Which Stick-Burner 2 buy to learn to Smoke with Wood? (And cook 4 briskets at a time)

[Huskee]

I can't speak for the others, but I'd say about every 30-60 min (depending on the type/quality of wood used) you need a little tending. Picture sitting around a bonfire, how often do you stoke it or add another log? It's kind of like that I guess, within reason. If you set up a charcoal slow burn like the fuse, you can go longer. As fas as cleaning, I don't do the water spray while it's hot thing with mine, I don't see the need and I can't be bothered with that. I scrape the lid every month or so to get the flakes off (or they'll fall on your food and look like big bitter pepper flakes) and about 1-2 times/yr I give it a good de-gooping from the crumblies that try to collect in it. I scrpae the grates before & after each cook while it's hot.

And re: reverse flow, it is designed to help distribute even temps across the cooker, sicne the heat and smoke have to travel to the far end, then back over the food to the chimney. This is supposed to reduce temp differentials, but I'm not convinced it would affect smoke flavor much, since your meat doesn't care which direction the smoke hits it from. I don't own one so I cannot add any experience to this statement for against it vs conventional flow. I do know that you can A) eliminate much of the temp differential in a conventional flow offset if you want to, and B) if you have a temp differential, you can use it to your benefit with different thickness meats.

[(mr.brisket)]

While both the Yoder and Lang are certainly excellent smokers, I have had great success with the Brinkman Trailmaster 57 inch Vertical smoker and I got it delivered for under $300, it also received the silver award from this site. I admit that if I could have justified it with my wife I would have purchased a much more expensive smoker, but that being said I searched for some time to find an inexpensive smoker that could perform as well as the big ticket units and found it in the Trailmaster 57 inch vertical. The vertical design allows for even heat and smoke dispersion I have used it for the past two years and it looks and cooks as good as the first day I used it. For maintenance I spray the fire box with pam non stick spray oil while it is hot to prevent rust and I spray out the smoker box once every ten cooks with a garden hose. There is definitely no shortage of cooking space in this unit and the vertical design means it takes up less space on my deck. when I use burned down logs for fuel It maintains consistent temperatures for two to three hours at a time depending on external conditions. I place my wood in a basket so it does not make contact with the sides of the firebox which should delay any burnout, besides I figure I could buy seven of these for the cost of one Yoder. I attached some pics, one is of five slabs of bacon and one is of two hams that I cooked after new years.

[Huskee]

Good job on the preburn, that's a good thing to do.

[PaulstheRibList]

Since my birth in smoking is on the Bullet smokers, I'm just wondering why vertical smokers are not more popular in bigger designs, rather than the horizontal offset smokers. The vertical yields a lot more cooking space for the pipe (or box). I see more vertical smokers in the square, insulated box verity.

I see some individual builders in Houston with cool looking pits that are a little more affordable, but I'm just thinking I ought to buy a reliable-name-brand pit, learn to cook with wood, then I'll know more when I get something bigger...
like this pit, for only $1,700!!!!


7 foot pit, 31 inches wide, will cook 18 briskets! Only an 18x18x18 firebox.

Tell me why this new pit appears so cheap? What am I missing?

[PaulstheRibList]

I could drive 2 hours to Houston and get this pit for $700 less than a 48" lang, $1,895 + 495 shipping. I'd definately need to use the savings to buy a lot of wood!

Firebox of 18x18x18 sure looks small, however. That's the same size at the 48" lang. That can't be right? #NoobieProblems

[David Parrish]

What's it made of? 1/4" steel or thicker?

[PaulstheRibList]

The ad didn't say. Looks like 250 gallon propane tank conversion, 1/4 inch.
Here's the ad, http://houston.craigslist.org/for/4821488890.html

[David Parrish]

Whoah. The traitor is included? Seems like a good deal if that's qtr inch steel.

[PaulstheRibList]

That's what I thought. Maybe I should #DiveIn!!

How many ribs could I cook in that baby!

[David Parrish]

Paul I'm going to pass this on to Max for a look. Stay tuned.

[Max Good]

It's hard to keep track of all numerous metal fabricators who have a BBQ aficionado in house. Obviously you're saving $$ on shipping. Go check it out. If it looks good and the trailer is included, could be a nice deal. But keep in mind, well known manufacturers like Lang are well known for a reason.

[Huskee]

Looks good to me. Listing says the trailer is included. The only thing I would question is what type of baffling system or tuning plates there are. The firebox photo is hard to tell how it passes into the cooking chamber, and the cooking chamber photos don't show anything either. If it's open you're likely to have a huge pain with a hot end and a cool end, although the seller claims only a 3 degree difference (I find that to be quite a bold claim, call me cynical).

Assuming the seller's descriptions are spot on, that's a nice machine. Small firebox yes, but if you're in a warm climate you'll be fine.

[PaulstheRibList]

Well, I may have found what I'm looking for.

This is a few year old, local-built pit, about 2 hours from me. Thicker than normal construction: 1/2" thick firebox, 3/8" thick main barrell.


Cooking grate is 37"x22" (or 20", I don't remember), with a 2nd grate. Has damper plates. Owner said it keeps temp great. Looks like it was copied from the Yoder Witchia, but with thicker steel.
$700

Any concerns from the wisdom crowd?
Otherwise, I think I'm doing a road trip tomorrow!

[Huskee]

SNAG THAT UP! That is a great deal, assuming there's no hidden caveats. You're saving about $1K over a new version of the same thing. Perfect entry smoker to see if you want a stickburner for competition. Will be one heavy bugger though, eat your Wheaties! I bent my wedding ring wheeling mine around by the handle, and mine is only 1/4" and well over 600lbs.

[PaulstheRibList]

Huskee, your profile pic has that Loaded Witcha in the backbround...causing me some smoker envy regular like... Seller says that the weight is quite balanced. But I'll bring a come-a-long and a helper to wheel it on my trailer!

My wife is from Texas, so she will really like the Texas State cutouts on it!

[David Parrish]

I gotta agree with Huskee. That sounds like an AWESOME deal.

[David Parrish]

It's a good thing the seller can't read this, eh?

[PaulstheRibList]

I'll introduce him to thePit was I'm pulling away with my new stick-burner on the trailer.

[David Parrish]

Perfect! If the deal is super awesome maybe a gift membership is in order! lol (j/k)

[Huskee]

I should fashion a Michigan-shaped cutout on mine. Who doesn't like a mitten?..

Yeah, mine is "balanced" to lift it up from the handle, it's pulling it that is the workout, especially on grass. Very helpful to have a second person. I really really like the flip top lid on the fireboxes of these, makes loading wood & playing in the fire so easy, plus allows for grilling/searing directly over the coals too (if you have a firebox cooking grate). This one here has a rather large flat top hot plate on top, mine is much smaller.

[PaulstheRibList]

I noticed the lift hooks on the back of this one. #Useful

If the Witicha weighs 500 pounds, and is 1/4" steel, and this one is 3/8" and 1/2"...

[Huskee]

I also noticed the utensil bar on the front. In my case it would double as a paper towel holder, maybe even a foil roll holder.... I like it.

[Huskee]

It's a good thing the seller can't read this, eh?

...or CAN he??.... [price goes up to $1100]

[PaulstheRibList]

Well, I'll offer him some delicious BBQ whenever he passes by Lake Charles on I-10, that should do it, right?

[Beefchop]

We're in the same general area looking at Craigslist for good deals on smokers in the Houston area...lol. I saw a Tejas smoker once for $700 and almost pulled the trigger, but hesitated because their vertical firebox model is made with thinner steel...my hesitation cost me b/c I think someone else picked it up. Happy pit hunting!