Getting to run with the Big Dawgs now. Need some advise - new from Kentucky

[workoutchamp]

Hi all,

I met a commercial smoker pit producer at a food show - super guy with a super product (anon). He told me KY isn't a "popular" Q state - and after trying to find Q joints, I have to agree - they are hard to find here in the Bluegrass State. HOWEVER, no one asked me! I am a Q hound - love TX dry rub style the best so far, but it's hard to find bad Q - just some's better than others, right?

I started with an El Cheapo Brinkman, then to a GOSM - actually love it, but it is impossible to get mine hot enough and to hold the heat. Its good to around 185-200, but that makes for some rubbery pastrami - even after 10 hrs.

I am ready to order a big rig now and would LOVE some input from you experts out here in SMF land.

I want to use it myself for weekends and may even do an event for a friend. I also have a need to cook for 200 at a time several times a year, plus I am thinking of perhaps renting it out to good buddies.

1 - Am I being a dreamer here for thinking this?
2 - What would you all suggest? Budget is around $4k +/-

Thanks in advance - this info is invaluable to me.

Best, Brad

PS - if anyone needs any KY Bourbon advise - I may be your man!

 

[pineywoods]

Welcome I can't answer your questions but I'm sure somebody that can will be around shortly. Check out some of the smoker pages and see what you come up with

 

[kookie]

Welcome to smf.............Lots of great info here.........Check some of the posts, lots of mods for the GOSM and the ECB..............Also lots of posts on the big rigs, like the langs and such.............

 

[lcruzen]

Hey Brad and welcome to the SMF. Michigan isn't exactly considered to be a Q mecca but we have quite a few members here that kick out some great Q. 4k is a pretty good budget and sounds like you might want to think about a towable for the big smokes your doing.


Lou

 

[richtee]

Welcome to SMF, Brad. It's kind of tough to nail down a choice with that info, but is sounds like you want to look into a medium size towable. Lang as some of the best around, and Klose pits are highly recommended as well. Lots of custom builders around... do some searching and come back with some specific questions and we might be of more assistance.

Enjoy!

 

[bassman]

Welcome to the forum, Brad! There are some folks here that have experience in the big smokers. I'm sure they'll be along shortly. As far as your GOSM, it doesn't sound right to not be able to get higher temps. It's similar to my Smoke Vault and I can crank it up to 350 or more if desired. Keith

 

[fatback joe]

Welcome to the forum.

There are many good pits that can handle what you are looking for in the price range you mentioned with Lang's being the most popular (in the South anyhow).

 

[capt dan]

I love my mobile 60( Lang), but I could never feed 200 off of it at one time without doing a bunch of pre-cooking. The 84 probably would get ya close. Meadow creek has a 250 thats just as nice, and has some other nice features. The Klose pits are nice, but you won't get much in a towable for 4 k with them. Diamond Plate has a unique design, and that may be what you are lookin for, but I am not sure on their prices. I'll see if I can get ya a few links!

Welcome to the SMF!

 

[capt dan]

here ya go! Whew, that was fast!

Acme Custom BBQ grills and pits
Friendswood, TX
http://www.acmewelding.com/BBQ.html

Austin National Smoker Company
Noblesville, IN
http://www.austinnationalsmokers.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Specializing in rotisserie barbecue pit smokers

BBQ Pits by Klose
Houston, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.com

BBQ Pits and Smokers
Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Big Drum Smokers
Rocky Richmond
Naples, NC
http://groups.msn.com/BigDrumSmoker-BDS
New steel drum construction, various sizes

Big Jims Custom BBQ pits
http://www.bigjim.freeservers.com/smokers.html
Propane tank smokers


Cattle King BBQ Pits
Family Owned & Operated
Fred L. Voigt
New Braunfels, Texas
http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/RigWelders/CK.html

Cookers and Grills
Watkinsville, GA
http://www.cookersandgrills.com
Reverse Flow, new propane tank construction
Backyard/Comp/Catering

D Wiley BBQ Pits
Buda, Texas
http://myjobisthepits.com
New propane tanks

Davis Smokers and Grills
Glennville, GA
http://www.davissmokersandgrills.homestead.com

Diamond Plate Products
Ballinger, Texas
http://diamondplateproducts.com
Makes full Custom BBQ pits from new steel tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Detroit Grill King
Detroit, MI
http://www.detroitgrillking.com

Gator Pits of Texas
Houston, Texas
http://gatorpit.net
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Pit accessories
Excellent customer service

Grillnsmoke bbq smokers
Laredo, Texas
http://www.grillnsmoke.com/Page_1.php
Custom smokers

Holstein Manufacturing
Holstein, Iowa
http://www.holsteinmfg.com
Very large range of grills and smokers

Horizon Smokers
Perry, OK
http://www.hightide.com/horizon2/products.html

Jedmaster Cookers
McCalla, Al
http://www.jedmaster.com

JR Enterprises
Dewitt, Arkansas
http://www.jrenterprises.com

KCK BBQ Smokers
Kansas City, KS
http://www.kck.com

L&R Custom BBQ Pits
Stephenville, TX
http://www.lrbbqpits.com

Lang Smoker Cookers
Nahunta, GA
http://www.pigroast.com
Pits made from new propane tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Lone Star Welding
Richmond, TX
http://www.lswelding.net/index.html
Custom BBQ pits with some interesting art add ons

LONE STAR
Custom Pits & Grills, Inc
Humble, Texas
www.lonestarcustompits.com
Custom BBQ Pits

Long Horn BBQ pits
Uvalde, Texas
Available at Factory Direct BBQ Pits and Smokers Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Lyfe Tyme - BBQ Pits
Uvalde, Texas
http://www.lyfetyme.com
Manufactured pits with some customizing available
Pits made from New steel pipe including uprights
Makes full custom mobile pits

Meadow Creek Welding
New Holland, PA
http://www.meadowcreekbbq.com/Welcome.html

Olalla Smokers $ Grills of Olalla
Chuck Senn
4345 SE Burley-Olalla Rd.
Olalla, WA. 98359
Phone: 253/ 857-4420

Old Country BBQ Pits
Laredo ,Texas
http://www.bbquepits.com
Mass Produced old style BBQ pits

Peoria Custom Cookers
Peoria, Illinois
http://www.peoriacustomcookers.com
Backyard and mobile pits. Rolled plate construction.

Pits by Jambo
Jamie Geer Phone 817-572-7631 home, cell 817-822-1689
Hand made one at a time with incredible attention to detail. These are the pits used with great success by Johnny Trig of the Smoking Triggers, Uncle Earnie and Jamie and his Buckwheat Express team.

Pits by JJ
Houston, Texas
http://www.pitsbyjj.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Pitts and Spitts
Houston, Texas
http://pittsandspitts.com
Pits made from New steel plate and stainless steel
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Quality Grills
Detroit, MI
http://www.qualitygrills.com
Huge custom mobile pits

Real Grill
West Palm Beach, Florida
http://www.realgrill.com
New propane tank smoker/grills

Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q
Anderson, IN
http://www.sybbq.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

SWS Superior Welding Service - Southwest Smoker
North Little Rock, AR
http://www.southwestsmoker.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Tejas Smokers
Houston, Texas
http://www.tejassmokers.com
Well engineered production backyard smokers and grills
New 1/4" steel plate construction
Great selection of outdoor cooking gear and accessories for your smoker
Great customer service

The Good One- Goodwin Enterprises
Burns, KS
http://www.thegood-one.com

TMP BBQ Pits
Midland, Texas
http://www.gotmp.com/bbqpits.htm

Tucker Cookers
Memphis, Tennessee
http://www.tuckercooker.com
Very nice mobile smoker/grills

Western Rebel BBQ Pits
Chino Hills, California
For more information call 909-994-5826
Out of this World BBQ Products
Distrbutor for Western Rebel BBQ pits
http://www.outofthisworldbbq.com/index.html

 

[k5yac]

Welcome... nice to see ya!

 

[workoutchamp]

Holy Smoker Man! Now that's some help - now that clears it all up!

I will peruse - looks like old Ben Lang is in the running for sure. I noticed the Meadow Creek has that cool V drain to send the grease running to one end/drain valve area I assume. Do the Lang's have that?

Capt - I have a partner/smoked food lover in Plainwell - he does a lot of biz in Kazoo.

Thanks for all this guys! I have pictures, so I will be posting some of my fun.

Brad - again, the offer is out there for Bourbon lessons - anytime.

 

[workoutchamp]

Yes, the Lang 84 has a V in the drip pan.

Talked to Ben again today.

Brad

 

[travcoman45]

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya! Can't help ya much on them big rigs, others will though I'm sure. Now for your GOSM, you got a problem somewhere, that rig should have no troubles gettin to temp. I've got one and run 225*-250* with the dial set between low and medium.

Look at your burner and make sure you have a nice blue flame with just yellow tips all the way around it, might have some spots that are plugged. Maybe turn that control knob back and forth a few times to make sure it is not sticky with some sort of debris.

In cool weather, it can be hard to get LP to flash off into gas, but these rigs are not using enough fuel for that to be a problem. Somthing is up that you are not getting a higher temp.

Check your hose to make sure it is not kinked or flattened out somewhere. Could be as simple as a dirty burner. Let us know if anything helps out. Course, this is all assumin you got a gasser!

 

[workoutchamp]

OK, I took the thing apart this morning - what a frikk@# mess!

The blue flame with tiny yellow tips is correct - that is optimum clean burn. There is no air control, so I have to increase the size of the orifice a TINY bit.

So I felt the orifice may be a little clogged. A big paper clip should be about the right size, so a tiny bit larger may work better. I took one of those "lettered" sized drill bits and made the orifice a micro bit bigger - too big.

Tons of yellow (carbon) which makes everything black.

So what does a red blooded man do? Sends his wife to WalMart in her pick up truck of course, "honey, go buy me another smoker - FAST" we are now 2 hrs behind.

They are only $99 bucks now - great. Mine was wonderful for 3, 4 maybe 5 yrs! Mine was made in Arkansas and was about 150. now they are from China - I'd rather pay the extra 50 bucks - big difference in quality and the old one is a little bigger.

I am not going to chuck this one, anyone know where I can buy parts?

Film - and brisket at 11

Brad

 

[earache_my_eye]

If you can get the orifice out...(threaded in??)...U should be able to get another one at any appliance repair shop.

L8r,
Eric

 

[smokinit]

The lang 84 should fit your bill for the 200 people mark I use one in catering myself. There is more work involved in using a stick burner but they are great fun. If getting your rest is more your thing that insulated cabinet smokers work great. Check them out www.backwoods-smoker.com I use both so feel free to use me and abuse me

 

[bertjo44]

Welcome Brad. Sounds like you are getting good info. I have a GOSM and have no problems with the temp. Does yours have vents on each side. My dad was looking for one and said he saw one with no vents, I said stay away. They could be easily added if this is the problem.

 

[workoutchamp]

Eric,

I will post a photo here to show why I like my GOSM, so I think I am going to just convert it to wood.

Yes, I had the orifice out, but I really humped the monkey drilling it oversized. I can't imagine I went over .040" - made a "carbon"ic difference.

Wood - here I come!

 

[workoutchamp]

Smokinit,

I checked out the insulated cookers - they look great.

I am really looking forward to the Lang's arrival.

Thanks for the input and I will be getting back to you - thanks for the offer.

Brad

 

[workoutchamp]

Bert,

Ok, here's the deal. My (now obviously old) GOSM has two vents on the side, made completely different than the new ones and is heavier than he## is old school - and that is why I think I'm going to play with it to keep it going.

The new burners will fit my old GOSM, but I have to look into IF I can get parts - if anyone knows here, I am all ears.

So I am battling the old GOSM for an hour, my wife goes and gets me a new one - now I am cooking on two new GOSMs - totally different than my old one and new to me. Here are some pics

It doesn't look that much bigger, but it is. Here is the interior -

So everyone is used to the look of the interior, but the chip box is sillily small, hence the "cliff hangers". Note the huge yellow tips, but no carbon black-ness. Hmmmm. Now, let's compare the old one -

HUGE difference. See the vents on the side - I am not sure whether these are to be open, closed or --- I do the safe thing and go in the middle. I can fit a TON of Q on these racks - plus the top rack, I can put 2 rib racks on and put St. Louis style up there (not full ribs from Walmart, but baby backs or St. Louis). 2 racks one in front of the other.

The new burners are a BLESSING to work with - the cabinet is a bit small now since I am spoiled, but we had some GOOD Q!

Country style pork ribs (not real ribs, but dang, they are always good). $2.19/lb
Chicken Quarters - 10lb bag, $4.70

NOTE - see "healthy" vitamin water and a bottle of Makers in the same pic

2 racks of ribs
2 pastramis
2 lbs of Beer Brats

Pastramis and ribs 6 hrs
Chicken and country style ribs 4 hrs
brats 2 hrs

The reason Pam is so happy - she brought home-made Caramel Pear Martinis - whoa - now this is a yummy time.

Brad