Let's start off with a "Master of the Obvious" statement; stick burners aren't for everyone. They're usually big, very heavy, and require a commitment for significant storage space for fuel, and have a reputation for needing constant attention to refueling. For many that's a mountain of fussiness too big to climb. Your call. But, if you're someone who's been enjoying your bbq learning growth and think that taking on this type of cooker to test your skills is a worthwhile endeavor, the next challenge is to figure out how best to get started. Not an easy choice. It can be costly if you opt for an Expensive Offset Smoker (EOS) at first, or a different type of "costly" if you opt for a Cheap Offset Smoker (COS). The world is full of stories and opinions that document the pros and cons of either choice so I won't get in those weeds here. I'll just say, I took a couple years of reading, discussing, and viewing videos to come to a conclusion that fit my style of learning before I pulled the trigger on an LSG Texas Edition.
Today I stumbled across a YT vid that "introduced" a mid range offset that's got a lot of features that are more typical of EOS cookers, but with a price under 2 grand. It comes from the folks at Old Country Pits who are known for aiming at that market slice. It's their Old Country Generation II smoker. It has a collector and tall stack that are known for improved draw, and an insulated firebox that typically saves on fuel usage as well as supposedly aiding in temp management. The video is here:(32) First Cook On My G2 Old Country BBQ Pit - Offset Smoking For Beginners - Smokin' Joe's Pit BBQ - YouTube
I did some online searching to find more info on dimensions and pricing. Academy Sports is a well know vendor of this brand and here's their ad: Old Country BBQ Pits Insulated Offset Smoker | Academy
The dimensions are a bit sketchy and I don't think they are correct. They may be relevant to the shipping package, as sometimes happens, but even that is suspect. Based on the size of the pork butt in the video it's not a tiny cook chamber, but it would be nice to have accurate numbers for comparison sake. If the weight is accurate at 330 pounds, that seems light for a 1/4" metal unit, but again, what's reality? To my thinking this might be a good buy for someone who either wants to upgrade from their COS smoker to see if the added features help them improve their skills. Likewise, for the newb it could be a good balance of cost and risk to jump into the stick burning pool. If nothing else, the higher end Old Country units (aka Brazos) seem to hold their value well in the resale market, so if you take that plunge, learn you don't care for it, you can get back out with a minimal cost of education. One word of caution though. Old Country products have a reputation for iffy weld quality, so it may be best to have the ability to inspect a unit before laying down the cash.
Today I stumbled across a YT vid that "introduced" a mid range offset that's got a lot of features that are more typical of EOS cookers, but with a price under 2 grand. It comes from the folks at Old Country Pits who are known for aiming at that market slice. It's their Old Country Generation II smoker. It has a collector and tall stack that are known for improved draw, and an insulated firebox that typically saves on fuel usage as well as supposedly aiding in temp management. The video is here:(32) First Cook On My G2 Old Country BBQ Pit - Offset Smoking For Beginners - Smokin' Joe's Pit BBQ - YouTube
I did some online searching to find more info on dimensions and pricing. Academy Sports is a well know vendor of this brand and here's their ad: Old Country BBQ Pits Insulated Offset Smoker | Academy
The dimensions are a bit sketchy and I don't think they are correct. They may be relevant to the shipping package, as sometimes happens, but even that is suspect. Based on the size of the pork butt in the video it's not a tiny cook chamber, but it would be nice to have accurate numbers for comparison sake. If the weight is accurate at 330 pounds, that seems light for a 1/4" metal unit, but again, what's reality? To my thinking this might be a good buy for someone who either wants to upgrade from their COS smoker to see if the added features help them improve their skills. Likewise, for the newb it could be a good balance of cost and risk to jump into the stick burning pool. If nothing else, the higher end Old Country units (aka Brazos) seem to hold their value well in the resale market, so if you take that plunge, learn you don't care for it, you can get back out with a minimal cost of education. One word of caution though. Old Country products have a reputation for iffy weld quality, so it may be best to have the ability to inspect a unit before laying down the cash.
Comment