Post by lovey on Apr 20, 2015 20:47:43 GMT 10
Firstly, an apology for the length of this post.
I want to get more into low and slow bbq (don’t we all) and I’m at a bit of a crossroads in my bbqing so I’m looking for some advice and/or a shove in the right direction.
I currently have a 4 burner Beefeater, Weber kettle and a wood fired pizza oven. The Beefeater is no good for low temps, plus the gas usage would make it uneconomical for long cooks. The pizza oven is also out due to it being a steel construction. It does great pizza, but doesn’t retain the heat for long enough to do any type of extended cook.
This leaves the humble kettle. I know that they’re versatile and will do most things with a bit of patience and time. I’ve got a fair bit of the first, but not much spare of the second. I know that a lot of members swear by them and turn out some sensational produce using them. I know of the snake and minion methods and I’ve had a dry run with the snake, which was initially reasonably successful. I had the temp runaway mid-way though the snake, which I put down to the water pan either emptying out or it coming up to temp within the kettle and not acting like such a heat sink.
I had a fiddle with the vents, but I found it a bit hit and miss. I don’t know if the temps would settle down with a slab of meat in there as well, so the temp control whinge could be a moot point.
I initially thought of an offset smoker, as these seemed to be very versatile. The turn off for me is the ongoing tending of the fire. I know this will sound like sacrilege to some and it goes against my inner caveman, but I really don’t have the time to spend constantly maintaining and tending a fire.
I have asked/pestered various forum members and vendors for opinions of different equipment in the past, and their generous sharing of their knowledge is greatly appreciated, thank you. This knowledge has allowed me to make this little comparison of my various options.
The few options which I’ve tossed around thus far are, in no particular order are:-
- A stacker ring type converters like the Cajun bandit, Barbecue stacker and the Smoke EZ to make the kettle a bit more like a WSM or Pro Q.
- Buying a WSM or Pro Q water smoker.
- Buying a Smokenator.
- Buying a pellet cooker.
- Buying nothing and make a more concerted effort to learn the intricacies of the kettle.
I know deep down that I should knuckle down and give the last option a red hot go, and that the kettle is quite versatile, but I know that presently, I am its limiting factor.
I’ve come up with some pros and cons for each option:
Smokenator.
Pro’s – cheapest option and they look easy to use.
Cons – limited to 6 hour cook with the unit full of fuel (according to the web site). I don’t know if you can add fuel easily to it when it’s going. Mixed reviews, mainly in relation to fuel and water capacity.
Stacker convertor.
Pro’s – not as costly as buying a pellet cooker or water smoker. Enables me to keep the kettle that I’ve already got and make it more versatile/multi use.
Cons – as they are made overseas, with shipping costs and our exchange rate going against me now they’re fairly expensive, they mostly come in are more than the cost of a new kettle. I’ve also read mixed reviews on their
effectiveness against a fair dinkum water smoker.
Buying a water smoker like a WSM or Pro Q.
Pro’s – larger capacity and possibly more versatile than a kettle. I believe that they are easier to use and control the temps than a kettle and are more versatile (I have no idea about this point and I’m happy to be educated either way).
Cons – more expensive than the stacker convertors and kettles. It will also mean another piece of equipment taking up real estate on the deck unless I ditch the kettle In favour of one.
Buying a pellet cooker.
Pro’s – really set and forget for a long cook (provided you don’t run out of pellets of course). I believe they are versatile and good for most styles of outdoor cooking.
Cons – highest initial outlay cost, plus fairly high ongoing cost with pellets. More to break with electronics, moving parts and heat all in close proximity.
Buying nothing and really learning the kettle.
Pro’s – no cost apart from some sacrificial heat beads and meat for experimentation.
Cons – time consuming, but would the results be worthy of the effort put it?
I guess that I am mainly looking for simplicity for a long, slow cook. I don’t have to cook for hordes of people, just my family of 4. I am happy to be called lazy, but as romantic as the notion of lovingly tending a fire for hours at a time to achieve the perfect result sounds, it’s not a realistic option for me at this point in time. I guess a mathematical equation of effort required vs results gained could be in order.
If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading.
Steve.
P.S. I’ve posted this on multiple fora as I realise that some members are not active on all 3, so apologies to those that do frequent all 3.
I want to get more into low and slow bbq (don’t we all) and I’m at a bit of a crossroads in my bbqing so I’m looking for some advice and/or a shove in the right direction.
I currently have a 4 burner Beefeater, Weber kettle and a wood fired pizza oven. The Beefeater is no good for low temps, plus the gas usage would make it uneconomical for long cooks. The pizza oven is also out due to it being a steel construction. It does great pizza, but doesn’t retain the heat for long enough to do any type of extended cook.
This leaves the humble kettle. I know that they’re versatile and will do most things with a bit of patience and time. I’ve got a fair bit of the first, but not much spare of the second. I know that a lot of members swear by them and turn out some sensational produce using them. I know of the snake and minion methods and I’ve had a dry run with the snake, which was initially reasonably successful. I had the temp runaway mid-way though the snake, which I put down to the water pan either emptying out or it coming up to temp within the kettle and not acting like such a heat sink.
I had a fiddle with the vents, but I found it a bit hit and miss. I don’t know if the temps would settle down with a slab of meat in there as well, so the temp control whinge could be a moot point.
I initially thought of an offset smoker, as these seemed to be very versatile. The turn off for me is the ongoing tending of the fire. I know this will sound like sacrilege to some and it goes against my inner caveman, but I really don’t have the time to spend constantly maintaining and tending a fire.
I have asked/pestered various forum members and vendors for opinions of different equipment in the past, and their generous sharing of their knowledge is greatly appreciated, thank you. This knowledge has allowed me to make this little comparison of my various options.
The few options which I’ve tossed around thus far are, in no particular order are:-
- A stacker ring type converters like the Cajun bandit, Barbecue stacker and the Smoke EZ to make the kettle a bit more like a WSM or Pro Q.
- Buying a WSM or Pro Q water smoker.
- Buying a Smokenator.
- Buying a pellet cooker.
- Buying nothing and make a more concerted effort to learn the intricacies of the kettle.
I know deep down that I should knuckle down and give the last option a red hot go, and that the kettle is quite versatile, but I know that presently, I am its limiting factor.
I’ve come up with some pros and cons for each option:
Smokenator.
Pro’s – cheapest option and they look easy to use.
Cons – limited to 6 hour cook with the unit full of fuel (according to the web site). I don’t know if you can add fuel easily to it when it’s going. Mixed reviews, mainly in relation to fuel and water capacity.
Stacker convertor.
Pro’s – not as costly as buying a pellet cooker or water smoker. Enables me to keep the kettle that I’ve already got and make it more versatile/multi use.
Cons – as they are made overseas, with shipping costs and our exchange rate going against me now they’re fairly expensive, they mostly come in are more than the cost of a new kettle. I’ve also read mixed reviews on their
effectiveness against a fair dinkum water smoker.
Buying a water smoker like a WSM or Pro Q.
Pro’s – larger capacity and possibly more versatile than a kettle. I believe that they are easier to use and control the temps than a kettle and are more versatile (I have no idea about this point and I’m happy to be educated either way).
Cons – more expensive than the stacker convertors and kettles. It will also mean another piece of equipment taking up real estate on the deck unless I ditch the kettle In favour of one.
Buying a pellet cooker.
Pro’s – really set and forget for a long cook (provided you don’t run out of pellets of course). I believe they are versatile and good for most styles of outdoor cooking.
Cons – highest initial outlay cost, plus fairly high ongoing cost with pellets. More to break with electronics, moving parts and heat all in close proximity.
Buying nothing and really learning the kettle.
Pro’s – no cost apart from some sacrificial heat beads and meat for experimentation.
Cons – time consuming, but would the results be worthy of the effort put it?
I guess that I am mainly looking for simplicity for a long, slow cook. I don’t have to cook for hordes of people, just my family of 4. I am happy to be called lazy, but as romantic as the notion of lovingly tending a fire for hours at a time to achieve the perfect result sounds, it’s not a realistic option for me at this point in time. I guess a mathematical equation of effort required vs results gained could be in order.
If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading.
Steve.
P.S. I’ve posted this on multiple fora as I realise that some members are not active on all 3, so apologies to those that do frequent all 3.
