper. That will give you an idea of the smoke profile. If ya like it, you can either keep it or buy a nice cooker and sell the first one, (or, keep 'em both
).
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No! No! No! Not. Don’t do it! Fer get it! Don’t even think about it. You will rue the day you got anything, plus yuo’ll regret it.
There, ya happy.Comment
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Yoder makes good stuff, including pellet cookers. And they are large capacity. Rec-Tec also makes a good pellet grill, some can be fitted with optional vertical boxes for increased capacity. There are others too, the free side of this website has tons of reviews.
But something big enough for 30 is gonna waste a lot of fuel when used for only 4. All that air space has to be heated when most of it will not be used. This may or may not be an issue for you depending on your pellet (or other fuel) budget, but if I were looking at that kind of range I would be looking for a large smoker and a smaller one, then use the one that makes the most sense.
I run a Primo XL, which I think is fantastic for smoking. You do have to be careful for higher heat direct grilling, it WILL flash over and cause you to have shorter eyelashes. But that is OK, I have a gas grill for that, and soon I will break down and buy a proper Weber kettle (I currently use a cheapo kettle I found on the curb of a rental house after some people moved out). Between the Primo for smoking and my choice of proper grills for higher heat stuff Im set pretty good.
Also I do not understand why your controller and fan setup is not working, unless there is a problem with the controller itself. My BBQ Guru was working great, but last time I tried to use it there were problems. I think the elements finally got to the connectors and cause faulty temperature readings, so the controller was pumping in WAY too much air. Anyhow Im gonna go with a Fireboard controller and keep the same fan. Your setup might be having the same issue, your pit probe could be faulty (you can always try to use a different probe for the pit, even if it is a food probe), you could have a bad connection, or there is an air leak somewhere. Any of these can cause the thing to not work right.
I started off on this website (after heading Meathead on NPR and buying his book on the spot) looking at a Camp Chef pellet grill. But then after a lot of reading reviews and this forum, I ended up with the Primo. I am glad I DID NOT get that Camp Chef now. Not that they are bad, but I ended up with something I am far happier with.
My advice would be to slow down. Think about what you want. Read the reviews on the free site. Ask questions here. What is more important, a smoke profile or ease of use? Pellets are super easy but the smoke flavor is not that pronounced. Also pellets are not known for being able to get a good sear. But pellets CAN hold lower temperatures for things like fish. Smokers like mine are known for being excellent for long cook times and have excellent temperature stability - but you have to start them up slow because once the fire is too big when you reduce the airflow the fire can snuff itself out OR the temperature runs away on you and it takes a long time to cool it off. Also there is the "hey I had eyebrows before trying to open this lid - what happened" thing. And lump charcoal means more ash than pellets.
Lots to consider, but it is better to get what you really want the first time than get something you later regret.
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Well, if your interested in a very good large pellet smoker, I have a ReqTec BFG 2500 that will give you all the space you need. It is 2 years old, excellent shape and the reason I'm selling is we're going to barrel cooking. Still has warranty remaining and am giving a deep discount of $1100 over new. This would save you money. But you also have many other great recommendations.Comment
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Northern lights smoke, are you still looking at selling your BFG? If so, is it still available? -
BigD It will be available about early May. We are using it for one more cook. If your interested in it yet then, let me know. Be happy for someone from here to get it. -
Northern lights smoke, sounds great. I will reach back out in early May!
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This is why I wanted the wisdom of The Pit Crew. Jfrosty27, you weren't kidding... Time for an update!
A lot of really great insight, and best of all, it got me thinking more specifically about priorities and what I really want. Even reviewed old notes over the last couple years to spot trends, things I liked, etc. We have a great indoor kitchen, dual large convection ovens, etc. Going to the grill or smoker is because we want specific flavors and textures, and I enjoy the process so my decisions need to keep that in mind.
Still digesting everything, but after sleeping on it and noodling through the day here's where I'm at so far: smoke profile is more important than convenience. Cleanup is a factor if I want to use it during the week and not just weekends, startup time isn't nearly as big a deal, and the idea that the right answer is not one new tool to rule them all, but actually two is spot on. Every time I've cooked with the Chubby, my thought is always "why don't I use charcoal more often", which for some reason slipped my mind when I was getting annoyed at it not seeing enough usage. Net, net, I want more charcoal cooking options.
That puts things in perspective, and literally had me walking around the backyard this afternoon evaluating what reconfiguration lets me get a couple new options back there. Based on seeing them, the Masterbuilt gravity series is unfortunately off the list because from a purely subjective standpoint, the feel will bug me in the same way that drove me not to get the perfectly usable Breville Dual Boiler when I picked my espresso rig. It is a hobby after all, want to enjoy the feel of each of the tools.
Thanks to this thread, I've made some decisions with options I hadn't fully been considering when I started (but am pretty excited by now):
1. A Fireboard & Pit Viper. The FB will give me a chance to try to breathe new life into the Chubby, which would make it available from a capacity perspective for the bigger cooks. If it doesn't solve that, I'll still use it on number 3 below, and will sell or gift the Chubby.
2. The Bronco. This is a style of smoker I find really interesting, expands my smoker capacity a good bit, and doesn't need a ton of monitoring. √√√ Add to it Uncle Bob pointed out it was available on Target matched to the Walmart pricing, so I converted some work award points and it'll be here Thursday for the great price of $80.21.
3. Either an SNS kettle or a Weber E6 Kamado. I didn't even know the E6 was a thing, but a Kamado/BGE was on my "because I want it" list. Both of these check off a bunch of needs. Expanding my grill space, because even on a relaxed weekend just adding the in-laws I can max that quickly between appetizers, mains and sides. Killer two zone and reasonable size nails the average weekday usage. And the last one I hadn't thought of, with the Bronco and/or Chubby this opens up multiple smoker options for different needs when entertaining (smoked hot dog burnt ends, chicken, etc at higher temp in one, long running butts or shoulders in another, etc).
Overall, really excited to have dialed in on what will be right for me. Just need to answer the last kettle vs E6 question, and then have a plan for reorganizing before the wife asks where it is all going.
You guys have been fantastic, appreciate everyone jumping in to help me spend money. 😆Comment
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Congratulations on your Bronco purchase, honestly you’re gonna love that thing. It’s a lot of fun to cook with and it really does hold rock solid temps. You won’t need to baby sit this at all. After the first hour or so I rarely move the vents. And I’ve gotten an easy 9 hour brisket cook before out of it with a full load of charcoal. And probably had another 2 hours left if needed. Just a tip here, B&B Charcoal Briquettes are the way to go for long cooks. Enjoy! -
Oh boy, you will love the Bronco! What a buy using reward points! Awesome choice!
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Dave and SnS Grills make some fabulous products. I don’t think you can go wrong there. What the WSCG/Kamado is going to get you over the SnS kettle is mostly capacity and convenience/stability over long (8 hour plus) smokes. Though if you go the WSCG/Kamado route, I’d suggest considering adding the SnS Low Profile for it if it’s still available. I’m amazed by the capacity difference between 22†and 24â€, it’s night and day when you’re comparing a kettle with SnS versus a WSCG in Kamado mode. However, if you get Chubby running better with the Fireboard, those benefits may not justify the cost difference.
Make sure to find the right adapter from BBQ Guru for the fan on your specific Chubby, it looks like they’ve maybe changed a little over the years.
Most of all keep us posted how your journey goes.Comment
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Been awhile, and after today, felt like this needed a quick update.
After getting the Bronco, I took a good pause before doing anything else and experimented with it & the Chubby some more. That Bronco is really fantastic. I've had a few misses, but also a lot of "WOW".
The Chubby never quite came around for me. Finally decided to sell that, so it ships out tomorrow.
The surprise is the gasser that's at that point where it needs some investment of repairs ......... or a replacement. And my wife was fine with either option. Wanna guess which I chose? 😉
Since the Bronco has been so great for my charcoal needs, long smokes and quick grilling alike, I feel like I'm covered enough on that front (for the moment). And I've had the opportunity to experiment with some pellet smokers. Which lead to today's purchase.
I'll be playing the waiting game for awhile, but an LSG 20x42 has been ordered.
That'll cover the convenience portion of my needs, with the Bronco for charcoal profiles and extra capacity tasks. Win win all around.
Pretty excited, even if it might be a few months before I get to play with the new toy.Comment
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Congrats on your new cooker! I have a LSG on order and should be here early December.Comment
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