WSM or............?

[frjeff]

New to this and am on a budget. Cannot afford an expensive egg.

So, is the WSM worth the huge premium over a standard Brinkman? If so, why? Or, am I spending money for the Weber name.

I had a Brinkman years ago and it seemed to do the job.

What do I gain with the WSM and/or are there other reasonably priced units I ought consider?

Thanks,

Jeff+

 

[dward51]

Jeff,

Those of us who have the WSM will not part with them no matter how many other smokers we end up with.  Yes, they are worth having and keeping.

That being said, I totally understand the issue of cost.  Keeping that in mind, have you considered making your own UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker)?  It starts with a 55 gallon drum and other than drilling a few holes does not require welding or other major tool skills.  There is a whole section dedicated to UDS building in this forum. I've seen and tasted excellent finished products from UDS smokers.  Never made one, but there does not look to be much to the actual construction and it's a great idea.

 

[rodel]

I am not an expert, but did a lot of research lately.  Most would agree that the WSM is worth the cost if you want a vertical charcoal smoker. The advantage over the Brinkmann or similar (like the Master Forge) is in the design.  The WSM has proper air control and a well-designed charcoal pan.  These allow you to control the temperature and maintain the perfect smoking environment for many hours without having to frequently add charcoal and adjust the fire.  Being able to control the temperature easily and without too much difficulty is probably the most important thing in successful smoking.

The Brinkmanns are called El Cheapo Brinkmann (ECB) or Gourmet ECB for the Gourmet version.  ECBs lack air control and the fire pan allows the ashes to smother the fire unless you keep messing with it.  You can modify the Brinkmann to emulate a WSM (see this link:  http://home.comcast.net/~day_trippr/smoker_mods.htm)  If you are mechanically inclined and are not exactly sure what kind of smoker you want (electric, pellet, propane, USD, offset, etc) then a modified Brinkmann may work for you.

In my opinion, if you are sure you want a vertical charcoal smoker and can afford it, then the WSM is probably worth it.

 

[mdboatbum]

Welcome FrJeff!

If you stick around here long enough, you'll notice that the Brinkmanns tend to be kind of starter smokers. There are MANY posts referring to mods, tricks and tips made to these inexpensive smokers to try and get them to come close to the set and forget performance of the WSM. The Brinkmann is kind of the VW bug of the smoker world. Just about everyone's had one, and has a funny story about it.  It's a decent smoker that everyone can afford. It's not pretty or sexy, but it gets the job done. Mostly. That being said, aside from a few masochistic Luddite types who actually enjoy the frustration and endless mods and tinkering required to get and keep the thing running the way they want, there are comparatively few who actually target the Brinkmann (or the VW Bug for that matter) as THE ONE. It's more of a right of passage.

You'll also notice the hundreds of posts extolling the virtues of the WSM, as well as the UDS. These things seem to get the job done, day in day out, and people love them. I myself had neither the finances nor space for the WSM or the UDS, so I built a "Mini WSM". $60 and I have a smoker that is lightyears ahead of the Brinkmann, but still small enough to store in my apartment.

So, to sum up, there are alternatives to the Brinkmann in the same ballpark pricewise that will give you similar performance. As for "Paying for the Weber name", yes, to a certain extent you are paying a premium for the Weber smoker. Why? Because it's a MUCH better smoker. If I had the money and the space, I'd have a 22.5" WSM and be very happy about it.