All Encompassing Whatcha Smoking With

[Incredulity 11654]

FWIW I would guess freight to PNW would be at least 1K.  Surprised to see the Franklin Pit is freight included.

[Dontshootrude 374]

After years of smoking on ceramic cookers I've finally jumped into the offset stick burner game.  After an 8 month wait my Workhorse 1975t was ready for pickup.  I'm learning a lot and having a lot of fun messing up, but this cooker is pretty incredible.  Even for a total n00b like me I'm already producing good food after my third fire.

 

 

[RMac5 1551]

Great looking pit! What size diameter is the cooking chamber? 

[Dontshootrude 374]

45 minutes ago, RMac5 said:

Great looking pit! What size diameter is the cooking chamber? 

24 inches and it is 3/8 inch steel.  

[Anastasis 23463]

Thats a nice rig. 

[Brisketexan 105075]

So…firebox on my big smoker is rusted out. Where in austin should I go for them to do the welding work to fix it?

[luke duke 6412]

Haven’t read through this thread so please excuse me if it’s been discussed. Franklin pit.  Anyone seen one, used one or heard anything about them? They look gorgeous and the made in the USA is a bonus for me and part of the reason for the extravagant price tag. What say the surly? 

They have a couple at the Ace Hardware by campus. They are gorgeous and the workmanship is second to none. I have no doubt that it cooks great. However, I still wouldn’t pay that much for it.

[RMac5 1551]

2 hours ago, Dontshootrude said:

24 inches and it is 3/8 inch steel.  

That 3/8’s steel will hold great heat and should save you on wood cost. 

[RMac5 1551]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

So…firebox on my big smoker is rusted out. Where in austin should I go for them to do the welding work to fix it?

If it’s just basic welding with a little fabrication might see if one of the high schools with a welding class would be interested.

[Steel Shank 9421]

So…firebox on my big smoker is rusted out. Where in austin should I go for them to do the welding work to fix it?

You might try South Austin Metals on Industrial. I’ve been in their shop, and they do some really nice work on fireboxes they fab.

[Dry Elbows 142]

On 11/19/2022 at 1:51 PM, Dontshootrude said:

After years of smoking on ceramic cookers I've finally jumped into the offset stick burner game.  After an 8 month wait my Workhorse 1975t was ready for pickup.  I'm learning a lot and having a lot of fun messing up, but this cooker is pretty incredible.  Even for a total n00b like me I'm already producing good food after my third fire.

 

 

I’ve been toying with getting one of these.  How wide is the trailer?

 

[Dry Elbows 142]

On 11/19/2022 at 5:28 PM, luke duke said:

They have a couple at the Ace Hardware by campus. They are gorgeous and the workmanship is second to none. I have no doubt that it cooks great. However, I still wouldn’t pay that much for it.

I do not like that there is no way to control air flow on the Franklin.  No damper at the firebox or on the stack.

[RMac5 1551]

My door is the damper on my smoker, I just open and close it as needed, I’m guessing that’s the route on that rig too.

[Anastasis 23463]

6 hours ago, Dry Elbows said:

I do not like that there is no way to control air flow on the Franklin.  No damper at the firebox or on the stack.

I agree.  The airflow management insists upon itself. 

[Dontshootrude 374]

On 11/21/2022 at 11:01 AM, Dry Elbows said:

I’ve been toying with getting one of these.  How wide is the trailer?

 

60".  Full specs here: https://www.workhorsepits.com/product-page/1975t

[Baboontyme 2809]

On 11/21/2022 at 11:01 AM, Dry Elbows said:

I’ve been toying with getting one of these.  How wide is the trailer?

 

Give me 2 years and I'll sell you mine. You gotta pick it up, though. 

[TexasGary 833]

I am in the market for a cheap stick burner.  I was looking at the Old Country Pecos / Wrangler at Academy.  Then I saw that Char Griller has upped their game a bit with the Grand Champ Offset smoker at Home Depot.

Do any of you have any thoughts / opinions on either of these?  I know there is better to be had but the better ones are not in my budget.

[Anastasis 23463]

14 minutes ago, TexasGary said:

I am in the market for a cheap stick burner.  I was looking at the Old Country Pecos / Wrangler at Academy.  Then I saw that Char Griller has upped their game a bit with the Grand Champ Offset smoker at Home Depot.

Do any of you have any thoughts / opinions on either of these?  I know there is better to be had but the better ones are not in my budget.

Where are you located?  I have a Tejas smoker that I refurbed, has sat out a bit exposed to the elements, and could benefit from some TLC with a grinder and a fresh coat of paint.  If you are interested in a project that might require a little elbow grease but will land you in a better place than that 1/8th steel nonsense, PM me. 

[TexasGary 833]

12 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Where are you located?  I have a Tejas smoker that I refurbed, has sat out a bit exposed to the elements, and could benefit from some TLC with a grinder and a fresh coat of paint.  If you are interested in a project that might require a little elbow grease but will land you in a better place than that 1/8th steel nonsense, PM me. 

Plano

[Anastasis 23463]

23 hours ago, TexasGary said:

Plano

You’d have to be in for a drive to Austin with a trailer. 

[Sam Lin 3551]

Cool.

[baboso 6054]

That's a nice Lang.

[Eggo 3977]

Bought a new house. Comes equipped with this built-in bad boy. I've never smoked meat in my life, so once again, I am asking Shag/Surly for assistance. Give me your resources for learning how to use an offset smoker. 

 

[Gene Parmesan 4002]

Jesus.  How long is that, and is that a pizza oven on the end or a cabinet chamber?  Is the cook chamber steel encompassed by the stone, or is the steel just the top lid and the cook chamber is stone?

That's probably going to take a lot of trial and error fire management given it's custom nature.

[Incredulity 11654]

If you make a run at getting that thing dialed please post the effort and results.

 

Hard to tell a lot about how it may or may not perform as a smoker from that one pic.  Looks like the firebox is right under a portion of the cooking area?

[Eggo 3977]

38 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

If you make a run at getting that thing dialed please post the effort and results.

 

Hard to tell a lot about how it may or may not perform as a smoker from that one pic.  Looks like the firebox is right under a portion of the cooking area?

That's right. It's got room for a whole hog but a) I have no use for that much meat, and b) the firebox is directly under some of grate. I'll share more pictures when we close at the end of the month. Should have some pretty good food dialed in by the time we win the Big 12.

[PandaPipe 67]

https://amazingribs.com/ is a great resource with some questionable web design.

Chicken, sausage, and pork butts are easier than brisket or ribs, so I recommend starting there for the first couple of cooks. It's really hard to mess up a pork butt for pulled pork. You'll need a thermometer with multiple probes, some for ambient smoker temps, others for meat. Try out different woods to see which you like best. If you're in Texas, post oak, hickory, and mesquite will be the most available (maybe pecan too?). I live in the PNW so I also like to toss in a little apple or cherry wood for fun since I can find them for relatively cheaper. Given the time and effort it takes to run an offset smoker I like to make a lot of extra meat in each cook, then vacuum seal and freeze the leftovers.

[Anastasis 23463]

Mixed smoke today on the LSG 24x48. Pork ribs, lamb ribs, turkey breast, two pastramified brisket flats, some yard bird. If I am firing this mofo when it is 100deg outside damn sure I am filling it up. 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Anastasis

[Anastasis 23463]

alright alright alright.

 

[Dbeasy 15042]

So, I was about to pull the trigger on a Recteq smoker but then ran across several articles about charcoal gravity smokers. People are raving about the flavor vs. pellet grills. There are patents held by Masterbuilt and Char Griller that keep others from introducing them.  Anyone been able to compare foods between the two?

Our biggest food smoke would be, in order: chicken, turkey, brisket, ribs

Also, for those with gravity charcoal smokers (South Austin, etc), are you still happy with it?

[hornian 5210]

Real talk - how are we feeling about using our smokers in CenTex right now? I'd like to smoke a brisket, but I also like not burning down my entire neighborhood if a spark or something gets away from me. 

[Captain Ron 12870]

Neighborhood destroyed in horrible brisket accident.

[You don't know me 1161]

On 8/19/2023 at 11:52 AM, Dbeasy said:

So, I was about to pull the trigger on a Recteq smoker but then ran across several articles about charcoal gravity smokers. People are raving about the flavor vs. pellet grills. There are patents held by Masterbuilt and Char Griller that keep others from introducing them.  Anyone been able to compare foods between the two?

Our biggest food smoke would be, in order: chicken, turkey, brisket, ribs

Also, for those with gravity charcoal smokers (South Austin, etc), are you still happy with it?

I have come pretty close to pulling the trigger on one of the gravity fed smokers, but ultimately decided not to.  I've seen some videos showing how the seals in the charcoal chute don't last.  There also seems to be a hot spot right in the center where the fan blows the heat/smoke in.  

I took the advice of a long time poster here and got a WSM 22.  I've had a pellet smoker and liked the convenience, but the taste us just lacking.  In the WSM I get the best of both worlds.  They are about as close as set and forget as a pellet and the taste is worlds better.

[tigol 2395]

Real talk - how are we feeling about using our smokers in CenTex right now? I'd like to smoke a brisket, but I also like not burning down my entire neighborhood if a spark or something gets away from me. 

I stopped three weeks ago and did a bunch of WSM mods during the down time.

It’s raining right now in Wimberley, so I’m thinking about some fair style turkey legs this weekend. Savage.

[Sam Lin 3551]

19 hours ago, You don't know me said:

 In the WSM I get the best of both worlds.  They are about as close as set and forget as a pellet and the taste is worlds better.

If you want true set and forget capability, just add a fan controller to the WSM.

[You don't know me 1161]

If you want true set and forget capability, just add a fan controller to the WSM.

Nothing but truth there. I did get a BBQ Guru for mine and it is fantastic. I did a couple of cooks before the Guru arrived and that was great, but the Guru is amazing. I will throw a brisket on around 7:00 PM and wrap in butcher paper around midnight. I go to bed without any concern about temps and sleep like a baby.

[stc 1460]

in austin randalls has pork butt for $1/lb through the 5th with coupon. 

[Paco 1934]

We gave Big Shirley a bath and hauled her to the rodeo cook off.

[thunderlounge 7815]

How’d it go? 
 

Don’t think I’ve seen you mention the trailer for a bit. 

[Paco 1934]

We just got here last night. Cooking briskets and pork butts for the public right now, competition meats turn in tomorrow.

[thunderlounge 7815]

Right on. Good luck with it!

[luke duke 6412]

We gave Big Shirley a bath and hauled her to the rodeo cook off.

Did you cook the short ribs to a perfect medium rare?

[pops 6980]

On 11/19/2022 at 11:51 AM, Dontshootrude said:

After years of smoking on ceramic cookers I've finally jumped into the offset stick burner game.  After an 8 month wait my Workhorse 1975t was ready for pickup.  I'm learning a lot and having a lot of fun messing up, but this cooker is pretty incredible.  Even for a total n00b like me I'm already producing good food after my third fire.

 

 

Pos rep for the well cared for XJ. Doing the lords work. 

[Paco 1934]

On 3/4/2024 at 6:09 PM, luke duke said:

Did you cook the short ribs to a perfect medium rare?

Is there any other way?

[dcbc 14465]

I've been pondering this move for a minute. I love my WSM, and it isn't going anywhere.  But I've been eying stick burners. I took a hard look at the Old Country G2 at Academy, and they really knocked it out of the park for the price. That thing is a beast, even not considering it is mass-produced.  But for just a little more, and custom made only an hour away, I decided to go with Big Phil's Blue Smoke Smoker out of Caddo Mills, TX. Several add-ons raised the price several hundred over the base level, but this thing is a beast and surely will outlast me. 10--12 week build time. Should be able to pick it up the week of my birthday.  I've got a friend with some land nearby, and he's promised to keep me well stocked with oak splits.

Wish me luck.

 

 

 

Pit is 3/8" steel all over with 1/4" steel end caps.  Weighs in at 900 lbs. 

 

Add-ons: stack damper, probe port, water pan shelf (like the Franklin pit but removable), and the Tru-Coat (ya, they put that on that the factory).

Edited July 19 by dcbc

[thunderlounge 7815]

You might be able to get a different mount and then be able to swap your fan controller between them. If that’s of interest.

 

You’re not alone in this. Had my eyes on a Lang for a long while. Won’t be any time soon, probably when we move.

 

[dcbc 14465]

4 hours ago, thunderlounge said:

You might be able to get a different mount and then be able to swap your fan controller between them. If that’s of interest.

 

You’re not alone in this. Had my eyes on a Lang for a long while. Won’t be any time soon, probably when we move.

 

I could, but I'll probably just save it for when I break out the WSM (I did look at their site and they have plenty of adapters I could slap on there or have a buddy weld in place if I ever decided to do that.  But first, I'm going to learn to tend a fire myself before I look at things that might make my life easier.  That LSG fire management rack is pretty inexpensive and might fit the bill from an efficiency standpoint once I get this thing figured out.

[dcbc 14465]

On 7/19/2024 at 2:46 PM, dcbc said:

I could, but I'll probably just save it for when I break out the WSM (I did look at their site and they have plenty of adapters I could slap on there or have a buddy weld in place if I ever decided to do that.  But first, I'm going to learn to tend a fire myself before I look at things that might make my life easier.  That LSG fire management rack is pretty inexpensive and might fit the bill from an efficiency standpoint once I get this thing figured out.

I have a dumb, followup question.  I opted for a clear coat over a boiled, linseed oil finish.  Do people with smokers with a painted finish do an oil treatment (Pam or otherwise) over the paint?  I've seen a video or two where people season the inside and outside of painted smokers, but some BBQ videos don't feature presenters who instill me with confidence as to their decision making.  I'm assured this clear coat is expensive stuff, but it's not going to last forever.  I can buy a rattle can of engine block clear coat to touch  up spots, but would a coat of oil on top of it slow down the frequency of the need to do this kind of maintenance.  Or should I change my order to the linseed oil finish and just hit it with oil after each cook? 

[Incredulity 11654]

I'd vote for oiling.

No finish, paint or clearcoat,  is going to stand up to the heat/cooling cycles of a fire.  

[Anastasis 23463]

1 minute ago, dcbc said:

I have a dumb, followup question.  I opted for a clear coat over a boiled, linseed oil finish.  Do people with smokers with a painted finish do an oil treatment (Pam or otherwise) over the paint?  I've seen a video or two where people season the inside and outside of painted smokers, but some BBQ videos don't feature presenters who instill me with confidence as to their decision making.  I'm assured this clear coat is expensive stuff, but it's not going to last forever.  I can buy a rattle can of engine block clear coat to touch  up spots, but would a coat of oil on top of it slow down the frequency of the need to do this kind of maintenance.  Or should I change my order to the linseed oil finish and just hit it with oil after each cook? 

I don't know about clear coat, but yes, I would oil a painted firebox inside and out esp well during initial burn in and only once in a while after. If it is exposed to the elements maybe more frequently.