Kicking off a BBQ thread here hoping it takes hold and turns into a running thread. Start by telling everyone where you live and what you cook on. -2 Klose 42"x 14' offset - 1 Klose trailer, 42" X 12' offset
This thread went nowhere. Maybe now... I am looking to upgrade from my cheap, old Char Broil offset. Looking at Academy's Old Country Brazos, Horizon (thought Bass Pro Shops) comparable size offset, and the Texas Original Pits Luling, and Yoder Loaded Wichita. Yoder is way behind on production. If I order now, it will March/April to have it delivered. Not sure on the others, but being in IL, shipping cost is a factor. Does anyone here have any of those pits?
All the reviews and message board discussions have great things to say about all of these. hen you see the few people who buy one of these various pits and say the welds are no good, the doors leak smoke, etc. Hard to know what to get.
No pit recommendations, but use some oak and hickory, rather than mesquite, for that good smokey flavor. Above all, don’t ever use oleander.
I'm doing a lot of research. Apparently the Yoder models had issues early on with air flow due to the fire box placement being too high. I think they have redesigned it. I read good comments about the Horizon smokers. I keep coming back to the old Country Brazos sold at Academy. Old Country does sell tuning plates that would put me in a 20" pit, minus a counter weight on the door, for about $1300 vs. $2700-$2900 for the others. I want to step up to a 24" inch pit. Old Country doesn't sell those from what I see unless you go to a trailer model. Aaron Franklin used the old Country pits in his series of online videos. He knows a thing or two. Leaning towards the Old Country. Y'all idoits are no help whatsoever. Figgered some of you would chime in on offset stick burners.
Well this idiot was waiting to hear from the other idiots. Now I will have to make an idiot decision. Thanks.....
That's idoits. Guess I could have added a sarcasm emoji. On hold as I type this with Academy in Terre Haute. May just rent a U-Haul and go pick up one of the OC Brazos pits. Can't beat the price. Only thing the others have different, really, is the door counterweight. Can find a welder to add one later if I want.
@WillUSAF, I ended on smokingmeatforums.com and came across Bell Fab in Tulsa. Well, after an hour or so of rave reviews and posts, I emailed him to see how to get an estimate. He called me back already and I'm on his list. Says he will have it by Thanksgiving most likely. All the big names are at least 2-3 months out on smokers. Getting a 24x48 inch offset for $900. Comparable pits are all around $3k.
It's an incredible price. Cooking chamber will be 24" diameter and 4 feet long. Firebox 20x20 I think he said. Big enough for good sized wood splits. Like I said, comparable Yoder would be the Kingman at @2999 plus shipping. Comparable Horizon would be the 24" RD Special Marshal at $2725. And again, receive it in a few weeks vs few months. He's in Tulsa. He said I am welcome to fly down and come visit his shop and see what he does.
Man, I tell you I have been all over the place researching this. Quality pits from all those other makers, but yes the price and talking to this guy, you just feel this is the way to go.
Not to be an *** but thanks for doing the research. Saves me a ton of time. I trust your opinion and like I said I think I'm sold. The size and price is spot on
Weird how things happen. I was ready to pull the trigger a couple weeks on the Academy OC Brazos. I went last week to a guy's house near me who got a Yoder Loaded Wichita recently. Very nice pit and that's why I waited. Now, I read about airflow issues on the Yoder and the Brazos is out of stock for shipping from Academy. That gave me more research time.
Done a major service here hornin! Thanks. Hard to believe that price differential would be so comparable in product. Same gauge of steel?
I hope it all helps. Will post pics when the time is right. He uses 3/8 inch steel. Will be a beast. Thicker slightly than some of the others.
Houston, and I've been using a Kamodo Joe ceramic grill for 5 years now. Just love it. What's so great about ceramic grills is that you can cook anything on them - from low and slow BBQ's, to 600 F pizzas. Heat control is very easy on them, as the ceramic soaks up the heat, and then acts as a regulator for it, plus with the dome design, you can just open the vents up and go from 300 to 500 F in 10 minutes or so. I've been using HEB mesquite lump charcoal lately in it, and am very pleased with the heat and longevity of the fuel. Smoking wood for me is usually pecan - there's a whole school of though about what woods to use with what meat. It reminds me of people who talk about how they can smell honey, apricots, nutmeg, etc. when smelling whiskey. When all I smell is alcohol! I cooked up a point end brisket today - got the grill to 250, smoking with the pecan, heat deflector, pan of water for both moisture and to keep the drippings from burning and leaving a bitter taste. On the grill till it was 165 (about 7 hours), then wrapped, and another 2 hours on, then rested for an hour and sliced and diced. Very moist and tender. It's harder to get a good crunchy bark on with a cermanic grill than the offset smokers - the internal atmosphere is a lot wetter, so less bark. If you wrap after the stall, any bark you had will soak up the moisture and go soft. For anyone starting out grilling, best advice I can give is to get a good meat and grill thermometer. Most grills, if they have a thermometer, they're not very good, and you need to carefully monitor and control the temperature of your grill, as well as one for the meat so you know where you're at in the cook. Time is more or less just a guide for cooking, as thickness of the meat, starting temperature, amount of fat, etc, all play a big role in how long it takes to cook. Lots of good ones out there - I use the Weber wireless ones, that have a Bluetooth feature to send the data to your phone or IPad, where you can watch the temperature on a graph with time, to get an idea of how fast things are cooking.
Yes, those are great from what I read, as are the pellet smokers. I just enjoy the craft of an offset stick burner.
Yeah, offset wood fired grills are probably the hardest to use, but for things like brisket produce the best results.
I'm still using an old Oklahoma Joe offset that I got from Academy about 20 years ago...I probably paid about $350-400 for it at the time. I did have to wrap the elbow of the pipe when it began to rust out since I still haven't made my way to a welding shop to get a new pipe made up...the OJ site staff were no use even when I sent a picture of the label and serial number. I got mine in a box and put it together myself, which is likely a part of why it still stands under its own power. The store models are not always assembled to the satisfaction of those who like things to last I will not argue that higher dollar pits might have looked nicer...but I AM a firm believer in good 'cue coming as much from technique as the tool. Season the pit well before the first actual use for meat. This will also let you know whether there are leaks that need to be be tended to... For wood, I am a very firm believer in seasoned/aged mesquite. Strip the bark though...otherwise you will get some nasty flavors. The bark DOES tend to help with getting the fire going though. You will know the wood is seasoned because the bark will practically fall off on its own... I would add that I have also done a lot of salmon and such just over coals in the offset box...it came with a ledge to set a grill onto and you can be good to go in a short time. The lump charcoal mentioned above works well for this... A word of caution for those using mesquite...it has good flavor but you DO want to watch your temps. It can burn hot in a hurry. And hot is not good for the low and slow stuff...I find myself forcing myself to constantly practice JUST to be sure I have my processes correct LOL!
@mb227, good stuff. Yes, it isn't the pit, necessarily, it's the operator. However, a good thick steel pit with great airflow makes it a lot easier and less labor intensive. Okie Joe's are good pits. I think some of his guys are involved in Horizon and Yoder.
Concur on thickness...which was part of what drew me to the one I got. When it took four employees to lift that damned box into the bed of the truck, you know it had some heft to it LOL! Lacking those four people at the house, it was very much a controlled drop from the bed of the truck...had an area that was about a foot higher than the driveway, and so I just used leverage and physics. It was pretty well packaged, so no damage- to me, the truck or the smoker.
