Kase, from SC I am a New Smoker

[RonB]

Welcome to The Pit Kase. Since you are already a good cook, ya got this. Cooking with smoke is exactly the same, only different. Well, ya got the smoke you see...

I think you need to decide how much time you want to spend tending a cook:

Stickburners require tending somewhere between every 30 min to an hour. There may be exceptions.
Charcoal can go anywhere from fairly constant to maybe overnight without tending, (that's what I do).
Pellet smokers can go many hours without tending - if you get the right one.

Aaaand how much smoke flavor do you want?

Stickburners give you the "authentic" smokey flavor.
Charcoal is close behind and you can add wood chunks to give more smoke flavor.
Pellet grills have the least smokey flavor, but there are ways to increase it.

I suggest either a 22" or 26" Weber kettle with a Slow N Sear to learn how to smoke without getting in too deep financially. And hang around here to pick up ideas. You will get a better idea of how to do what you want to do. With the 26", you can smoke enough butts for 40 and then cook a bunch of chickens while the butts are in a faux cambro finishing.

Whatever you get, you will need a leave in thermometer with at least two probes, and an instant read thermometer to spot check temps. Cooking with thermometers dramatically increases your chances of serving properly cooked food.

[Kase]

Then I want stick burner! Is there such a thing as charcoal & stick?

[randy.56]

Yes, in competition's we use vertical smoker, using lump charcoal, adding stick's for extra smoke. As fireman said buy big. 40 can put away a lot of good BBQ. If you cook 2 pork butts you will get about 40 1/4 lb sandwiches after it is pulled. you lose about 27% If they put the meat on a plate, they will consume more. great, So what I'm saying is I would cook 3 butts for those hungry folks,

[jfmorris]

I routinely use charcoal and wood chunks or sticks in my offset. I can load enough charcoal to where I don't have to tend the fire as constantly as I do when using just wood. Lang, Yoder and a few others make really nice offsets that can burn both wood and charcoal in the firebox. You just need a charcoal basket.

[RonB]

As Randy said, you can add wood to just about any charcoal cooker, and there are some stick burners that can use charcoal. You might want to check out a KCBS, (Kansas City BBQ Society), event if you can find one near you. Then go and talk to some of the participants about their cookers and fire management. Just google KCBS - it should be the first link.

[BourBonQ]

Welcome from the Lowcountry of South Carolina!

...started out with a cheap vertical bullet style smoker many years ago. Have used most other types since, except pellets. Currently enjoying the ease of use and some amazing results from a Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC).

[RonB]

A lot of people love the KBQ and there is a sub channel here devoted to it:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/grills-and-smokers/logs/karubecue-kbq

There is also a sub channel devoted to duel fuel cookers:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/grills-and-smokers/more-than-one-fuel

[Georgia rookie 903]

hey I got in late but welcome from Georgia , cant wait to here from you about how the cooking for 40 went

[Spinaker]

Welcome to the Pit! Thanks for joining up! I started on a Brinkmann Electric smoker. Now I have 7 grills/smokers. (See signature in lower left hand corner of grey space, under my name.) There is no doubt that we can set you up with that you are looking for.

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[Elton's BBQ]

Welcome to the pit! I started with a kettlegrill..
Cheers from Norway!

[Huskee]

Welcome to The Pit, Kase! Happy to have you. I started with a $80 Brinkmann charcoal cabinet smoker, learned enough on it to make some mistakes then some really good BBQ.

[Oakgrovebacon]

Welcome to the pit from Southern Illinois!

[Thunder77]

Welcome to the Pit from Baltimore, MD! Glad you joined us.

[OmegaDog12]

Welcome to The Pit from The Midlands of South Carolina. I started out using a Winn-Dixie (you remember them, don't you?) grill, graduated to a Brinkman COS, then my first Weber Kettle. As for "set it and forget it", I agree with RonB - 2 PBC's or a 26 inch Weber Kettle with a Slow 'N Sear. There's not much you can't do extremely well with these. Also consider a large Kamado with a temperature controller, but be prepared to spend big money (I have a Large BGE and a DigiQ DX2 and I'm very happy with it, but there's a lot of folk around here who like the Flame Boss) for really set it and forget it. My best advice is to go the smoker reviews on this site - they are informative and impartial. Ask questions!! - the folk here have never made me feel stupid (even when asking what I now realize were stupid questions!). I suggest you read a lot and remember, whatever you get, you'll wish for something bigger and better (see MCS in the abbreviations section :-) ). As RonB also said, a good digital thermometer dramatically increases your cook. Good luck and everyone is here to help!

[Kase]

What thermometer do you recommend?

[Jon Liebers]

Welcome from NJ. So easiest in terms of tending fire are pellet grills (like a MAK or yoder or for the high end a Memphis), next are the ceramic cookers which include Big Green Egg, Primo oval, Komado Joe and the high end Komado Komodo. available in all sizes. Ceramic is what I learned on . once you set your temp these things will hold rock steady. If you add a guru(automated fan system) you can easily cook for 20plus hours without adding fuel. Oh also the Weber Summit is similar to a ceramic. Then there are the gravity fed, I also find these interesting but have no experience with them. Stumps is a well known brand. Then with a bit more fire management you get into things like a M1 grill which allows for offset and direct charcoal cooking, and there is the Englebrecht and finally full on stick burners like a Lang etc, I am sure I have missed many but its a pretty good representation.

Lastly the good ole weber kettle with a slow and sear does a great job but does need a bit of fuel management . They offer a huge ranch size one. I have never had the pleasure of cooking with one.

Good luck, enjoy and make it fun not a chore..

[Scout789]

Welcome from the Texas Gulf Coast! Cooking for 40 is going to be an undertaking, but I gather you already do so. Just looking to start smoking? For smoking, I am a died in the wool offset stick burner. See my profile for what I use. Lyfe Tyme makes bigger cookers than mine and you will never need to replace one, hence the brand name. Keep in mind that the bigger the smoker, the longer it will take to get it fired up and cooking. Make no mistake, there is a certain amount of art to this, and there will be a learning curve. That said pork butts are among the easiest pieces to cook. Best of luck, happy smoking and good eatin'.

[Kase]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and being so kind ! I was scared to ask all these questions thinking I would get blasted, but had to start somewhere. Thanks for the kindness cannot wait to start.

[Mr. Bones]

Never be afraid to ask questions, here!
(I'm purty certain I've already asked up all th Dumb Ones! )
Lookin forward to yer cookin!

[Huskee]

Many other forums are that way, sadly even some BBQ ones, but we try to avoid that nonsense here. We have a great group of guys & gals here.