Temperature controller or pellet grill

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cody0707

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 19, 2013
32
14
Tallahassee, FL
I currently smoke on my Weber 26" kettle using a SnS. Last night I cooked a 16lb brisket. I had plenty of room for the brisket and temperatures were pretty easy to hold. My biggest issue was charcoal capacity and the need to refill the charcoal throughout the cook. I have been thinking about getting a temperature controller to make smoking that much easier. I started thinking that a good temperature controller is around $200. If I spend that money I am a 3rd of the way to purchasing a Recteq RT-340. Both options would allow me to get some sleep but with the Recteq I wouldn't have to wake up to refill the coals.

Help me decide:
1. Temperature controller and refill charcoal through cook
2. Recteq RT-340
 
I don't have a pellet grill but some say they don't get the same flavor as they get with a kettle and charcoal. Also not a master with a kettle, I only have a cheap 22 inch...would love to get a 26 inch weber! But maybe someone with more experience will chime in, I think chopsaw chopsaw could help you out. Good luck on your decision

Ryan
 
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I think a 16/lb brisket is pushing it for a kettle smoke even with the SnS. I've gotten an 7.5/lb butt done using the SnS before, and that's about as long a smoke I would attempt. If I know the smoke is going longer I'd break out my WSM.

Chris
 
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I currently smoke on my Weber 26"
I'll leave the slow n sear advice to others , as I don't use one .
I set up the snake method in my 26 " I get 10 hours plus out of it , and oven finish if needed .
This was a test run when I first got the 26 . Mine settles in at 260 . I add a small chimney of lit coal when I put the meat on to help offset a temp drop .
20190901_163156.jpg 20190901_175636.jpg
This was at the end of 10 hours , still had about 2 hours left .
20190903_152441.jpg
Biggest brisket I've done on mine was around the 12 pound mark after trimming .
I know going in , if it's not done when the charcoal runs out , it's going in the oven
 
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don't you have to rotate the vent as the snake burns?
I don't . I know some guys rotate the lid , I don't bother with it . After I get to temp and therms are in place , I leave the lid on unless there's a problem .
 
Not sure if adding a controller with a SnS will get you that much more smoke time per load of fuel. The snake chopsaw mentioned burns long and uninterrupted. I’ve had good results with letting the SnS XL go for 5-6 hrs or about the time it hits the stall. Then in
order to keep ashes from getting on meat I pull brisket, wrap, pull drip pans, knock down ashes, refuel and put wrapped meat back on. I have everything ready so it happens quickly. This gets me twelve hrs. I’ve only cooked one brisket on the pellet so far. First time for foil boat method at the stall. Very little effort. Perfect doneness. Acceptable smokiness. Tasted great. I know the SnS kettle will lay on the smoke but the pellet is just so damned easy it’s like cheating.
 
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