Hi from Northern California,

[Huskee]

Welcome to The Pit mds0561! If you don't mind paying for a quality stickburner, they're sure fun. If you like fire tending that is. The Kingman sure is big but in reality you rarely ever wish you'd have gotten the smaller one, if anything you find a use for the space you have and then wish you'd have gotten the next one up. Occasionally (admittedly rare) I wish I had the Kingman.

Since this is your first post, please check out our homework assignment post for new members, it contains a few how-tos and please-dos. Let us help you get your signature set up.

Also, it's very important that you add the domain AmazingRibs.com to your email safe list in case you are ever drawn as our monthly Gold Medal Giveaway winner!

Hope to hear & see more from you!

[mds0561]

Ahh forgot fuels.

Right now I mostly use charcoal and wood chunks for smoke. Since I am just using my Weber's now it is really the only option I have. I don't know much about the pellets and have never used logs. But open to pretty much everything at this point.

[mds0561]

Hey all Thank you for your responses,

Hard to say what I will do with a good smoker. I am the type that will try anything at least once, and the ones I kind of like I can become some what obsessed and will keep trying until it becomes what I am looking for. So could be any kind of meat; poultry, pork (OK lots of pork) or beef and maybe a fish or 2. That's kind of what I meant by versatile.

As far a budget I was looking for someplace around $2000ish. I have been looking pretty hard at the Wichita Loaded or Kingman by Yoder. The Kingman is kind of on the far end of what I would spend and probably way bigger than I need (want) but fun to look at.

For the most part I cook for my family but a few times a year just for fun host 20 or more just to keep things entertaining.

Long way of saying I don't mind spending some money for a good tool.

[smarkley]

Hey mds0561 Welcome Aboard

[David Parrish]

Welcome mds0561. We're glad you're here!

Tell us more about what you're gonna do with this smoker, your budget, and how much you care about cooking for large crowds and fuels use.

Offsets can cook a lot of food but wowzers they can use a lot of fuel.

[Jerod Broussard]

Welcome and thanks for the support!!!

The Pit Barrel Cooker is hard to beat. I'll probably never bother with another offset myself. Rather go with a vertical insulated number if I'm going to spend that much $$.

[bill_riggs]

Also from Nor Cal, the bacon looks good in any direction

Bill

[mds0561]

I mainly do back yard grilling and smoking. I have managed to win a couple local rib competitions with my 3 weber grills. This site has vastly improved my knowledge of meats and methods to grill or smoke. The reviews and recommended smokers is helping as I attempt to move into a larger smoker. Currently looking at the offset smokers but open to recommendations, because it doesn't seem to matter what direction I research there are pros and cons to all of the smokers. I guess I am looking for a back yard smoker that is fairly versital.