Just thinking out loud, what to buy?

[ofelles]

I have a YS640 and love it.

I have been thinking lately that a stick burner would be a great addition for when I have time on my hands. Plus their rep for great smoke flavor. Those I have narrowed down to a Lang or LSG, 24 x 40 or 48. A lest right now.

Now I'm wondering about a cabinet smoker and don't really know much about them. Gravity feed, reverse flow, water? What's the difference? Brands? ( I know better than ask which is best!)

The purchase is about a year off +/- Need some feed back from the pros.

[parkerj2]

haven't used a stick burner yet, but that is my next purchase. When my wife and I build our brick patio, I plan on doing a custom fire pit that allows me to use some implements to cook over the live fire.

Just my 2 cents. I have an affinity for the "old school methods." Not to mention, the best barbecue i've ever had has been from offsets and live fire pits.

[cliffdw1]

I have a Shirley Fabrication which is a reverse flow stick burner like the Lang. They pretty much have even heat across the cooking chamber which I like.
I will soon have a T&K reverse flow cabinet smoker. They are charcoal with wood chunks (less true wood flavor) and are load it up, dial in the temp and let it go.
If you are like me and impatient I think you can get a Lang pretty quick. Also Shirley Fabrication has a 24x36 that I think they turn out pretty quick. Shirley's are really sweet cooking machines!

[ofelles]

cliffdw1 I will be interested to hear about the T&K when you receive it and cook in it.

[cliffdw1]

Yeah, I'll post some pictures (It's gonna be ORANGE!) and let everyone know how it cooks.
Keep an eye out.

[holehogg]

I wonder if In a year's time it is possible that there might just be a revolutionary new smoker on the market.
I think a stick burner is the ultimate smoker and a method that takes us right back to our roots where man had to do a lot of fire managemet in cooking their food.

[parkerj2]

Probably will. I'm not smart enough to think of something more advanced than these pellet grills. But something about the wood-burning, real fire cooking calls to me. Sean Brock has this amazing outdoor kitchen set up that makes me drool.

[JakeT]

I can't say enough good things about my LSG 24x48. The only drawback...$650 shipping. I'm sure Brentwood would be no different in shipping cost. I had considered KAT smokers but they're reverse flow and I wanted traditional. I also saw G-Stacks Pits at Tank House in Sacramento which appeared to be of good build quality. Ultimately, I went with the highly reputable brand over risking being disappointed if anything wrong were to happen with the local guys.

[ofelles]

JakeT LSG is a the top of my list. But like you say the shipping is $$. Lookong online at the KAT doesn't yield much info. Did you contact them? Local would be great.

[JakeT]

I did not, no. Mostly because I didn’t want reverse flow and if I remember correctly they don’t use exclusively 1/4” steel. Don’t quote me on that. The only thing I found was some chatter about good build quality etc on bbq brethren. But it was a few years old.

[jfmorris]

As others point out, the drawback on offsets (good ones anyway) is the shipping costs if you buy it from across the country. That said, I think if I had to choose between cabinet or offset, I would go with offset.

Something I wonder about with cabinet smokers, is how much an issue all the dripping is from one shelf to the next might be. Think about smoking it loaded up with butts, brisket, whatever. With 4+ racks of meat above each other, a LOT of juices drip from one shelf to the next, washing off rub, changing the flavor, etc. I think the issue with cabinet smokers would be mixing two types of meat in one cook, because of the dripping. You don't want your brisket tasting like pulled pork, or chicken. With an offset, while some may offer a second level shelf, you are only likely to use it on a big cook, as you have a big 20x40 grate on the main level.

Just something I had been thinking about when looking at all these multilevel cookers. I've got a hover grate for my kettle that so far I have only used when doing "blasphemy ribs", and ribs are not a meat that drips too much.

[ofelles]

Good point about the drippings.

[RonB]

Just put the briskets on one side and the butts on the other and let them drip beef on beef and pork on pork. But I do wonder about all that liquid from several shelves drippin' on the bottom hunk o' meat.

[texastweeter]

I smoke almost exclusively in cabinet smokers. The dripping does not wash off bark or anything like that. You do however have to cook different meats in zones to keep pork from dripping on beef and the other way around...or get multiple smokers, that's what I did.

[SavageSmoke]

I want an offset as well. But there are lots of limitations and they are very labor intensive. I had a Lang 84d that made the best bbq I ever made. But my next cooker is gonna be a Myron Mixon H2O 48". All the benefits of a stick burner for ¼ of the work. Check them out on YouTube.

[parkerj2]

Reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask - is Mixon as big of a d*%$ that he seems to be? one reason I never even look at his products is I don't want to give him any of my $$ if true.

[jfmorris]

SavageSmoke the work and time needed to tend a fire are the reason I use my kettle+SnS+PartyQ for all my smokes that will fit on it. It leads me to consider charcoal cabinets like the Chubby though, which are a lot less than the Myron Mixon rig...

[texastweeter]

Pitmaker in Houston. You will love them.

[Old Glory]

I dream of an offset wood cooker. I just don't have the time to babysit a fire for 12 hours. Someday when I retire.

[Troutman]

I'm leaning toward a smoker cabinet myself. I really don't need the capacity but I like the gravity fed design. You load it up, lite it and let it go. They can be controlled with a fan for the ultimate in hands off cooking. They have water pans that create a humid cooking atmosphere. It's a great way to smoke meat.

If it's convenience and a true smoker, that's the way I'd go. If you don't mind baby sitting a stick burner that's also a great way to go. LSG has both in their inventory, check their website. Unfortunately their smoker cabinets are not gravity fed but have large capacity baskets that can cook 12-14 hours on a load.

Whatever you do, let us know. I trust you will be cooking some kick ass barbecue with whatever it is !!!

[jfmorris]

Yep, gravity fed seems like a good way to go.

[ofelles]

Troutman LSG is the way I'm leaning for an offset. I like the ability to grill over the fire if I want. (sear that smoked steak!) Their verticals look good too and their rep is certainly good!

[Murdy]

I don't know what everyone's opinion of Horizon is, but Bass Pro is retailing them, and you can get them shipped to store free, which should mitigate some of the shipping costs.

[Steve B]

Depending on your budget LSG will make anything you want. I've seen them build offsets with a cabinet attached. Talk to Chris there, he is really easy to work with.

[ofelles]

Steve B Could be the best of both worlds, right?

[Steve B]

Absolutely my friend.
If I were to get another cooker. I would get an offset with a cabinet mounted on a trailer.
Aahh my dream. And definitely an LSG set up.

Good luck on your decision.

[Beefchop]

Like cliffdw1 I have a reverse flow offset made by Shirley. 24x48 cabinet patio model. I love it. LOVE IT. Every time I get that baby out to cook on my heart sings Dixie. I usually put some beer in the cooler when I cook on it because when I do it is a cause for celebration. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

But there are some things to consider when you are buying an offset. One of your first considerations is where you want to put something this big and heavy. Footprint. Right now I have mine in my garage and am thinking about building a covered island in my backyard because wheeling it in and out of my garage is a PITA.

You need some real estate to operate one of these because you are working with big heavy firebox/cabinet doors and wood fire. The second consideration is wood. Can you source it and store it? I have a big pile of oak and pecan in my backyard. At first, I tried covering but noticed that it became a habitat for critters and, thanks to Louisiana's humidity and heat, my pile started to mold. So now it is uncovered but exposed to the elements which also means mold and rot, just less so. I feel like I'm always battling this, but you do want your wood to season a bit before you BBQ. So...I'll probably end up building a "woodshed" as well. An offset is hands on cooking for sure, and the smoke flavor is unique. How would I fare in a blind taste test? Don't ask, because I've already spent the money!

Cabinet smokers have some real advantages. I've never owned one, but the minimalist in me likes the compact footprint, cooking space, and fuel efficiency. Once I get my fire started in my offset, I throw a log on every 45 minutes to an hour to maintain temps. It's not hard to cook on, but it's not set and forget like my WSM. I went with the "bigger is always better" mantra, but in hindsight I would have been perfectly happy with a smaller, traditional offset in the 20x30 (perhaps 20x36) range. I like reverse flow for the even temps, although mine does have a bit of a hot spot near the firebox, but with removable tuning plates in a traditional offset you get the best of both worlds. Good luck!

[Huskee]

I have a standard flow stick burner. And I will digress here intentionally for perspective and completion's sake: I can get even temps, or 50 degree variances, and I remember DWCowles saying he often gets 50 degree variances in his Lang (reverse flow). So to be brutally honest, perhaps at the chagrin of reverse flow enthusiasts, don't go to bed convinced RFs are easier to operate and better. Fire management is key. If you decide on a stick burner, learn how to manage a fire and both will perform equally well for you, and the ribs on your plate won't be able to tell the difference, and neither will you! Next thing (back on topic), think about if you will enjoy tending the fire. Stick burners need tending every...oh let's say 20-45 mins...through the whole cook. And you need a good source of firewood, and somewhere to store it. Cabinets are largely a load & go kinda thing, similar hands-on level as a barrel or a kettle/SnS I'd say. At the end of the day, which will bring you the most joy (or stress?). Hope this helps.

[ofelles]

What's the smoke profile difference between the offset and Cabinet? I assume both are more or stronger than the pellet cookers.
Great info already and lots of good resources. Thanks