So I have a PBC(Love it) but wondering if I should save up to buy an off set smoker? If anyone has both, is an off set substantially better or just different? I've been watching videos lately of about off sets and wondering if a PBC can keep up. What's your opinion
I have never disagreed with Jerod before. Sorry, boss. My advice would be to buy a cheap offset, knowing it will take some tinkering. Find out it you like how it cooks and save for an expensive ($2000 minimum) if you do.
An offset and a PBC can cook the same things, but have a pretty different flavor profile I would think. Smoke from vaporized drippings hitting the charcoal is going to produce a different flavor. In an offset or in a kettle with a SnS, the drippings don’t hit the fire at all. Chicken I cook over the charcoal on my kettle with the Grillgrates tastes different than chicken cooked indirect using the SnS. I favor the direct grilled chicken BTW.
I have an offset and the kettle, and unless you want to spend a lot on a high quality offset, I recommend a kettle with SnS as a cheap alternative if you want to try something different than the PBC. I wouldn’t fool with a cheap leaky offset. It makes for frustration in managing temperatures and controlling the fire.
I actually have a SNS as well but didn't realize that it's as good as an off set. I typically use it when I reverse sear stuff because I can;t get that good sear on a PBC like I can with a kettle.
But if a SNS is enough then I'll just save my money
Yep what Jerod Broussard said. Every grill is sort of designed for different purposes. I have had just about every one there is out there because I could afford them. But eventually got rid of most of them after only a couple of years.
Think about how you are going to use your offset smoker before buying. An offset will feed 2-3 times the amount of the
PBC. A good offset will cost you 10x the cost of your PBC as mentioned above.
I guess the big question is what are you trying to do? What are your goals? And how much time do you want to spend tending the smoker?
and jfmorris has a few crucially good points too. I don't have grill grates but I finish smoked birds with a sear. And there's tons of hacks and adds for a kettle to get fun out of at a lower price than an offset that actually works.
Well I guess my goal is to just satisfy my own curiosity. I like wood flavor and I was wondering would that wood flavor come out more in an off set than my PBC because it's using whole logs vs chunks.
But if its just a matter of personal preference then that's ok, I'll just wait till i go to a place with an off set.
As people have said, two entirely different cookers. I watch videos and fantasize about smoking Texas brisket on a wood fired offset. Then reality sets in. I have kids and no time to babysit a fire for 12 hours. It would get used only a few times a year.
When I retire I think I will finally have time.
If you are looking at offsets check out KBQ. It's wood fired so you get the flavor of an offset but it is much more use friendly. You still have to feed it but getting the smoke and temp right is easier.
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As many have said here... Better is a relative term... depends on what you are meaning by better and what you are wanting out of it. Better for you may be different than better for me.
If you asked if an EOS is better than a COS then the answer would have been Yes because you are comparing similar products. The PBC and Offsets are two different beasts.
I have a PBC and a COS. I love to stick burn, love to tend the fire, etc... however for convenience and because of general frustrations that come with a COS I almost completely stopped using my COS when I got my PBC. As a side note in some small local competitions I beat guys using big offsets on pull behind trailers and everything in between using my PBC.
To answer your question. Better is what works best for you.
For the right person, who is willing to take the time to learn and overcome frustration, there is value in learning cooking on a COS. However, there are many other paths that lead to better BBQ without the associated learning curve and limitations of COS cooking.
kelton I will add something more to what I said before. You are used to the PBC, which is pretty much set and forget for 5-6 hours at least. With any offset, fire management is an almost constant task throughout the cook - on a GOOD offset, you still need to feed the fire every 30 minutes or so, as the fire size is how you will maintain temp on a good offset smoker. With a cheap offset, you will still tend the fire every 30 minutes or so, but will be fighting vents all the time, and cursing as it will be too hot, too cold, and constantly fussing with it. I have an offset that my dad designed and one of his welders built up around 1985. I keep it because my dad built it, but it is not the best designed offset, and he used pretty heavy stainless for the construction, but it doesn't have the heat retention of a good smoker you can buy today. And it has some leaks in the design of the firebox that I just cannot resolve. So.... if I smoke on it, I can plan on staying up on the couch all night long, checking the fire every 30-60 minutes. With my kettle and SnS, I can check the fire at 11pm, and set my alarm for 7am, and know I am good all night long.
So which do I smoke on these days? Probably 95% on the kettle with the SnS, as it excels at temperature control due to the intake and outlet vents - plus I have a PartyQ to control the temp electronically, AND I routinely get 12 hours out of a load of 7-8 pounds of charcoal and wood chunks. My offset if using charcoal and wood chunks would use 40 pounds of fuel in that amount of time. And personally, I find the results with the kettle+Sns and the wood/charcoal fired offset to be similar enough that I will take the ease of use over the fire management.
On the kettle+SnS when smoking, I can fit 5 racks of baby back ribs (in a rack), 3-4 chickens if I split them, 2 Boston butts or 1 brisket. If I am smoking for a party where that capacity isn't enough is the only time now I fire up the offset.
If I had the money to buy an offset, the ones I have on my wish list include a Lang 48" patio model or something like a Yoder Loaded Witchita. If I win the raffle, the Good One Open Range is not quite an offset, but the closest thing in the prize list to one right now, and Mr. Bones seems to really like his.
Ya know I have a SNS and as of now I totally use my PBC for ribs, but I'll use the SNS on anything I want to sear like a steak and sometimes chicken thighs. It's a great tool and between the both of then sounds like I've got all I need
kelton An offset is cool, but only if you get a good one and have time to manage the cook. Since you have a kettle and SnS I think you can get a taste for how food smoked that way would be different than the PBC.
I like your answer - neither. I don't necessarily agree or disagree, but when buying a cooker which one is next should be the idea, not which one of only two choices.
jfmorris, I just got my buddy to order one after he saw how easy it was to cook on it. Another one of his buddies has a big expensive contraption. He thought my cook was better than anything he came out with. I was able to find him a new 22†for $50 off. Between that and a Signals he’ll be spending about a quarter of what his other friend spent.
I have PBC. Sometimes I daydream of the long cooks that require wood and tending too...an OS filled with briskets and beans...even homemade sausage! Then I snap back to reality, and realize I haven't had to check the PBC in 6 hours.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
If I didn't have to worry about the risk of fire (my charcoal-fueled smokers are on my deck), wanted to satisfy a fire-tending yen, and my MCS dreams could come true, I'd get a Karubeque (KBQ) before I'd consider an offset smoker. But then I already have a PBC and WSCGC , so those MCS itches have already been scratched.
Kathryn
Last edited by fzxdoc; October 19, 2019, 06:28 AM.
Even though there has been some great advice above, I'll throw my 2 cents in.
I have a PBC and a KBQ (not an offset but a close cousin) they cook completely different and have very different flavor profiles. Since I have the option I prefer pork ribs and chicken on my PBC. Any beef or pork butts I prefer the flavor on my KBQ. As many have stated above a stick burner requires frequent attention but as far as temp control on a stick burner the KBQ cannot be beat. I've never owned a kettle so I have no experience there.
One more plug for the KBQ if I could only own one cooker it would be the one. (For reference I also have a Kamado Joe and a Yoder pellet). If it was the only cooker I had I wouldn't cook as often due to the time commitment required but the flavor and color that comes out of that thing is ridiculous. Also I no longer finish the entire cook with it. Generally after 5 or 6 hours depending on the bark and color, I wrap and finish in the oven. If at some point you do decide to go the stick burner route I'd strongly suggest you spend some time reading the 100+ pages of the KBQ has landed thread before making a decision.
Last edited by hogdog6; October 19, 2019, 07:43 AM.
True, hogdog6 . When I read the KBQ company disclaimers about how far the KBQ had to be positioned from any structures or trees, I sadly concluded that I couldn't have one.
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