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.
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 3544
- Muskego, WI
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Current cookers:
Rec Tec RT700 "Bull" pellet cooker
Smokin-It model 2 electric smoker w/ Maverick 732 temp monitor and cold smoking kit
Weber Genesis 3 burner gas grill w/ rotisserie
Charbroil Grill2Go gas grill
Weber 22" Performer Deluxe kettle grill w/ThermoPro TP-20S temp monitor
Onlyfire rotisserie kit for 22" kettle
Weber Smokey Joe
SnS Deluxe
Vortex
The Orion Cooker convection cooker/smoker (two of them)
Pit Boss 29â€, 3 burner griddle
Joule Sous Vide circulator
Favorite beer: Anything that's cold!
Favorite cocktail: Bourbon neat
I can be of no help because I cook primarily on a pellet cooker. But welcome to the pit from WI! I am sure you’ll get plenty of advice.
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Club Member
- Sep 2015
- 8056
- Colorado
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> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
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Club Member
- Apr 2018
- 1633
- the LOU
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Cookers:
22" Blackstone Griddle, with stand & hood
CharGriller Portable Firebox - so modified you'll BLOL
Kitchenaid #810 Charcoal Grill - highly modified
Weber BI-code Black Performer w/Igniter
Weber DE-code Red Limited - 'Lucille'
Accessories:
Ancient heavy CI Propane Turkey Fryer, for lighting chimneys
BBQ Dragon kettle shelves - 2
Fyre Dragon Kettle Drippin' Ring, Burnin' Cone & Drippin' Pan - 2 sets
Fyre Dragon Kettle Ribbin' Ring
Fyre Dragon Kettle 2-Zone Smokin' Sheet
OneGrill Rotisserie for the Kitchenaid
Smokenator
Smoking Tubes: 2x12" & 1x6"
SnS
Weber Gourmet Grill w/Griddle, Pizza Stone & Wok
My Helpers:
Anova 900W Sous Vide Cooker w/Radios
Instant Pot 6Q Duo
Nesco Tabletop Roaster
& the PIT!
Welcome to the PIT from the Lou!
I have a couple kettles - my performer Louie and my redhead Lucille - so I know what you have and what you're up against. I too, am working within a budget, so I've learned to hack.
I look at Craig's List a lot, and came upon a new, unused Kitchenaid grill for $ 100 - the owner said it was 'too big'. None of us would consider buying or owning this by choice. Jackpot.
I reset the chimney with a gasket, put a gasket on the lid, put grommets in for thermometer probes, put in a thermometer at the grate level, sealed the chassis to assure I had a smoke chamber, and used trimmed magnetic plates for bumper stickers to seal the front areas around knobs and such. I put in a sheet metal rectangle in the ash bin to prevent the floorboard from rusting out. The monster gives me about 50% more burn time than a 22.5" kettle.
My point is, maybe think outside the box and put some work into something to make it what you want. One thing this grill does have it great CI grates, and a pretty big second tier tray to boot.
The lid gasket and landing pad...
and ready to go ↓
Food for thought maybe? I use two grates on the left as the smoking area, and the entire grate on the right, boxed off, as a fuel box. If you're handy building something up could be fun..
(this is not good for dead of winter cooks, the gauge steel is too light)Last edited by JGo37; September 18, 2020, 01:28 PM.
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Charter Member
- Dec 2014
- 7380
- Grew up in New Orleans, 20 years in Texas, 22 years in Mandeville, LA. Now Dallas, TX
Check out the snake or fuse method on the YouTube channel they can go a long time without tending to the fire. I’ve used it with success on my son’s 26†with good success.
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Club Member
- Jul 2017
- 1408
- Southeast Illinois
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Cookers I have:
Weber S-335 gas grill
Weber 26†kettle
Weber 22†kettle
Camp Chef XL Smoke Vault
Camp Chef 3 Burner cook top
Camp Chef Woodwind 36 Pellet grill with sidekick burner
PBC
Accessories:
SnS XL
SnS standard
Vortex
Weber Rotisserie for 22†Kettle
1st gen FireBoard
2nd gen FireBoard
Griddle for Camp Chef cooktop
Several Thermoworks items
Set of Grill Grates
I have a 26†kettle and a PBC. I’ve done as many as 7 slabs of ribs on my Kettle by rolling them up. I can get up to 6 7-8 lb pork butts in the PBC. As far as whole packer briskets go...only one on the kettle and two in the PBC.
i would love to have more capacity too but am VERY pleased with how each of these cookers operate.
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My two cents worth: I still have my circa '78 Weber kettle in addition to a current Weber Performer and PBC. I jumped on the pellet cooker bandwagon a couple years ago, was never really impressed with the smoke profile and the controller failed after 13 months. If it were me I would do a 26" kettle if capacity and low and slow was the real need. Just sayin.
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Club Member
- Apr 2018
- 4911
- Western Mass
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Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 4343
- Near Chicago, IL
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Current Portfolio:
Joule
PK300
Meathead’s Large Big Green Egg Loaded (see below)
Old (sold) Loves:
PBC
Weber 22" Premium
Masterbuilt Gravity 560
Akorn Kamado
Thermometers:
Thermopro wired
Thermoworks POP
Combustion Inc
Preferred Charcoal:
Masterbuilt Lump
Favorite Rubs:
Homemade (mainly MMD/Just Like Katz rub)
Other Accessories:
Big Green Egg Slow & Sear
Tandoori Skewers System for BGE
Split ceramic plates BGE
Smoking plate BGE
Mercer brisket slicing knife
Rapala brisket trimming knife
SS BBQ trays
NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves
LEM # 8 Meat Grinder
Lodge 5-Quart Dutch Oven + Skillet
Meat Claws
Grill Rescue Brush
Meat Fridge for dry aging
Favorite Whiskey/Beer:
Anything Peaty or anything from New Holland brewery
Welcome from Chicagoland!
I own a MB560 so I would definitely recommend it. The mods you are considering are not worth it, in my view. However, it is an excellent smoker. I think it deserves to me on your short list still.
Some others that might meet your needs would be a Pit Barrel Cooker or a Oklahoma Joe Bronco barrel cooker. The OJ can be sometimes found at Walmart for around $200.
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