Ok, so a week ago I was to cook 2 briskets for a large-ish family gathering. My Weber 22.5" kettle was going to be pushed to its absolute max in terms of capacity. I chickened out at the 11th hour and borrowed a buddy's big Masterbuilt gas smoker. It got the job done, but I have been on a mission ever since to find myself a bigger cooker that will fit within my budget. Upper management (wife) would go along with $1,000, maybe $1,200, which puts me right in the ballpark of an entry-level Lang. Problem is, at that price point it's not enough increase in cooking real estate to justify spending that money, at least in my mind.
So then I was at Academy Sports a few days ago and the Old Country Over/Under smoker caught my eye. It has thicker steel than the El Cheapos at the other big box stores and seems to be aimed at bridging the gap between the bolted together stuff and the $1,000 brands.
Brought it home last night for $599 and promptly seasoned her up with a thin coating of safflower oil on all the interior surfaces and some charcoal and oak sticks. Today has been a dry run using the fuse method and some strategically placed bricks in the firebox. I soon realized, as the cooking chamber struggled to get up to 225, that I should use small splits of wood rather than chunks on the coals. The other realization I had at around the same time is that the the cooking chamber really benefits from a good preheating with a propane weed burner. Since those 2 tweaks I have found the sweet spot for the past 4 hours or so. Some really nice smoke coming out the top vents with a hot fire going. Dipped down to 208 once when I foolishly opened the firebox lid to look around, but came right back up. Messing with the top vents gets results in seconds. So far, I'm encouraged!
So then I was at Academy Sports a few days ago and the Old Country Over/Under smoker caught my eye. It has thicker steel than the El Cheapos at the other big box stores and seems to be aimed at bridging the gap between the bolted together stuff and the $1,000 brands.
Brought it home last night for $599 and promptly seasoned her up with a thin coating of safflower oil on all the interior surfaces and some charcoal and oak sticks. Today has been a dry run using the fuse method and some strategically placed bricks in the firebox. I soon realized, as the cooking chamber struggled to get up to 225, that I should use small splits of wood rather than chunks on the coals. The other realization I had at around the same time is that the the cooking chamber really benefits from a good preheating with a propane weed burner. Since those 2 tweaks I have found the sweet spot for the past 4 hours or so. Some really nice smoke coming out the top vents with a hot fire going. Dipped down to 208 once when I foolishly opened the firebox lid to look around, but came right back up. Messing with the top vents gets results in seconds. So far, I'm encouraged!
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