Things have changed, suggestions needed please.

[Workaholic]

My plans had been to modify the Masterbuilt smoker my wife got me. That is still the plan, however, I just got handed a piece of news that means those plans may need to be shelved for a bit. My oldest daughter, with her husband and kids, are now expected here for Thanksgiving. That means that the planned 15 pound turkey isn't enough. I'm now looking at a 25 pounder. Talked with the wife about how to cook it. Was told the only reason that she and the kids didn't like it being smoked was that the smoker I had used back then needed me to feed it every 45 minutes or so. It was a Brinkmann Smoke and Pit Pro. An offset, that, had I known, would have performed much better with a few mods.

So now, I need a bigger smoker. One that can take a 25 pound turkey, and not hesitate. I do not plan on spatchcocking. I don't care it its offset, WSM, MES, pellet pooper, or UDS. To be honest, I'd rather not do the turkey upright like a beer can chicken. I reckon I can, however, if need be. I just want to be able to set it and forget it, or as close to as possible. Besides the aforementioned stuff, I have to throw a price limit in there. Under $700 if at all possible. As long as it can turn out good q, witha good smoke flavor, it's worth looking at. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

 

[dward51]

Have you looked at a Backwoods Chubby 3400. The 3400 is a small insulated reverse flow vertical cabinet. I'm not certain about a 25 pound turkey fitting, but I'm sure someone else will chime in (hopefully who has a 3400). The specs list the cook chamber as 17x16x13 tall. I know that's a little more than the $700 you wanted to spend, but it's a very versatile smoker for the price. There are also a lot of youtube videos on the 3400. Spec sheet link:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1709/5627/files/SpecSheet-chubby3400_2.pdf?75

Jim Bob's Backwoods BBQ in Kansas City is one of their authorized dealers if you are close to them and want a "hands on look" at a 3400.

Other option would be a drum smoker (various options out there, Pit Barrel, etc...)

 

[fivetricks]

Cheapest way to go would be to build the UDS. Then you could get the smoker you desire afterwards. Might I suggest cooking two turkeys though? Would end up with a better end product IMHO. I do multiples for my own Thanksgiving and it turns out great!

 

[JCAP]

Might I suggest cooking two turkeys though? Would end up with a better end product IMHO. I do multiples for my own Thanksgiving and it turns out great!

I second this advice- two smaller birds would be better than one large bird!

 

[daveomak]

Netting the bird might help with getting the needed room in the smoker... AND... It helps with smoke and flavor..... I agree with the above suggestion of doing 2 smaller birds... or 3....

..

 

[chopsaw]

Both my suggestions have been posted . 2 smaller birds and hang them . Last time I had a crowd for Thanksgiving I did 1 whole bird and 3 breast . People like to see that whole bird for some reason .

 

[gmc2003]

I agree with the above posts. A 25# bird is going to be tough to keep moist. Two smaller 13 to 15#ers would be better or Chops idea of one bird for presentation and then a couple of breasts for added meat.

Chris

 

[Workaholic]

2 12 to 15# birds is not hard to talk the wife into. However, I still need to come up with a smoker that I can set and not have to worry about for hours. My current smoker is most definitely not one that can handle the task. And it's not big enough. Modifying it to become reliable and controllable has taken the back burner, and is something that will probably wind up being a winter project. Hanging the birds does sound like an interesting option. What I have now would only allow for 1 at a time. Even though I have stores local that I can get one from, they dont have any smokers, except for a pit boss upright on display, so I can't see the sizes involved. I am going to need something bigger. That's why the request for suggestions.

 

[chopsaw]

Couple guys just bought the Pit boss . I've seen the 5 , it's big . Tropics has the 4 I think .

 

[dward51]

I recently bought a Pit Boss 5 from walmart. They have started the after Mid-summer markdowns on BBQ equipment. Watch brickseek and see of the prices have dropped near you. I got mine for $223, but some stores are dropping them to $199 (original either $446 or $396 depending on store).

I have not done a turkey in mine, but it has rocked everything I cooked in mine so far. It has a huge pellet hopper (55 pounds) and is pretty stingy on pellet use. Temp range is 150 to 400+ so you can run sausage and crispy chicken wings at 400. Heck I even ran a store brand pizza in mine the other night. The PB5 is huge and should hold 2 medium turkeys with little issue (has 5 racks - but the way I run mine, I have 4 racks). The racks are large enough to use a full sized disposable hotel pan as a drip pan (or water pan).

Wings at 400* earlier this week.... Easily holds 5 pounds of wings per rack. These were marinaded in Italian dressing marinade and hit with rub. Not a drop of sauce, spritzing or mopping. I was very very pleased with these (no rubbery skin either).

To give some scale, this is my 18.5" WSM sitting beside mine. If I took the legs off I think I could fit the entire WSM inside the cook chamber of this beast!

 

[gmc2003]

Two birds in the 12 to 15 pound range will fit in a 22" WSM. You would need to put a disposable aluminum pan under the turkey on the top rack to prevent the dripping from ruining the skin on the turkey on the bottom rack. Also the smaller turkey should go on the bottom rack. You can use the water pan as a reference as to how wide the turkey on the bottom rack can be. You don't want it any wider then the pan to prevent outer edge burning(since it's closer to the heat source).

Price of a 22" WSM is about 440.00

Chris

 

[Winterrider]

I would think the vertical pit boss would easily handle your 25# bird or a couple 15#. They look huge. Shouldn't have to babysit it too much I wouldn't think. A good 2 probe thermometer and should be golden.

 

[JWFokker]

Pellet burners do a good job on birds, I'll give them that.

 

[Berettaclayshooter]

I too would go with 2-3 smaller birds. Big birds aren't good to cook except for turkey soup. I would check out the pellet grill, at the current prices I might have to pick one up as well.

 

[hardcookin]

I usually like turkeys in the 15lb range.
You could spatchcock the birds. A lot of times I have done a turkey and a big turkey breast.
15lb bird @300 around 3 hours.

 

[Workaholic]

Several good options listed. This is going to be my primary smoker. Even though I live close to a Menards, Lowes, Home Depot, Academy, Cabelas, and Walmart, most if not all of these are not on display. How does one narrow it down if they are unable to see all the options in person?

 

[Berettaclayshooter]

I would suggest doing your due diligence and research and then make an informed decision as to which will suit your budget, size requirements, and most liked features. Also if it's something that I'm on the fence about.. I look at reviews: the number rating and the actual reviews. People write things good or bad that I wouldn't feel would be a deciding factor you have to keep that in mind.

 

[hardcookin]

Also you have to decide if you want something...set and forget or something more hands on. Also what fuel type you want to use.

 

[Workaholic]

The reason I'm asking for advice is that reviews can only take you so far, so was hoping for some first hand experience. I'm aware that from time to time you can get a bad example. The grill I bought for my wife is a good example of that. It arrived with all the parts except the hardware. Called the company, and they aren't just sending out the hardware, but a tool kit as well, at no cost. I can't mark them down for that. Every once in a while, something will slip through QC. It happens.

My preferred fuel is charcoal, but that's also all I've experienced. Never had a pellet smoker, or a gas one. I would think either pellets or charcoal would be a good option, I'm not too sure how much I'd trust a gas one, even though I'm sure they are reliable.
I think I need to narrow things down a bit. Let's say the WSM 22" and the Pit Boss 5 series vertical. Can I use my Inkbird wireless thermometer with the Pit Boss? How long of a burn time can I get from either one? I'm sure there are other questions I should be asking. I know the WSM is popular here. That says a lot to its performance. Is there anything else I should be looking at? The way I'm buying the smoker limits me to big box stores, including Walmart. If it weren't for that I'd be asking questions about the uds too.... any input and personal experience would be a great help. Thank you.

 

[zwiller]

I echo the others with 2 birds, however, do one old school in oven and cure and smoke the other in Pop's brine. I like the low salt version. Also, keep in mind a new smoker does not necessarily guarantee better results. Personally, I'd stick to the plan and skip the upgrade. Get other stuff. Slicer, vac sealer, grinder, stuffer, etc. and save some bucks.