Hello from Missouri

[RealDangerome]

Hello all,

My name is Doug and and I found this forum through a google search, read a few articles, and decided to join.

I've always been into cooking, but more so in the past couple of years. I ended up buying a propane grill earlier this summer and have enjoyed cooking on it, but I think smoking meat is where I really want to be.

I'm beginning to look into new grills and am pretty overwhelmed. I really like the way vertical offset smokers look and the techniques involved in cooking with charcoal and wood. On the other hand the convenience and accuracy of a pellet grill is also attractive. I'd love to hear your input on either type or if there are others I'm not considering.

Looking forward to learning from you all.

Doug

 

[Jeff Wright]

Go Chiefs!!! Welcome to the forum from Missouri here also. You will benefit greatly from the folks here. Lots of great knowledge and experiences.

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.

 

[SmokinLogs]

Welcome to SMF from Indiana!

 

[mosparky]

Welcome from the right side of the state.

 

[SmokinAl]

Welcome to the forum.
If I were you I would look at a Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5.
Yes it is charcoal & wood, but it is very easy to learn to use & will last a lifetime.
It holds temps well enough to do an all night smoke & sleep soundly knowing that the WSM is still holding it's temp.
I have gotten over 22 hours on a single load of charcoal & wood chunks mixed up together, without the temp varying more than a couple of degrees. And not messing with the smoker at all. And if you really want to make it set & forget, just get a BBQ Guru pit controller. It's a fan & computer that will keep the temps within 2 degrees of where you set it. And they are about $300, with everything you need. The WSM 22.5 is about $400. So for $700 you can have set & forget AND charcoal/wood flavor!!!
Al

 

[oldsmokerdude]

Al is right, the WSM is an amazing unit that has a small learning curve, uses charcoal, and can turn out some mighty good tasting food. I've seen them win numerous competitions as well.

That said, I have to put a word in for a pellet grill. If you get a good one, you have true "set and forget" functionality without additional modifications. Most pellet grills will have a significantly larger cooking area than the Weber for when you do want to use it as a grill. On the down side, pellets are more expensive than charcoal and provide a different flavor profile than wood and charcoal. It's not better or worse, just different.

 

[RealDangerome]

Thanks for all the input so far! I've been looking into options and doing some research.

I'm fairly certain my dad had a WSM or similar grill when I was growing up and it made some great ribs! I stopped by Academy Sports and Outdoors on my lunch break today to see what they had in stock and really liked the size of the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker. Previously I was interested in the OK Joe Bandera, but after seeing a smoker of comparable size I think it's too big, at least for now.

I know they all have their own positives and negatives. Part of me can't wrap my head around buying a OK Joe and then needing to add gaskets and silicone to make it efficient, but the other part of me loves projects and modifying. Not sure I want to spend the amount for a pellet grill and pellets, but as a beginner it may be a good fit. Then again, the WSM may be a good fit as well, with a lower price point.

 

[Humo18]

Hello, I'm also from Missouri and a newbie to smoking and have been wrestling with what to buy (and wrestling with how much to spend/afford). At my age, I figure I prefer convenience and easy and lean toward a pellet grill. I do believe though, that wood and lump charcoal do give food a great flavor.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Hey Doug, welcome aboard. I am a proud owner of an OKJ Highland smoker. It’s a bit smaller than the Longhorn that you mentioned. I know you will get a ton of feedback here and on other forums about how mods are absolutely necessary to make your OKJ functional. I’m going to tell you that from my personal experience that is just not accurate. I have made one single modification to my smoker. I added the gasket around the cooking chamber door. I can get very consistent heat with very little effort. Also consider that the Longhorn model consists of most of the mods people talk about doing. Charcoal basket and the baffle plates that control the reverse flow. If you are comfortable with the price point that you saw the Longhorn for then I can confidently recommend this smoker. The door gasket is only about $20 and if applied during assembly isn’t even a nuisance. To get first class fit and finish on an offset you have to go high end. That’s quite a bit more out of pocket for something you don’t yet know if you want to use forever. Lang , Yoder, Horizon and others like them can be pretty much ready to go off the truck. Depending on size you can be looking at thousands of dollars. If you like the design of the WSM then that’s a very high quality unit. It’s a slightly different method than on an offset but it works great. Weber quality is top notch. There are lots of choices to consider with your new smoker but I’m sure that you will find what you are looking for. Have fun with your search and I look forward to seeing your Q.

George