Cheap and lazy

[HawkerXP]

Welcome to the Pit! Oh yeah, a PBC or PBJ is the perfect addition to your Weber kettle.

[Soonerpop]

Welcome from north Texas. You’ll get lots of free advice here.
For the money, the PBC or PBJ is hard to beat.

[surfdog]

Welcome from Sunny SoCal.

I’m gonna throw a wrench into some of the suggestions. LOL
If I didn’t have my WSCG, I’d still have the 22” WSM. I think the WSM is very versatile and holds temps better than a lot of people seem to claim. Granted, there is a bit of a learning curve...but it’s worth it IMO.

I have nothing against the PBC, but I’ve never actually seen one...let alone eaten anything cooked with one. Some say the flavour is different, but obviously I can’t comment on that directly. On the upside, it seems to be about as set & forget as they come...seeing as it has limited adjustments.

Either would tick tick all the boxes, but I’m definitely biased towards the WSM and would own another in a heartbeat.

[BFlynn]

Howdy from Houston

Skip the masterbuilt. They seem to be a pain.

What you want is a PBC.
It can easily handle the capacity you want and briskets seem to take about 10 hrs.
Flavor profile is great.


Weber Smokey Mountains will hold temp just fine. Had one last weekend rock between 235 and 240 for 9.hrs
​​

Both are good cookers. I've cooked ribs, brisket, and chicken on both. No one has complained about the food from either cooker.
​​​​​​

[willxfmr]

Welcome from Wisconsin. Glad you could join us!

I use a smoke tube like this one on my pellet pooper, and have found that by burning wood chips in it instead of pellets, I can tune the smoke profile just about anyway I want. Up to and including the smoke level I got when I was running the kettle/SnS.

[surfdog]

A "must have" for pellet cookers IMO.
Granted, I’ve only ever used my father’s...but on its own it was kinda lacking. Bought him a smoke tube and it was a game changer. Still not ready to rush out and get one for myself, but I can see the allure...and the ability to up the smoke profile is a huge plus.

[Bkhuna]

I've been looking at the Masterbuilt 560 which seems to cover cost, capacity, ease of use, and flavor profile I like. What causes me to hesitate is the quality. I can't imagine one of those lasting much more than 5 or 6 years without some of the pricey mods some users are adding, like $270 for a stainless firebox liner and water pan. I up for any advise I can get.

I'm a disgruntled Masterbuilt owner. The thermostat never worked. Right out of the box. They wouldn't replace it while it was in warrantee and their customer service just up and stopped responding to emails/phone calls/online customer service requests.
And the built quality is kind of cheap.

If only SnS would make a 26 in. for the Weber.

[Dadof3Illinois]

If I’m not mistaken it looks like they are offering the XL for the 26 on their website again.

[DavidNorcross]

Welcome from Virginia!

[JimLinebarger]

Welcome from Spokane Valley.

[dkadelman]

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I think I'm going to forego the potential aggravation of a cooker with any electronics, especially since I will have to keep this outdoors with no protection other than a cover. Now I need to decide between a Weber 26in kettle with an Slow n sear XL, or a 22in Weber Smoky Mountain.

[JGo37]

BOTH! For true versatility, I'd go with the kettle first.

[swartzster]

Welcome from the Pacific Northwest

[hoovarmin]

Welcome from NE Florida. I'd say given your goals and budget concerns it would be really tough to beat a PBC.

[ofelles]

Welcome from the California Delta.

[MrMeat]

Thanks to this site, I'm finally able to smoke good ribs and the holy grail of Texas barbecue, brisket. I no longer have to pay barbecue joints $18-$22 a pound for what a lot of times is pretty mediocre. I'm using a 15 year old Weber kettle (thats the cheap part) with a slow n sear and am really happy with the flavor profile that I get from charcoal and a few chunks of hickory or apple wood. Ribs are a relatively easy 5-6 hours, but brisket is usually 12-14 hours on the cooker. I usually put it on at midnight to have it ready to eat by 6pm. I have to add charcoal around 5am and then worry about it while I'm sleeping. I need more capacity, a cooker that can go longer without refueling, and hold temperature so I don't have to tend to it as much. A pellet smoker is the obvious solution, but a quality one is pricey, and I've heard that they don't have the the smokier flavor profile us Texans prefer. I started thinking a 26 inch Weber kettle would give me more capacity and a longer cook time without refueling, but I would still have to tend to it like my 22 inch kettle. A 22 inch Weber Smokey Mountain would give me plenty of capacity, but I read they're difficult to keep at the 220-225 temperature I like to cook at. I lean toward Weber products because they last. I've been looking at the Masterbuilt 560 which seems to cover cost, capacity, ease of use, and flavor profile I like. What causes me to hesitate is the quality. I can't imagine one of those lasting much more than 5 or 6 years without some of the pricey mods some users are adding, like $270 for a stainless firebox liner and water pan. I up for any advise I can get.

I have a WSM and have no problem holding temps. I smoke my bacon at 150, and many of my briskets at 225-250. I actually like mine a lot. I do wish I had more capacity, but one of its advantages is its compact size.

[MrMeat]

Welcome to the forum. Where in TX are you from? I've spent about 12 years around San Antonio, and about 8-10 years around Fort Worth. I like this forum a good bit. I am glad you joined.

[BFlynn]

Howdy from Houston!

Looking forward to seeing your cooks.

As far as smokers go - I like the PBC I have.
I do pretty well on my old man's WSM.
Can't go wrong either way.

If you're already happy with the Weber Kettle, a bigger version might suit you. If you just want longer burn time, you try B&B charcoal or black bear charcoal hex logs.
Just my 2 cents.
​​​​​​
​​​​