Newb Question

[sgreen0313]

Howdy from East Texas!

I've recently moved back to TX after 25 years (thank god) and left my rusted out gas grill in California.  This leaves me with an equipment dilemma.  

I have plenty of wild game on my place and would like to smoke jerky and large cuts of wild hogs and deer.  I'd also like to be able to grill steaks.  Grilling steaks will likely be my most common outdoor cooking task and I'm okay using charcoal or gas for that.

Even though I will likely grill more than smoke, I'd like to be able to do both.  Is there a good compromise?  Based on the reviews that I've read so far it seems like you really need two separate cookers.  Best I can tell the the WSM is a great choice for the new guy who wants to try his hand at smoking but is there a good combo device in the sub $600 range that will do well for both with few mods?

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Hmm, for a lot less than $600 you could grab a WSM-18 and Weber 18 or 22 kettle. You can do some nice smoke n sear steaks on the kettle, or hot smoking for up to around 6 hours. If you grab the Weber 26 kettle it can handle a full slab of pork spare ribs, length-wise...the 22 might even handle it, no that I think about it. The WSM will handle your low & slow all-nighters such as pork shoulders, not to mention the ability to cook entire meals when you start thinking smoked taters, squashes, corn, no-boil mac n cheese, etc. I've even smoked no-boil mac n cheese and smoked beans on my kettles.

The alternative is a horizontal w/SFB, but then you're limited to still basically only being able to do one type of cooking at a time, unless you do a quick sear with steaks in the SFB (for example) over the hot coals while smoking something else indirect in the smoke chamber.

With a separate smoker and a kettle you can do much more diverse cooking. I love my kettle more than my smoker because I can smoke or chargrill, or do both at the same time, and, have the WSM going on something completely unrelated at the same time.

I have a WSM-18 and 3 sizes of Weber kettles...I have no plans to go back to gassers...and plans to change my gear any time soon. I cook for gatherings every chance I get, and plan my menus according to what my cookers are capable of. Never came up short on cooker space yet.

I may be partial to the WSM and kettles, but I have no real complaints with them, well, other than the 3-leg platform for the 26 is too light-duty and a bit on the wobbly side...tweeking can fix that, though.

BTW, welcome to the SMF Family!!!

Eric

 

[sgreen0313]

Thanks, Eric. Appreciate the advice and will investigate the kettle. Fair point on being able to do two types of cooking at once. Didn't even think about that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[joe black]

To do both on the same unit, be sure to get one with a grate in the FB. For $650, you can get a 22 in both a kettle and WSM and IMO that's a better choice. Just my $0.02. :grilling_smilie:

 

[smokesontuesday]

I like my Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Hybrid for this. As long as you don't mind putting in a diffuser plate it's a solid grill and smoker well within your budget.